While Clain is on his way home from the junk market, he saves a strange girl from peril, as the flier she's travelling on faces hostile pursuit. After jumping from her flier to escape, the girl is left injured, and so Clain takes her home to tend to her wounds. Her name is Phyrne, but while she's willing to accept Clain's help, she's not so willing to explain who was pursing her, or why she was trying to hide from them. Clain's home isn't a safe haven for long, though, as Fractale ensures that her pursuers quickly find out where she is - although it has to be said that they don't seem that bright... Hmmm. A few thoughts about the setting, first: a police Garda car, rural setting with lots of drystone walls and thatched cottages, and a very recognisable traditional hymn as the closing theme. I know this place, because I live in it (albeit a slightly more urban part): it's Ireland. I'm sure the show will try to explain it's some colonised planet off in the galaxy, but it's definitely Ireland. Which means there's a certain feeling of being "at home" with it for me which is the first tick in Fractale's "plus" column. Add in a nice line in futuristic yet unubtrusive technology (Fractale itself, which is omnipresent yet invisible; the doppels, stylised holographic representations of real people, and other items which will be reassuringly recognisable), and an opening storyline which pushes all the right buttons to gain your attention without actually telling you anything, and there's plenty here to like. And that's before we even get on to the characters. A lot of the online chatter about the series has referred to the Ghibli-esque look and feel of the show, and I can certainly see where those comparisons come from - it's a beautifully rendered world, with character designs that veer away from the more fan-friendly styles that most other shows this season are indulging in but that are still pleasing to look at. I like it. The Good: Look, feel, mystery value, characters. The Bad: For the second time this season, I can say "nothing, really" - so far at least. One episode is early days for any series, but I've pretty much fallen in love with Fractale and can't wait for the next episode to see where it's going to go next. Great stuff.
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