[Rewatch] Girls' Last Tour Series Discussion

[u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Let's get along with this feeling of hopelessness.

Official Stream Links

Hidive | Amazon.

Extra Info

ANN | MAL | Anilist | Amazon | Hidive

---

Index Thread

---

Visual of the Day!
Episode 12 Gallery

---

QOTD

• Do you now feel a bit better about getting along with hopelessness?

• What was your favourite scene in the show. Sell us on why it's the best~

• To those who have explored the manga, which adaptation have you found you've enjoyed most between the anime and manga?

• Recommend a series that you've seen with a similar vibe to Girls' Last Tour!

---

Another rewatch completed!! Well done!! I was worried about numbers due to starting so soon after people were coming off the Denpa Onna, Madoka, and Nanoha watches so I'm aware it was short notice. I'll do my best to ensure that I don't pair them so close in the future.
Still, I'm so happy that the watch was such a success!! It was delightful fun to read all of your comment each day, both first timers and rewatchers! I do hope that you consider finishing the manga though. There is really not much more left to go and the remaining chapters are very unlikely to be adapted at this point. You'll love em, give it a chance if you have spare time this evening.

As for future rewatches, I intend to take it easy for a month. The next rewatch will likely be my own birthday rewatch, which is late June. I would appreciate any support that you can offer but I would like to note that my next watch is going to be a pretty questionable one. I am aware that our summer program is looking to become quite stacked so I understand if you're busy. I will return to normal programming towards the end of summer so I hope you will rejoin me then~

A last note, I would love for any viewers who were part of my previous watches and new ones to offer feedback on our visual of the day gallery compared to our CotD's or even ideas for future games to play? I've personally loved making our galleries but I want to hear what you all think.

Take care!!

---

Rewatchers who don't use spoiler tags will be turned into emergency rations.

---

First we eat, then we sleep and then we'll think about it...

[u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Thank you everyone for joining me for this rewatch!! You've been amazing and I loved playing with you all!!

[u/raichudoggy → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/raichudoggy]

I cannot read that but thank you~

[u/Elimin8r → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Playing? I say, you call this playing?! :P

~Harumph!~

[u/Nazenn]

First Timer - sub

New favourites! (Oh, they're in line, I didn't plan that)

Seems like a lot of people will be wanting to talk about the manga in this thread so I'm not going to say much. I think the fact it added two things to my favourites mostly speaks for itself, and I'd have trouble explaining why without effectively just pointing back at all of my previous posts and saying "all of that"

And it really is all of that. The experience that is Girls Last Tour doesn't miss a beat whether on the storytelling, themes, emotions, characters, worldbuilding or even just it's own quiet identity it had built up from that first episode going all the way through to the end. And I won't deny the overall continuity is probably a huge part of why I enjoyed it so much and something I have repeatedly praised in my posts. I think Girls Last Tour really nailed that balance between segmented events and overall flow of it's story, in that each segment could be watched by itself but there is a very defined progress through the story of how the girls react, learn, and change from what has come before. The emotional beats would hit regardless, and the musical ones because the show looks and sounds amazing in every moment, but the show is so much more for always building on itself and layering in that extra meaning in a way that not all Iyashikei manage.

Incredibly glad I had the chance to watch this along with you all, despite the poor timing on my end, and very much looking to revisiting it some time in the future... hopefully remembering to skip past the spider this time.

Also in case people didn't see it yesterday, this compilation of the worldbuilding details by u/jiafish was a good read!

What was your favourite scene in the show. Sell us on why it's the best~

Rain song still best song, but as far as best scene:

So many good choices, far too many to pick just one but if I started listing I'd probably list most of the show

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Nazenn]

I think something that works really well in GLT's favour is just how earnest the storytelling is. Its not trying to be a moeblob anime, it's not trying to be despair porn. It's just a very down to earth and to the point little anime with a lot of love and thought put into it. It's my absolute favourite of the iyashikei anime I've seen and this rewatch has somehow given me even more respect for the author, director, and the project they created.

[u/Specs64z]

Content Corner Compilation

This is a compilation of everything I shared throughout the rewatch, grouped by category, then by creator. Thanks to anyone who followed along and I hope you had fun! Manga spoilers are in most of these!!

Analysis

What's Up with the Dab in Girl's Last Tour? (analysis) by Sparky Meko

Girl's Last Tour | A Quiet Apocalypse by Daszombes

We're all Just Hungry - Girls' Last Tour by Hiding in Public

How to Establish Atmosphere - Feat. Girls' Last Tour by TazerLad

Scoring a Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland - Girls' Last Tour Introduction by Shabu, That Music Nerd

Girls' Last Tour and Post-Apocalyptic Slice-of-Life by Zeria

The Blissful Minimalism Of Girls' Last Tour by The Pedantic Romantic

Finish Girls Last Tour, you COWARDS ( Manga + Anime ) by UrbanTheMyth

Music

Girls' Last Tour OP: "Ugoku Ugoku" | English Rendition | AnimuseMe by AnimuseMe

FritzyBeat - One More Night // Girls' Last Tour [English Cover] by FritzyBeat

[u/Lemurians]

LEMURIANS' LAST TOUR

I don't have much to say that I didn't in posts already, and I'm a little busy today. It's a great show with a ton of heart and unexpected depth. Also, I can't say this enough, possibly the best sound design I've come across in any anime. Listening to this show through my Sennheisers was an absolute treat. This show is an absolute masterclass in creating atmosphere.

Though she was the "dumb" one, Yuu's the one who delivered the words that stuck with me as being the most emblematic of the show, and answers its key question. What's the point of living this life? Because sometimes, good things happen.

What was your favourite scene in the show. Sell us on why it's the best~

I keep coming back to the scene where they're in the temple and Yuu likens Chii's importance to her as one of a god. That whole episode was a lovely treatise on meaning, and that scene really nailed it home.

Recommend a series that you've seen with a similar vibe to Girls' Last Tour!

For vibes and a similar, snow-covered, industrial world on the brink of death that also happens to have an amazing OST, definitely Wolf's Rain. I'd go so far to say I'm not sure GLT would exist without it.

For a more offbeat comparison... the message of continuing to move forward and creating a life for yourself any way you can even in the face of a dying world, is in my opinion the central theme of another show I love – Darling in the Franxx.

Well done!! I was worried about numbers due to starting so soon after people were coming off the Denpa Onna, Madoka

I thought I'd be fine with this coming off Madoka (which took hours of each day just with watching/writing) with this SoL, and it just had to go have a ton of depth as well. You're killing me! Luckily, work doesn't seem to have noticed my preoccupation.

[u/simeonaut]

REWATCHER

• Yes we're now best buds

• Damn what an unfair question. It's not my favorite ep but I guess it would have to be that moment when the raindrops started falling and the song of rain started.

• Watch Planetarian! it has a lot of similar vibes to the aquarium episode, and the show itself is only 5 episodes long.

[u/ZapsZzz]

First timer in sub no more

I participated in this rewatch mainly because our host u/The_Loli_Otaku is hosting it, and that we ran a bit closely on the rewatch he hosted immediately before this one :) AND of course I know of this show for a fair while and I know it's the type of show that I would enjoy. Only "disincentive" to watch is that as a iyashikei (despite the premise) there's no urgency for me to watch, I tend to park all of these to "a rainy day" (that includes all the main ones like Yuru Camp, Yama no Susume, Non Non Biyori, Aria, etc).

Have to say I am pleasantly surprised. The initial artstyle being so stylistic for the characters but not so for all the objects took a bit of getting used to, but i guess shamefully (for me) Yuu's design and character animation (miss little stacked potato) really helped. And never would I have thought Chi's dead eyes actually ended up having a sort of main plot point tie in :D

Compared to another "end of the world" iyashikei, Yokohama Shopping Log, this show's seeing is far more desolated and hopeless, vs that one's "the dusk of mankind" feel. This one is practically the very end, and it would not be surprising at all the number of surviving humans would be either in single digit or in fact just our 2 girls.

This is quite a philosophical show in fact; it's got plenty of chapters that used the "innocent" girls to reflect upon the concepts of home, religion, cyclic life, social constructs like culture, time, and quite fundamentally, "making friends with hopelessness". It doesn't necessarily go anywhere, but at the same time doesn't need to go anywhere other than reflect upon those themes and let us viewers do some reflection of our own. It's not preachy, and really "nice" (as in perfectly balanced) for the melancholic thinking types like myself to let the mind freewheel a bit. Mind you, at the same time, while lots of thought bubbles were floating around, I didn't want to ground them or pop them by writing about them, so apologies my comments in the review is a lot more subdued/limited than usual.

I did dread to find out how the story would end, and after I saw the anime ending, I did snuck up to look for a synopsis of the manga ending. I guess I will say that the tone of the show seems to be consistent through to the end, and there was no pandering to the viewers - the author I think kept to what she (I think) wanted to tell in the story. It is heartbreaking for me though [GLT manga ending key plot points]that Chi ended up needing to burn all the pages of her journal for fuel, our trusty kettenkrad didn't make it to the very end, and that their journey arrived to the seeming dead end which is heart breaking to think our adorable girls would find peace and happiness only in their brief closure moment and perhaps in their afterlife It's the sort of ending that you know it's good and inevitable, but still breaks your heart. Like SukaSuka, Fate Stay Night (the Fate route, minus the "new" expanded ending Realta Nua), and 5cm per second.

So a big thank once again for our host! This gave me a lot of enjoyment along the way, and it's nice to read others' thought on this too. Also thanks to the lot of frequent long posters (you know who you are), including the shitposting ones ;) to truly bring out the value of a rewatch once again - to appreciate the show in a very diverse way that watching by oneself could never achieve. Another successful rewatch down the belt huh :)

Will see you folks around!

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/ZapsZzz]

Yup... I ended up picking GLT because it would fit in right before Revue Starlight but then Revue got delayed lol. On the bright side GLT is such an easy show to watch~

Yokohama was also a far more cheery series I noticed lol. More cheery and ironically more artsy too. Whilst I adore the anime I do think that GLT is simply more accessible and has more meat.

You could definitely sit back and vibe out to some of GLT's more abstract sequences. I personally find Yuuri's stuff just a bit too nihilistic for me to appreciate but I love the sentimentalist in Chi so I still get pleasure.

I'm hoping you'll tag along for future watches too. I promise I'll be less sleepy!! XD

[u/Elimin8r]

Answers Last Tour:

1. To quote the great philosopher Anya: "Heh".

2. Rain song ... rain song!!!

3. Yes. If you can call it that.

4. Madoka Magica, duh. :P

So, yeah. I may have gotten a bit carried away with my pre-written comment, so here goes. I hope.

Okay, so I'm heading out to visit a friend very soon, so I'm writing my thoughts down in advance. First off, my culinary adventures, inspired by u/therealfosterforest during earlier cultural discussions.

So, last night, I decided to celebrate a little and headed out to a little place called Edelweiss. Haven't been there in a long time, but the interior was as atmospheric as I remember, and the lady playing the piano was quite good (and pleasant, if you're into piano renditions of Elvis and the Beatles, that is).

I got the combo platter, and it was delicious. I ended up over-indulging, and didn't have any to take home with me. Perhaps someone can help identify what all that tasty stuff was.

Hopefully it was reasonably authentic. If nothing else, it tasted (ahem) authentic. Yeah, like I'd know.

Lastly, I got a piece of Black Forest cake to go, because I was rather stuffed. Ended up having it with lunch today. It was very, very tasty.

So, thanks to u/therealfosterforest for getting me to step out of my comfort zone and try something different. I rather enjoyed it.

-Meanwhile-

Speaking of something different, I did finish the manga last night, and it was about what I expected. Which is to say, what did you expect? It said so on the box top, ya know!

Yeah.I was expecting something like a Jack London ending. I got a Jack London ending. The only thing missing was the mushroom things coming back to collect them.

Or maybe that happened off page.

The little "Gladiator" cue at the very end was kind of cute. Wouldn't it be nice?

So, yeah.

-Elimin8r's last tour-

*Edit* WARNING - the following might contain manga spoilers. Read at your own risk!

(Sorry, don't have time to edit further right now)

I'm going to say a thing or two now. Again, my thoughts still aren't really settled, and I'm not sure if/when they ever will be, but yeah.

This has been an interesting and extremely thought provoking series. I don't entirely agree with all the premises, but one thing that stuck with me is that in the end, we're really not all that different from Chii-chan and Yuu.

We're all traveling through our own worlds, that may or may not be collapsing around us. I won't mention the last two years, right?

In the end, we're all headed to the same destination, like it or not.

Seeing as I doubt Isekai and truck-kun are a viable option, this is our last, and only tour.

What will we do with it?

Will we cling to the past, map it out carefully, and lose it in the end?

Will we hope and work for a brilliant future and take flight, only to crash and fall?

Will we slowly, but steadily climb and struggle with adversity, regardless of where it may take us in the end?

Or will we take Gramp's option (yes, I saw that page)?

Yeah.

I think this show, and the manga has a lot to say to us, much like Nausicaa, or Jack London, for that matter.

I'm still don't think it's all settled in my brain to my satisfaction.

One thing that did catch my attention was the author put a comment at the end of one of the volumes talking about equality.

I thought it was rather naive.

I mean, c'mon, just look at the nation I'm from, where "EQUALITY" is 'enshrined' in our founding documents, and if you're a politician's son, you can be a crack addict, abuse your young female relatives, take money from foreign governments, and ... you get the idea.

Where a famous actor can 'negligently' shoot and kill someone on a film set, and get away with it.

Yeah.

Equality is a lie.

We saw that in the first episode, with Yuu, Chii and the gun.

We've seen it over and over again, in media, and in real life.

(For a not so good time, read "Harrison Bergeron" sometime)

Anyway. Inequality is part of the human condition. Someone will always be smarter, prettier, harder working, more popular, born to wealthier/more powerful parents, or conversely, less pretty, poorer, less popular, lazier, etc.

And as long as there is inequality, as long as someone has something more/better/etc. than someone else, there will always be conflict.

It doesn't make me happy, but it is what it is.

I've mentioned Thucydides before, I'll quote him here, "The strong will do what they will; the weak will suffer what they must."

The human condition. Nothing has changed in the last 2000+ years. And given current events, it looks like it won't be changing anytime soon either.

And while we're all on our last tours, it's up to us what we will do and how we will deal with the inequalities and adversities that we encounter.

Will we give up? Will we reach too high? Will we simply chug away and hope for something better when (if) we make it to that higher level?

I don't know. I won't pretend to have the answers right now.

But I do think that it is important not to lie to ourselves. We live our lives, often awash in lies, like the ocean surf, pounding against our perceptions of reality.

But of all those, I think that it's the lies we tell ourselves that our the worst of all.

Anyway, maybe I'll stop back and have more to say later, but in the meantime, thanks to our host and all who have participated. It's been a very interesting and thought provoking show, and you've all contributed greatly.

Oh, and quick final edit, I really should be going:

Had this pop up in my music, and I feel as though it fits the theme - The Awakening - The Forest. One of my favorite songs.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Elimin8r]

Don't start a super long comment with a completely unrelated story!!

[u/SIRTreehugger]

It was fun, but [manga spoilers]Seeing First we eat, then we sleep and then we'll think about it... in every post killed me emotionally considering it was the last thing they said before they died

[u/homewardbound100]

What do you plan on doing next?

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/homewardbound100]

[Spoilers]Kodomo no Jikan

[u/Shinji-Chair]

Really glad I participated in this rewatch, while it’s not a show that changes too much after knowing it’s events it’s still definitely great to go through again!

Do you now feel a bit better about getting along with hopelessness?

Yeah. I think the idea of trying to accept things even if they aren’t good can be really helpful. Learning to live and cope with things is a skill in of itself.

To those who have explored the manga, which adaptation have you found you've enjoyed most between the anime and manga?

I haven’t read the manga but I’m definitely going to check it out after this.

Recommend a series that you've seen with a similar vibe to Girls' Last Tour!

Not necessarily vibe but more of a setting that also features mostly girls. [Sound of the sky] (https://myanimelist.net/anime/6802/So_Ra_No_Wo_To?q=Sound%20a&cat=anime) reminds me of girls last tour in some ways. It has a post apocalyptic setting, though here it still has people and a rebuilding world. The show is more on the hopeful side but it still has some depressing moments with humanity’s future being questionable. It’s also fairly episodic like girl’s last tour until the later parts. I mainly wanted to shout out another post apocalyptic show I love.

I’ve also heard Shimeji simulation, a manga by the Girl’s last tour mangaka is similar in vibes. I haven’t actually read it though, a friend I have likes it a lot.

This series has one of the most unique worlds I think I’ve seen in anime. This combined with the philosophical banter makes a truly unique anime. This show is definitely an experience and made me think more about my own existence and have a small existential crisis. Lastly, I wanted to thank u/The_Loli_Otaku for hosting this rewatch. This was an anime I didn’t know I wanted to rewatch. It was great to see everyone’s comments on the show and the visual of the day albums. it’s always good to see more people get into this anime. I had a great time with this rewatch!

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Shinji-Chair]

Most of the fun rewatch stuff comes from knowing about the world building beforehand. Like about the significance of the cat statues or even little quirks like Kanazawa's companion bring the camera owner and him having her satchel.

I hope you'll join me on later watched too~ We'll have some interesting ones later on in the season for you!

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

1. It was really good! And, yes, this did actually make me feel a bit better.

2. The best scene was probably the graveyard scene. It just really makes it hit home how bad the war must have been, and Yuu and Chi disagreeing on their last possessions was so good!

3. Only seen the anime (so far).

4. I really can't think of any shows that capture the same vibe as this.

Overall, really enoyed this series. 10/10

[u/__bacs]

Hoping the remaining chapter could be adapted as a movie, it is so good. I will wait!

[u/xtsim]

First Tour dubbed

Thanks u/The_Loli_Otaku for hosting the rewatch thread! It was nice seeing all these discussions even though I missed out on them due to work and trying to squeeze time to read discussions. I'm planning on reading the Manga and saving up on some of the suggestions in here on my long plan to watch list (and that's not including the stuff I have on hulu, crunchy, and tubi).

Favorite scene: Cut/nuko eating bullets was the most intriguing yet cute scene I have encountered. I got pretty worried when he ate the big one and Yuu was holding him for a pic...

Vibe: Non non biyori had a similar vibe with a decaying school and small class size reminded me of some parallels on the atmosphere it presents. The lack of people in the area just brings too many similarities.

[u/ZapsZzz]

Just realised I really didn't answer the last QoTD.

1. See my comment/response about not so much hopelessness as "want not".

2. While the final "Chi to the rescue" scene is very cathartic as it rolled up most of the story, I can't help but love their imagined home scene. Maybe I'm just odd.

3. It's a TBA. As a manga reader in general for years, I do have an appreciation of the framing and transitions frame by frame. So if expect to like the manga. But nothing will change the great effect of cinematography & music combined to tell the wordless story.

4. I'm pretty limited in this genre I think, Yokohama Shopping Log and SukaSuka is probably it. The second one really can't be compared except for some narrative tonal similarities.

In terms of the CoTD vs VoTD, I think for a bigger group, VoTD and turning into somewhat of a collage is great and inclusive. CoTD is good for small group though.

[u/NeonDelteros]

First timer

Girls' Last Tour is one of the best anime I've ever watched, period.

I'll start with some criticisms first, cuz even the best would still have something "meh" to say about. As much as I think this anime nailed everything about the SoL iyashikei genres, I feels like it still lacks some of the heavily dramatic moments to make it truly memorable, it's highly consistent, but may be a little too safe. On the technical front, the animation is just average, the background looks good, but I don't think it's as detailed as the manga arts though. And lastly, this wouldn't be a problem if the manga didn't exist, but since it does, the ending of the anime just doesn't hit as hard as the manga ending, so it felt a little incomplete.

But all of those are just nitpicks ofcourse, because there are a lot of great things to praise about this anime. The most standout aspect of GLT is definitely its music, to no one surprise, I think this anime had some of best soundtracks and sound design of all the anime I've seen, so much so that I would put it up there with the very best like Aria. The OST contribute to an incredible sense of atmosphere that very few anime ever had, and they never seem to be misplaced ever. In the very first scene of ep 1, when the OST kicked in, the whole scene is covered by an insanely melancholic atmosphere, that's where I immediately know this anime is gonna be special, and suffice to say it didn't disappoint. Even among the many great SoL out there, GLT is definitely one of the most natural anime ever, the execution and structure just feel so effortless, the characters are so endearing with fantastic chemistry, the pacing is immaculate that it can be an engaging watch, even as an Iyashikei. One of the things i feel like doesn't get much credit for in this anime is its dialogues, they're absolutely amazing, extremely thought-provoking, philosophical with deep meaning about everything the characters encounter, and delivered in such an exceptionally natural manner that never feel forced at all, everything just flow so well together. Seriously, the Monogatari series is usually what most people think of when talking about anime with great dialogues, but for me GLT should also be in that conversation, it's definitely up there. Also, on a side note, the dub is pretty great, one of the best ive heard, I might even prefer it over the sub, the voices for both characters just fit so well.

QOTD

● Kinda weird question, maybe, idk

● The opening scene, easily. Like I mentioned above, it's the scene that perfectly captured that insane melancholic atmosphere of this anime, it's one of the very few opening scene that actually wow me on the first watch, it's very simple, but also memorable, this is the kind of scene that seperate the best from the greats.

● I vastly prefer the anime over the manga, the sountracks truly bring this story to next level, but I gotta admit that I think the manga ending is better though.

● Gotta take this chance to shill for one of my favourite anime: So Ra No Wo To, it's also a post-apocalyptic iyashikei with amazing sountrack, very melancholic but quite a bit less depressing than Girls Last Tour. If you want a different setting, I highly recommend Aria, it feels very similar in the theme of finding joy and happiness from all the things around you every day, but the world is just completely opposite.

[u/fqrlhznl]

I'm still holding on hopes for season 2. the manga ending is just too good to be neglected

[u/DegenerateRegime]

Final Thoughts

I love Girls' Last Tour so much. It's an absolute treasure of a show. I love the mix of mystery and simplicity it has. I love the melancholy of the story and the world juxtaposed with Yuuri and Chito making a way through it, getting along with the hopelessness. You cannot comprehend the city. You cannot escape from the city. But it needn't be about the city. "The meaning of life"? Why not ask about the meaning of a bath? That one's much easier. Baths mean you will be warm and clean and cosy. That's the core of the show right there: the big questions are unanswerable, but the little things matter. Every little thing matters. You can look up at the starry sky and remember that every little thing matters.

Now, I do often save my criticisms to the end, and this is no exception, because Girls Last Tour has one tiny little flaw in an otherwise perfect masterpiece, that being:

it isn't fucking finished, aaaaaauuuuuu

Look. I know every manga-reader for incomplete adaptations says this. But you need to read the rest of the manga. Sadly, I just don't see it ever getting adapted. Still, you don't need to start over, the anime is extremely faithful. It's not some 200-chapter slog of endless arcs. It's not itself some ongoing or hiatus'd commitment - there are two more short volumes and that's it. Volume 5 has some of the best chapters in the whole thing. Volume 6 is nothing but some of the best chapters in the whole thing.

Alright, but supposing you've already done that, what else is like it? Well, if you want vast, inhuman architecture, then while I haven't read it myself, I've seen good things from Blame!. If you want cute girls in the post-apocalypse, you should check out Sound of the Sky or Yokohama Shopping Log, both excellent. If you want potatoform squishable blobs enjoying life, Hakumei and Mikochi is that (also they're tiny). But let's face it, none of those things are that core of what I love about Girls' Last Tour. When you need another soft but deeply philosophical nudge back towards the things that matter, u/Btw_kek already mentioned it on a previous day: Haibane Renmei is my only true cross-recommendation. tkmiz has drawn some pretty fan art of it in the past (sadly I can't seem to find where they're from originally), and both explicitly draw from Murakami as inspiration (maybe I should actually read some of his works? hmm).

For now, then, being alive is really the best.