Deadman Wonderland: Akai Knife Tsukai

I do allude a bit to the quality (though not the content directly) of the main series' ending in this review.

Right from the beginning I had a strong suspicion that nothing good would come from watching this OVA. The original series was just disappointing, after all. Of course, I didn't realize when I started watching that it was called "Red Knife Wielder," which would have pretty much let me know that it would do nothing to actually tie up any lose ends left in the original series. Worse than not completing anything that was started in the series, it didn't even provide ... some hint as to how Senji becomes how he is depicted in the original. In fact, it starts relatively similar to how he acts in the show but he actually grows in the opposite direction of his main-series nature. In short, watching this added no value or depth to something that was already in desperate need of both.

I technically have this rated a tick or so higher than the full series, though that's less due to any particular strength displayed by by this, and more to the disappointing ineptitude of the series. I probably wouldn't have even bothered watching it if I knew it wasn't officially a part of the first series (it's added on digital platforms—itunes, anyway—as a 13th episode). Which probably describes why most people (now, anyway) watch this: They don't realize the series ended with episode 12. (Pro-tip: If your viewers don't know the series is over, you've probably fumbled the narrative.)

(MAL's review system demands I add more words ... here, but this isn't worth more words. Is this enough? Let's find out...)

This review can contain some spoilers.

English is not my native language so, excuse my grammar errors.

Well, I finished this OVA the same day I finished the anime of DW. Now, where shall I begin?

This OVA presents us Senji (aka Crow) as the main protagonist and it focuses in his past. Pretty interesting, huh?.

Sadly, this was nothing but a complete filling OVA. There can be some scenes that are not filling but almost all the OVA was it.

There are many characters that do not appear in the manga, although some of them were created to give more depth to Senji's personality and relationships, most of them ... didn't add anything to the plot and left the main story as inexistent. Keigo is the perfect example because the main antagonist of the OVA it should have been Ikazuchi Akatsuki. If you readed the manga you will realize that Ikazuchi was the main responsible of the dead of Senji's comrades and his imprisonment. However, all Ikazuchi's time on screen was overshadowed by Keigo leaving Ikazuchi as a background character that did... nothing. Because of this, the part where Senji was accused and imprisoned is not shown.

I think Senji and his comrades were the only thing that prevented to give a lower score to the OVA.

Overall: 4
This OVA promises but fails. You can consider it just as a "wasted potential" OVA. Watch it under your own risk.

Did anyone really needed this OVA?

At least the idea isn't terrible. Senji is one of the few characters who had charisma in the original anime, so expanding his backstory might be interesting. The tone is slightly different, more intimate and serene. Sadly, it quickly falls to the same angsty cliches that wrecked the anime.

The people behind this story couldn't write an antagonist to save their life. There's a gang called 'Goreless Peace' who want to create a world without bloodshed. They use violence to fulfill this dream. Satire can be blunt and still amusing but if it has life in it, but this is just ... an excuse for more senseless violence.

Again, it teases with a scene that has characters being real people. It shows they can exist with a different purpose than causing more violence, only for them to be killed. This track may work once or twice, but by the 13rd time all you can do is groan. I hope they didn't assume people would watch this before watching the anime. It's stupid, but not that stupid.

Our antagonist hates the world and wants to destroy it. He's like this because it gives Senji someone to fight and because such characters and cause violence. No matter how much I say it, it won't be as repetitive as this anime. It only exists to show violence and people suffering, but with no style. There isn't even the gory torture scenes of the original anime.

The police force had some potential. One guy is more nonchalant and the boss is somewhere between tough and fatherly. If they made an anime about the adventures of these guys it would have definitely been better. Then again, it just might end up as an inferior copy of Psycho-Pass without the sci-fi element.

As for Senji, that's before he came a macho dude. His personality here is a generic moral hero who's the most violent in the workforce. He's less tolerant of crime than other cops, which makes him Dirty Harry with blood-sword instead of a 44. magnum. A reference to one of the famous quotes would've added some fun. Alas, this did not make my day.