Zankyou no Terror (Terror in Resonance)

Painted in red, the word "VON" is all that is left behind after a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility in Japan. The government is shattered by their inability to act, and the police are left frantically searching for ways to crack down the perpetrators. The public are clueless—until, six months later, a strange video makes its way onto the internet. In it, two teenage boys who identify themselves only as "Sphinx" directly challenge the police, threatening to cause destruction and mayhem across Tokyo. Unable to stop the mass panic quickly spreading through the city and desperate for any leads in their investigation, the police struggle to act effectively against these terrorists, with Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki caught in the middle of it all.

Zankyou no Terror tells the story of Nine and Twelve, the two boys behind the masked figures of Sphinx. They should not exist, yet they stand strong in a world of deception and secrets while they make the city fall around them, all in the hopes of burying their own tragic truth.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Episodes 1 and 2 were previewed at a screening in Los Angeles at Anime Expo on July 5, 2014. Regular broadcasting began on July 11, 2014.

In an interview with Otaku USA Magazine director Shinichirou Watanabe stated that the music of Icelandic band Sigur Rós gave him visual images that inspired the series and its soundtrack. He also states that the team went to Iceland to record the music.

Takahashi, Daisuke
Japanese

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Staff

Cook, Justin

Producer

Ueda, Masuo

Producer

Kimura, Makoto

Producer

Ootsuka, Manabu

Producer

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Opening Theme

"Trigger" by Yuuki Ozaki (from Galileo Galilei)

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Ending Theme

	1: "Dare ka, Umi wo. (誰か、海を。)" by Aimer (eps 1 - 10)
	2: "Von" by Arnor Dan (eps 11)

Reviews

Jan 23, 2024

elthreedotcomma

Recommended

"Remember us. Remember... that we lived."

Terror in Resonance is an amazing show. On the surface, it is about terrorism, and while largely focused on the topic, it also tells a story of manipulation and humanity. In the beginning, it seems to be a hyped up story about two teenagers who commit mass acts of terrorism. Quickly, though, the viewer realises that the story does not depict them as senseless terrorists; to them, the bombs are a means to an end, one which does not involve needless loss of life.

Nine and Twelve are more similar than they initially seem to be. Their personalities are opposites, but ... they work toward a common goal, intending to achieve a similar result. Both display humanity in their own ways; Nine is shown to be detached from others, but cares immensely about Twelve and Lisa, not to mention those who could be impacted directly by their acts. Twelve is an outgoing protagonist, but always remembers to protect those he cares for most.

They value human life, something Five is incapable of. For Five, everything is an act to achieve dominance - she loves to be in control. Five is shown openly mocking those she believes to be inferior - basically everyone but Nine.

The Athena Project itself is a compelling plot device - it is revealed when needed, but is built up throughout the series. From a dominating viewpoint, Five is successful product of the Athena Project. What one must wonder is who the true failure of the Project is - the lone survivor Five or the escapees Nine and Twelve.

One complaint many have is how the ending felt over dramatic and how the Americans are villainised cartoonishly. And, while some points made are true, I personally feel they do not take much from the show in terms of quality.

The character designs of this show are simultaneously brilliant and standard. Nine and Twelve have designs that have been seen quite a lot before, yet something about them is very distinct. Detective Shibazaki is one of the most uniquely designed characters of its time. The characters themselves are also interesting, as most major characters are constructed concretely. We are shown how each character is capable of growth, case in point Lisa, who slowly expands beyond the limitations of being a depressed schoolgirl with no substance. The mere presence of Twelve brings out the hidden humanity in Lisa.

The animation and art in the show are some of the best. Everything about it breathes quality and dedication. Though the english pronunciation seemingly jumps off a cliff after its debut in the show, the performances are mostly compelling. And, not to go on about what many others have previously said, the music in the show is as perfect as can be. Barely anything seems out of place.

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Jan 25, 2024

VinnsmokeSanji

Mixed Feelings

Zankyou no Terror is a mix of mind games, mystery, and intense drama. The story focuses on two mysterious teenage guys who, at first, seem like terrorists to us viewers. But as the tale unfolds, everything starts making sense towards the end. These two teens, Nine and Twelve, have completely different personalities, yet they trust each other a lot. Nine is the serious brains behind their bombing plans, while Twelve is more of a goofy guy with an adorable smile.

Then there's Mishima Lisa, a shy girl struggling to make friends. Somehow, she ends up with these two boys, and it becomes a kind of fresh ...

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Dec 28, 2022

sliceofpi

Not Recommended

I’m a lover of psychological, dark anime. If you are too, you probably have had Terror in Resonance recommended to you countless times. I finally got around to watching it, and I have to say I have no clue how fellow fans of Death Note, Monster, Code Geass, Paranoia Agent, and more, could EVER see this as even an average anime. Let me explain.

Story - 3
I don’t really know what to review here because this anime doesn’t really have a story. Sure, we follow the terrorists and the police as new bomb threats are made. But none of this seems to actually be leading ... up to anything. The viewer is left in confusion until the very last episodes. Every once in a while this same clip basically hinting at the backstory of the terrorists is shown, but that’s it. When the reasoning is finally shown, it’s poor and actually makes me dislike the characters. I won’t spoil anything but it’s a typical backstory for these angry teenagers to want to get attention in this way. But it also makes nothing make sense - they literally didn’t have to keep setting off bombs to accomplish what they wanted to.

I know it’s an anime, but giving too much power to protagonists does get annoying. Our two main terrorists just happen to be able to hack literally anything, know where all the blind spots are in an airport to avoid the security cameras, can basically grab a police uniform out of thin air when they need to disguise, can steal a bomb, can ride a motorcycle well enough to evade cops, can survive being in a train car when a literal bomb explodes and creates a huge fire, and more. And it’s not just them who are perfect - the main guy on the police force is able to solve all their riddles because he’s just so smart.

Nothing makes logical sense in this anime. The terrorists claim their bombs haven’t killed anyone… really? Even if nobody is in a building you blow up, the debris would most definitely kill someone. And there honestly were still probably people in there. Also, if you turn off all electricity, people in hospitals will suffer since many electrical equipment is used there. Just so illogical.

Also, love how when the police force are doing some investigating and they spot the mask the terrorists wear in the room of someone they are interviewing, they ask about it and get the response “oh yeah i’m a big fan of those guys” and then the police just do nothing. Like, someone just told you they are a big fan of TERRORISTS, so much so they purchased the same mask the terrorists wear… and you are concerned at all? Also, you literally haven’t seen the faces of the terrorists so why would you not investigate this guy to make sure he’s not actually one of them?

Characters - 2
Character writing is crazy bad. Most characters are just plot devices and only have one trait like “being annoying” or “eating a lot” or “good at riddles”. Some characters don’t even have explainable traits - for instance, the girl with white hair. She hates the terrorists for no reason, like literally no reason. I won’t spoil anything but it’s crazy to me how a character with that much screen time can make no actual sense, have no clear motivations, so contradictory things and be so annoying all at the same time.

Sound - 7
Yes, the soundtrack is really good for the most part. But it is not death note level in my opinion. Also, I didn’t like the opening or ending that much so I can’t give full points.

Art - 10
I’m not gonna lie here - the art is beautiful. Even very simple scenes have amazing scenery. There are lots of scenes involving bomb explosions and they all are so detailed and well done. Stellar animation.

Enjoyment - 3
I mean, the vibe is cool. It’s kind of Death Note vibes at the start when the police are trying to crack down on the riddles and the terrorists themselves. But there is just way too much power given to characters that makes it all feel unrealistic and cheesy.

Overall - 3
Sure, this anime may be nice to look at and be exciting at the start. But the story has no substance to it. Characters are useless and not like-able at all. The anime could have done better if it had removed the white haired girl and instead explained more of the motivation of the terrorists, and maybe given them better motivation.

Watch any other psychological recommendations. This one is not worth it and will leave you unsatisfied.

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