Mekakucity Actors

On the hot summer day of August 14, Shintarou Kisaragi is forced to leave his room for the first time in two years. While arguing with the cyber girl Ene who lives in his computer, Shintarou Kisaragi accidentally spills soda all over his keyboard. Though they try to find a replacement online, most stores are closed due to the Obon festival, leaving them with no other choice but to visit the local department store. Venturing outside makes Shintarou extremely anxious, but the thought of living without his computer is even worse. It's just his luck that on the day he finally goes out, he's caught in a terrifying hostage situation.

Luckily, a group of teenagers with mysterious eye powers, who call themselves the "Mekakushi Dan," assist Shintarou in resolving the situation. As a result, he is forced to join their group, along with Ene. Their abilities seem to be like pieces of a puzzle, connecting one another, and as each member's past is unveiled, the secret that ties them together is slowly brought to light.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Enomoto, Takane Main

Asumi, Kana Japanese

Tateyama, Ayano Main

Nakahara, Mai Japanese

Kano, Shuuya Main

Tachibana, Shinnosuke Japanese

Kisaragi, Shintarou Main

Terashima, Takuma Japanese

Kokonose, Haruka Main

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Kido, Tsubomi Main

Kaida, Yuuko Japanese

Kozakura, Mari Main

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Seto, Kousuke Main

Hoshi, Souichirou Japanese

Kisaragi, Momo Main

Kashiyama, Nanami Japanese

Amamiya, Hibiya Main

Togashi, Misuzu Japanese

Yodo, Akiko Producer

Suzuki, Kenta Producer

Ishikawa, Tatsuya Assistant Producer

Shinbou, Akiyuki Director

Reviews

Sep 17, 2014

luciferthesecond

Recommended

Upon skimming over the top 2 reviews for Mekakucity Actors, I went into this anime with rather mediocre expectations, considering as well that the average rating was below an 8. I had not heard or read anything about it otherwise.

Usually the mark of a mediocre anime sports somewhat unnatural or clumsy dialogue, and mundane art or animation. As such, I expected to encounter either. To my pleasant surprise, I immediately sensed a heavy dose of SHAFT animation, so I knew that I would at least enjoy the animation to some extent. The dialogue wasn't horrible either. I pushed on expecting to be disappointed by ... a dip in quality.

I think it's here that I'll begin to go into some details. Before I begin, I will state that I am a fan of SHAFT and that I did enjoy this anime, but I will obviously set aside any personal opinion and review this anime objectively.

After completing the anime, I decided to go back and read through the reviews that had originally set my low expectations. I observed reoccurring negative comments; terms such as “confusing [and] convoluted story,” “lack of direction,” being thrown around in conjunction with “average [and] mediocre animation.” The latter of which afore-quoted reviewers obviously pinned on the animation style of SHAFT. This was rather surprising, as the animation is almost identical in style to the well acclaimed Bakemonogatari series, though slightly lower in quality. The story, although sagging under heavy accusations of being overly complicated, was definitely not as bad as I was led to believe.

Before reading the reviews and diving into this anime, of course I read the synopsis that was offered, which, in all honesty, did not grab my attention. It sounded like the set up for another mediocre action-supernatural-possibly-adventure anime that probably would have some fight scenes and some friendship etc. After the second or third episode, though, that the synopsis and reviews gave off a completely incorrect vibe, and that I was clearly in for a slice of life anime.

Anime, like movies, music, paintings, and pictures, has the potential to be a form of art and expression. This is often forgotten when most of the movies we see nowadays only intend to net as much money as possible, and most photographs we see are random advertisements, or impulsively posted pictures on Facebook. But when the creator wants to create art, he gives the work purpose. The work’s purpose may be a gift, or to tell a story. When it comes to movies, tv shows, and anime, generally the purpose is to send a message, or tell a story. Usually when someone says the word “story,” we think of a protagonist, a problem he encounters, a struggle, a climax, and a conclusion (this is oversimplified of course for the sake of argument). And when you go into an anime like Mekakucity Actors, having read the synopsis, surmising that it will take you on a solid, linear plot straight on into the horizon, to arrive at the ultimately conclusive and satisfying ending, standing atop the highest mountain with a fulfilling sense of accomplishment or what have you, then of course you will feel betrayed and confused.
What sets the slice of life genre apart from the classic adventure is the way the story is based and presented. Of course the story is the main feature in an adventure anime, and the character travels through the story. In a slice of life, however, the thing you would call a story is slightly more abstract. The definition of the slice of life genre is, literally, something along the lines of an anime that depicts a part of a person’s life. And that’s exactly why if you were looking for a good story first, you will undoubtedly be let down. Slice of life isn’t about the story. Its about a person. It’s about people. This is also the reason slice of life anime often leaves us feeling unfulfilled yet full of feels, because it follows the characters, who are human. Instead of accepting that they are who they are, we get to feel the hardships they’ve been through, and in the end you’ve created a bond with each of these characters.

In Mekakucity Actors, we start by focusing on two siblings that are lost and confused, possibly expecting that they will band together with Mekakushi Dan and fight some sort of evil. While in the end, that is what happens, that’s not the point of the anime. The point is that each of these youths never wanted this power; that they are struggling simply to live a normal life, and each of them has had painful things happen to them in the past. We even go as far as to follow every single character in their past, which is more telling as to the anime’s depth. In the first half you’ll probably pass off Shuuya as some joker who likes provoking people, and Ene as some annoying program, both of which you will not much care about in the beginning. As the anime progresses, however, you will undoubtedly learn that what each of these characters has been through isn’t something to be taken lightly, and in the end, you do care about them. That’s part of what makes Mekakucity Actors such a good anime. Saying this anime is mediocre because it has a complicated and difficult to follow storyline is like saying Shingeki no Kyoujin is bad because people die too much, or that Bakemonogatari is bad because it doesn’t really have a central plot. The difference between these is that because they are so well known, Bake and SNK are immensely popular, so generally people will watch these with a preconceived idea of what they’re getting, and they will not be disappointed. But it appears many of us watched Mekakucity Actors not knowing what to expect, and expected the wrong thing.

Anime produced by SHAFT certainly has a different taste than anime from other corners of Japan, sometimes creating pieces that would deter a certain number of people. With plenty of stills and wide, slow panning shots, the head tilts, and strange frames, SHAFT’s style will definitely put those off who don’t enjoy or expect their animation style. I was mildly surprised to find complaints about the animation in the reviews, as we know Bakemonogatari’s iconic animation style had made a big impact in anime, yet this animation style is not accepted here? I realized it would have to be the same problem as people complaining about the story. SHAFT’s animation style is very suited to the comedy or slice of life genre. Still and wide shots aren’t very suited for action, and action is what you will not find in SHAFT anime. This brings me back to my earlier point about the story. Expecting an action/adventure/supernatural anime would lead you to expect a more active camera, and some faster paced animation.

SHAFT’s animation was a perfect fit for the Bakemonogatari series. In an anime that very closely tracks unusual, supernatural occurrences and the emotional states of the characters, the subtly to extremely surreal settings which SHAFT creates allows the viewer to understand things without having exposition projectile-vomited at them. Our main character is driving down an endless highway with featureless scenery? Subconsciously adds to the impression that the scene is awkward and dragging on. Ice cream stand in the middle of what appears to be a desert with Joshua trees, even though they’re supposed to be in Japan? A less than subtle jab at how hot it is, and how much of a pain it is to walk in the sun. While the animation in Mekakucity Actors does not go to the same lengths to exaggerate as the animation in Bakemonogatari, the wide shots and still scenes will force you to slow down and absorb how the currently framed character perceives the world around him. After all, the anime is about students who’s pasts and powers set them apart from society. I will be honest, the animation, while good, was not the best it could have been, but I still appreciated many of the settings, especially the metaphorical classroom that Ayano waits alone in for Shintaro.

I have only commented on two parts of the anime, and I think that’s enough. I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack as well, and to reiterate, I enjoyed this anime as a whole. Generally I’m not driven to review anime, but when it so happens that an anime I not only enjoyed, but one I believe is objectively better than other reviews might have you believe, then of course I had to say something. Being late to the party, I don’t expect many to read this, but at least I can rest easy knowing my word is out.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jun 28, 2014

Philosophorum

Mixed Feelings

(This is my first review so be gentle)
Mekakucity Actors was definitely among the most anticipated anime this spring season gone past. With an already well-established fanbase, an intriguing premises, and animation done by none other than SHAFT (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the Monogatari Series), the series garnered a lot of attention from the anime community. Not only that, but the creator of the Kagerou Project (the vocaloid song series from which this anime is based), Jin, also had input into sculpting the series. However, after finishing the final episode, I can summarize my feelings towards the series as a whole with one word: disappointing.

(NOTE: I ... have been exposed to the original source material, that being the vocaloid song series, the manga, and the light novels)

Story: 5
This is undoubtedly the major fault of the show. The story of Mekakucity Actors is fairly simple: it explores the events that occur around the group known as Mekakushi-Dan. The people within this group all posses mysterious eye powers, and they were all brought together due to the incidents that occurred on August 14th and 15th. So much could have been done with this premises, however, SHAFT handled it poorly, to say the least.

The way the story is portrayed is far from conventional storytelling. Each episode usually focuses on a particular event or character. The information given to us is then tied into the events of the next episode, meaning that when viewing an episode, it may be slightly difficult to understand what is going on. While I am all for innovative methods of storytelling, Mekakucity Actors simply did not have enough time to use this, focusing too much or too little on certain elements which result in some episodes feeling rushed. Also, SHAFT decided to throw in some metaphorical imagery, which may make things even more confusing for the viewer as they are already trying to understand what the hell is going on. With something with so much potential, it was saddening to see it get butchered in such a fashion.

Characters: 6
Something else Mekakucity Actors didn't handle very well. It's not to say the characters weren't likeable and enjoyable to watch: believe me, they were. However, the show had this tendency to focus less on the characters who were imperative to the story, or completely ignore others. For example, SHAFT dedicated an entire episode to Momo, possibly the most unimportant character in the series, while only really addressing more important characters, i.e. Marry, at the very end of the series. Also certain characters *cough* Seto *cough* had so little screen time that they might as well have been superfluous side characters. In terms of character development, the majority of the cast barely showed a sign of difference from the beginning of the series, with a few exceptions. However, I will say that the relationships between the characters were definitely some of the more enjoyable aspects of the series, and were all generally handled well.

Art: 6
The animation of Mekakucity Actors is adequate, to say the least. As expected of SHAFT, each episode contains an abundance of head tilts from each character. The character designs themselves were quite simple, and there were moments throughout the series where the animation was stiff and much too crudely drawn, almost as if the animators were rushed for time and couldn't be bothered animating the scene with care. Albeit there were moments of fluid animation and some scenes were accompanied with well-animated, colourful backgrounds, but the animation was generally average and below SHAFT's usual standards. Also, I should also mention the animation present in episode 10, i.e. The Worst Use of CGI I Have Ever Seen. A small segment of this episode is cheap CGI animation used to accompany the song which the episode is named after: Ayano's Theory of Happiness. They somehow manage to make what was supposed to be an emotional song into an excruciating 3-minute watch.

Sound: 9
Definitely the highlight of the series. As expected from a show based of a song series, the music is sublime. Each episode contains the song that the episode itself is based of, redone by an actual singer. As a person who is not particularly a fan of vocaloid, I found listening to each song thoroughly enjoyable. The background music accompanied the scenes well, and both opening and ending are a pleasure to listen to. The opening especially, as it made you ecstatic to see what would transpire in the episode to follow.

Enjoyment: 7
Despite the flaws present in the show, I couldn't help but find myself excited each week when watching the show. There were moments where the story was portrayed well, well-executed emotional scenes and the interaction between the characters was enthralling to watch. Despite this, there is no doubting that this show has some serious flaws, and the final episode was far too rushed and sloppy in areas. The writers attempted to tie in all of the unresolved elements and it resulted a rushed and inconsistent episode. The rest of the Kagerou Project franchise, i.e. the songs, manga, and novels, is much better than the anime. People probably have many preconceptions about the rest of franchise due to the result of the anime, but the manga and light novels are completely separate from the anime in that they follow their own routes. They're much less convoluted and the storytelling is straightforward and easy enough to understand while also being compelling and having its fair share of twists and turns. The characters are explored more in-depth and are better developed than in the anime, making the read that more enthralling. If you found the fundamentals of Mekakucity Actors interesting enough, I would highly recommend the rest of Kagepro franchise.

Overall: 6

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Oct 5, 2014

Smugdear

Not Recommended

Open with a unique set-up, Mekakucity Actors catch my attention among the other anime of Spring 2014 Anime. Adapted from a relatively great manga (the manga I liked totally) and novel.
At first, I have high hopes that it will be an excellent adaptation. But, that high hopes quickly turn to dust.

The main problem of Mekakucity Actors is the story that done poorly in execution. A combination of a relatively slow pacing and flashbacks brings a suicide bomb for Mekakucity Actors. The plot has many flashbacks on them ... and then leaving the main dialog not important. It causes the viewers sometimes don't understand what is really happening in the story. The pacing is not suitable for a 12 episodes anime. It has slow pacing at first and then increase speed 2x at the climax. To make matter worse, we have an open ending in front of us.

The art is done by SHAFT (well known producing great works such as Monogatari Series & Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica). Although I don't really like the unfinished coloring of the art, but is fine. The characters have a unique design.

Mekakucity Actors have a catchy Opening Theme. It's well fit with the entire series, it is truly like an icon standing for this Anime. The seiyuu did a good job indeed.

The character is another problem for Mekakucity, any of them didn't have a decent development at all. Since this anime is like to flashbacks things, we just know their past not more or less. The character is most likely dull, and flat. Well, although the character is still memorable because it's designed. But Mekakucity still fails in the character section.

Overall 4/10

With a dull character, and unsatisfied story make Mekakucity Actors one of the nightmares that haunts me and makes me desperate at Spring 2014, I suggest you stay away from this anime, and read the manga instead watch the anime.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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