Glasslip

[Buffalobiian]

Alternative title:
グラスリップ (Japanese)
Genres: slice of life

Plot:

On the other side of the glass, you can see tomorrow.

The daughter of a glass artisan family, Fukami Touko, spends relaxed days at a cafe called Kazemichi at a friend's house. On the summer vacation of her third year in high school in front of Touko appeared a transfer student boy Okikura Kakeru. He spoke out to her, that he can hear the voices of the future. If someone knew in advance what their future would look like, what would they wish for? While feeling never before felt tremors in herself, Touko realises that she has started getting a sense in her heart which she can't leave alone... -AniDB

Links: ANN, AniDB, MAL

Downloads:

Episode 01

Episode 02

Episode 03

Episode 04

Episode 05

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I wasn't too enthusiastic about this show when I started, and 5 episodes in I can't say much has changed, though I do feel like I'm now accustomed to it. The show is rather well drawn (or you could say, as expected of PA Works) and the music isn't bad. Flow is one problem though. Those still-frames are an interesting feature and there's nothing wrong with them, but the entire story feels a bit like that - snapshots of someone's story. Technically everything's there, but I don't know why I'm watching this. Engagement really isn't there.

The feeling is best described as 'tired'. The same "PA Works lighting", the same polygon-love with the new lead male at the front, airhead girl 2nd and the rest stringing up behind her. Touko was particularly a put-off at first, despite being aesthetically pleasing. She's still the same Touko inside, but at least she's caught on to the romance mess and isn't an 'innocent by ignorance'. Thank heavens "Dating is now allowed" was called so early on instead of 13 episodes in.

The whole "I can see the future" is such a sporadic feature that the story could well get along without it. It seems to just some random thing that gives the two leads a common topic when they previously had none just chicken cruelty.

Sachi is easily my least favourite character here. That aggressive cock-blocking while protected behind her lesbianism irks me. Yuki is alright. I rather like Yanna. David can continue pulling his cool guy stunt. Comedic relief guy can remain just that.

[shinta|hikari]

I am actually loving this show. I am always a fan of love polygons that actually move. The aggressiveness of the characters in terms of romance is also refreshing.

[Kraco]

I like this so far alright, and I'm still optimistic about it, but like Bill, I can't help but wonder what role the future visions are supposed to play. During the first ep I thought this would be more like Nagi no Asukara, for example, where there was the polygon (which I'm never a fan of), but the other stuff beside the standard drama was so overpowering the show really got me hooked. This series, however, is one episode after another of the polygon and very little else, despite the foresight teaser hanging there in the background. It's been five episodes already, so I'm feeling a bit betrayed already and my optimism will soon turn into pessimism. At least David is playing the cool guy role sufficiently, just like Tsumugu of Asukara, so the polygon isn't all stuffy for me.

I only like romance/drama shows when there's something else going on as well, be it action, adventure, comedy, or whatever, so this needs to present that something else soon.

[MasterOfMoogles]

Seeing the future while working with hot molten glass seems like a horrible ability.

There are a couple interesting things in this show, but I wish a little more would happen in an episode. The most recent one felt like 15 minutes of absolutely nothing.
The future visions thing seems pretty unnecessary so far.

[Kraco]

Episode 6 - HS





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The future vision still played only a sort of simple role of pushing those two forward, but unfortunately David seems to have lowered his estimation of its importance. It would be pretty annoying if it's never going to play any bigger role and will be left with no explanations whatsoever. It could also be possible David's mom has had visions and they pushed her to go here and there, chasing after them. It certainly would help to do everything right, as well.

I have to say I wouldn't be watching this without David being like he is. He keeps the drama from getting stale with his blunt and somewhat abnormal personality or at least social skills. The challenge scene was quite nice and played out well. Single-minded people who don't really care about stuff not relevant to them can make social interactions far more interesting in fiction. Touko is a good pair for him since she's so easily surprised by anything he does.

Edit: If this creates a rift within the group, Touko landing right in the middle of it, I think I'll enjoy it. Especially since Yanagi first got close enough to David to talk about her futile love and stuff, and now apparently will switch to hating him.

[Buffalobiian]

Damn, if only all girls were as easy as Touko.

[shinta|hikari]

Touko isn't easy. Your being rude to Yuki. David is just handsome, composed, smart, and has a similar synergistic power.

Yeah, poor Yuki.

[Buffalobiian]

Touko isn't easy. Your being rude to Yuki. David is just handsome, composed, smart, and has a similar synergistic power.

Yeah, poor Yuki.

Hah, I don't mind being a little rude to Yuki. He's pissed me off already.

[shinta|hikari]

Yeah, you're right. Yuki can die for all I care.

But Touko is cute. I usually hate characters like her, but all that sleeveless arm raising has swayed me. The only problem here is the effing director, always having the camera behind her when she does it.

[Kraco]

Episode 7 - HS




- - - - - - - -





As expected, this got significantly more interesting when conflict and mystery raised their heads. The visions obviously not being, at least only, glimpses of the future was especially intriguing. Though it's still quite hard to say what they are, but something far more symbolic in any case. In the last scene with Yana, it seems more like Yana's feelings made visual. I do hope the visions aren't merely what David or Touko want (or fear) to see. That would be the most boring explanation.

Sachi was shown in pretty dim light now. Isn't she a lesbian after Touko? I was quite surprised she went as far as making a tool out of Hiro, ensuring his cooperation by calling him a boyfriend. Naturally being trapped in the hospital she didn't possess many options, but that was low, no matter how pressured she felt.

Things really did start to fall apart when David appeared, but none of the troubles were really his fault. I suppose stealing Touko away from the group might have been enough, though. Especially when two other members, Yuki and Sachi, were there possibly only for her. That left only Yana, who could keep feeling herself about Yuki as long as the static status quo remained.

[shinta|hikari]

Yana's actions at the end were idiotic. You are blaming someone for someone else becoming uncool? It isn't even Kakeru's actions, but his simple existence that affected Yuki. Why can't Yana just be happy for her friend instead of being an insufferable bitch?

Sachi is absolutely disgusting. I knew there was something wrong with the boyfriend thing, but I didn't think she would stoop this low. She is just useless baggage and should be discarded.

Little sister biking in school swimwear was the highlight of this episode, if not the entire series. I would donate 100 dollars to charity if Yuki ends up with the sister.

[Kraco]

Yana's actions at the end were idiotic. You are blaming someone for someone else becoming uncool? It isn't even Kakeru's actions, but his simple existence that affected Yuki. Why can't Yana just be happy for her friend instead of being an insufferable bitch?

Yeah, but I think we have been seeing it in her behavior, in small doses. This is her real personality, now it merely wasn't moderated, like people usually hold back, when she thought she's alone with David. You have to admit this is a pretty sad time for Yana. She can't anymore delude herself about her chances with Yuki, but at the same thing the cool Yuki she fell in love with is cracking as well, becoming uncool, and suffering. She's in no position to do anything about it. Perhaps her relationship with Touko should be far more strained as well, and she directed some of that at David.

[shinta|hikari]

I actually liked Yana before this episode. She was gutsy and straightforward, something characters in her role usually lack. But lashing out at others is something I really dislike. It screams immaturity and irrationality.

[Buffalobiian]

So much selfishness in one episode.

Hina wasn't immune to it. "Please stay attractive" was only a little better than "It's your (David's) fault Yuki is unattractive".

And then there's Sachi. I can appreciate the level of manipulation and foresight she went to though.

David's fragment theory should stem from the fact that he also sees himself as being fragmented. Conversing with two of yourself can do that to you.

[Kraco]

Episode 8 - HS






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Seems like Yana decided to raise her plummetting stocks by some good old service! I didn't mind at all. She has a good figure. And apparently a habit of walking around naked at home when others aren't around. A bit risky as long as she's not living alone. Maybe she's secretly hoping Yuki will suddenly walk in. It was also nice that when Touko suffered the fit, Yana immediately became concerned like the old friend she is and for a moment forgot most of her hostility.

Though the mystery of the visions was very mild during the earlier episodes in favour of regular drama, now it seems like the visions are truly rolling forward. They really don't look like definite glimpses of the future anymore. I'm all the more afraid after this episode that Touko in fact sees what she wants to or is afraid of seeing. I hope it's not all some subconscious bullshit. It's equally interesting David doesn't seem to suffer them anymore so much, or perhaps they simply aren't shown. Too bad his cool guy image is cracking as well since he's just repeating he doesn't know what's going on. He needs to come up with something useful, lest he's not a silent cool guy but a silent and rude dunce.

[Kraco]

Episode 9 - HS






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Not an awfully eventful episode. I suppose the plot did advance a bit, but I'm not sure in a good direction. Or rather I'm not sure this has any direction. Sachi is confession her lesbian love, which will add to the long list of unrequited love in this story. That is basically good, at least for Hiro, who will finally learn for good why he's better off forgetting Sachi. It doesn't look like Sachi is going to apologize or anything else, being too rotten for that. Perhaps that's also good, for such insensitivity ought to help Hiro further to forget her.

David losing his visions would be exceedingly strange considering we still don't know shit about that whole issue. It's also the thing binding David and Touko together, as their relationship otherwise doesn't look too mushy at the moment. She wouldn't even open the fricking door for him... It's sort of hard to see it would be only due to embarrassment because of the single vision. David's personality is getting annoyingly one-sided, being so concentrated on the visions and nothing else.

I have no idea where this all is heading, if anywhere.

[shinta|hikari]

Sachi confessed in front of Hiro so she can get dumped and move forward, giving him a proper chance.

David wants to investigate the visions for Touko, who is suffering from them.

[Kraco]

Sachi confessed in front of Hiro so she can get dumped and move forward, giving him a proper chance.

A proper chance to... woo a lesbian? Didn't she just decide to confess in front of Hiro so that he will get the explanation for why she was using him in such a cold manner? Based on her behavior she was barely feeling sorry for him. In fact I wonder if she was at all or merely feeling sorry for herself for ruining a part of the group that allowed her to easily spend time in Touko's company. Perhaps, using reverse psychology, she was instead burning a bridge in Hiro's case, making it easier to confess, as that could potentially ruin a lot more.

David wants to investigate the visions for Touko, who is suffering from them.

He surely doesn't read the mood well. Touko is clearly getting the feeling nothing else about her matters but the visions she's getting. That he's only interested in her visions, not her as a person or a girl.

[shinta|hikari]

There are people who like both male and female you know. If she didn't care about Hiro at all, she would not have texted him, especially not with a subject 'For tomorrow'.

David not reading the mood is nothing new. It has nothing to do with his motive, which you implied was the visions only. If you meant in your first post that David was clumsy, but knew he was doing it for Touko, then okay.

[Kraco]

Episode 10 - HS




- - - - - -

There are people who like both male and female you know. If she didn't care about Hiro at all, she would not have texted him, especially not with a subject 'For tomorrow'.

So it seems. Though I still find it hard to trust her. I feel like she really only likes Touko, but perhaps she can't come out of the closet and confess she's full lesbian and thus included Hiro as well, or perhaps she can't actually accept she's lesbian and thus is forcing herself to pretend to like also Hiro. The whole confession scene was in any case watered down because of the confusion and Sachi confessing to two people at once. However, I don't think she wants to lose Hiro's friendship at this point anymore, even though she must have been ready for it when she decided to use him like a tool back then.

Kakeru's single-mindedness still bothers me (in his particular case, single-minded characters normally don't bother me), but I have to give him props for what he did with the fragment Touko saw. After the last eps I wasn't even expecting it anymore, not thinking he had what it takes, considering he didn't seem to care as much about Touko as the fragments. However, now he was quite a smooth operator to turn the fragment into a future fragment. Though Touko was also really brave to have the guts to describe that part of the fragment to him. I suppose she was getting frustrated with David.