English Dub Review: Sparks of Tomorrow “The Sound of Innovation”
Overview
Yosuke challenges Kihachi and the gang to a music battle. With only Inako having musical experience, can they master electric instruments in a week?
Our Take
Picking up from the previous episode, Kihachi’s competitive nature takes center stage when he accepts a musical challenge that leads to one of the show’s most bizarre ideas yet. With electricity still being relatively new in this setting, he puts together some unconventional instruments for Inako, Suzu, and Kate, resulting in an unlikely musical group. The premise is ridiculous in the best possible way, and Kihachi once again proves that his inventions can lead to some wonderfully unexpected results.
The music and presentation are easily the biggest highlights. Studio KyoAni is no stranger to animated musical performances, but seeing that energy applied to this steampunk setting feels surprisingly fresh. The act itself, even with a sound that feels very BABYMETAL-inspired, mixes cute performers, traditional Japanese instruments, and unexpectedly heavy rock/metal sound. The training sequences also feature a nostalgic old-school anime aesthetic, while the exaggerated reactions and goofy visuals make the whole thing even more entertaining. There are a few questionable leaps in logic, but the sheer creativity makes them easy to overlook.
Overall, this is a chaotic, creative, and surprisingly fun installment. It may feel a little disconnected from the larger story and occasionally veer into cheesy territory, but the combination of KyoAni’s animation, infectious music, comedy, and bizarre alternate-history setting makes it difficult not to have a good time. Watching the show essentially invent its own BABYMETAL-style performance might just be the wildest surprise yet.
