Flip Flappers: Review

Synopsis
Cocona is an average middle schooler living with her grandmother. And she who has yet to decide a goal to strive for, soon met a strange girl named Papika who invites her to an organization called Flip Flap.

Dragged along by the energetic stranger, Cocona finds herself in the world of Pure Illusion—a bizarre alternate dimension—helping Papika look for crystal shards. Upon completing their mission, Papika and Cocona are sent to yet another world in Pure Illusion. As a dangerous creature besets them, the girls use their crystals to transform into magical girls: Cocona into Pure Blade, and Papika into Pure Barrier. But as they try to defeat the creature before them, three others with powers from a rival organization enter the fray and slay the creature, taking with them a fragment left behind from its body. Afterward, the girls realize that to stand a chance against their rivals and the creatures in Pure Illusion, they must learn to work together and synchronize their feelings in order to transform more effectively.

It's not often an anime so readily pushes the boundaries of the medium. Most of the time, a formula, or variation of it, is used. Flip Flappers takes what looks like just another entry in the standard magical girl fare, and subverts it. Meshing the familiar with the abstract, Flip Flappers continuously defies expectations. Each episode is chock full of stunning cinematography, and both vibrant and interesting settings, as well as jaw droppingly fluid animation. The story, while confusing, is both light-hearted and unforgivingly dark, proving both a few laughs, and nail biting tension. Each character is memorable and unique, adding to the story. However, the endless possibles that "Pure Illusion" offers is underutilized: the setting, while interesting, is not entirely original. More abstract settings could have easily been used. There's an issue with the story too: It drags on, with what in retrospect feels a bit like filler (even if its well disguised) and toward the end of the series it rushes to wrap up, however in spectacular and satisfying fashion.

My score: 8/10