Out of all the anime I’ve watched recently Selector grabbed me the least, which is a shame because the concept was what drew me to the show to begin with. The basic idea is that there is a card game called Wixoss that has become popular with young girls. Some of the girls that play the game are chosen (randomly?) to be Selectors. So what the hell is a Selector? Well in order to play the game each person that buys a starter pack and is given an Avatar card; aka their main character used in battle, but Selectors have slightly different cards. Their cards are alive (called Rulig Cards) and their avatars talk to them or grunt and meow as is the case with the main character’s Avatar Tama. Selectors seek out other Selectors to battle and if they continue to win they can have their wish granted. If they lose three in a row though, they’re avatar basically dies and they stop being a Selector.
The story goes that the main character Ruko Kominato is at a new school and has no friends. Her grandmother is worried about her so her brother (who doesn’t live with her for some reason) gives her a pack of Wixoss. At school the next day another Selector finds Ruko and challenges her knowing that she’s never played and doesn’t know any of the rules. The girl’s twin brother (who she’s in love with *siscon style) helps Ruko out and we soon discover that Tama is a fucking powerhouse that wants to battle constantly. The plan doesn’t work out and the girl’s battle is interrupted by the school bell. Of course Ruko gets a friend in the girl she battles and she learns a bit about the game from her as well.
The set up for the second episode is that Ruko meets more girls, but what doesn’t interest me is that she’s the reluctant hero. Of course her and Tama are going to win and beat all competitors, but Ruko is so concerned with friendship in order to not worry her grandma that tries to give her new friend a freebie win. Clearly this will continue or at the very least she’ll be used by these new characters as it seems to be in the preview which shows her new friend more and more reluctant to be around the other girls and Ruko.
At its core this story almost seems like commentary on card games and video games which are brought up as well. That could be interesting, but there’s too much else going on in the story for me to buy into that all the way.
It really boils down to a lackluster story with forgettable characters that failed to get its hooks on me. I might check out the second episode, but it’ll be more to see if I was right and not to continue the journey.
Score: 3/5
Director: Takuya Sato Writer: Mari Okada Studio: J.C. Staff