Sparks of Tomorrow

 When Kyoto Animation creates something, you just pause what you are doing and sit down, because they have really taken animation to an art form.

 

And with Sparks of Tomorrow (available on Netflix), a new visual masterpiece has been made. 

 

Taling place at the very beginning of the 19th century, in an alternate version of Japan, technological advancements have been slowed by reliance on steam engine technolgies instead, and the resulting smog.  A young man named Kihachi however wants to change this, as he follows the dreams of his deceased elder brother and bring the miracle of electricity to Japan.  

 

He meets Inako, the daughter of a sake brewer who is about to enter an arranged marriage with Yosuke, an engineer versed in steam power.  Together, they set out to complete the Electric Catalogue, a book his brother made with all diagrams to generate electric power.  As they find the missing half of the book, Kihachi starts creating the devices, to the dismay of Yosuke.  A former comrade in arms to Kihahchi's brother, he has made a steamdoll resembling him in his memory, and wants to make an electric brain to bring him back in a certain way...

 

So visually this was a fantastic anime, though storywise and such it was at time to chaotic, which is a shame as this could have been really high in the "ever rankings of anime".  Now, it stays (far) above mediocre, but it just didn't make that last step to greatness, think of it in age of tier lists as an A-tier anime, but falling short of S-tier.

 

Still, definitly worth watching on Netflix, it is one of the better originals they have on there!