English Dub Review: Sakugan “BRAINS & HEARTS”

Overview:

Memempu finally reaches the Labyrinth and wants to take the shortest route to their goal, but Gagumber continues to shoot down her suggestions. Their bickering only stops when a kaiju attack leaves them separated.

Our Take:

I don’t really know how to rate this episode. It wasn’t good but wasn’t bad. Plus it set up some cool things and I like where it’s going. Not to mention it was still enjoyable even with its flaws.

The mech they drive is really cool and I kind of like that both of them can operate it. I can see some cool moments unfolding in the future with that premise carrying the way. The gadgets that it has are pretty cool even if they aren’t all that unique to the genre. We have gotten a little taste of battles with the kaiju but I would like to see more.

From an animation standpoint, it’s still very good. The character designs are sharp and interesting but hopefully, there will be a bit more variety in the kaiju designs. As of now, we have seen the same design three times. The mechs look cool and move really well that it’s hard to tell if CGI is being used and that’s a good thing!

Most of the negatives I have are with Memempu as a character. Like she’s kind of annoying which I get is supposed to be the point but it gets to be a little much in this episode. She refuses to listen to Gagumber and while he isn’t the best role model, they are in a dangerous place and he is her guardian. Unlike most shows where something bad happens because of this, it feels like Sakugan rewards her for her poor behavior. She gets trapped and scared but Gagumber comes to her rescue and afterward she has this “See I was right!” attitude that bugged me. Her victories just haven’t really felt earned, and it worries me about her character development but we are still very early in the show.

I am looking forward to the next episode cause we ended on a pretty big cliffhanger. It will be nice to see some more characters start to get introduced though. The world is interesting and I am intrigued to learn more. Despite its flaws so far I still think Sakugan is a good show so far and worth the watch.