This is a gun held by someone not used to holding guns.
Lazarus is one of the most high-profile shows of the Spring 2025 anime season. It’s got companies with deep pockets and a staff with big names all contributing to improving its chances of being a creative and financial hit among western audiences. It’s no coincidence they put Watanabe Shinichirou at the helm. The driving impetus behind Lazarus is transparently an attempt to make another Cowboy Bebop. You know, the only good anime aside from Studio Ghibli films according to aging Americans who theoretically exist, but whom I’ve not encountered in many years now and never in meaningful numbers before.
Hayashibara Megumi! Except Faye Valentine isn’t a free spirit anymore; she’s the establishment.
At least that’s the impression I get from the first two episodes of Lazarus. It does a lot of things very well on a “technically proficient” level, but it all feels so corporate and manufactured in ways that, say, Space Dandy did not. The Lazarus characters are all new, but they all seem so familiar. Axel is the worst offender in that he seems too much like Spike. Additionally, the sequences showing off his parkour abilities went on entirely too long. They felt like a waste of excellent animation.
At least her pupils did not turn into hearts.
In contrast, Sorairo Utility (alternatively, Sora-Iro Utility) was very obviously a passion product inspired by the dream of a single individual who devoted years to bringing a fairly simple but effortlessly charming anime to life. Did everyone else working on the series share that same dream? I don’t have any way of knowing that. However, the anime they produced at least conveyed enthusiasm and affection that I sincerely hope was genuine.
Lazarus characters don’t even have matching outfits.
I can’t claim Sorairo Utility is a better anime than Lazarus in a way that will make investors satisfied and western viewers (at least those who aren’t already longtime anime fans) pleased, but I promise you I looked forward to each girls-playing-golf episode more. Watching Lazarus mostly reminds me I never got around to watching the second-cours episodes of Space Dandy. I can’t help but wonder if Mr. Watanabe would be happier if I spent my time watching those instead.
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