Btooom!

In my effort to find animes that don't star some stupid little high school boy I decided to focus as much as I could on finding animes starring adults. My search didn't take that long surprisingly when I came across of a description "A 22 year old..." that my friend was how I discovered BTOOM!

I decided to give the anime a shot to see if I like it and ended up watching the whole thing in two days. :D Let me first talk about all the things I liked about it.

The story is about a guy who sits at home playing videos games all day, he's one of the top players in a game called BTOOM! Eventually he gets kidnapped and taken to an Island where he has to play the game to survive and win back his freedom. I immediately thought of myself and my Killzone 3 addiction. lol! So I can sort of relate to the main protagonist. I also love stories like "The Hunger Games" where people are forced to fight each other for their lives.

The Characters are a the biggest draw for me as they are all real people...or they feel like real people and not just a bunch of anime archetypes thrown together. The main character, Ryouta is just a regular guy who is very selfish and tends to think only about how things affect him. He's not some goody two shoes but he's not the devil as well. What was interesting to me more than anything was finding out that everyone on the Island was sent there by someone they know and we do get a glimpse into the reasons why some of the characters are there and with the others you can sort of see why, based on their actions, why someone would send them. In other words, some are more deserving of their spot there than others and with Ryouta, it's up to you to decide if he should really be there or not.

The next main character is Himiko/Emilia a highschool girl who also played the game somewhat and even married Ryouta in the game. When I first saw this character I rolled my eyes because I wanted to avoid the high school kid thing but I was wrong. This girl is as real as it can get and someone I found myself rooting for and relating to a great deal. I love how her character was handled in some of the situations she was in. She was almost raped twice and it made her grow mistrusting of men in general, something that I know a lot of women go through. She just did bounce back and become some sex kitten, nor was she a damsel. she fought to maintain her purity in a world where men were eager to take it away from her. Even if it meant sacrificing her own life.

Anyway, the characters, even the ones I didn't root for all had something about them that made me feel a certain way about them whether it was love, hate, disgust, etc.The anime did not pull its punches showing how horrible some of these characters are and for a story premise about how these people were chosen by someone "who wants them to disappear" that's how it should be. The story is filled with betrayals and so on that constantly remind you of why they are there.

I really enjoyed the slow development of the relationship between Ryouta and Himiko. He's not some stupid shy little boy and she's not some super bitch or super sickly sweet chick. They are just two people thrown into a nightmare and they are trying to survive.

Now what I didn't like about it:

First I was happy that Himiko was called a foreigner. she was a character with blond hair and blue eyes, it makes sense. Then later she calls herself Japanese?? I don't know many Japanese girls named Emilia or at least that's not a common Japanese name. Why can't she just be a foreigner living in Japan?

The anime suffers from not being longer than 12 episodes. I would have liked to know more about the other characters and what was going on with the people behind BTOOM and this island version of it. It sort of reminded me of "Cabin in the Woods" the way they were monitoring them all.

The anime did way too many 'That could have been messy" moments. For example: Himiko manages to toss a bomb off of her while the timer was at 1 sec. That is ridiculous considering the fact that we have seen other characters die from the same bomb type from a farther distance and I doubt she was able to throw it that far that fast in 1 sec. This also happens to the Ryouta a lot. Too many close calls takes away from the suspense of having them.

Overall feelings:

I really like this anime. I love the characters in it ad I really want to get to know more about them. When I finished the last episode I looked for a season 2 because there is just no way this anime is over. It pretty much finishes in the middle! However, sadly I read that it was one of the worst selling animes of 2012. *SMH* of course it is. Why am I not the least bit surprised that this anime was a poor seller. It isn't starring some idiotic high school boy who spends all day blushing at chicks and riding mechs. It isn't starring an equally annoying anime girl who is so sweet she might as well p*$$ maple syrup or a girl who is so emotionally devoid of life she might as well be a sockt puppet. Everybody's problems can't be solve by saying "Believe in me/us/him/her" Maybe it wasn't eechi enough for all the pervs. heaven forbid it shows a girl almost getting raped and gee golly whiz, not actually like it or sequel helplessly.

Oh well, I won't hold my breath for another season and considering where it stops off at you would probably be better off not even watching it. here is a manga though so I'll check it out.

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Btooom! is one of those shows that tries to be as edgy and mature as it can simply for the sake of being edgy and mature, while at the same time tries to pull off a laughworthy plot with a straight face. Unfortunately the results are less humor inducing and more cringeworthy.

The setting relies far too much on the “humans are bastards” trope, wherein many of the characters resort to murder to survive when there really isn’t any need to. The players are simply given a bag of bombs, dropped off on a deserted island, and are told to go kill each other if they ever hope to return home. That’s it. Nothing’s actually forcing them to partake in the game, so why not band together to survive on the island, and use their bombs to combat against the evil corporation facilitating the game? Of all the characters, only two of them are convicted criminals; otherwise it’s just a bunch of average people who were jerks to their family and coworkers.

The characters in general are horribly written. Ryouta is the archetypal chivalrous hero who manages to ward off evildoers and protect his woman each episode, giving us too stark of a contrast between the huge asshole we see in the flashbacks; Himiko is the useless damsel in distress most of the time, and Taira’s character gradually degrades from the brosky sidekick to someone who must be at Ryouta’s side at all times–otherwise he’ll go insane with worry. Most of the other characters are villains who, in accordance to the shows over reliance on “humans are bastards,” are much too cartoony to be taken seriously.



Sometimes the bomb fights themselves can be entertaining, but more often than not Btooom! will focus on the tactics of the fights, and there’s just not much to work with if you’re trying to make this a battle of the minds. Even with the variety of different bomb types, chucking multiple bombs while hiding in the bushes would be the most effective strategy in most cases, and yet the show tries to have to have the characters “outsmart” each other. They don’t even ever outsmart each other; once a character simply catches a bomb before it can detonate, and suddenly everyone acts as if he’s “outsmarted” his opponent. If anything this just makes them look even more unintelligent than they already do

Perhaps worst of all is that Btooom! is a series riddled with sexism and rape culture. There are quite a few scenes where Himiko is violated in some way or form, and although none of these scenes are as bad as they could be–especially in comparison to the pornographic source material–they’re still gratuitous and titillating to the point of being fanservice. And rape as fanservice simply isn’t something that belongs in a dramatic narrative.

The main problem with Btooom! in regards to rape however, is how it depicts Himiko and her virginitiphobia. For one, the writers seem to equate the phobia with misandry, and tries to make a point of how Himiko should learn to be more trusting of men; that alone is reason enough to believe that they don’t have enough respect for rape issues as they should. Yes, it’s obviously wrong to distrust every man you see, but trying to drive this point across with an episode about a woman who is alone, ugly, and crazy because she distrusts men, is pretty unsympathetic to people suffering from virginitiphobia.

Then there’s the several scenes where Himiko becomes suicidal in the heat of battle, either to protect her “purity” or because she’s simply lost all hope of winning. This is understandable seeing how she’s gone through several traumatic experiences, but problematic in how it only serves to make her a damsel in distress, and not to actually make a compelling character out of her.

As a mindless action series, Btooom! succeeds at being mildly entertaining. Otherwise, it’s easily one of the worst animes of 2012. read more

The following review DOES NOT contain any spoilers.

Story: 9
Btooom! follows 22 year old protagonist, Ryōta Sakamoto. Ryōta is one of the world's best Btoom players, an online multiplayer where the objective is to seek out and destroy your opponents using BIMS (bombs). However, after being kidnapped and transported to a secluded island, he is forced to play the game for real.

The story entails a mix of survival and psychological. The story is literally booming with ideas. From the unique BIM variants, to the psychotic inhabitants trying to blow you apart at any opportunity.


Art: 8
In terms of art, Btooom! has a lot going for it. The scenery is superbly detailed, and the lighting is magnificent. My only negative comment so far is blood lacks detail.


Sound: 7
The voice acting is what you'd expect from the majority of anime. Unfortunately, the soundtrack isn't anything impressive.


Character: 9
The story has your typically pathetic protagonist that we all hate to relate to. Being a psychological drama, the show is full of gritty characters with rather interesting and unpredictable personalities.


Enjoyment: 10
It's rare to come across an anime with so much to offer it's audience. Explosive action, great characters, and a story that will actually keep you guessing.


Overall: 9
Fans of Mirai Nikki, Gantz and Deadman Wonderland will be in for a treat that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. read more

"This is where tomorrow brings a new game. It's time to learn that pain is gain. Ready FIGHT!"

Survival games have been very prominent in Japan. Normally, survival games will involve who gets killed and who will become the last man standing. Some of the survival games like Mirai Nikki, Fate/Zero, Danganronpa and others.

STORY (5):

Ryota Sakamoto is a NEET which stands for Not educated, employed or trained. He plays a new game called BTOOOM! and he became one of the top players. One day, he woke up in a deserted tropical island and he realized that he is trapped in a real-life game BTOOOM with other players including Himiko, Ryota's in-game wife.

Each players have a green gem which represents their life and if the gem is removed, the player might die. Basically, it is like a survival game. In order to win, you have to collect all the gems and make it out alive.

Basically, it is your typical survival game.

ART (6):

The animation is good. It portrays a dark and serious tone.

SOUND (6):

I loved the opening song "No pain, no game" while I liked the ending "Aozora". The opening plays like a rock and roll tune. The ending gives a smooth tune.

CHARACTER (4):

The characters are by far the weakest. Ryota and Himiko were predictable. Ryota can sometimes be a badass. Himiko is a typical damsel in distress. Although I sincerely understood her past when rape is a terrible thing to go through.

Kosuke Kira was a tragic character who lived a tragic life in his childhood.

Masashi Miyamoto looks like a soldier with a magenta pirate hat.

Kiyoshi Taira was a good character who helped Ryota and Himiko survive through this game. Although he didn't leave much impression.

So far, it is sad to say that the characters are bland and uninteresting.

CONCLUSION (5):

I didn't enjoy this show a lot but I did appreciate the way how they make use of people being trapped into a virtual game where the only way to win is to be the last man standing.

Even the ending leaves no resolution to the plot. Normally, I see this in most anime I watched. There was no resolution.

That's all I have to say. If you enjoy survival games, you might enjoy this too.

I am giving this anime a 5 out of 10. read more