16bit Sensation: Another Layer

A delightful celebration of human imagination and creativity, this anime is a warm trip down memory lane for those who experienced the quirky charm of the '90s and still remember things like floppy disks, non-flat monitors, and computers running on operating systems other than the ubiquitous Windows, working with BIOS and even 8bit and 16bit animation. It's a celebration of otaku craziness, whether your passion lies in cute anime girls, graphic novels, or historical technology. There's a plethora of collectibles and fan-worthy content to enjoy. Adding a dash of time travel into the mix, the causality of which becomes dysfunctional with even the smallest involvement of the brain. However, there's the challenge of tolerating a heroine whose voice resembles a chipmunk that overdosed on helium – it might genuinely hurt your ears.  Aoi Kogu, known for her work in Kaguya, showcases her versatile voice acting, but unfortunately, Konoha feels like another version of her Paimon voice from Genshin Impact, which, let's face it, can be a bit grating. While the series has its enjoyable moments, there's an equal measure of frustration. Konoha's often baffling behavior and the series' handling of the consequences of time travel left me less than impressed. The involvement of a mysterious higher power in the form of Echo 1 to 3 felt rather strange. On the positive side, I found myself recalling forgotten historical tidbits and recognizing retro games and anime like Di Gi Charat and Kanon. Despite my aversion to the main heroine, the last episode managed to move me a bit, leading me to label the overall experience as mildly above average. 5.5/10. (28/12/2023)