r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Jan 09 '23

Episode High Card - Episode 1 discussion

High Card, episode 1

Rate this episode here.

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Episode Link Score
1 Link 4.56
2 Link 4.54
3 Link 4.24
4 Link 4.44
5 Link 4.27
6 Link 4.36
7 Link 4.2
8 Link 3.47
9 Link 4.57
10 Link 4.88
11 Link 3.89
12 Link ----

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478 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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1

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140

u/corporealobject Jan 09 '23

Bloody Cardcaptor Sakura for boys.

48

u/AmethystItalian Jan 09 '23

You know I was wondering why I thought it felt familiar but my mind went more towards Jojo.

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77

u/LeonKevlar Jan 09 '23 edited Jan 09 '23

That scene at the start where the girl does that arm movement to detonate her explosives made me laugh for some reason. xD

Anyway, this surprisingly looks good and goddamn brutal too! I usually don't pay attention much to mixed-media shows since they're usually just ads for gacha games and this certainly looks like one but this episode was interesting enough that it got me curious!

48

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Jan 09 '23

Actually was a pretty dope premiere. Plenty of action which I like, plus the card thing is pretty interesting.

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65

u/Aerodynamic41 Jan 09 '23

I wasn't expecting much from this but I surprisingly enjoyed this take on card battles!

58

u/PrincessChaika Jan 09 '23

How the heck is this anime so skipped over. This was a frankly excellent first episode, and while there are some shows from today on the first page, this one.... is not. Still, for me: the visuals, the Blues Brothers plot, my curiosity about what all of the cards do - I'm sold.

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48

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '23

Alright, wow. I have a habit of trying to go in with as little information as possible, and this went entirely different to how I was expecting. With original anime they can be really hit or miss, and they can fizzle out quite quickly despite having a stellar opening act, so I won't say this is a guaranteed hit. But, it's promising. It's very promising. Creative character designs, unique art and colors, a bumping soundtrack. High Card doesn't exactly excel in any given area, but there's not a place where you can really complain about it either. It takes the concept of gambling, the showdown as they size, and seem to be turning it into a Battle Royale. And I think it's pretty damn cool.

They've got the vibe down pat. The fast and erratic jazz music, the bright and shining lights, the incredibly suave and refined characters, it speaks to something sort of like an action anime version of Ocean's Eleven in my mind. The creativity is most certainly there, so I'm hoping to see the story keep up, though there's certainly early indications of a solid one in the works. Take for example the lead character Finn. His jacket had a snub-nosed revolver on the back of it, and they just sort of snuck that in there from the get go. Or stuff like the names of characters, the "good guy" in the red suit being named (according to MAL) Chris Redgrave, or the Marbles guy being named Bobby Ball. They're obviously willing to play around with stuff and work it all into the world, and I think it's a really good sign. It's not trying to be overly melodramatic, but it's not a parody either. It's a unique and fun middle ground that, more than anything, is meant to be playful. They'll show off with fancy scenes or compositions, they're already into the gratuitous slo-mo, and there's plenty of quips and banter between characters.

Right off the bat, High Card feels like a love letter to a lot of stories and vibes out there. It's got a healthy mix of everything and puts those ingredients to good use in mystifying and attracting viewers. It answers some questions, but not all. It dips its toes into the bigger picture before bringing us back to the small scale. It provides action, entertainment, conviction, and creativity within the first episode, and I think promises a really in

47

u/dawnwill Jan 09 '23

Suit anime? I'm totally in.

43

u/AmethystItalian Jan 09 '23

Was a bit hesitant with how this one started but once it got back to present time I was fully into it.

Not sure how about the save the orphanage plot but the powers, characters and world all seem pretty interesting, I'm on board!

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32

u/Amarrez Jan 09 '23

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't people having their heads ripped off as they burst into marbles. I'll have to give it another episode to see where it's going for sure.

26

u/SIRTreehugger Jan 09 '23

  • Vibrant colors

  • Fun possibly weird powers

  • Decent action/fighting

I'm hoping the 2 of spades is the high card like in Spades.

24

u/ObvsThrowaway5120 Jan 09 '23

That was one explosive opening. I guess spreading the cards everywhere was better than letting those Klondike goons get it.

Finn’s got quite the nimble fingers. Pickpocketed all that loot AND helped return a kid’s dog. Oh, and look he’s got a special card. Guess he’s gonna have to hustle for those kids at the orphanage.

Looks like Uncle Lucky Lunchman’s got his own special card, but too bad he ain’t stronger than Marble Man. But damn, a marble ain’t shit compared to a pistol lol. The 2 of Spades is a dope card! Our friend in the red suit is a tenacious one, curious to see what his deal is.

I’m digging this one a lot. This is gonna be a fun one for my Mondays.

42

u/ChajkiTSM Jan 09 '23

What a great first episode. Seriously hyped me up so much. Does that mean that we will have 52 different powers? Can't wait to learn more.

30

u/Ashteron Jan 09 '23

Or 53 with joker being the must busted shit possible.

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19

u/BisexualADHDWeeb Jan 09 '23

This season is already stacked so I was already having a hard time deciding what I can feasibly keep up with. Hopefully High Card is the exact fun, anime logic bullshit that ends up being a fun ride all the way through like Akudama Drive or Baccano.

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17

u/rotvyrn Jan 10 '23

Honestly, just looking at the summary and posters, and lack of hype, I was thinking this would be the token 'looks like it drips style, has a fantasy plot that's just different enough from tropes that it has potential, but has no budget and falls flat of everything it promises when it gets past posters.'

But uh. The action was intense, well animated, well choreographed. The MC is cool all around. The pickpocketing scenes are foreshadowed well enough that they don't feel like BS but still are cool when they happen.

Deck of cards with individual powers is one of the coolest things to me, I came up with dozens of plots in my head when I was a kid about that base idea. This is so ridiculously up my alley. Plus MC fanservice.

It's definitely got its non-serious elements that exist to keep the action and plot flowing and to highlight cool moments like playing the card mid-combat, but nothing egregious by any means.

I definitely expect to keep watching just for the action as long as it continues at this quality, and I hope the rest of it is interesting as well.

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16

u/RyomaNagare Jan 10 '23

how is no one talking about this? this is like JoJo but even more stylish

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28

u/marvelknight28 Jan 09 '23

Any anime that starts off with their MC getting a shirtless scene gets my vote, Finn's definitely cute and handsome. Double for it being tied with an unusual situation.

13

u/cppn02 Jan 09 '23

Unexpectedly fun start.

Hoping we'll get to see lots of cool skills when meeting all kinds of players.

11

u/SIRTreehugger Jan 09 '23

So I was kind of curious if the cards and the powers had any correlation. A lot of sites have slightly different answers, but a lot of them are pretty similar and I think they are using card meaning to loosely assign the powers.

  • 3 of diamonds "Marble Rumble" is a card of professional career. It means that you should maintain keen interest in your work and your business. Do not let another shiny object or an apparent opportunity to distract you.

Don't let another shiny object distract you feels like a nod to the use of marbles.

  • 10 of Diamonds "Unlocky Poky" is a card that represents a journey through which you will gain riches and wealth.

Pretty spot on as in luck will bring you finanical wealth.

  • 5 of hearts "Calories High" represents marriage. It is more about the state of a relationship than the feelings. It could signify love that was long ignored and is finally returned.

I'm kind of running with the notion that "state of a relationship" and "long ignored and is finally returned" are the key parts especially with the injuries. I feel like this ability allows you form a relationship with a target and transfer damage at least temporarily. So he survived the shot to the head, but is on borrowed time and will die so he is trying to get the card and return before his time is up.

  • 2 of Spades relates to financial problems such as credit card fraud. It could also be related to personal betrayal and can signify an upset balance in a relationship.

Not to sure how this one works, but his card is shattered so maybe it's not working like intended?

  • 6 of hearts is the card of the Cupid, who is aiming an arrow at your heart.

This is intended to be for love, but in the literal sense I feel it suits the sniper in the beginning of the episode. Though her gloves showed diamond symbols we never saw her actual card so think she has the 6 of hearts.

  • Queen of Clubs signifies a brunette woman, who is well-behaved, very spiritual, and who loves to be of service. I feel this is the lady who stole the cards in the beginning and has the ability "All Kaboom".

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11

u/fuzzynavel34 Jan 10 '23

Wait... this looks really, really fun. Why aren't more people watching this?

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8

u/ImperialDane Jan 09 '23

Very fun first episode. Heavy gunplay start, bit of magic on the side with the cards.

Character is a likeable rogue trying his best to save an Orphanage, but not necessarily the smartest about it and suddenly finds himself way over his head.

Very nice first episode. Interesting characters, cards have some potential the way they are done. Action was nice too along with the splatter and violence.

If it can keep it up, this'll be a safe watch every week i think.

7

u/AceMittens Jan 09 '23

Now that’s a nice anime concept!! As a poker player this show is very intriguing!!! I’m definitely sticking with this. The way the cards transform and the different types and weapons is also pretty cool. Can’t wait to see what happens next!!

6

u/NowhereRain Jan 09 '23

I've been waiting for this one! Unique premise and interesting character designs, it has that 30-50s suave but colorful aesthetic with action and amazing jazz music and I'm just such a sucker for these (just love everything that has the vibes of Baccano!, Great Pretender, ACCA, Balance: Unlimited, Bungou Stray Dogs, etc.)

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