World Trigger

This anime series follows a pair of main male protagonists fighting against giant aliens (referred to as "neighbors") who enter their city through dimensional portals, using acquired alien technology. After watching two episodes, I am over it. The animation is not bad, and the subject matter is interesting, albeit relatively clichéd. However, the main characters were not interesting, and I found the treatment rather dull. It is not explicitly bad, although I do not feel the temptation to keep watching it anymore. (12.10.2014)

I don't believe World Trigger is as much of a disaster as some people claim. It's just incredibly forgettable, and there's hardly anything about it that's surprising. The simple storyline about alien monsters invading our world through an interdimensional gateway in a Japanese city might only excite undemanding and unsophisticated viewers. Those with a discerning eye may question: What sets it apart from other movies and TV series with similar plots? How will the production team bring something new to the table? Unfortunately, this is where the anime falls short. The production team seems to have struggled to come up with anything remotely interesting. They attempted to add depth by explaining the inner workings of Border, the organization fighting against the monsters, and the nature of the characters' supernatural abilities. Perhaps this decision was intended to give the impression of profundity and make the viewers feel like they were witnessing a highly sophisticated work that required significant effort and dedication, similar to what was seen in The Irregular at Magic High School. However, it still feels lacking and fails to make logical sense. The actions of Border members, who often behave like little children, don't align with the importance of the city's safety. Would the inhabitants of any city in any country truly be okay with menacing giant alien creatures randomly attacking them, endangering their safety and lives? I don’t think so. One would hope that the audio-visual experience would at least redeem the show, but once again, it disappoints. The soundtrack is passable, the artwork is unremarkable, the character designs are average, and the animation quality starts off quite poor (for instance, the first episode mainly consists of static shots), only reaching mediocrity later on. Since this show was produced by Toei Animation, a studio known for stretching stories with recaps and flashbacks, viewers might wonder how it would have turned out if a studio like Bones or Madhouse had taken on the project. Perhaps those studios could have at least delivered a more captivating audiovisual experience. Additionally, if the creators had taken bolder steps and approached the adaptation of the original material in the right way, World Trigger could have been more interesting in terms of the story. The only positive aspects I can mention are the absence of ecchi elements and the character of Kuga, the white-haired character who is well-voiced, has a good sense of humor, and exhibits some depth. However, the rest of the show is a repetitive and unremarkable mush that I've seen countless times before. The remaining thirty-five episodes probably won't surprise or impress me. Therefore, after fifteen episodes, I've decided to call it quits and give it a generous one-star rating, perhaps more than it deserves. (07.03.2015)