

I don't get what the theme of the story is. Although I can follow the romance
aspect of the anime, I don't get what the story is trying to tell us.

It may have been due to Glasslip being the first original anime that P.A.
Works has made. Other series (which are adaptations) were not so confusing,
and some were successful at sending their message to the viewer. _Hanasaku
Iroha_ was about self-discovery. _Nagi no Asukara_ was centered around "Love
brings people together".

So what was the theme of Glasslip? What is the story trying to tell us?


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-09T18:25:55.353
14355
2020-09-25T19:36:57.850
1398
question
glasslip
What is the theme of Glasslip anime?


I think this question **is** opinion-based, but not to an extent where it
cannot be reasonably answered. Anyway, that's a decision someone else can
make.

Glasslip is about teenage life, but without many of the cliches that are in
many shows - characters are uncertain about many things - love, friendship,
future, and in general growing up.

This is why not much happens during the show - the characters are nervous
about the fact that they can now date within the group, that a new person has
disrupted their social circle, that they will soon be separated as they move
on to new schools and new areas.

These uncertainties are shown abstractly in character's interations:

  * Touko feels 'invisible' in her vision of watching the fireworks where she is ignored by all her friends.

  * Kakeru has many internal monologues with different instances of himself, showing his internal conflicts. He also sleeps outside in a tent as it gives him a sense of safety and belonging, which he usually lacks because of his family's constant moving.

  * Yanagi takes up running in frustration of her unrequited love

It's interesting to note that Sachi and Hiro, who do not dwell on their
friend's potential reactions to their relationship have an unwavering devotion
to each other (apart from Sachi's misleading which causes a small stir).

And it is true that this was a turning point in all their lives: Touko's life
was disrupted by the visiting stranger, Sachi & Hiro are now in a loving
relationship, Yanagi has left for her modelling career, Yuki has stopped
running and has split off from the group. Kakeru also has travelled somewhere
new, but experienced the same conflicted emotions that Touko did over the
summer

If one is looking for a _meaning_ in Glasslip, I would say it is to not worry
about other people's perceptions of you, that growing up is a confusing,
emotional time and that you find who your true friends are during testing
times.

I recommend reading these reddit analyses of the final episodes:

<http://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/2grlj5/spoilers_glasslip_episode_12_discussion/cklxbkn>

<http://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/2hfo2a/spoilers_glasslip_episode_13_final_discussion/>


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-11T14:41:24.353
14391
2014-10-11T16:15:55.727
2014-10-11T16:15:55.727
1530
1530
14355
answer


The meaning in Glasslip is specifically about the idea that relationships can
be very disruptive to the dynamics amongst a group of friends, and more
specifically, it’s a story of how dating can drive people in a group apart and
that even with magic (such as Toko's ability to peer briefly into the future),
dating and falling in love is so tricky that magic might not be too helpful
[1]. The reason why these themes stand front and centre can be seen in the
anime's opening, which portrays Toko and her group of friends as being very
close. However, with Kakeru's arrival, things become much more messy as Toko
considers dating him. To allow her to explore this possibility, Toko ends up
dissolving the rule where her friends can't date. This action comes from a
selfish desire to know more about Kakeru because of the mystery he seems to
give off.

This action ultimately has unforeseen consequences on everyone, and this is
where the magic of seeing into the future comes in. In spite of both Toko and
Kakeru having this power, they are ultimately unable to foresee what happens
in their own futures. In Toko's case, the power does not give her a full
picture of what will happen to her group of friends. The reason why glass
beads are chosen to act as a medium for these visions is because through them,
the familiar world appears distorted, an image of the world but not quite
reality.

These messages are shown time and time again in Glasslip's opening, which is
beautifully done: hints of the group of friend's old status quo, and the
inclusion of the visions of the future, all come together to show that things
like relationships are always shifting, and it's tricky to predict what can
happen [2]. This is what Glasslip is about: the turbulence and
unpredictability of teenage relationships [1]. The messages of Glasslip are
not just broadly about turning points, nor is it about worrying about what
people think of one self: Kakeru's introduction into Glasslip acted as a
catalyst to drive the Toko's friends apart, and the consequences are
noticeable. As an aside, I've noticed that all of the analysis and answers out
there, especially on Reddit, are incomplete or wrong because they completely
omit what Kakeru calls the Fragments of the Future. The opening shows that
they are a central part of the anime [2].

**Sources**

  1. <https://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2020/09/25/worst-anime-challenge-the-themes-of-glasslip-explained-yet-again-and-revisiting-p-a-works-parvulum-opus/>
  2. <https://infinitemirai.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/a-glasslip-analysis-deciphering-what-glasslip-intended-to-be-about-through-its-opening-sequence-and-its-impact-on-viewer-expectations/>


CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-25T19:27:05.460
59664
2020-09-25T19:36:57.850
2020-09-25T19:36:57.850
56405
56405
14355
answer