Shelf Life

A Certain Something

Despite its lengthy official English name, which is quite the mouthful, Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl is a hidden gem in the slice-of-life library. Its first few minutes might throw some people off—but don't let it. In them, normal everyday high school boy Makoto explains that his parents have gone overseas for work, requiring him to move in with his cute aunt, who works a lot and is thus seldom home. It sounds like a corny, clichéd setup, but when he gets there, he discovers something interesting. There's a girl his age who also lives in that house, but she's always rolled up inside a futon, and rarely speaks. He finally learns that her name is Erio, and she's the aunt's daughter, but her presence is mostly unacknowledged. The town (and her mother) shuns her for her strange behavior, and also her conviction that she's an alien, sent to observe Earthlings. We quickly see, though, that she's just a hikikomori who feels safer when she's shielded from the outside world by her futon.

Perhaps in part because Makoto is just a Nice Guy, or perhaps also because Erio (when she's not hiding in her futon) is a cute girl who radiates sparkles, but he takes an interest in her and legitimately tries to befriend her. In a move that's either helpful or just selfish, he tries to prove to her that she's not an alien, and that she can't fly, shaking her finally from her delusions. The rest of the series is spent trying to help her reintegrate back into a judgmental society, meanwhile befriending two other gals who are slight misfits in their own way.

From its charming and brightly-colored artwork, to its silly title, to series description that invariable mention girls who think they're aliens, it's easy to unfairly dismiss Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl as nonsensical fluff. However, give it two episodes and it's quickly apparent that this series has a serious and tender side. Sure, the series overall is fairly lighthearted and has several comedic moments, but it's defined by the moments the characters learn to understand and accept one another, and also themselves. I think the series is strongest in the way its shows Erio's transformation, but it also does a good job with the other characters who make appearances, each with their own personal problems and insecurities. My only gripe with the series is that not all of the episodes and side stories are interesting—there's an episode near the end of the series where the characters are playing baseball against another local team, and I'm not sure it has a reason to exist. I guess there were some points to be made about confidence and believing in yourself and having fun, but compared to some of the meatier episodes, it's a little thin.

For those who love packaging extras, the NIS America premium edition boxset is a delight, even if it doesn't fit anywhere on your shelf. The box itself is thick and sturdy—which is good for sloppy collectors like me who have a tendency to ram their discs back into the artboxes. It holds not only the BDs and DVDs, but also a nice, full-color hardcover artbook with stuff like character art and interviews. I'm one of the last people on Earth who still buys physical CDs, so I'm a big fan of package art. These NIS America artbooks are like catnip for fans like me; there is something just infinitely satisfying about being able to rifle through shiny, official artwork.

Overall, Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl is a treat. I approached the series with a lot of trepidation, because I thought there couldn't possibly be anything to like about a show where a pretty girl claims to be an alien, but I was very wrong. Yeah, there might actually be a real alien girl near the end of the series, but for the most part, the show is a touching story about a nice girl with a lot of emotional problems, and a guy who believed in her enough to break her out of her shell. I highly recommend it.[TOP]

For fans who've been resolutely following Maria Watches Over Us, at least for the first two seasons, you know that the series can fill a lot of time with not much happening. The third season is even more so like this, ditching the melodrama of the second season and settling on something even slower, even more relaxing, and even more sure of itself. Whereas there were scenes in the second season that were downright embarrassing (some of Yumi's actions towards Sachiko when jealousy started rearing its head were truly unappetizing to watch), most of the third season is fairly pleasant. The characters are comfortable in their soeur relationships, and even though there is some cattiness involving some new characters, nothing quite blows up to the same level as the previous season.

It's difficult to write any kind of synopsis for shows like Maria Watches Over Us. Yes, I could write down a list of things that happened (school festivals, summer trips), but story has never been the driving force for this franchise. Rather, it's the characters and the way they interact with each other. Because we've known these girls now for so many episodes, and have watched them slowly transform from skittish first years into more refined upperclassmen, we see and understand the subtleties in their interaction with one another. When Yumi has to spend time away from Sachiko, we learn to pick up on her increased agitation, and when she starts taking a new girl under her wing, we appreciate how much she's grown. In fact, all of the first years that we've been following for the past three seasons have been blossoming into strong and mature women, and it makes you appreciate that the series is following them through time, rather than stagnating on one particular slice of their timelines.

Fans who appreciate the franchise's art style will also love the extra care (and money) that went into the OVAs. All of the familiar character design and soft, pastel color palettes are still there, but with that OVA budget comes OVA details. The animation is just noticeably nicer. The characters faces actually move in a more natural way, eliminating those moments when girls just vacantly stare at the person they're talking to. Clothes and hair move in a more fluid fashion too. In a show where nothing much happens, save for nuances in character body language, having extra animation dollars helps.

As a franchise, Maria Watches Over Us is certainly not for everyone. It's very slow, and it's largely character-driven. The third season, in particular, is wonderful for preexisting fans, but likely won't win over anyone who isn't fond of slice-of-life shows. For people who do already love these characters though, this is one of the best seasons yet, and you will not regret sitting through it.[TOP]