To trace back a bit, we learn that there are special humans with abilities that are known as “Minimum Holders” in a setting known as Yokohama City. The titular title “Hamatora” is a collectively group of Minimum Holders founded by a young man named Nice. Having graduated at the top of his class at Facultas Academy, he forms this group as a detective agency to solve supernatural cases. Whether it puts them in danger or not doesn’t really seem to matter. Because in the end, the goal is to get the job done.
Essentially, the show does its job by presenting various cases on a weekly basis scenario. Later on it shifts to an ongoing arc involving a criminal who is known to go after the heads of other Minimum Holders; or rather precisely what’s inside of their heads. As a supernatural mystery, this should bring together a collection of insight to be explored. Yet, the show often neglects this because of its lazy elements. Even Hamatora itself is known to loft around waiting for clients rather than seeking them out. The whole concept becomes an ennui with the way the story constructs itself. To make matters worse, the characters are generic and lacks connection. What it tries to bring together with a main antagonist often gets sidetracked by non-standardized episodes. It fails to communicate to viewers its point or purpose involving its cases. And the ending? That invites questions from all angles.
By centralizing a small cast of characters as a collective force, one would expect the show to develop them on a deeper level. Unfortunately, Hamatora doesn’t follow that pattern and relies on its more generic concepts. The crass concept of ‘teenagers with superpowers’ comes to mind easily. After all, most of the main characters doesn’t look old enough to be out of higher tier school. At the same time, none of the characters stands out intelligently by themselves. How can we take a character seriously when our main character is named “Nice”? It doesn’t just cast off itself as him being a non-sensational character. Others such as Hajime, Birthday, and Ratio hardly are distinguishing by their personalities. The aloof writing gives them a lack of connection with Nice and with the audience with their lack of backgrounds. One of the only more dynamic connection that may be noticeable is the “Minimum Holder PI duo”, made up of Nice and Murasaki. But to call them dynamic would be an overstatement considering their lack of compatibility. Rather, it would be more simplistic to say they are partners on a professional level. But going any deeper than that would be laughable with the duo’s connection given their conflicting ideologies, Murasaki’s envy for his partner’s skills, and their ways of dealing with cases. In retrospect, their relationship can be described as oafish. It’s not silly in the way since one half of the duo (Murasaki) sheds off the humor with his serious nature. Thus, it just comes off as dull saturated with toppings of boredom.
Throughout the series, there’s a scenario of cat-and-mouse. It won’t feel like it but the concept is there. This is caused by its odd combination of implied humor with its general premise that comes together as frivolous. But what’s to be taken seriously is a criminal named Moral roaming through the streets. He has made it a goal to kill Minimal Users with his ideological mind. In essence, he comes off as a bigot with the stereotypical attributes of an antagonist. Embracing ideas of humanism, we learn of Moral’s goals for the future and his nature. There’s no mistake to describe Moral as a villain as he cares about no one but his ambitions – to make equality. In one specific episode, he even tries to murder a character for rejecting his offer. While this all may spark interest for viewers to see how far his goal comes across, it ultimately demonstrates a cliched and predictable outcome. There’s little insight going about his morality given the lack of characterization in Moral’s character. At the same time, it demoralizes the series’ story with an abject way of structuring its episodes. In other words, the series quickly shifts itself between its main story to its nonsensical episodes aimed for eye candy.
With a concept of super powers, you’d expect a deeper exposition right? Well, on most standards, the series only explains itself with weak effect. Minimum powers are only explored on the surface by showing, rather than telling such as the case of Hajime. Only a few characters such as Honey gets a bit of characterization with their back-stories. But what comes together as a unity ultimately is blend thanks to everything going on at once. It’s not just cliche but just badly formulated together as a whole.
It’s also difficult to fathom this show’s comedy on a variety of levels. This is illustrated by the dialogues delivered with cheesy execution, weak interactions, and jokes that sometimes makes almost no sense on occasions. The more concrete moments involve a deeper conversation between Art and Moral in the latter half of the show. At its climax, it delivers our villain’s message. Yet, this only comes as ephemeral as his lecture may be forgotten easily with the absurd story structure. Also taking on a mystery genre, the cases themselves started out with interest and even demonstrates some mature scenes with its debut. While this works out at first, it dies out quickly as viewers will find themselves questioning why they should care. Most of the cases lacks strength with morality. In general, it doesn’t let viewers draw in what they are interested from these cases. It’s also throws in random gags, background characters that somehow gets caught up with the mystery, and in general weak delivery.
Hamatora isn’t entirely filled with intolerable holes. There are some parts that are worth of praise such as the action. There’s strong evidence given the serious nature of Minimum Holders and why the public holds different opinion of them. By action, Minimum Holders deliver supernatural feats that are astonishing. Fights are intense on most scales and although doesn’t last long can leave an impression. While the characters (mainly Minimum Holders) lacks characterization, they don’t frustrate viewers to give them pity as most of them are capable of fighting themselves. In other words, they don’t come off as weaklings to despise on. There’s also a bit of anticipation coming together in the latter half of the story involving identity issues and what’s to expect from certain truth being potentially discovered. While it lacks a laudable mystery delivery, it does keep viewers from watching this show to anticipate to see what happens next.
Describing Hamatora’s art is easy to see with the eyes. The colorful exposition is there with fantastic action made up of explosions, knuckle sandwiches, and violence. Minimum Users’ abilities is intense as fans may expect and the artwork captures the majority of that. On the other hand, background artwork lacks any distinguishing features and the way characters are designed are generic. It isn’t even original considering that Yuki Kodama, whom previously worked on Blood Lad traces its designs. They don’t look just similar but hardly has anything to write home about.
Soundtrack stands out as one of its strengths. It is noticeable with alternative ways and well-coordinated delivery of its OST. At same time, it can keep up with the momentum and matches it consistently. Similarly, both the OP and ED songs delivers well with appropriate instrumentality. The mixture of its rock and techno notions also captures its moments. In general, it will leave an impressions for the audience. But on the topic of voice acting, some of the characters lacks strength in delivery in particular Nice and Murasaki with their chemistry. Moral’s lectures can also feel monotonous and seemingly forgettable despite his persistence.
This review didn’t take too much thought to write thanks to Hamatora’s lack of thoughtfulness behind its concept. Expectations coming into this show should be minimal with a potential case of being put to the ‘on-hold’ list. The story clustered with cliche characters doesn’t bring out anything special. Neither are the cases with their ridiculous jokes, hopeless messages, and whatever purpose it tries to deliver. Yet, the technical aspects of the show can keep it together at some instances. And as a supernatural mystery how, you’d need patience to get through Hamatora to experience what it has to offer. Still in the end, it’s just another formulaic throwback that doesn’t add anything more for its generic thought.
