Sparks of Tomorrow Episode 1 Review: A Beautiful Beginning for Kyoto Animation

Sparks of Tomorrow Episode 1 Review: The anime is set in a world powered by steam engines, where Kihachi dreams of advancing electricity. He is heavily inspired by his missing older brother. Alongside the kind-hearted Inako, he faces Yosuke, the heir to a steam engine empire with suspicious motives.

Sparks of Tomorrow Episode 1 Review

What is the core concept of this anime?

The core concept of this anime revolves around electricity. We get to witness a world where electricity has not developed yet. On the contrary, the people of this world rely primarily on steam engines. In such a setup, our protagonist, Kihachi, has been very passionate about electricity from a very young age. However, he was not alone. The reason he became so enamoured with something like that is because of his older brother, Seiroku. He’s the one who was obsessed with doing wonders in the world of electricity and even inspired Kihachi with his ideas.

What happened to Kihachi’s brother?

The moment we are introduced to Seiroku, he comes off as a very energetic person who is sure to do something extraordinary for electricity. However, we get to know that he went to war and never really taught his brother about electricity in depth. Apart from that, Seiroku also relied on a book with important details about electricity, and he did not pass that book down to his little brother. Now, after growing up, Kihachi does not have any guide with him to help him develop electricity anymore. On top of that, Seiroku had also never returned home after he went to war.

Who is the female protagonist of this story?

This story also has a likeable female protagonist who is called Inako. She is an innocent girl who believes everything very easily. When she first met Kihachi, she literally thought him to be a God. However, despite starting off not on great terms, they later cross paths, and it becomes apparent that there will be many other instances where they will have to work together.

Do we have an antagonist from the series?

Most likely, we already have an antagonist who would work against Kihachi. Yosuke is an heir to the company that dominates the steam engine business in this world. He seemed very creepily obsessed with the electrical catalogue that belonged to Kihachi’s older brother. He even proposed to Inako because of that. His antiques are also very comical, and the last scene was absolutely hilarious. It would be interesting to see his dynamic with Kihachi.

How was the storyline?

For the first episode, the anime showcased a lot of depth, and it did not feel like we witnessed the beginning of a mediocre series. In such a small amount of time, we saw that it would have great dramatic depth, an apparent romantic angle and some gorgeous animation. The characters also came off as very pleasant, and I am excited to see what it shows us next.

What worked and what did not work?

The animation was undoubtedly the highlight of this episode, offering a style that felt slightly different from what Kyoto Animation is typically known for. It had a whimsical charm while still retaining the studio’s signature polished and pristine quality. Obviously, the music was excellent, and the character-focused moments made it easy to become invested in the cast. Based on this strong start, the series has all the ingredients to become one of the studio’s best works.