Houseki no Kuni (Land of the Lustrous)

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Country of Jewels

Japanese: 宝石の国

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Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 12

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Oct 7, 2017 to Dec 23, 2017

Premiered: Fall 2017

Broadcast: Saturdays at 21:30 (JST)

Producers: Mainichi Broadcasting System, Kodansha, Movic, AT-X, TOHO animation, Tokyo MX, Q-Tec, Kyoraku Industrial Holdings, BS11

Licensors: Sentai Filmworks

Studios: Orange

Source: Manga

Genres: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

Theme: Anthropomorphic

Demographic: Seinen

Duration: 24 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 8.39¹ (scored by 185,156 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #181²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #482

Members: 433,276

Favorites: 12,633

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8.39

Ranked #181Popularity #482Members 433,276

Fall 2017TVOrange

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Episodes: /12

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Synopsis

In the mysterious future, crystalline organisms called Gems inhabit a world that has been destroyed by six meteors. Each Gem is assigned a role in order to fight against the Lunarians, a species who attacks them in order to shatter their bodies and use them as decorations.

Phosphophyllite, also known as Phos, is a young and fragile Gem who dreams of helping their friends in the war effort. Instead, they are told to compile an encyclopedia because of their delicate condition. After begrudgingly embarking on this task, Phos meets Cinnabar, an intelligent gem who has been relegated to patrolling the isolated island at night because of the corrosive poison their body creates. After seeing how unhappy Cinnabar is, Phos decides to find a role that both of the rejected Gems can enjoy. Houseki no Kuni follows Phos' efforts to be useful and protect their fellow Gems.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Houseki no Kuni
Other:	Houseki no Kuni PV

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Phosphophyllite

Main

Kurosawa, Tomoyo
Japanese

Antarcticite

Supporting

Ise, Mariya
Japanese

Diamond

Supporting

Kayano, Ai
Japanese

Cinnabar

Supporting

Komatsu, Mikako
Japanese

Padparadscha

Supporting

Park, Romi
Japanese

Bort

Supporting

Sakura, Ayane
Japanese

Rutile

Supporting

Uchiyama, Yumi
Japanese

Yellow Diamond

Supporting

Minagawa, Junko
Japanese

Alexandrite

Supporting

Kugimiya, Rie
Japanese

Kongou-sensei

Supporting

Nakata, Jouji
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Kamei, Hiroshi

Producer

Tomita, Akihiro

Producer

Kaneko, Hirotaka

Producer

Takei, Katsuhiro

Producer

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Opening Theme

"Kyoumen no Nami (鏡面の波)" by YURiKA

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Ending Theme

	1: "Kirameku Hamabe (煌めく浜辺)" by Yuiko Ohara (eps 2-7, 9-11)
	2: "liquescimus" by Tomoyo Kurosawa (eps 8)
	3: "Kyoumen no Nami (Orchestra Ver.) (鏡面の波(Orchestra Ver.))" by YURiKA (eps 12)

More reviews

Reviews

Dec 23, 2017

MetaThPr4h

Recommended

Absolutely beautiful, Houseki no Kuni sadly flew under the radar of a lot of people due to the lack of initial hype, but I hope this changes over time because this anime really deserves a lot of love.

The setting is so interesting and full of mysteries and unknowns to discover, what happened to the world to become like this? Who are the gems, or the moon people that seem to be after them? Houseki knows how to make the events ocurring hooking to watch and it's such an enjoyable experience from start to end.

Along with the intriguing story we also have a fantastic cast ...

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Dec 23, 2017

Eanki

Recommended

The GRRM Reaper once posited the Furniture Rule: that at its core, literature is an exploration of the human condition; the rest is fluff, furniture.

Houseki no Kuni begins as a simple story of immortal, genderless life forms, the Gems, with each individual based around a gemstone from which they take their physical characteristics. They are being hunted down by Lunarians for what seems to be collector’s fancy. Slowly, the story moves on, teasing the layers of mystery of its world and a more intriguing aspect of the entire dynamic unravels, one more conducive to philosophical discourse. The introduction of a third faction, the Admirabilis, elevates ... the nature of their conflict and is poised to bring the series higher should its story continue.

The CGI nature of the show doesn't really take away anything from the narrative but rather enhances and prepares it with its CGI portrayal of the three factions telling a story: the Gems, with their janky yet solid movements, aimless and unmotivated beyond mere survival; the Lunarians, ethereal and eternal, purposeful in action; and the Admirabilis, frills and filaments galore, excess made manifest, seductive and ephemeral.

Underneath the trappings of a fantastical concept, however, Houseki no Kuni is a thesis of how our place in our world is intricately intertwined with our purpose. It's a story about identity.

It's a story of Dia, valued, vaunted, a tier above other gems, yet struggling to find a moment in the light under the vast, dark shadow of a peer better and stronger.

It's a story of Cinnabar, self-exiled, isolation poisoning the mind, bereft of a shoulder to lean on.

Most of all, it's a story of Phos, aimless slacker, wanting to do more than just making an encyclopedia that has no equivalent value assigned by other Gems. Phos wants to fight, swept up in the idea that Gems prove their worth in the only way their circumstances allow: fighting the Lunarians. Phos' initial value was demonstrated when, devoured and broken to bits and pieces, the grim, though temporary, fate evoked nothing but cruelly nonchalant reactions from fellow gems.

How can someone so brittle prove their value when, to paraphrase Einstein, the fishes are judged by their ability to climb a tree.

Houseki no Kuni’s approach to the problem is a rather straightforward one. Instead of changing the playing field to a pond, our little fish is given an opportunity to be better, losing parts of itself in the process. Part of its identity must give, in the hopes that the best version of itself can be achieved. And that hopefully the best version of itself is its truest self. Whether it’s true or not remains to be seen.

And I must say, this conflict of identity and the show’s solution ties in fully with the larger, grander aspects of the narrative: the three factions, each crucially lacking traits the other two possess. Can the three factions be so much more together much like how Phos had become much more than the Mohs scale of hardness? We'll see.

For now, enjoy one lost little fish trying to scale a tree, struggling to find the right balance lest it loses sight of who it is.

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Dec 23, 2017

LIQfilms

Recommended

Over the last few years or so the discussion regarding the use of CGI in anime has grown all the more prominent which in turn has led to disdain from fans, devaluing any show that would dare to use it. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but the overreliance on this technology and the way in which it incorporated with traditional animation, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired. The end product is usually a show that looks bizarre as the two modes of animation don't make clear, visual, coherence sense. CGI is a wonderful tool and I believe it should be used in anime, but ... that usually comes with an asterisk. Ideally, CGI should be used to enhance shots or backgrounds, adding in small details that should hopefully blend them seemingly into the world. Anime doesn't really do CGI well. I still have nightmares whenever a CGI crowd is used in a show. Platic and emotionless humans. Just like my soul. But, what about anime series that are ALL CGI? You probably know where I am going with this segway and I would like to say, for definite, here and now, that the best CGI production in anime is none other than... Gantz O. BUT Land of the Lustrous ranks a close second and gives me hope for the future of CGI TV anime. And I believe this series is an important stepping stone in the evolution of the medium, something I don't say lightly.

Set in the distant future, Land of the Lustrous tells the story of a group of women. But instead of flesh, bones, and the number one thing on a top ten list that hates me, these women are instead made out of gems and rocks. Along with a balding, seemingly human monk who possesses grand powers, have to fight off against a race called the Moon Dwellers; race of strange creatures who descend from said place who maintain the objective of capturing these characters. Much of the series focus is placed onto the protagonist, Phosphophyllite, as she slowly comes to age and grows not only into a more developed, eh, "gem" but also physically too.

Land of the Lustrous has this way of immediately immersing me into its atmosphere and world, not only through its wonderful use of music and beautiful looking scenery but just from all the nuances the narrative provides. The fact that each gem has specific characteristics, and is classed in accordance with their strength. The fact that they can be broken into tiny pieces and stuck back together again. They can lose their memories if certain body parts are missing, that they have to hibernate over winter as they grow weaker and tired, and that they can potentially be combined with other elements for different effects. All of these small pieces of worldbuilding may seem like throwaway pieces of exposition but when viewed in their totality creates a distinc and interesting setting. Every sm It’s the use of these creative elements that makes Houseki such a wonder to watch, and helps to differentiate it from much of its ilk; its these elements and ideas that I can’t get anywhere else, but they are not simply played as gimmicks either, but as an integral aspect of the setting and narrative.

Additionally, the show has this overbearing sense of mystery, and almost whimsical sense to it as well. Much like our protagonist, Phos, who knows nothing of this world, so do we as an audience, so we experience the world and learn new things about it as does Phos, which not only helps us grow more attached to this character as well, but the rules and mysteries of this world are dished out to the audience in a consistent pace, keeping the narrative interesting and fresh. Moreover, the show has several mysteries as well, such as what the true nature of the Moon Dwellers actually are or the state of humanity, evident in a scene where Phos is trying to recollect the events that transpired earlier in which she (yes, for the sake of convenience I'm going to be referring to the gems as "she"; I apologise for being a CIS white male and assuming gender) can’t remember as she had lost some of her body parts, but mentions the word “human” which greatly alarms that of the Sensei, the guardian and father figure of the Gems, giving us insight into the seriousness of the memory Phos has, and sliding little hints to the audience about the true nature of the Sensei character himself. The show even dabbles in some philosophical ideas too in the fifth episode, regarding what it means to truly be human and what it truly means for someone to die, as the very concept of death is foreign to the Gems, and while it is not explored to much substantial merit, the show does throw around this idea, making the Gems feel more believable with a greater sense of purpose.

There’s even a genuine sense of narrative stakes and ambiguity too, not only from the idea that we never know when the Moon Dwellers will attack next, but the general sense of uneasiness the narrative presents too. There’s always a sense of danger in the air; a sense of looming dread and fear, which permits itself into much of the narrative, which actually does a good job at making me fearful for each one of the Gems, and there is a genuine sense of sadness and melancholy when one of the Gems is defeated and taken away. You feel the weight of this loss, as the other Gems do, making it all the more powerful when these moments in the show do occur. The show does leave many questions unanswered however, and some plot points haven’t yet been resolved as the manga is still running alongside the show, but what the show does cover manages to provide a solid foundation for a second season to greatly build upon, with enough time in this season devoted to establishing the world and the way in which the gems work in said world, all of which is solid enough to stand by itself I believe.

Perhaps the show’s biggest strength is in its characters and their charming and fun interactions between one another, and, despite not each one receiving development or attention, their unique personalities and characteristics result in some wonderfully funny moments and scenes which makes the characters rather likeable, and these were some of the best moments in the show for me. They all have delightful chemistry, and one of the best examples of this great character dynamic is a scene in which all of the gems freak out at seeing Phos’ newly gained abilities and seeing how each different gem reacted was pretty damn sweet, adding onto their respective characters. All of the characters, in some form or another, is given some level of introspection and time to breath, allowing the audience to understand their perspectives on the world, from Yellow Diamond’s perception as a result of being the eldest, to Antarcticite regarding her unique, and isolated role during the winter, all adding onto our understanding of the world. There are plenty of characters I could talk about, but I’ll just discuss the characters with the most bearing on the plot.

Phos, our main character, is one in which is a representation of a child growing up in harsh world, and learning to mature in that time. Being the youngest of all the gems, and wanting to grow and prove herself, she eagerly jumps into action in order to do so, resulting in many accidents in which she has to either be saved, or put back together. You may find yourself kind of annoyed by how much Phos messes up at first, since it seems that almost every episode she ends up having to repeat this process, but these mistakes end up shaping the person she will become in the future and aiding her development. As the series progresses, and she realises the gravity and danger of fighting against the Moon Dwellers, after seeing one of her friends perish protecting her from them, her character embarks on a change into maturity, with a much more serious demeanour than before. In the final episodes of the show, she even reflects on her past self, stating that she was jealous of her immaturity, reflecting in her change of character as a result of the harsh reality of the world. Phos character, while perhaps coming across as maybe rather obnoxious, especially in the beginning of the series, was still able to make me laugh a numerous amount of times and I could excuse most of it on the grounds of her age and lack of knowledge about the world. Her character is pretty reltable as well, since we too have been in postions where the world seems to treat you like a child, and that feel of wanting to desperately grow into maturity is one Phos manages to encapsulate rather well. She is also pretty damn likeable, I would argue anyway, which helps the audience to become more invested in her character from the get-go, and the mental trauma and hang ups she faces in the latter half of the series is genuinely interesting. Much of Phos’s drive in the narrative, mainly in the earliest parts of it anyway, was her desire to help a fellow gem by the name of Cinncibar, a gem who secluded herself away from the rest since her body secretes a poison. While you may find yourself kind of frustrated at first since this plot point is kind of negated for a while, it does see some kind of resolution in the final episode of the show.

Another character whom gets a nice amount of development is Dia. Aside from being best gem in the series (seriously, I wanna hug her so damn bad) Dia’s development, and character arc in general is all about proving to herself, and to the person whom she loves, that being Bort, that she is more than capable of looking after herself and in the tenth episode of the show, there’s a wonderful moment where indeed she does do so, when fighting off against one of the new Moon Dweller types, cementing her character as one that is grounded in the narrative, and has a lot of emotional weight behind her too, so much so, that I generally care for her whenever she is in danger or feeling melancholic, and many of the characters presented in the show are like this too. Whilst many are fairly simplistic, again, they feel like genuine people in this world, and have enough in the way of distinguishable personalities to carry the emotional weight of the show, while also showcasing different levels of complexity and depth, such as in the case of the Doctor of the gems, who we learn later on pursues the art of the gems in order to help her long lost friend, or in the case of Antarcticite when she hugs the sensei, believing nobody is standing there to see her do so, revealing a softer side to her character than we were led to believe at first. The characters in this show are easily the strongest element and is the main reason why I had so much fun watching this show.

In terms of animation, Houseki is pretty damn solid overall! The CGI in this show looks damn amazing, and move with not only a lot of fluidity, but also quality too. They move gracefully when in combat, and it never comes across as jarring or clunky in the slightest. I also just love the designs for each of the gems too, in particular, their hair. I love the way in which it sparkles, gently illuminating the gems’ uniforms, with perhaps Dia looking the greatest in that regard. The fight sequences are also of a damn great quality, with dynamic and interesting cinematography, and just the way the grass is animated too, and how beautiful it looks, are all small things that I can appreciate, and, again, help the world feel more alive and vibrant. The OST for the show as well does a fantastic job at immersing me into this world, with its often whimsical and mystical tone, complementing the sense of ambiguity the narrative tends to encapsulate. The opening track as well does a great job at capturing the feel of the show, mainly used to represent the loneliness and isolation of Cinncibar to master fall affect.

In conclusion, I loved Houseki quite a fair bit. It’s narrative and world is immediately captivating to me, its characters all feel memorable and have wonderful chemistry between one another, grounding them in a sense of believability, and the animation is some of the best I have seen from a CGI production. Surprisingly, the director of Love Live, actually directed this show too (goddam Love Live will follow me until the day I die, I swear), and he did a good job, especially when we compare the CGI in both respective series, and see how much of a jump Houseki was in overall quality. While certainly not a perfect show, Houseki represents what I love in anime, and that is passion. It feels as if so much love and work was put into this production, and it really does show in many faucets of the show, and I would greatly recommend this. While I didn’t go into as much detail as I usually do when reviewing a show, as I wanted a potential new viewer to watch this show without knowing too much, there is still a lot of potential things to discuss regarding the narrative, with the biggest one being the obvious allusions to that of Buddhism the show seems to have, which I never even touched upon, and a deeper speculation into the sensei character and who he truly may be. Houseki, is truly the gem of the year in my opinion, and sadly one that will be greatly over-looked, but hopefully I may have convinced someone out there to give this show a shot… maybe. (Just remember to say that Dia is best gem or else I'll sleep under your bed at night!)

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Houseki no Kuni

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Characters & Voice Actors

Phosphophyllite

Antarcticite

Diamond

Cinnabar

Padparadscha

Bort

Rutile

Yellow Diamond

Alexandrite

Kongou-sensei

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Houseki no Kuni

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Streaming Platforms

Synopsis

Background

Visit MALxJapan MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

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