L'ère des cristaux - Review

Land of the Lustrous, released in 2017, is known in Japanese as Houseki no Kuni and in English as The Land of the Lustrous. It's a hidden gem largely ignored or unfairly dismissed by mainstream audiences.

• The visual style is unconventional and strange • The initial pitch seems bizarre and unsettling • These elements deter potential viewers

The story takes place in a distant future on Earth, where humanity has vanished and been replaced by crystals. These creatures are entirely mineral, immortal, asexual, require no food or water, and regenerate when broken.

Golden luminous beings called Lunarians live on the moon and regularly descend to Earth to shatter crystals into small pieces to make them into jewelry. The crystals' entire existence is organized around defending against this threat.

• The strongest stones are designated as fighters sent to the front lines • Diamonds form an elite unit at the top of the hierarchy • Fragile stones occupy roles like cartographer, tailor, or other non-combat functions

Cinnabar is an extremely fragile stone that fights despite its fragility by spraying poison at enemies, since cinnabar is a form of mercury that is toxic.

• Extremely fragile but dreams of fighting • Particularly sought after by Lunarians for their beautiful blue-green color • Three times more likely to be attacked by moon inhabitants • The youngest, unconscious, irresponsible and lazy • No role assigned due to their uselessness

The story centers on Phosphophyllite and their personal growth during the first season, following this unpopular crystal through their adventures.

• All characters are in 3D, a technique rarely used in anime • Usually 3D is used due to time or budget constraints, but that's not the case here • It's a deliberate and successful artistic choice

Scenes are crafted with remarkable precision, with so many beautiful frames in 20 minutes that it's clear 3D wasn't chosen out of laziness but as an intentional stylistic choice.

• 3D makes characters stand out since they're not drawn in the same style as the background • Gives incredible vibrancy to the colors • Particularly emphasizes the hair, which distinguishes each character • 3D hair creates a remarkable effect that makes them pop from the image

Characters appear slightly too smooth with somewhat rigid movements, particularly visible in combat scenes, but after the first ten minutes of the first episode, the style becomes very pleasant to watch.

Land of the Lustrous offers particularly well-executed character development, with very intelligent writing that is one of the most important elements in animation.

• Sometimes joyful without forcing it • Sometimes tragic without becoming melodramatic • Natural transitions between different emotions

A brief scene where Phosphophyllite asks a random question to jellyfish in jars and two of them jump while two others don't. This scene is surprising, adorable and well-executed, demonstrating the anime's high level of writing.

With twelve episodes totaling approximately four hours, it's an experience viewers won't regret. The reviewer strongly recommends watching without spoiling anything more.