The Grimm Variations

I've got shelves of Reminaginings for fairy tales so going into this series I was open to just about anything.

It's not an exact match but the title is the best way I can describe how this show felt to me. It's like each fairy tale story was prompted to be mixed with a Sci-fi anthology series and the sound track was sourced from classical composers, though not always in a classical style.

And yeah the tones here all over the place while also being similar. It's really best to view each episode as it's own because really the only thing tying them together is the short openings with the Grimm siblings discussing the original fairy tales, and eventually having some small cameo in the story of the episode. So very " Rod Serling" or Alfred Hitchcock.

As others have said with no spoilers Cinderella is closest to the source material with a 'dark twist' so I'd say it best matches Night Gallery

I found a special fondness for Red Riding Hood which had shades of Hannibal and Black Mirror

Hansel and Gretel feels more Twilight Zone still a little twisty but nowhere near as dark as either of the previous tales.

Elves and the Shoemaker totally lost me I'll be honest, I won't even pretend to understand what happened there but then even the Main Character didn't even get it so maybe that was the point XD.

The Town Musicians of Bremen would be right at home as an entry for Love Death & Robots.

The Pied Piper Of Hamlin is rather Tales of the Darkside or maybe one of the more mild Master of Horror episodes.

After viewing the first season, I'm hooked on this Netflix anime series! This series offers captivating reinterpretations of six Grimm Brothers' fairy tales, each presented in distinct genres. But wait a minute. The Grimms didn't write "The Pied Piper of Hamelin." Anyway, in the beginning of each episode, the brothers and Charlotte, their younger sister, appear.

In my estimation, the most exceptional segments of the series feature a western science fiction adaptation of "The Bremen Town Musicians," in which the animal protagonists are human females. I agree with the anime fans who have seen the series. CLAMP, the creators of "Card Captor Sakura" and "X/1999," originated the concept art for the series, and I love it.

I really enjoy this series because I love fairy tales, though I'm 38 years old, and also because CLAMP's one of my favorite manga artists. So, that's all I have to say about this anime.

As a regular anime watcher, I found The Grim Variations to be a refreshing and enjoyable watch. Despite some criticism, I believe that sometimes, simple anime can be just as entertaining and engaging as those with more complex storylines. While some may argue that the show could have taken a different approach, it's important to remember that there are limitations when adapting famous fairytales while still trying to be original and engaging. Instead of setting high expectations, it's best to watch and appreciate the show for what it is. Don't let reviews or others' opinions influence your own enjoyment. Give it a chance and form your own thoughts and feelings about it.

CLAMP collab? Definitely here for it. The artwork is lovely, the character designs are whimsical, the Pied Piper episode was stretching into Ghibli-esque territory with their visuals, and some of the themes and elements were downright chilling.

First episode sets you up thinking everything will have this subversive twist. The last episode almost does the same thing, but you are more along for the ride on the subversion train rather than blindsided by it.

But none of the other episodes reach a satisfying level of "unexpected," instead, leaving you with a feeling of wondering what it was trying to represent. The source fairy tales themselves already had their moral lessons and with rare exception, it didn't present any "variation" to the tales or moral lessons. Much of it felt like an artist's rendition of an already known work. Not a copy, but how they see it. And while that can be appreciated for what it is, I felt dissatisfied, wishing it was for the reason of wanting more. But I didn't.

I was presented with a six-course meal and while I didn't leave the table hungry, none of the dishes were anything I would necessarily order again.

I actually started this series for background sounds. But the first episode hooked me in. It was simple of a Cinderella story but with a twist. The second episode was everything! Finally a show with all the gore and craziness of a MA show needed. The 3rd episode is what I wished Promise Neverland could of been. The Elves and the shoemaker episode was very interesting. Fun mystery type of episode. The town musical episode wasn't that great but it was nice to watch. The Pied Piper was a great story with a silver lining ending.

Each had their own message and stories. Some can say it's a 'Black Mirror' but in anime sort of way.

I hope there are more episodes to come out from this!