Land of the Lustrous English Sub & Dub

About Land of the Lustrous

Here is what Land of the Lustrous (宝石の国) is about, retold in plain terms: an action, drama and fantasy anime by Orange (2017). The premise: In the enigmatic future, crystalline organisms called Gems inhabit a world that has been destroyed by six meteors. Each Gem is assigned a role in order to confront against the Lunarians, a species who attacks them in order to shatter their bodies and use them as decorations.

Next up: Phosphophyllite, also known as Phos, is a young and fragile Gem who dreams of helping their companions in the war effort. Instead, they are told to compile an encyclopedia because of their delicate condition. After begrudgingly embarking on this task, Phos crosses paths with Cinnabar, an intelligent gem who has been relegated to patrolling the isolated island at night because of the corrosive poison their body creates.

With action at the core, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Voice work is led by Mikako Komatsu as Shinsha and Tomoyo Kurosawa as Phosphophyllite. Think of it as a pick for viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. At 12 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

Production sits with Orange, which means the visual identity of Land of the Lustrous follows that studio's craft. Within the action category, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. A community score of 8.3/10 puts it among the better-received action titles. On the casting side, Mikako Komatsu voicing Shinsha gives the lead role a recognizable voice. Released in 2017, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.