Btooom!

Here we go again with yet another survival game anime and a Battle Royale wannabe. Notice that these types of shows instantly become popular, no matter how badly put together they are. And I'd say this one is definitely bottom of the barrel material.

This is a spoiler free review.

*Story* 3/10

It's about an unemployed shut in, in his twenties who does nothing but play a video game called "Btooom" all day long and we're told he's one of the best players in the world. One day he suddenly wakes up on a deserted island with a bunch of other people who were kidnapped and forced to ... fight for their lives in a battle royale that's based on the same video game he was playing. This game is like a 3rd person shooter, but without any guns.. Just bombs.

So as you can imagine, what follows is a bunch of people with different types of bombs trying to survive and blow each other up. There's a bunch of gore, mayhem and whatnot.

The first question that comes to mind is - what kind of society do these people live in that allows for something like this to happen in the first place? Well, for all we know they live in modern day Japan.. You know, that first world democracy.. In Battle Royale for example this was accounted for since it was a reality show in a Dystopian setting. Here, dozens of people get kidnapped in broad daylight (without being too secret about it either) and there don't seem to be any repercussions.


Secondly, this whole idea of having different types of bombs that are shared randomly amongst the players is just there to give you the illusion of strategy. Since some are clearly more useful than others. For example, you have a timer bomb that only explodes 10 seconds after you press it or a bomb that explodes upon impact or one that simply implodes when you press a button. Heck you even have a homing bomb. If you think that all of these bombs are somehow equally strong just because their radius is different then you should have your head examined. They try to fool you in to thinking that a bomb with a weaker explosion has some sort of disadvantage, when in fact even the bomb with the weakest explosion in this show has more than enough power to instantly kill a man or at the very least disable him and allow you to easily finish him off barehanded. Not to mention that a shorter radius is also effective if you don't wanna hurt yourself of course. Not that it matters anyway, since the bombs' radius is also fairly inconsistent - when they explode next to a main character, nothing happens and they always miraculously survive whether it's because their opponents can't aim or because they dodge it somehow (sometimes in very absurd ways) while the secondary ones are cannon fodder that almost always die instantly. So much for fair game.

Another thing that's dumb about it is how the show tries to make a distinction in functionality between the online game and the real life one and falls flat on its face in that regard. If it were the slightest bit realistic, all of the characters would be deaf from so many explosions blowing up next to their faces by the half way point or having debris of some kind injure them, which never happens of course. Normally I wouldn't nitpick that if it hadn't hammered in how "THIS IS REAL LIFE! NOT A GAME!". But the truth is, I've seen videogames from over a decade ago that are more realistic than this.

On top of all that, it's paced chaotically and it ends in the middle of nowhere while most of everything is left unresolved. Will it get a 2nd season? I don't know, but for now there isn't one so what we have here is 12 episodes that mostly consist of build up with no actual payoff.


*Characters* 2/10

You have the blandest of main characters that can only be described as a self insert protagonist. The evidence is clear that this guy is there just for self insertion and that's the only way to define him. Nothing about his character adds up. When he's first introduced he's just a sensitive and naive shut in that doesn't want to hurt anybody, but then we're shown flashbacks where he's actually a violent thug and an abusive son who hates his parents. One moment he's being polite to an elder he meets on the spot and in the next we see how badly he treated his parents. We're also told that he's one of the best Btooom players in the world and yet when he plays the real life version he seems completely clueless. Which is a poor attempt to let the (just as clueless) audience insert themselves, even at the price of having character inconsistencies.

The rest of the cast aren't much better either. Some of them have random mood swings that come out of thin air that aren't convincing in the slightest. For example, you have this jackass lawyer who's horrified by witnessing a psychotic kid butchering frogs in one episode and in another he becomes a sadistic lunatic himself who's okay with torturing teenage girls.

Speaking of which, the main female is a dumb blonde with a certain traumatic past who (of course) eventually sees the light thanks to the none personality of our male lead. And yes, it plays out in the most cliched way imaginable so it's not much of a spoiler. You'll see it coming from a mile away.

They also try to make you sympathize with a kid rapist and murderer because he has an abusive dad who's slightly less crazy than he is. And much like everything else, also comes off as ridiculous (not to mention downright wrong).

The only decent character in this show is the father figure Kiyoshi Taira. I won't give anything away, but let's just say that there's a fairly good amount of focus on him, he's not a 1dimenseniol lunatic and his actions actually made him appear relatively complex and interesting. Heck, I even found him kinda sympathizable and his character arc felt complete.

But unfortunately, one supporting character that was done right can't save an entire cast of bland plot devices and lunatics who kill people without batting an eye. Most of which get no closure or development anyway since the show is incomplete for now. All most of them get is an introduction and some very brief coverage.

*Art* 6/10

The artwork certainly looks quite polished and similar to Death Note's for some reason. The colors are bright and the characters blend very well with the beautiful (albeit repetitive) backgrounds. The character designs themselves are certainly nothing special though, and the animation is far from being lively or fluid. Even the action is rather choppy and the directing seems to be quite amateurish (and I wasn't surprised to later discover that this is indeed this director's first work). Also for a show that's named after an explosion, the explosions in this show are not all that impressive either.
Overall it looks ok I guess and the production values in general are fairly decent, but there's certainly nothing impressive about it for the time it came out, nor does it stand out artistically in any way.

*Sound* 7/10

The opening is a pretty good rock song with a nice range that sets the show's tone quite well and the ending song is much softer and although I wouldn't call it great, it also fits in fairly well. I can't really remember much of the soundtrack, but I guess it got the job done. What I find a little problematic though are the sound effects that are repetitive to the point of becoming a little distracting (albeit sounding quite realistic) and the voice acting is a little over the top and silly at many points.

*Enjoyment* 4/10

Meh.

*Overall* 3/10

Pretty skippable if you ask me.

Let's start with saying that BTOOOM! is very interesting. I prefer the survival genre too so yeah ^^

Story:
Btooom! doesn't have the most original story, but it's not a complete cliche. Just know that it's a typical survival anime, but a little different. On the other hand, you might think it's quite original because the only weapons they use are bombs.
Now about the good stuff: they worked the story out so well. I can't really explain it myself but the anime is almost perfect with the exception of a few things, but I'll tell you about that later.

Art:
Yupp, I gave the art a 10. Why? Well, ... I just love it. And take a good look at Himiko's face everytime they show it. The way they drew it is very cute but not too much, haha.

Sound:
I loved the opening music, but disliked the ending music. The opening was very much related to the whole anime itself, but the ending was a bit too soft.
The sound itself was good, so here you go.

Character:
This is where it actually gets interesting. The annoying characters get eliminated (IMO...), and the remaining characters are interesting as hell. ESPECIALLY Kira. Seriously. I love that little psycho. He's creepy, he's cute and he has an interesting story. Sakamoto is also pretty interesting and it's cool to see him change. It kinda surprised me that he was so naive and that he liked helping others so much, cause we saw how he acted towards his family and the change was a bit too early, but it's not so much that you'll be bothered, so don't worry.
Himiko's 'change' had a perfect timing. She doesn't trust men for the half of the anime and after that she really starts trusting Sakamoto bit by bit, but she's still a bit scared of men, and that's perfect. She doesn't overdo it, and that satisfied me very much. She stays who she is. And that's with all the characters. Well, not all, but almost everyone. They stay pure and real.
To make a long story short: the characters are very interesting, some have an interesting background and they create interesting fights. They're very realistic.

Enjoyment:
Hell yeah, definitely a 10! Btooom! doesn't fail in entertaining you! It's so nice to watch. I got excited for each episode, haha. Seriously, there's not a SINGLE moment that you'll be bored, I promise.

Overall:
A 9. Cause btooom! isn't perfect, unfortunately :c

Negative points:

- the ending went way too quick. The ending was good, but too hasty. I just hope there will be a second season, but if not I'm definitely not satisfied with the outcome, just because it's too hasty. I expected like 6 more episodes, too be honest. And btooom! isn't necessarily a slowpoke anime, but no, they could've made even 10 more episodes if you ask me!

- A bit more attention for other characters, thank you? For example: Kira. IMO, he was the most interesting character and we only get a short meeting with one little fight and then we only see him once (actually twice, but the ending doesn't count cause they show everyone who's still alive) more? So hasty, seriously. And Oda seems so important at the last few episodes, but except for Sakamoto's past he isn't important. Don't let them fool you.

- Yes, haste. Haste is btooom!'s worst point. They could've shown us more interesting things with the other characters, and not just Sakamoto and Himiko.

Anyway, GREAT anime, but not perfect.

I wasn't really sure I was going to like this anime after the first episode. The main character was a bit of a prick, and I kept drawing parallels to other anime that are also wildly successful. It struck me as a mash-up between No Game No Life and Sword Art Online, with a less interesting focus game. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised as I watched it all. The character's develop in a meaningful way, it's as action packed as anything I've ever seen, thoughtful, and it even manages to tug some heart strings.

Story: The story developed really strongly in a way that ... made it stand out on it's own. People are thrown onto an island where the only notable prize is survival. Allegiances form and dissolve, enemies are made, fights are had and love is found. Not only does it keep you on the edge of your seat, it also makes you wonder. Why are they there? Who can be trusted? Who is behind this twisted game and why?

It's not the most original of themes, granted, but it does what it does quite well. The story it tells is to the point and told well, and sets itself apart in a very good way.

My biggest complaint here is it seems to progress a bit too fast. It's a machine-gun of events that simply never relents. If there's not a fight happening, there's about to be one in the interest of survival. If they're eating they're also thinking of the next betrayal, or past trauma. There is zero filler, no smelling of the roses at all. This isn't entirely a bad thing, but I feel like it was 24 episodes worth of events crammed into 12. Still, some people will absolutely love that and I'm certain it was a conscious decision on the creator's part.

Additionally, the plot armor is strong in this one. Explosions are huge but unless they go off right under the victims feet they appear to do very little. Shrapnel and shock waves don't exist, and the protagonists seem to have some type of super-healing abilities and are almost immune to concussions altogether. Komodo Dragon's and knives seem more powerful than the BIMs massive explosive force as far as that is concerned.

7/10

Art: The art is beautiful. The fight scenes are well choreographed, if a bit lacking in the plausibility department. The characters are great and the environment is stunning.

9/10

Sound: The music is good, though nothing incredibly notable. The voice acting is done well also (I should mention here I watched the dub), and the sound effects are top-notch. Really nothing to complain about here at all.

7/10

Character: Initially, the main protagonist Sakamoto Ryouta really bugged me. That being said, the character development is fantastic. I managed to hate him a little less every episode, and he eventually became a decent human being - if a bit naive.

Himiko, the female protagonist, manages to develop a lot as well. Enduring a hard past and present, learning to want to live again, and learning to trust again. I really enjoyed this character, because she made me feel for her, as well as root for her.

The antagonists range from just-trying-to-survive to completely evil. There's a great range of characters, even if there's not a huge number of them. Everyone has their own story, and while said story isn't always completely explained, it's always apparent in their actions.

9/10

Enjoyment: I definitely enjoyed this series, and eagerly await a second season. It might be a while, especially if they want to keep up with the pace they've set in the first season. I feel it will we well worth the wait however, and I'm excited to see where the story goes next. That's not to say there absolutely must be a second season for this to be enjoyed, because it does stand up on it's own just fine. However, there's not much of a resolution either and doesn't feel anywhere near complete.

8/10

Overall: Well thought out and well executed, though not without it's flaws. Definitely a good idea to watch if you enjoy survival action anime with a gaming base.

8/10

If you're wondering whether you should watch BTOOOM! I'll ask you a few questions. If you answer yes, than this anime is for you.
Are you looking for enjoyable anime with no great plot or twists?
Some gore?
A lot of fanservice?
Go watch BTOOOM then! :D
Basically, a lot of people got letters, asking if there's anyone that they dont want in their lives. And those people who were written, dissapeared. Now, they didn't vanish in thin air,they got transported to an island in the pacific, where they were forced to play a real life version of the game BTOOM!.
As for the animation, it's not bad, but I must ... admit it bugged me on some occasions. Himiko's face looked... weird in certain cases, like her eyes weren't on the spot or something. Though, those scenes are rare, and the rest of the anime is pretty well animated, I must say.
The sound, not much I can say about it, really. The opening is pretty mediocre; It's not bad, but it ain't Zankoku Na Tenshi No These either. I liked the ending slightly more. The voice acting is decent, though it could use some fixing on certain parts.
The story is enjoyable. Nothing to twist your mind around though, but it's fast-paced and easy to comperhend. Though, the thing I hated was the cliffhanger endings between the episodes, and the respawning of the characters. The main character, Ryouta, got hit by one hit kill bombs... AROUND 10 TIMES. He somehow magically survives them all though, when everyone else turns into a dismembered pool (also, there's a guy who snuck a knife in his anus there or something, no idea how he got it when everyone else got only bombs). Not really representative, I must say. It has slight hints of romance flying through at times, and I enjoyed those bits. The ending is begging for season 2, but it's still nice.
Now, for the characters. You have the main male protagonist, Ryouta, and the female protagonist Himiko. Now, what'll happen between them is obvious and I wont mention it, but it's really nice that they actually did something with it, not just leave it hanging. Now, for the character progression. It's not great, but it's decent. It's really obvious on certain parts, but hey, at least there is some.
And, for my grand finale, the overview.
Cheap entertainment, fanservice, mediocre plot and a lot of action make a decent combination, I must say. This anime, although not great, is pretty enjoyable, and I believe that most people will like it when watching.
Please, leave your feedback if you have some, I'm still pretty new with writing reviews.
Thanks for reading :D

A show with a lot of promise, BTOOM! does little to showcase that potential depth.

BTOOM! features a slew of characters who were selected by those closest to them to participate in a game called BTOOM! It's a survival challenge, where the participants are armed with miniature explosives called BIMS (basically small bombs with varying effects) and then must kill the other players. Each player has a green gem imbedded in their hand. In order to get off the island, a player must gather 8 gems (seven including their own) and in order to get the gem, that player must first die. For the most ... part, the show follows a guy named Sakamoto, a NEET (not-in-education or work training), who endeavors to escape the island without killing. As the show goes on, Sakamoto meets other players, some who are willing to kill and others who aren't.
The basic concept of 'kill or be killed' is nothing new, although I like the video game spin on it. The BIMS themselves are neat, making the battles more than just people shooting at each other. I originally wasn't impressed with them as the first few you see are just standard "time-delay" or "explosive" types. As the show goes on though, more complicated/powerful BIMS are introduced. This makes the confrontations MUCH more complicated and force the characters to think on their feet.

I also really dig the idea that the people who have been forced into this game are being 'punished'. Sakamoto, as a jobless NEET, just plays the video game version of BTOOM! all the time. When his parents try to talk to him about getting a job, he flips out - and so his mother, at her wits end, chooses to just get rid of him. That is some hardcore stuff man. Ultimately, a situation like this really highlights a persons morals and beliefs and, as the audience, I find it very interesting to see people that flawed. No one is perfect and I think BTOOM! generally does a good job of showcasing this.

Except in regard to our star, Sakamoto. When the show opens, it takes several episodes for Sakamoto to accept his situation. I know, part of this can be written off as shell shock. After all, who would believe that you were kidnapped and are now forced to kill people in order to survive? That's some weirdo crap man. But given that Sakamoto is #3 in Japan for the video game, I can't help but think that he should have acclimated a bit more quickly to the circumstances. During the first confrontation, he continually tries to talk down his opponent, fighting back only by accident really. Eventually, he does kind of find his footing, but he still decides NOT to kill - and I'm not sure why. Thinking back on the show, I see no reason why Sakamoto won't kill anyone else. He's shown to be cold and cruel to his mother during flashbacks and these people are nothing to him. Other than "killing is wrong and I'm morally above that", I don't see why Sakamoto is so unwilling. I don't believe that there is any time spent on explaining this - he just decides not to kill.
I also find that Sakamoto feels very...plain...at the start of the show. I feel like he is literally just a stand in for the audience and so lacks any and all depth. Why doesn't he kill? Dunno. When he learns that people are chosen to participate in the game, he immediately realizes why he's there and chooses not to be a jerk anymore. When one of his fellows turns on him, he immediately realizes why - without talking to the other player - and vows to change. There is no learning, there is nothing to him. He just reacts and gets better and better because he's the Main Character. I almost feel like the show is a message to the NEET population of Japan - "Hey, you can be a better person, just stop playing video games and do something with your life! You might even be able to get a hot blonde with boobs! C'mon kids!"
Otherwise, I like the job done with Sakamoto throughout the show. He ends up working with two other characters, which both benefits and comes back to bite him in the ass. But I feel like his relationships with these two was very well done. A bit one note, but the acting comes through and makes me believe in them.

There are a few coincidences that line up too perfectly for me in terms of the plotting and that bugs the crap out of me. There are also, in my opinions, a few really dragged out parts of the show that I just wanted to move beyond. The first few episodes really take their time, explaining the cast members and the concept (which should have taken like five seconds), and just dragged. I really didn't find myself engaged until about the second half of the show.

That said, BTOOOM! is a pretty good show. I don't think it's any amazing or ground breaking, but the characters are interesting, if a bit stiff at the beginning; the conflicts - both with BIMS and with people - are thought out and intriguing; and overall the execution isn't bad. A show worth watching, but nothing special.

*mild spoilers*
The trouble with 12 episode anime not meant for school children is that they often go a bit too far to make it more “mature”. Which is exactly why I felt the rape scenes, sexual assault and abuses were completely unnecessary; they were included for shock value and judging by the positive reviews of how realistic this anime was, they worked.

I’d have given the anime a solid 8 if not for the extremely annoying female MC. Blonde, blue eyes, big breasts and a chubby face – the animators thought it’d be enough to make men swoon over this sniveling piece of mess, but nah. ... The girl was a plot device who showed courage and instantly switched to becoming a damsel in distress whenever the plot required here to do so; there was no consistency in her character development. Also for an anime aiming to be realistic, blue irises 1/3 the size of your eyes and breasts 3/4th the size of your face don’t really make the cut. Nor does the fact that your breasts are so cushion-y that a bomb just happened to BOUNCE off them. Wow. Just, wow.

Apart from that, my issue with the anime was how a lot of time was wasted on the flashbacks regarding that one high school friend (which didn’t add anything to the final arc) and the fatty’s (who tagged along with Sakamoto) hallucinations. The doctor too was given an inordinate amount of screen time while characters like the psychopathic boy (the most interesting character, in my opinion) was given very little screen time. And then there’re the other players – what happened to them? There were scores of people on board the plane and none of their stories were touched upon. I mean, you didn’t have to show them in depth but a 1-2 minute explanation for every 3-4 characters would have sufficed. A 10 second preview of who was left barely did them justice. Then there was the question of the disappearances of these people back in the real world – why didn’t we get to see the police involved and media creating a storm about so many people disappearing at the same time? Why were the games created in the first place and why did they have multiple rounds to them? Also, what’s up with the ending? It went completely over my head + it was too rushed. It was almost as if in the middle of animating the 12th episode, the animators were told,”Hey, we’ve run out of our budget so better end the series here”. A lot of people will defend it as being out of the box or some BS, but truth is that it was ill conceived.

But I’ll give where credit is due. The dub VA for Sakamoto did an excellent job. Kudos. Second, despite people complaining about it, I actually found Sakamoto’s character development quite believable (even though his switch to a selfless good guy was a little too much to digest). The only issue I had was the fact that when he met the annoying blonde for the first time, he was tempted to rape her, which seemed VERY out of character for a NEET like him. I mean, you have to show his moral development but do you HAVE to do it by showing him as an almost rapist?

Anyway, some of the maneuvers and battle moves between the participants were excellent, especially when cunning strategies were used. A lot of them made my jaw drop (which doesn’t happen very often). The music was pretty forgettable while the art did drop in quality from time to time. I expected better from Madhouse, to be honest. But it’s still worth a watch if you’re tired of watching 14 year olds as protagonists in probably 99% of the anime out there.

Story: 5
Even though the setting is very promising, the series quickly falls into the same category as every anime that centers around obsessed online gamers finding themselves into a world, where the game is actually a reality. With that in mind, there's an awful lot of similarities to other anime that render this a commonplace show.
Art: 6
Since the first episode, there was nothing spectacular art-related thing to see. In my honest opinion, this anime's style looks cheap. Modern, for sure, bust nonetheless cheap.
Sound: 3
Engrish at its worst. When will the Japanese realize they are better off singing in their native tongue?
Character: 6
Even though the ... main female character, whose past is analyzed in the second episode, is surprisingly changing when entering this strange reality, the main male character of the show is a douchebag who does not respect his mother, and even threatens her. What kind of role model is this?
Enjoyment: 6
BTOOOM! is an enjoyable anime at first, despite its lack of originality in the long run.
Overall: 5
A mediocre show that promises a lot, but delivers, unfortunately, very little.

-------------------SOME SPOILERS NONE PAST EPISODE 2-----------------------
Jerked out of your everyday life only to be placed on an island with an 8 pack of grenades and a chip in your hand.

Story : 9
This story revolves around Sakamoto, an avid Btooom! player. A game much similar to everyday shooters but with 1 major difference. Only grenades. He is jerked out of his everyday life only to find himself on an island hanging from a tree, with a bag slung over his back and a pack of grenades at his side. Oh and with no recollection of how he got there or ... what happened.

Art: 8
The character art was very good, but I found that that they put more focus on the direct characters than the surroundings. When they would zoom out to watch a 'nade fly it would blend the background, merging the trees, not very noticeable but I'm a picky guy.

Sound: 6
All of these points where just for the opening. "No Pain No Game" by Nano. This is an amazing song and the only reason that this got a 6. I can't remember a single OST from Btooom! and that in my eyes brought it down.

Character: 10
This anime had amazing characters, each with their own back story and reason for being on the island. The main character Sakamoto is a stay at home 21 year old who is the top Btooom! player in Japan. After a visit to his local store he suddenly gets surrounded and blacks out, only to wake up on the island with no memory of what happened.

Enjoyment: 9
This anime had great cliff hangers but once or twice made me very mad at how the story developed. Other than that I would wait every night for Btooom! to come out on realitylapse to watch.

Overall : 9
Good anime, It had it's strong points and it also had it weak points. This is an anime for somebody who wants an action/fantasy anime with a well rounded male lead who has his good points and flaws. I strongly recommend that you watch it and hope that you enjoy it. :)

-
StellerScale

i have seen 3 episodes so far.
When you think about Btooom you think about a mix of Predators, Sword Art Online, Call of Duty and Gantz. Its about a guy who is on of the Worlds best Btooom Players what is an online game about killing people with bombs. One day he finds himself on an tropical Island after falling from a Parachute (pretty much like Predators) and after a while he relalises that to get from that island he has to kill people like he did in the Game.

Story: 8
its pretty entertaining so far but since its not really something new and i see ... elements of different animes and movies mixed together i just give it 8.

Sound: 8
Cant say that much about it but i love the OP

Art: 10
The Character and Enviroment looks awesome and the main character and drawing Style remembers me on Death Note

Enjoyment: 10
So far i enjoyed it a lot and cant wait for the next episode and this is the first anime the made me write a review what says a lot in my opinion ;D
What ive seen so far makes this Series very enjoyable

Its totally worth watching in my eyes.
PS: this is my first review dont be too strict i hope i could help some people

If you're looking for another Sword Art Online or Mirai Nikki, I'm sorry to disappoint you but you will not find that here.

Don't get me wrong though Btooom is great, its a level higher than most of the mediocrity out there, it just doesn't have the breathtaking action & art of SAO nor does it have heavy psychological trauma or unique characters like Yuno.

If your still reading I'll assume your not looking for the above.

The story was good but it had a lot more potential, you'd expect a 12 episode series to squeeze as much information into every episode as possible and the pacing would ... be uncomfortably fast but btooom just seemed to skim over the plot omitting anything unnecessary. Its definitely worth mentioning that there are some twists that make the story very interesting especially for those new to the survival genre but at the same time the story was very simplistic, I suppose this can be seen as good or bad but I prefer more complex. If your looking for something short and light then btooom is the anime for you.

I have mixed feelings about the ending and it mostly depends on if there will be a sequel or not. IF there will be one then the ending was good and the set up for the next season is great. IF there will not be another season then the ending was completely anticlimatic. I still have my hopes up though.

[ 8 | 10 ]

I am a fan of color so I will try my best not to sound cynical. I loved the character designs on the two main characters they were executed very well, I also enjoyed the designs of some of the other characters because they were very natural. On the other hand I despised some of the facial expressions some of the characters made, after making that much effort to keep everything as "human" as possible so that we could relate to the characters and situations, it was disappointing that they had certain scenes where I would have had no idea how the character was feeling without some context, it was such a waste. The explosions and the fire that ensues were well drawn and I feel they had the appropriate color and weren't exaggerated as most other animes do. The art style is certainly befitting the story it was kept simple and definitely succeeded in matching the characters with they're personalities

[ 8 | 10]

After watching anime after anime you begin to become numb when it comes to the opening, but the opening of btoom stands out between episodes I was looking forward to listening to it again and I'd go as far as to say its mp3 material. The voice actors of each character did an AMAZING job at capturing each of their characters, you could not imagine any other voice befitting any of them. There was never any notable background music or noise and I think this was a blessing as it never affected any of the scenes. Sound effects were very good, everything was kept simple and there were no exaggerated super-loud explosions even planes in the sky were at the appropriate noise level it wouldn't be hard to think your inside the anime.

[ 9 | 10 ]

The characters are what really carried they anime and I think this is why everything was kept so simple, every character was given a back-story or a flashback of some sort so you knew exactly what kind of person they were, what they were capable of and there was great suspense when certain characters came into contact with each other you couldn't tell what was going to happen it was exciting. Every great story has a little romance in it Btooom is no exception and how our two MC's think, talk and act around one another is probably the highlight of the anime for me anyway.

Our heroine Himiko is not your average gorgeous, well endowed highschool girl with blonde hair and blue eyes so don't be fooled. After learning of her back-story I really started to feel empathetic towards her and remember myself thinking people can be so cruel. I could safely say shes been through hell and how her character behaves/develops throughout the series is rewarding in its own right and contributes largely to my total score.

Ryouta our protagonist is a little older than what most of us are used to I found this refreshing(If I ever come across anything like Shinji from Evangelion again......) a lot of users(myself included) can relate to him with ease. It then comes as no surprise that his character is a little predictable at times and there is an event that happens that almost made me hate me very early into the anime but I let it slide and seems he was behaving very out of character after looking back.

[ 9 | 10 ]

I thoroughly enjoyed every single episode but what really lowered the result was mainly because the cover and synopsis are slightly misleading I was expecting a lot more action and a lot more psychological moments, now they were present there just wasn't enough or it wasn't emphasized enough during the scene. Variety is the spice of life as they say and unfortunately there was about as much variety as there were types of bombs. In terms of plot it was like a harem without the harem at some points and if the characters weren't so great btooom would have been a failure. Its a great piece of work but it had a lot more potential and if they give us a sequel with a much larger budget I reckon it will be a must watch but sadly Btooom only delivers half the package.
[ 8 | 10 ]

Out of 10
Story:8
Art:8
Sound:9
Character:9
Enjoyment:8
Overall:8

‘The new Hunger Games!’ they said. ‘The modern Battle Royale!’ they said. ‘If you liked Sword Art Online, you’ll love this!’ Etcetera, etcetera. Being a huge fan of the aforementioned media, you can imagine my excitement when I first came across Btooom!. Was my excitement justified?

It had a significant amount of hype, normal people being dropped onto a mysterious island with a bag of bombs and told to fight for survival? I was pumped! Ultimately, I was let down. Let me stress, Btooom! isn’t a bad show, it’s decent, in fact. However, with all the hype, I just expected a much better anime than the ... one we got. Let’s break it down;

The plot of Btooom! can be summed up pretty simply. Our protagonist, Ryo Sakamoto, wakes up on a mysterious island with a huge hole in his memory. After being attacked by a man armed with bombs, in a manner that is very similar to the online game Btooom!, he quickly realises he is in a real life version of the game that he is so proficient at. After that, we follow his life on the island, seeing if he can use his vast online skills when faced by the real situation. Like I said, the plot isn’t all that complicated, but there is huge potential in it. Potential that, in my opinion, is wasted. This series only has 12 episodes and it’s a classic case of an anime having to rush it’s pacing in order to cover enough of the manga. 12 more episodes and this show would’ve been a lot better. Pacing is the major issue, undoubtedly. Too slow at the beginning, Ryo took too long to accept his situation, and too fast towards the end. Another major theme of the plot was the idea that ‘people are awful’. It began to ask us questions about the true nature of humans, especially with the idea that each person on the island was sent there by a person that they’d hurt. This was undoubtedly one of the best aspects of the show, I loved it! But too much of a good thing and it gets boring and guess what happened! (it got boring)

The character’s really drive this anime, as opposed to the basic plot. They’re varied and interesting, which makes it a shame that only Sakamoto and Himiko, the main female character, experience real development. The backstories are interesting in the main and the battles and subsequent clashes of values are the high points of Btooom!. Again, the show disappoints as the various antagonists and side characters are dispatched quickly and we are treated to more scenes of Himiko and Sakamoto awkwardly interacting. It’s no Katniss and Peeta that’s for sure.

The backgrounds and character designs are nicely done. The art is solid, with the island’s features well animated and each character standing out. Truthfully, I liked the flashback scenes of Japan, nice animating there! The sound too, I have no major complaints. Opening is a bit generic but it fits and May’n singing the ED! Plus points! Unfortunately, like the rest of the show both things didn’t really stand out from the crowd and are good as opposed to groundbreaking.

Mindless action is the best way to describe the events of the show, which is a real shame considering the potential the plot has. As someone who likes to be challenged or at least surprised by my action anime, Btooom! is a disappointment. If you have some spare time and want to watch something light and straightforward, this is for you. If you want to watch something fresh, unique and gripping, there are plenty of better shows out there. Maybe my expectations were too high but this show can be best summed up in one word. Boring.

This is my first review and I'm not sure how to make one. (so all comments are welcome)

Story (8):
The storyline itself is good but not the way I really like it. In Betooom! Ryōta Sakamoto (main character) is pretty good with the bombs but never get any better at using them. (Almost never he used the Bombs) Most of the time he is running away and avoiding the bombs.
In my opinion he should be less good at the beginning and get better over time.

Art (8):
I have not much to say about the art. I don't look at the details and stuff, I look more ... at how the characters are drawn. I don't dislike the way the characters are drawn but I have seen better.

Sound (8) :
I don't have much to say about sound either. In Btooom! it didn't sound wrong so I gave it an 8. (no real references)

Character (7):
Like I said by Story, He is good at the beginning and he never get any better. I would like to see him less good at the beginning and getting better over time.

Enjoyment (7):
At the end of each episode Btooom! didn't give me the feeling I should watch the next episode immediately, but that it could wait for a few more days. But once I started the episode it become enjoyable to watch.

Overall (8):
This isn't the worst season I've seen but it is also not the best. If you really like explosions and tactics Btooom! is something for you.

The challenge someone must face with this series is that even if the plot idea and the art is nice, the people that created this Anime might not be very experienced in real life.

The setting is a beautiful island and the plot developing has a nice speed.

In addition, however the action of the characters is inappropriate for intelligent grown-ups. It doesn't matter how obvious a situation might appear (for example if they are getting attacked, or have to choose sides in a conflict), they always struggle with understanding what is going on. Also their social competence seems more fitting for middle schoolers. This goes for ... each of them, not only those who spent most of their time in virtual reality.
Women can only take the roles of victims who need the help of men and psychos who are dependend on men as well. This is no series you should watch if you are a liberated western woman.

SOME spoilers

BTOOOM! in a nut shell is about a weak protagonist knob who plays online RPG games such as, you guessed the obvious, BTOOOM!.


Now for the story, BTOOOM! is an online game where.. wait.. what? Oh yea they never told us what that game was about. So he plays vidjuh gamez. Then one day his mom finally got tired of his lazy slob lifestyle and some grey area level nonsense happened. I think the kid got kidnapped and taken to an island where he fights to death to save himself for the enjoyment of some loan loon. I believe they also broadcast this live ... in Japan with the audience thinking it is some simulation survival reality show. The kid quickly & CONVENIENTLY meets up with this big chesty female character. She, like everyone else on this island, was kidnapped to fight on the island TO DEATH. For the most part she despises all male including the protagonist,(I''ll get to why later); and instead of helping she spends most of the show being a nuisance for her own self entitlement. Oh yea, instead of being a badass and killing all the other "players" the kid chickens out when it comes to the female lead because BOOBS. So for the majority of their time on the island they try to kill and collect these gems inserted into other players wrist. They are to collect a certain amount to advance and eventually get off the island. These gems also have abilities to track other players who are using them to do the same thing, kind of like a radar. Some silly thing about how they can cancel each other out, like a typical shounen plot devise "our powers are equal!" yada yada. Any shounen fan should know what I mean. The plot had a boring theme of survival of the fittest and abandoned on an island to survive for a reality show. It was suppose to teach the "victims" who were kidnapped to become better people. Because, well the show hinted at it, were selected by people who knew them. In other words, their "close mates" were tired of their crap and decided to teach them a lesson. But instead, much like this review, the plot got off topic and became more of a wow factor series instead of focusing on character development and overall themes.

Story 3/10

The art was actually, for a MADHOUSE anime, very bland. Very simple. Nothing like their previous works in Metropolis, RedLine, Kaiba, Paprika or Akira. And many more. It is 1 of the very few simple stylistic titles MH has adapted. Even the explosions and the background scenery felt uninteresting to the point where I didn't even pay much attention to it. Just reading the subtitles, where in others like Kaiba, I would take my time to appreciate the atmosphere. It is sad to see MadHouse adapt such a terrible show and new fans will be deterred from their former, better titles. I really hope that's not the case and this review helps those reading learn of their previous works. OFF TOPIC.

Art 6/10


Oh ho, here is arguably the worst part of the show. The characterization. I'll come out bold and say way too many conveniences. The characters are typical average nobodies with nothing going and down on their luck. "Oh, fans will relate it is a dark time in the world yada yada." Nope. Didn't feel any sympathy for any of the characters. Except the fat man. He has a family back home. Family first people. The protagonist, like I said earlier is a low life loser NEET "fans will relate" SHUT UP. I'm a neet and this guy makes me feel like a God. Low life loser who does nothing but play online rpg games where he meets the female lead who plays the same game as him. They are apparently the king and queen of the game or some nonsense and have a wedding. Online RPG life is really quite sad when you think about it. Anyway, the male lead quit school and did nothing but sit around and threaten his mother. The female lead actually had a traumatic experience with the highschool rape crew, is what I'll call them. I won't spoil, but it is nasty and pretty sad. This is actually a growing issue not just in Japan, but all over the world. So real world references aside, the rest of the characters were in the same boat or just ex cons of some fashion. Though they may have relatable backstories for the audience, those didn't make up for the sloppy present tense whilst on the island. Their characterization derives souly on wow factor for the entire show.

Characters 5/10


Overall I never once felt connected with the series. The themes were rehashed survival island and drove off of shock factor. Much like The Walking Dead there is no substance presented in present tense. Just hyped shock appeal for the masses to go "oh my gurd I feel so bad for X and X. Oh no, look out!" It is like an old horror flick that pops up and makes a ruckus and then dies down and nobody, but fans of the genre remember it. Nothing experimental nor original was presented here and nothing memorable to go by. Notice I didn't even name the characters. That's how much appeal this show has. None.

Overall enjoyment 3/10

Among the Winter 2012-13 anime list's gleaming gems is Btooom!, the seinen manga adaptation done by Madhouse Studios.

Story: 6
The story is fairly decent with its battle royale format. The pacing never gets too slow or too fast, and feels "just right" for a 1 cour show.
HOWEVER, the questions left unanswered at the end of the show begs for a second season, which Madhouse should get working on ASAP.

Characters: 6
Just like any other battle royale out there, the cast is pervaded with a very interesting set of characters, including psychos, rapists, and badasses.
However, only the main characters Ryouta and Himiko are the only ... ones that have extensive development, and even so, it is not much. Many questions are left up in the air with them and we, the viewers, can only wonder what the answers to these questions could be.
While the final credits roll, they show glimpses of even MORE characters. I hope they get more depth added to them in season 2...if there is even going to be a season 2.

Art: 9
Btooom!, I feel, is best enjoyed in HD.
Madhouse is known for their amazing animation. The lighting effects are beautiful, the colors have a strong and vivid feel to them, and the background scenery is nothing short of amazing with its high attention to details. Their use of gradients in the animation also provides a more "realistic" depth to the art.
There are a few hiccups here and there, but they do nothing to detract from the experience.

Sound: 8
From the ambient music to the sounds to the explosions, the sounds are awesome. The music plays at just the right times and makes each scene stand out from the last, and those explosions could really pump you up.

Enjoyment: 9
I typically enjoy all of Madhouse's stuff, and this is no exception. All of the combined attributes listed above has led me to give this an enjoyment rating of 9.

Overall: 8
While not perfect and complete, Btooom! is definitely a great anime. It's amazing visuals, decent story, and interesting characters will keep you entertained for all 12 of its episodes, but take heed, you will thirst for more.
I hope there will be a season 2, so all the questions left behind would be answered. But for now, all I can do is hope.

Thank you for reading my review!
Good day, and good night!

Btooom! was an anime that I thought had a lot of potential. It is about a very highly ranked player in a computer game called Btooom! who gets trapped in side a real life game of Btooom!, where the only way to escape is to win by collecting chips, which are obtained from killing other players.

The story mainly plays out on an island where the MC trys to figure out whats going on and get off the island.

Story 9/10 (except for one really frustrating thing)

The story was quite good. Well, at least the part of the story that was present. The show doesn't really ... have an ending. After watching it I felt as if I had just finished the first season and was really exciting to find out the rest of what would happen in the next season. There is currently no second season and I am not aware of one under production. I know that the anime did not cover all of the manga. Actually I am not sure if the manga is complete even so there may still be hope for a second season of Btooom!

Art/animation 9/10

Nothing to complain about here overall good.

Sound 10/10

Mainly just because of the opening song. It's done by Nano, and I love all of her songs. The ending is good as well. The soundtrack is solid.

Characters 9/10

When watching the MC you sometimes get the Lelouch/Light Yagami feel because he is so good at the game, when you feel like he is in big trouble he pulls something out of his pocket and all is good.

Enjoyment 9/10

The show is very thrilling and interesting to watch if you like action and dark mysterious plot lines.

Overall 8/10

I would be tempted to give it 9/10 if it had a better ending but who knows... maybe a second season? In my opinion this is a show worth watching.

Battle Royale + Sword Art Online = Btooom!

But i do believe that Btooom is much better than Sword Art Online. With that being said it's obvious that i think this show is way underrated.

The story is pretty great. it's about a boy who's really addicted to a FPS game called Btooom! are now stranded in an island and must beat other people on the island in order to escape by using the game Btoom's technology.To put it simply, the story will put you on the edge of your seat as you will guess what will happen to each character because no one is ... safe.

The art and sound is great.the animation is spot on. the panorama of the island was done quite well.

The character's development was carried out perfectly. From being an irresponsible bastard to a caring samaritan. also, the bond between the main characters was developed quite well.

so, overall i enjoy this particular anime. the action is great and choreographed well enough and not so over-the-top.so if you want a great survival action anime, you should give this one a try. i believe that you will not be disappointed. 9/10

It’s like Future Diary, only with all the good stuff ripped out.

Using characters as plot device is hard. Do it once or twice and it’s okay. When everyone becomes a plot device, your story becomes hard to believe. A world where everyone is a plot device is less believable than a notebook that kills people.

It doesn’t seem so bad at first. It’s dark and cruel, but this is a game where people are forced to kill each other. The first to die is boring as hell, but Future Diary‘s Third didn’t have a personality. He at least had an idea behind him. He was supposed ... to be a simple Unknown Danger. He has given a design that looks scary to make that convincing. His role was small and was the only plot device character.

No such things happen in BTOOOM!. Everyone exists for two reasons. Their purpose is first to be terrible human beings, and the second is to die. It’s hilarious how everyone is terrible, but no one has a personality flaw. One guy is a rapist. Another is a cold-hearted killer. Another one is a con artist. They’re unpleasant, but not interesting.vlcsnap-2015-11-27-17h25m51s139

Such a dull edge

The cruelty is so monochrome. These are not the crazies of Future Diary. No one in that anime was sadistic for sadism’s sake. When they had a cruel streak, they had reasons for it. It was also specific. Third just wanted to kill everyone. Reisuke cared about having a mother figure. Yomotsu had a retarded sense of justice.

There was almost something comic about it. None of that exists in BTOOOM!. No one has an alternative moral system. No one’s sadism is understandable. A fat guy attempts rape and we get to see it graphically, yet we don’t know what’s behind him. The creators try to shock us with Himiko’s pain, but it’s only unpleasant to watch. More shocking would be if they made understand the rapist and his point of view. This way the viewer might find he shares some thoughts with him, which is both horrifying and meaningful.

Some get a half-assed explanation, like abusive parents or a military past. These are just placeholders. The characters aren’t very different besides one being more sadistic. Both Tsubaki and Reisuke have a sad past, but it’s a different kind that transformed them differently.

The creators miss the best part of the Death Game scenarios. The Death Game throws a bunch of characters in a situation that forces them to confront each other. It needs different personalities. The clash between them is what creates tension. Some explosions will never be as exciting as a blind crazy, a yandere and a misanthrope meeting in the same place.

These personalities make us view these characters as human. We’ll care about them, understand them and have empathy for them. The deaths will be sadder because we’ll see a human who is like us fail, perhaps of his own undoing. That’s how tragedy works. Tragedy isn’t just making characters suffer but have them (and us) understand it. Characters just explode here.

vlcsnap-2015-11-27-17h26m38s74

Random unimportant asshole

If BTOOOM! chose the way of Saw it would’ve been better. It’s not a show of aestheticized violence. Such violence is overblown and disconnected from reality. It can be fun to see limbs being torn and people explode, but there’s no sense of fun here. The action scenes are tedious, consisting mainly of pointless inner monologues. The fact characters suffer is emphasized more than how fun it is to throw a bomb.

Any momentum that a scene generates is immidiately smashed. There are a lot of inner monologues. It’s a wonder the series didn’t pull an Evangelion. They had enough for 3 episodes. Action scenes are about movement and set-pieces. Some dialogue can also help if the interaction is meaningful enough. Thoughts are static. No one has room for introspection during such scenes. You don’t have them running in your head in a video game, so in real life?

It’s the stereotypical edgy anime that thinks violence, gore and suffering makes for something profound. It tries to something about how humans are cruel, but when everyone is cruel for no reason we it’s hard to believe that message. How can be believe humans are as cruel as the players when the strings behind them are so obvious?

The symbol for caring and companionship is your typical harem protagonist, without the harem. Sakamoto has no personality whatsoever. He kind of cares about others, but why? He’s the main character because it’s easier to sympathize with him, rather than the rest of the meanies. More correctly, it’s safer to make him the main character. Following one of the bad guys would mean they’d have to to do more than be cruel for a while than die.

Himiko isn’t much better. She’s an insutling portrait of the Clinging Woman. Everything Yuno satirized is in her. The parallels are so obvious, you have to wonder whether it’s a response. Both girls rely on their men, but differently. Yuno relies for psychological stability. She acts less to please the guy than to fulfill her own desire for love. Himiko exists for Sakamoto and no other reason. Her love isn’t related to personality. She’s a reward Sakamoto wins twice, first for being a great player and second because he’s saving her.vlcsnap-2015-11-27-17h28m47s108

For the glory of Satan

She’s also an object of sexual gartification, both for characters and the viewer. She gets near-raped a few times, and these scenes are filled with nice shots that give you a clear picture of Himiko’s body. These are not the expressive flashbacks of Tsubaki. You might be able to catch a nice shot there, but they’re too expressive and short. The don’t emphasize just the sexual part of it but the pain.

It made Tsubaki hateful of the world and everyone in it. It was her undoing, but she was portrayed as a tragic character. Himiko is turned into a silly tsundere who slowly learns to ‘trust men’, as if she should just get over it.

The ending is also insutling. It’s the definition of ‘inconclusive’. This criticism has been brought up a lot, but many short shows have some arc that concludes. The grand story of Freezing isn’t over, but there is an arc that concludes which defines the two seasons. BTOOOM! just ends. It makes it all feel like an advertisement for the source material.

There are tiny worldbuilding things that come off as moronic. There’s no sensible explanation why the game exists. Hints point toward the good old cliche of human experiments or evil corporations. The bombs also somehow can tell whether their owner is dead or not. Then again, I keep praising a show about diaries that predict the future. If the world doesn’t make too much sense but serves the purpose, it’s okay. If your story is full of holes, it’s a magnifying glass to how stupid your world is.

At least the art style is nice. Since this is supposed to be deep, we get a realistic art style with no crazy ideas. The designers still managed to give everyone a distinct look. At least in that department, BTOOOM! has something to teach others. Even characters that appear for a few minutes get their own unique look. It’s too bad these designs weren’t used in a different, better anime.

The OP ends with all the characters standing and looking towards the horizon. It reminded me of the first shot of Future Diary‘s ED. It summed up what made that one so good – a cast of crazies, which with flawed personalities that make them understandable even at their worst. BTOOOM! has no such empathy. It treats its characters like they’re from a video game. They exist to kill and die. The protagonist has as much character as a silent protagnsit. It’s amazing how bad it is. has almost everything I want in an anime, and wrecks it.

1.5 bombs out of 5

If you liked the concept of SAO but HATED the execution then look no further, this is the anime for you.

After watching almost every single 8+ scored anime on MAL, I decided it was time to broaden my horizons and hit the 7's. After watching this anime, it occured to me that I can't let reviews let me decide what I like, but rather have to decide on my own... even if it means one day watching the 6's.

Story: 8

The story doesn't start off too original, MC is a basement dweller who's really good at a certain video game (title). However ... where I feel this story shines is its combat system and survival aspect and how the players were forced into this game. Players are ONLY given grenades rather than over-dramatic swords and guns. While you may not agree with it, once you watch it, you'll realize how much more of an intense atmosphere it gives this anime. It also gives it a layer of strategy that you would never see in a sword/gun game which makes the strategies THAT much more enjoyable. The conflicts in this show are actually very believable and it outlines human nature so incredibly well. And although a bit rushed, the romance in this anime was done very well; at least MUCH more so some other romance animes out there.

Art: 9

I'm never really that picky on art but in this anime I found it pretty attractive. The colors were very vibrant, the backgrounds looked great, the character designs were really nice as well. They weren't too "out there" but were realistic enough where you'd be able to distinguish the main characters and other cast apart.

Sound:

Some really neat OST's were played in this anime. They were always played in perfect situations and often got me on the edge of my seat. Voice acting was pretty good but Ryouta's voice sounded kind of strange, almost as if it was a native Japanese speaker when he said certain words like "Btooom".

Character:

Although one of the weakest points in the show, the flaws in each other characters are made up for in the other ones. I really feel like Ryouta and Himiko were "whole" when they were together, alone they never worked that well. Himiko is one of the less annoying female leads you'll see in an anime. Although she can be dramatic, it's for good reason; she was nearly raped twice during the show and grew a bad androphobia. Her fear is what drives her resolve, and although at times it's noble the other times it just seems unnecessary.

Enjoyment:

This is the first anime I finished in a whole day without a break. Don't be shy by the score, watch the anime and see for yourself if you like it, I learned not to do that after watching this anime.

Overall:

It was a great anime. Like I said; if you like the SAO concept but hated the anime itself, watch this. It's a much more mature and intense version of it, and in my opinion is much better.

I've spent thousands of hours on games. So naturally explosives, battle royale... I was drawn in. I'm also a girl, that has been through similar feelings the leading female character has. So I "understand" a lot of things about this anime differently and it may strongly affect my opinion and review.

So this hits home for me, hard. I had a lot of mixed up feelings while watching this, and I also almost cried. I'm also a fan of "survival" type animes and series, so my review is also partly based on my opinion that's somewhat formed before I started watching. Although, a lot of the ... events during the story surprised me.

I'm giving the story a rating of 6, since the idea of a sort of battle royale isn't original. However, I enjoyed the story as I like these type of concepts. The bombs were a fun idea, and offer a certain type of diversity. There was emotion in the story, even if it sometimes felt like it wasn't there all the way.

The art gets an 8, because I liked it. The animation was fluid, to me, but I often don't judge an anime by art. It's rare for me to decide NOT to watch something because the art isn't nice.

Sound gets 9, I could often hear the feelings behind the words even if I was not looking at the screen the entire time. And the effects were nice, but my laptop's speakers are horrible, which has to be taken into account.

And I loved both of the OPs. Catchy, fitting tracks.

Characters. 8. This section is going to be severely influenced by my personal feelings, and I'm not looking to offend anybody. A lot of the people may say there is no character development, which straight up angers me. Mostly, because they say that Himiko is a completely bitchy/shallow character that always needs help. If you even for a moment considered why, perhaps you would understand better how she felt. Oh, except you won't because not everyone gets to experience what she did. And I'm happy that everyone doesn't have to. But in my opinion she had a right to be a scared, straight-up ass that doesn't trust anyone for the entire time. I also think the main protagonist, while he is kind and naive to start with, DOES grow, even if it is painfully slow. The characters were interesting enough for me, and I hoped for the whole duration of the anime the main two nerds get together! My heart sank every time Himiko turned Sakamoto away.
The other characters could have been better introduced, but was there truly a need for that? I'm not entirely sure. Would have liked to know more, but there wasn't a need. If there is season two I hope all the survivors get more attention.

Overall, I could recommend this anime, but not for everyone. And I wish there were just one more episode or so, because I really wanted to know what happens. I agree with many that it's really left for guessing and hoping what happens next even if you can make strong guesses.