Strange things can happen to a person when they're in prison so the general rules of thumb are to keep a low profile, stay out of the way of other people, and avoid dropping the soap in the shower. For the inmates of Japan's only privately owned prison (which for some reason is run as a theme park and is built on Ground Zero of the Great Tokyo Earthquake), the ablutive antics of their fellow "guests" are the least of their worries, especially when the warden takes the term "punishment game" to a whole new level. The stage is set. The "Running Man" style collars
...
are on. The next event is a lethal variation of Takeshi's Castle.
Welcome to Deadman Wonderland.
Based on the manga by Kataoka Jinsei (story), and Kondou Kazuma (art), the story begins with middle school student Igarashi Ganta, a fairly normal teenager with a reasonably mundane life - going to school, hanging out with friends, etc. All of that changes when his entire class are slaughtered while still in school, and as the only survivor he is found guilty of mass murder and sentenced to death. He is sent to Deadman Wonderland to wait out the time before his execution, but the powers that be in the prison have their eyes on Ganta so he must now navigate a labyrinth of conspiracies, greed, betrayal, murder, revolution, gladiatorial combat, and enough blood to make a clan of vampires drool.
Which immediately brings up the first problem with this series.
At its heart Deadman Wonderland is nothing more than a bloodier version of the common or garden shounen tale, but bolted onto the framework concept is a plot that has been worked over far too many times, so much so that it's highly predictable and almost barren of any original thought. Far too much importance has been placed on making the content "cool" in an effort to appeal to viewers who just want violence, blood and explosions, and with the added yet pointless melodramatic scenes designed to elicit audience sympathy, the storyline never really picks up enough narrative pace to maintain the viewer's interest. There are also a few critical errors that anyone with a basic understanding of investigative techniques would immediately spot and question, but we'll get to that in a bit.
Now this may confuse some people because Deadman Wonderland does have a lot going on in each episode, so an explanation is probably in order. This anime uses an event driven plot rather than a character driven one, and because of that the protagonist and his fellow inmates are simply along for the ride. They become nothing more than reactionary elements in the storyline, and in an effort to compensate for that the author and his adaptation colleagues have thrown as many different ideas at the series as they could. In truth, the only thing holding the entire narrative together so that it could be considered a story instead of a collection of random events, is Ganta, which gives an idea of the scale of the problem.
That said, Ganta isn't really terrible, but the nature of the plot ensures that his characterisation remains linear and one dimensional, and while it may appear to some that he matures as an individual, this is actually a forced measure that serves only one purpose - to make his win against the next big bad opponent a bit more believable. Unfortunately, Deadman Wonderland isn't really about developing the characters in any meaningful way, and this is borne out by the fact that the supporting cast only get a few paltry flashbacks even though some of them have a lasting effect on the storyline. The oddity is that probably the most intriguing character is Ganta's childhood friend Shiro, a resident of Deadman Wonderland who isn't a prisoner. She is an anomaly who appears to have a childlike personality, but her very presence in the storyline, together with her looks, is enough to set alarm bells ringing for anyone who knows the trope about mysterious white haired characters.
Given that this is an adaptation of a manga there's automatically a severe limitation placed on design, but Manglobe have done their best with what has been given to them, and the results are actually pretty good. The animation is smooth and there are some nice visual effects scattered throughout the series, the character movements are fluid and have a natural feel, and the action set pieces have a visceral edge to them that the manga lacks. There are a few issues though, but these lie in the smaller details as there are some design influences from other works (Ganta's likeness to Renton Thurston from Eureka 7, which is also a work by the Kataoka and Kondou). In addition to this, there's a tendency to fall back on certain stereotypes (the rather obvious musclebound oaf who likes nothing more than fighting strong opponents), which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can get tedious to see certain character archetypes all the time. Thankfully these niggles aren't really enough to prevent viewers from enjoying the series, especially if one is able to move past the rather slapdash storyline.
Seriously, would it kill anyone to use some real world stereotypes, maybe something like the bad tempered little guy who doesn't know how to fight properly but makes up for it in sheer ferocity?
Deadman Wonderland has a rather eclectic variety of background music on offer that ranges from dramatic heavy metal blended with techno, to a few simple notes played on a piano. The quality of the audio, both the music and the effects, is surprisingly good, and the choreography shows that some thought has gone into the implementation and timing of each track. The opening theme is a heavy metal piece called One Reason by DWB (featuring Fade), that has been set to a well designed sequence that utilises a three colour base, in this case red, white and black. The end credits feature a slow moving ferris wheel accompanied by images of many of the characters from their lives before they became inmates of Deadman Wonderland, all set to the tune of Shiny Shiny by NIRGILIS.
To be perfectly honest, this anime doesn't really test the abilities of Paku Romi (Ganta), Hanazawa Kana (Shiro), or any of the other cast members to any great degree, but part of that is due to a relatively lackadaisical script. The dialogue lacks a degree of intuitiveness that can make conversations seem forced, and while the cast are capable seiyuu in their own right, they seem to struggle with several scenes in an effort to get the emotion across to the viewer. It's never a good thing when an actor or actress tries too hard, and this fact is borne out during a number of conversations in the series.
But then, that's pretty much the story of Deadman Wonderland - it tries too hard.
On the surface this appears to be a rather slick production with some high quality audio and visuals, but no amount of beautification can hide a plot that is more focused on currying favour with audiences than it is with actually telling a story. The narrative can often seem like a train wreck (i.e. bits flying off everywhere, people screaming and running for cover, etc), as many of the plot elements have simply been attached without any real thought given to integrating them into the story proper, and this is why many events can feel like they're nothing more than fillers. In addition to this, the idea of weaponizing blood isn't actually new as Wei Zhijun from Darker Than Black can blow things up using his blood, while Saya from Blood + must use hers to kill Chiropterans.
That said, one has to remember that the story itself is incomplete as this is only an adaptation of the manga up to a point, and this is one of the reasons why there are inherent issues that have yet to be resolved. Unfortunately that excuse cannot cover certain flaws that really do stand out, the chief among them being Ganta's conviction. The series makes a point of showing a confession by him and this is given as proof of his guilt, but what happened to all the witness statements? What about the forensic evidence like the direction in which the windows exploded, or the angle of the attacks on the classroom? While the viewer clearly knows that Ganta is innocent, the apparent ease of his conviction is dependent on his confession, but nothing is mentioned about the physical evidence from the scene of the crime.
Deadman Wonderland looks and sounds great, and if all you're after is a series that has lots of violence, blood, weird characters and a storyline that requires you disengage your brain, then this may be for you. The series may have it's problems, but the concept is interesting even if the implementation leaves a lot to be desired, and it does retain a degree of entertainment value for its action set pieces.
In essence though, Deadman Wonderland is nothing more than a potato that has been painted by Michaelangelo - it looks stunning, but it's still just a potato.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: DEADMAN WONDERLAND
Japanese: デッドマン・ワンダーランド
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
12
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Apr 17, 2011 to Jul 3, 2011
Premiered:
Spring 2011
Broadcast:
Sundays at 01:00 (JST)
Licensors:
Funimation
Studios:
Manglobe
Source:
Manga
Demographic:
Shounen
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#36222
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#110
Members:
1,237,634
Favorites:
6,860
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 287 / 296
Sort
Your Feelings Categories Aug 6, 2011
Strange things can happen to a person when they're in prison so the general rules of thumb are to keep a low profile, stay out of the way of other people, and avoid dropping the soap in the shower. For the inmates of Japan's only privately owned prison (which for some reason is run as a theme park and is built on Ground Zero of the Great Tokyo Earthquake), the ablutive antics of their fellow "guests" are the least of their worries, especially when the warden takes the term "punishment game" to a whole new level. The stage is set. The "Running Man" style collars
...
Dec 24, 2011
There was a trend back in the Good Old Days of anime (as in you only thought they were Good because you weren't Old enough to know any better) of hyper violent OVAs. Deadman Wonderland feels like a tread back to those days. It has the over-exaggerated violence, the ridiculous amounts of blood, the awkwardly crowbarred in sexiness and, most noticeably of all, it’s utterly shit.
Time has changed a few little aspects though. The OVA market of old has turned into the late night 12 episode anime series of today. This means it has more space to tell a coherent and fulfilling story, a capability ... Jul 9, 2011
I'm writing this review because a lot of the current reviews are complaining about the story being to short and some characters not getting enough screen time. Obviously, not everything is going to be resolved at the end of the anime because the manga has 45 chapters and the anime is only 12 episodes. That being said, I think the anime did a pretty good job in adapting the manga and you should read the manga after (or before) watching the anime.
Story - (8) As you know, Deadman Wonderland is about Ganta, a boy who is framed for the murder of his friends and sent ... Jul 11, 2014
Hold up your hand if you've heard this story premise before.
Naive, innocent and painfully average teenage boy is thrown into a violent game of life-or-death, having no choice in the matter. He is forced to fight, and discovers he has a mysterious, hidden power. Over the course of the show, he learns to control that power. You can put your hand down now. While the story to Deadman Wonderland is, of course, not going to be winning any awards, it still does make an attempt at telling it. The entirety of the plot revolves around the many characters in the infamous Deadman Wonderland prison, a place where ... Jul 5, 2011
Deadman Wonderland is a a series that showed a lot of promise after a couple of episodes, but ultimately falls to the 12 episode only bug. While the series has an interesting concept, and a great deal of shock value, it falls flat on execution.
Our story involves around Ganta, a typically middle school kid who is framed for the murder of his classmates, who were really killed by what he refers to as "The Red Man". He gets sent to a private prison known as "Deadman Wonderland", which is more like a gladiator holding place than a prison. His goal is to find the ... Jun 25, 2011
I really want to like this show, i've made every effort to enjoy this show, but i can't quite bring myself to recommend it.
Deadman Wonderland is the story of Ganta, a young man sharing a staggering resemblance to Eureka Seven's Renton (same mangaka) who is wrongly imprisoned in the futuristic Deadman Wonderland, a theme park were the convicts serve as the attractions. The first thing that became apparent is that 12 episodes was never going to be enough screen time to do this show justice. The first few episodes drive us through the series of event's that lead us to Ganta's imprisonment, now i personally ... Oct 26, 2016
I'm somewhat masochistic. Typically when I find something that I think that I will dislike I will drop it after giving it a shot once I'm sure there's nothing I'll enjoy. However, when something is so bad that I am stupified at how many flaws I find in the writing of the show and how poor the characters are in terms of consistency, I somehow enjoy how much I can hate the show in question while watching it. This is somewhat of a disclaimer to say, that unlike most people, I didn't watch the series to enjoy any of its positives, but enjoy ragging on
...
Mar 2, 2014
Have you ever been framed for something that you believed you wouldn't have the capacity to do, and were punished for it? That unlucky scenario is shared by Ganta, the protagonist of the 2011 anime Deadman Wonderland. Deadman Wonderland revolves around the horrifying trials Ganta has to go through after he is sent to a prison camp sharing the title of the anime. The themes used in this anime include finding hope in a hopeless situation, and moving on from your past.
Story: 5 – The story of Deadman Wonderland primarily revolves around the main protagonist Ganta, and the many horrible things that occur in ... Apr 17, 2011
I first heard about this anime through Crunchyroll's announcing of their winter/spring simulcasts, and my interested was piqued. Overall, it's a very good anime, and has the potential to stand out from the others.
Story: The story starts out with the Red Man, as Ganta calls him, massacring his middle school class. Before he disappears, the Red Man embeds a red crystal-like object into Ganta's chest, which promptly disappears. He wakes up in a hospital and is placed on trial, where he is sentenced to death. He tries to flee, but maddened parents of some of the killed students attack him, and a fake video of ... May 21, 2011
If you enjoy fast paced action packed anime's, then Deadman Wonderland is most certainly one of the top choices for Spring 2011.
The story revolves around a main character called Igarashi Ganta whose sudden encounter with the "Red Man" turns his life from a jolly average middle school life, into a hell hole called Deadman Wonderland where inmates put on a show for paying audiences. Beyond the dark and frightening atmosphere is a fast developing action/horror anime packed with enough twists to keep you on your toes and desperate for more, as it is impossible to predict the turn of events as i tried to ... Jul 2, 2011
Sometimes, anime characters are put into such unfortunate circumstances that you can't help but shake your head in pity. Now, this isn't the type of misfortune where you go "Barnacles, I procrastinated and didn't do my boating essay," or "Such misfortune! A certain Sister bites me all the time!" The misfortune I'm talking about is when Heaven itself seems to abandon you, when it seems all the forces in the world are trying to guarantee no salvation for you.
The subject of this particular tragic treatment is Ganta Igarashi, who starts as a completely normal middle school boy with all of the nice, usual things. ... Jul 13, 2011 Ok, so I've just watched the last episode of this anime, so how do I rate it? Here's how: Story: Good 7. Good in the sense that this is totally a unique anime, sure there anime like this where the protagonist was jailed, but not a lot has this kind of genre that involves, Sci-Fi, mystery, horror, action, and drama which were combined with blood, gore and raw violence (damn censors). Ok, so the muchacho (Ganta, the male lead) is a pussy, but hey! It’s the blood, gore and the raw violence that are the stars in this anime. To recommend any other anime for this one ... Sep 3, 2011
Deadman Wonderland is a twelve (12) episode series that was left open ended so that there is the possibility that another season of it could be in the making. The title of this anime seduced me into watching it with the element of confusion channelling me forward.
STORY 7/10 Deadman Wonderland is a theme park that not only serves as entertainment to the public but also doubles as a prison for criminals in society. It is the only privately owned prison in Japan. It is here that the fourteen (14) year old Igarashi Ganta is placed after he is charged with the crime of murdering everyone in ... Jul 9, 2011
Before the Spring 2011 season began, most of the talk seemed to revolve around "C" and "Deadman Wonderland". But all that talk died out pretty quickly, and by the time we were a few weeks into the new season, those two shows seem all but forgotten. I've not seen "C", but I can tell you that there's a good reason why "Deadman Wonderland" sunk so fast: bluntly put, it's a bit sh*t.
The show is about the main protagonist Ganta's adventures in the world's only privately owned prison, Deadman Wonderland, a place where dark secrets resides and sadistic experiments and gladitorial style bloodsports takes place. Oh, ... Aug 13, 2011
Deadman Wonderland. Some people are terming it "The most gory anime of 2011" , well I may have to agree. It's got gore, but is that what it's relying upon to be anything better than just an average Anime?
Deadman Wonderland starts off with Ganta Igarashi, just a normal schoolboy...until his entire class is killed by a mysterious power wielded by the antagonist later known as the Red man. Ganta is pinned for the murder by ridiculous "evidence" and is thrown into Japan's first, privately owned prison, Deadman Wonderland. In prison, Ganta learns that he now wields the mysterious "blood power" (branches of sin) and ... Apr 26, 2011
Welcome to Deadman Wonderland! A privately owned prison where the prisoners perform for an audience, in hopes of winning the games and lengthening their life. Sounds like fun, right? Right. It makes an excellent anime anyways.
This review is based off the first 3 episodes. Overall: 10/10 Story: 10/10 Ganta Igarashi witnesses his entire class slaughtered by a Red Figure. He is framed and convicted as guilty, sentenced to death and thus sent to Deadman Wonderland- and that's where the real 'fun' begins. To survive, he must compete in insane games and win, in order to keep himself alive. It is a unique storyline that really draws ... May 24, 2013
Deadman Wonderland, what can i say about this anime? Well for starters lets just get the story out of the way. Deadman Wonderland follows Ganta Igarashi and is set in modern day Japan one day his whole class is murdered by a mysterious red man and through actions against his control he is found guilty of murdering his 30 something classmates and sentenced to death. Now in this version of Japan about a decade before these events there's a great Tokyo earthquake that left not just the city but all of Japan devastated. After this a prison is built called you guested it Deadman Wonderland
...
Aug 29, 2012
Deadman Wonderland is something you wouldnt Expect.
The first episode consists of the main protaganist (Ganta) going to school and his whole class being murdered right in front of his face by a mysterious person in which Ganta refers to as the RED MAN, after watching all his friends die, Ganta is seen in the court room where an odd video pops up that puts him in jail for the death of his classmates. His "lawyer" Tamaki says he feels bad but is the one who ends up making the video. Ganta proceeds to wonderland as a Death Row inmate, where he is first scared and ... Jul 14, 2011
Yangires and Yanderes usually fascinated me in any anime title because of their potential to influence any story. Ever wondered how to make one for the short-term? It is quite simple.
Watch or stay inside Deadman Wonderland. Just as the title suggests, its abuse of Deus Ex Machina, unlikeable cast, unexplained details, unnecessary deaths, insane laughter, and butchered accelerated, not fast-paced, story will turn you into a crazy psychopath, laughing maniacally like Light Yagami from Death Note. Amusement parks could start appearing in your dreams to cope with your psychological disorders. The only way to avoid this is zero expectations, inexperience in the otaku world, ... May 9, 2011
I remember reading the Deadman Wonderland manga when it was first scanlated in '07. It is a great manga, it actually kept me religiously reading it until the release pacing got weird. When news of the DW anime came out, I was ecstatic. A Deadman Wonderland anime, finally!
But when it finally came out, I was disappointed. The DW anime does not deliver an as powerful punch than its manga adaption. Story: 8/10 Deadman Wonderland is about a boy named Ganta Igarashi who is accused of murdering his whole class and is sent to "Deadman Wonderland," a prison of many secrets. Throughout his stay at this ... |