Needy Girl Overdose Ep.01 - What did I just watch? Kache was cute, but...

Needy Girl Overdose is one of the series with which I have the most conflicted history in the recent past. I got hooked on the trailer song by Kotoko that was released as promotional content ahead of the game's launch. I listened to it for weeks on end, and then... I forgot the game existed.

There was too much distance between the song and the actual release to maintain momentum. When the game dropped, I was in the middle of other content, so I decided, "Hey, it can wait for a small discount on Steam," and I waited. Months later, I finally bought it, but I never managed to start it, and I still have less than 10 minutes of playtime.

Admittedly the look on Poison Denpa Girl☆Purple Lollipop scream 'vtuber' so they did that right.

Poor girl, I wonder what is going to happen to her from now on. The final line was scary.

Now the anime has started, and here I am trying it to see if it gives me a reason to play the game with greater conviction. Episode 01 of Needy Girl Overdose was confusing; I saw that they were trying to provide social commentary on the way the modern world works, but the fragments didn't make much sense on their own.

There are multiple characters involved in this story, all of whom seem to be VTubers of some kind, and the main heroine, OMGkawaiiAngel, seems to be at the center of everything. Who the "human behind the keyboard" really is remains completely unknown, but she seems to be able to appear out of nowhere.

The anime uses 3D CG to show the main heroine during a live concert, something that may fit the theme, but which I have always loathed in anime. I don't know why, but the 3D models used in these cases and the level of animation never seem to reach a level that can be considered satisfying. And I know it can be done right (see the HoYoverse games); it's just that this is not it.

The series seems to feature quite a few traumatic events, such as the scenes surrounding Kache, one of the other heroines, and her "boyfriend," or even the salaryman in the very first scene of the episode. It seems like VTubers in general are starting to be considered a threat to society in this world.

The 2D parts look great as you can see from this screenshot. It's just the 3D and the weird real life segments that...

Just what is OMGkawaiiAngel's identity? Who is she? What is she trying to do?

The episode ends with Poison Denpa Girl☆Purple Lollipop (yes, that's an actual name; I had to search it online as I wasn't sure if I was actually losing my sanity), Nechika-sama, and Gokubara Michica seemingly readying themselves to do something that will shake up the VTuber world.

Will I watch the next episode? Absolutely. Do I have great expectations for it? Not really. The first episode left me completely apathetic, and the shock value delivered by some of the scenes didn't actually do much to keep my focus. Let's see what they can deliver.