Synopsis

In a snow-covered world that time seems to have forgotten, Chito and Yuuri drive their small truck across the land. Motoring through cavernous sewers and emerging into a star-filled night, their journey seems to have no beginning and no ending, a simple quest for survival that takes them through the ruins of a dead civilization. There was a great war once, and the mechanical refuse of that conflict still scatters the earth, leaving decaying tanks and dusty rations for the two girls to sift through. There may be no future in this place, but Chito and Yuuri are still alive, and they have each other. Tomorrow’s worries can keep their own company; for now, they can only eat, sleep, and travel on. (from ANN)

Review

Girls’ Last Tour might be the most optimistic post-apocalyptic anime I’ve ever seen. Instead of focusing on what caused the world to end up in such a state, this episode focused on the simple pleasures that Chito and Yuuri encounter as the travel. There’s joy in their companionship, in finding a chocolate bar, and even something as simple as making it outside after spending a long time in an abandoned factory. The world of Girls’ Last Tour is undoubtedly dead, but it isn’t without hope. All the simple pleasures combine to give a reason to keep going. This is helped by Chito and Yuuri’s dynamic, which is somewhat standard but also very believable. Chito’s more serious and focused on the task at hand, while Yuuri likes goofing around and sleeping. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but the two of them bounce off each other well and are instantly charming. It helps that the background art and music combine to create a quiet atmosphere. The backgrounds are so detailed that the world almost looks real, although the character designs are a tad distracting with how heavily moe they are. Still, that’s a minor gripe in an otherwise excellent first episode. If the purpose of a first episode is to make the audience want more, then Girls’ Last Tour succeeded 100%.

Recommendation: Watch