Shinichiro Watanabe Returns to Mars
- Episodes : 24 (12 have aired as of June 27, 2019)
- Genre : Music, Drama, Sci-Fi, Romance
- Airing Date : April 11, 2019 - Ongoing
- Producers : Bones
Contains Spoilers
Carole & Tuesday Introduction
In the late 21st century, humanity has migrated to Mars and people are living regular lives like they’re still on Earth. However, just because humans have migrated to a different planet doesn’t mean that their struggles go away, and that’s where our two main leads, Carole & Tuesday, come in. Carole was a city girl who grew up in the system until she aged out. Tuesday was a neglected daughter of a politician who only brought with her a suitcase and her guitar as she ran away from home.
One evening, they met at a bridge where performing is prohibited and while on the run for violating the rules, they become best friends in their hopes of making their dreams come true. However, it’s not going to be easy as the competition is packed and just as talented. But by working together, anything is possible!
1. It Could Be the Cowboy Bebop Continuation We Asked For
Though we have shared this in previous articles, there are numerous speculations that Carole & Tuesday could be connected to the Cowboy Bebop universe, and there are two major clues as to why many think so. The first clue is that this series takes place in Alba City, the setting of the Cowboy Bebop movie. Another significant clue is that the currency in-use is the Woolong. Other than that, Carole & Tuesday has its own distinguishing identity and could still be that connected series we’re still looking for.
2. Amazing Music
Considering the nature of this series being centered around music, the anime puts a lot of heart and soul into it. It doesn’t have that energetic bubblegum pop sound you tend to hear from your typical idol anime; Carole & Tuesday aims to be more organic as they rely more on making their own songs and using actual acoustic instruments. The songs that the characters perform do a great job of capturing the emotions of each character and can be seen as an image song to them. What also makes this soundtrack unique is that a majority of the songs are performed in English by actual English speakers.
3. A Story of Friendship
Everyone can see that Carole & Tuesday are different people based on their race and upbringings. However, as opposed to focusing on what makes them different, they are united by what makes them similar and become best friends in the course of an evening. They go through the same struggles and they’re always there to support each other unconditionally. Through Carole & Tuesday’s relationship, we can acknowledge that everyone is different and that’s ok. When we focus on what makes us similar as opposed to what makes us different, that is where people can start to build a relationship and make magic in the same way Carole & Tuesday have.
1. Wait for the Dub
In the never ending debate of sub vs. dub, as crazy as it sounds, Carole & Tuesday with how it presents itself is an anime that should be viewed in English. And we’re not trying to take away anything from the Japanese cast and they have done a remarkable job. When you take into account the gimmick that the songs are performed in English by native speakers (or so we assume), going from the characters speaking in Japanese to singing in English (trying hearing Pytor’s voice when he speaks in Japanese and how he sings in English based on their respective performers) is a less believable act than Milli Vanilli. And we’re not taking anything away from the music either. When this series gets around to getting dubbed in English, we can hope that the singers will be cast to play their characters as well so the story feels more believable.
2. The Mermaid Sisters Were Disqualified (Fucking Bullshit)
When you get to the episodes when our co-leads enter the planetary idol contest, there is one episode where a drag queen Capella group known as The Mermaid Sisters compete and they have the greatest song ever. We have to admit that the fact they were disqualified is fucking bullshit. For those that have yet to watch, you’ll eventually understand why you may not come to not agree with the direction this series goes, and why we used such explicits .
Final Thoughts
Putting aside the theories of this series being connected to Cowboy Bebop, this series on its own has so much creative merits for viewers to enjoy. While the music genre can be over-saturated due to idol anime, Carole & Tuesday doesn’t fall into that. It’s its own unique series and if anything, this anime is more similar to Nana with how it includes slice of life elements and the circumstances of how Carole & Tuesday come together. It has wonderful music and despite being Japanese in origin, it’s one of the few titles that can capture a universal appeal.
Author: Justin "ParaParaJMo" Moriarty
Recommended Post
CAROLE & TUESDAY Announces Summer Cours OP & ED!
Recommended Post
Here’s Why You Need to Watch Carole & Tuesday
Recommended Post
CAROLE & TUESDAY 2nd Cours Review - " The Rise to Stardom "
Recommended Post