First Impression: GHOST CONCERT : missing Songs

It’s 2045, and technology has made life very comfortable and, seemingly, better. But with all the advances, there’s one restriction that’s quite unusual: People are outlawed from singing, playing, or even composing music. That’s why Seria finds it so unusual to hear someone in an alley singing a tune. Chasing down the voice, she instead comes upon the voice of one who’s suffering—a ghost. And though she runs from the threat, the hostile spirit possesses her, revealing itself to be the ghost of Cleopatra! Soon, Seria finds herself in a battle involving heroes of the past, a classmate from the present, and the power of song.

There are a ton of signs here that GHOST CONCERT : missing Songs isn’t worth watching: It’s the anime piece of a mixed-media “song battle” project; the animation is clunky (and the CGI very fake); and episode one was kind of all over the place. But you know what? I kind of liked it. The music itself isn’t as strong as I might assume it would be from a music project, but there’s a charm to it, and it sounds old-school, which I like (the ED, by the way, is the one excellent piece from episode one). I think that was a particular reason that the series felt like it was more out of 2006 than 2026—and I’m here for that! I also liked how there’s a balance here between what feels like a battle series that aimed more at kids and one that’s definitely more adult (see Cleopatra’s endless lust for men). There’s a simplicity in the show that I appreciate, like the cruel scene near the end in which a key character is rejected by those around her. And there’s also plenty of mystery to go around—is that opening scene a picture of the future, and what is with that confusing cliffhanger ending? I don’t think GHOST CONCERT : missing Songs is going to be a series of particular note, but it’s one that resonates with me, so I’ll be singing along with it for at least a while longer.

GHOST CONCERT : missing Songs can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

Twwk
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