Shôjo shûmatsu ryokô

Having watched many anime series, it was nice to see one that is set at a slower pace and deals with smaller issues in a thoughtful way, almost like a parable. In "Girls Last Tour" Civilization had advanced to the point that cities had multiple layers. However, war has destroyed almost all life including plant and animal. Two young girls journey through this desolate land on a WW2 German Kettengrad motorcycle tank driving about 10 miles an hour. The girls, Chito-black hair and Yuuri-blonde hair, explore, play, and try to make sense of things while seeking out food and supplies. Chito is thoughtful, keeps a journal and drives the Kettengrad. Yuuri is illiterate, impulsive, but exuberant. Watching these two living humans among the great but lifeless cities is an enjoyable if melancholy experience. But, if life has got you wound up, this show will help you wind down. Watched on Amazon Prime.

What if there really was a world where you and your very best friend were supposedly the only two people left in the world after a post-war society? How would that feel, being with the one and only person you ever wanted to be with until you die, experiencing hardships, connections, good times, and everything in between? Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou gives me an idea of how that would feel and for some reason that idea has kept popping back up in to my head. You and your friend are just lost in what seems like an endless "sandbox world" to yourselves, maybe even seeing people along the way. There's always that tense feeling of not knowing what you will see next or what's waiting for you in the near or distant future. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou may not be seen as the best anime series ever by most people, but to me, I felt a connection. A connection with the environment, the characters, and the dialogue... everything. I want to explain why this is my favourite series of all time without being biased. This is all my opinion, and I hope that you can understand why this is the best anime I have watched as of the time I have made this review.

The story is set in stone right from the first episode. Chito and Yuuri are supposedly the last two people left in society, maybe even the last living organisms in society. Everyday they rely on what they learned from what they found the day before. They are always finding new things to discover, and the show really pulls you in from what they find each episode. In this post-war apocalyptic environment, you'd expect quite a melancholy of a story if anything, with the whole story being about how the last two people left in the world only have the small things that are ahead of them to look forward to. That's not the case for Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou. In fact, Chito and Yuuri's journey is fairly merry and joyful. Most of the experiences that are bad overshadow the good because of how short the bad moments last. It makes this show much more enjoyable and shows that all the sad moments in life should only last such a small amount of time, and you should only focus on the best parts of it. That's what I love about this show. Maybe you have depression, and you really connected with this show. That's basically the same case for me; I think that this show tells you that even if life is hard at times, nice things still happen, and you should shift your focus on those nice things. Then, your life will be much happier. Chito and Yuuri had left their parents from a society that seems to have no backstory other than that, making it raise a lot of questions and makes this anime more mysterious as it goes on. Who knows what could have happened to that society besides the fact that it was most likely torn down by war? To be honest, anime that propose a question or have mystery elements to them are some of my favourite aspects of anime in general.

White Fox is known for being really experimental with what they make and they always love to reach out to new genres. They have made a lot of amazing anime and I appreciate how hard they work on making things perfect. Steins;Gate was an amazing anime for me and it's honestly unforgettable. They also made some other really great series like Katanagatari, Akame ga Kill, Re:Zero, Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka, Hataraku Maou-sama, and probably more. Of course, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou adds to the amount of great series they have made. Their way of adapting Tsukumizu's art style was perfect and it feels like Tsukumizu could have even made the anime herself if she could. The landscape and scenery stand out a ton in many episodes and attention to detail in scenes that need to be pointed out as the most important parts are absolutely stellar, hell, maybe I can even call it flawless. I have this attachment to how cute the style of the characters are and it makes me happy everytime I see them. White Fox just did really good at making this anime adaptation and I'm so glad they did.

Chito and Yuuri are characters that feel real in a way that makes it very relatable to many people. They are almost like opposites to each other, and their interactions display many different emotions and they clearly are happy that they are together in this end of the world society. It makes me wonder how it would feel like if me and my best friend were in a society quite like the one in Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou. Chito is the character that worries a lot about what's ahead and does repairs to the Kettenkrad. She seems to be a lot more of a survivalist than Yuuri is, but her personality is really adorable. Yuuri is the carefree and happy go lucky character, and honestly the one that you can have more of a connection with. She may be a bit greedy, but she can be really wise and she reminds Chito that the world isn't always full of tension and despair. There's always something to look forward to and you need to see more things positively. Both Chito and Yuuri make the plot of this story and I couldn't ask for more. Their opposites attract, and it makes watching this anime just amazing, especially when it gets meaningful and emotional.

I really want to point out how beautiful the soundtrack is to this anime. Some tracks are quite sad and depressing, and some are really, really happy. However, the part that really stands out the most for me is how each of the tracks sound. It's a beautiful and unique soundtrack, and I haven't heard such an amazing soundtrack since Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica and Made in Abyss. The passion used to make this original soundtrack is just beyond my own comprehension, because it sounds perfect in my ears. Kenichiro Suehiro took many different elements of music and combined them to make the soundtrack for this anime, and he did it near flawlessly. The soundtrack is used so precisely on the perfect moments and it makes the vibe of each part of the anime feel so good. Whenever Chito and Yuuri are in a dark area, a more calm or eerie song plays. Whenever they discover something amazing or they look out into the distance and see the beauty of the layered city, a song that will make the scene so much more emotional plays. That's what I love about this OST, it's just perfect to me.

This anime is so powerful even after a first time watch. I want to rewatch this so many times, I bet won't ever get tired of seeing how amazing this is. The meaning behind Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou probably goes far beyond what I feel like it already is. This anime is such a rare find today that there's almost nothing like it, even now. This may just be one of the most unique anime ever made and I appreciate White Fox for it. The amount of time and dedication to make this anime amazing is beautiful. I felt happiness, sadness, emotional connections, and all the meaningfulness from this show just go right into my head, never to come back out because it's so worth it to keep these memories in my head after watching this. The complexity of Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is so deep that maybe even if I watched 10 times I couldn't find out the true meaning. I just stick to what I think it's about and I'm happy that I think of it that way because it makes the viewing experience so much more enjoyable. There hasn't been a single anime like this one that I've watched before and it's the most unregrettable and unforgettable experience I have ever had watching anime. My opinion may be biased compared to most, but I felt too many great emotions when watching this.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is my favourite anime.

Story: 10+/10 Characters: 10+/10 Art: 10+/10 Sound: 10+/10 Enjoyment: 10+/10 Overall: 10+/10

The journey this anime takes you in is just stunning, how it views the idea of life, death, happiness, sadness, and many other feelings that will leave you in wonders.

You want something calming and chilling then you've found it.

Girls last tour is a post war story about two girls with one main moral "existence is not enough"

This isn't a show for everybody. There's almost no action, barely any characters and minimal plot. But if you can get into slow paced thoughtful anime or tv shows.....you might fall completely in love with Girls Last Tour. I won't go into the story. If you think you might like this....watch it. Listen to the gorgeous ethereal score. Go on a journey....and then if you want to die through dehydration from crying.....read the manga. Learn how to get along with hopelessness.