Yoru no Yatterman

[The bulk of this review was written after the release of episode 9]

If you can imagine a situation in which Schindler's List knocks up Kill la Kill, and the subsequent child is raised primarily by a nanny called Spongebob Squarepants, then it's entirely possible that you're imagination is just a little too active for your own good.

Sorry, sorry, serious face now. I have to confess that I find it incredibly difficult to gauge exactly what kind of show Yoru no Yatterman is trying to be. On the one hand, it's set in a bleak dystopia where a combination of fabricated history and rule by an ... iron fist has led to the creation of a society where simply existing is a crime sufficient to earn you a lifetime in a concentration camp that would make even the most rampant Nazi sympathiser blush. On the other hand, it's main characters are 3 costumed goofballs who go travel the country being unashamedly silly at people while being beset upon by a bunch of utterly incompetent costumed supervillains who fight using colourful animal-themed mechs. It's not above including talking animals, toilet humour, casual ecchi fanservice and downright bizarre battle scenes. It's also not above depicting the horrors of genocide and having the main characters indirectly slaughter large numbers of thinking, feeling, squishy humans.

Fun fun fun!!!

The totally overbearing nature of Yoru no Yatterman's rampant inconsistency makes me wonder if the series might actually be making some kind of point. It's relatively dim view of the conventional hero archetype and the apparent conflict between its gritty setting and goofy style could very easily be interpreted as a criticism of the hypocritical way that more conventional high fantasy attempts to impress upon its audience the importance of heroism while simultaneously shying away from images of "true" villainy. However, to assert this interpretation is to imply a degree of sophistication in a series that also incorporates (among other things) exploding poop bombs, a man with a fish fetish and a chimpanzee who can drive.

It's not impossible, but something about the thought just doesn't sit right.

Besides, if Yoru no Yatterman is working to dispel conventional notions of heroic and villainous archetypes, then it's doing a bloody weak job of it. I actually quite liked the fact that the central protagonist is established as a young female character with very limited fighting ability, but Galina's more straightforward heroic arc and Doronjo's growing affection for him as the series goes on (paired with the fact that she hasn't really achieved anything in 9 episodes and repeatedly has to get rescued by her male companions to a slightly suspect degree) does undermine any notion that the series is trying for a touch of irony. If it is, it ain't taking that self-awareness far enough.

OK, quick disclaimer, given that we're several paragraphs in and I haven't really answered the crucial question of whether Yoru no Yatterman is good. It ain't bad. The comedy is a bit hit-and-miss, the action scenes are overblown to the point of being incoherent and the story is largely predictable despite its pretension towards defying convention. There's a severe lack of actual character development after the relatively strong first episode and any sense of overarching tension is undermined by the protagonists' apparent invulnerability and the conspicuous absence of the central antagonist (who has yet to make even a single appearance, to the point that it's a little suspicious). [That said and having finished the series, I was write to think that the absence of the main villain was suspicious]. Aesthetic is good, but actual animated movement is shoddy.

In short, Yoru no Yatterman is entertaining, but I hesitate to say that I'd recommend it in the same way that I might enthusiastically push Magi or Kill la Kill in front of you. The above flaws (including that troublesome inconsistency issue) hold it back considerably, but it also has some impressive novelty value and I certainly prefer it's more creative style over a number of the more straightforward shounen anime of recent years.

OK, so let's get back to the problem of determining exactly what Yoru no Yatterman is trying to be, for only then can we hope to determine whether it is successful. If I were a cynical man (I am, by the way), I'd call it an attempt to capitalise on the recent success of over-the-top shounen stuff while simultaneously reviving awareness of a franchise that perhaps isn't as popular as it used to be. Never seen the original series, so this is difficult for me to judge. I'm more inclined to say that it's a show that's aimed at a slightly younger demographic than the one I fit into, and that would explain why it gets away with such a dark subtext despite its relative silliness. A younger child is, after all, more likely to overlook such things in the face of goofy comedy and flashing colours.

Yeah, I don't like kids. Clearly.

My conclusion is that Yoru no Yatterman lets itself down as an unfortunate result of its very strong first episode, which paints an image of a compelling character-driven action series that the show itself just isn't. It's fun but shallow stuff to be half-watched and then forgotten within a few hours as you search for the next big distraction. It's got some neat ideas that, in the right hands, could inject some life into a deeper series, but in this case all they achieve is to make the exact intent of the show a little difficult to determine. [Nevertheless, I do recommend this series purely based on its virtues as a simple and sweet time-killer].

Note that while writing this review I haven't seen the prequels or the previously associated shows to Yoru no Yatterman so I will focus solely on the mentioned title.

Yoru no Yatterman is quite an eccentric anime that appeared this Winter season. So basically it's a reboot or rather a side story to an anime not very popular, but familiar among some of the fans it has. When I first encountered this title, the synopsis didn't quite match as to what I was seeking about the basics of the premise of the anime, and thus decided to give it a go knowing that it has ... connections to a couple of series that I'm totally unaware of.

Yoru no Yatterman begins with a woman in her thirties, soon to give birth to a baby. She lives with her two "associates" Voltkatze and Elephantus. It's described in the anime that the three are the successors of the late "Doronbow" gang which consists of Doronjo the head of the group and their two associates Boyacky and Tonzra. The story mostly kicks on from there as Dorothy gives birth to a baby girl and names her Leopard. Although it's expected that not a whole lot of time is spent on a 12-episodes show on the growth of Leopard as a baby to an adolescent girl reaching her teenage. Soon however, Dorothy gets ill and is needed to be treated as soon as possible, thus sending the three in a quest to find medicines from "Yatter Metroplis" which is ruled by "Yatterman." They are soon denied entrance to the Yatter Metroplis by the Yatter soldiers thus making Leopard question the justice and help that Yatterman had to offer to the people who are suffering. Yatterman is displayed as a warrior supposed to help people in the books and the various stories told by Dorothy to Leopard. This makes the young Leopard go against Yatterman and seeks to punish him with a fore-head flickering. This begins the journey of an unlikely trio of misfits, as they take the personality of their long gone descendants; The Doronbow gang.

Yoru no Yatterman revolves around the trio and the two couples; Galina and Alouette, who offer the trio shelter when they get beaten by the Yatter Soldiers. Leopard is our main protagonist of the show and who takes on the name of Doronjo to avenge Yatterman. Voltkatze, who becomes Tonzra and then Elephantus, who takes the name of Boyacky. Leopard is a girl past her tens, and doesn't have that much of a talent compared to the other two and mostly just fools around ordering them. Tonzra has the talent in making weird machines out of trash which at times helps them get away from danger. Boyacky is the strength of the gang and is the strongest character in the show. They rely upon him to beat down the Yatter Soldiers with brute force. Oh and they have a Pig they call the "Honorable Oda" as a pet, or rather as a friend who travels with them wherever they go. The next two couple are Galina and Alouette. Alouette is a blind woman who has the personality of a kid and is a happy-go-lucky character. Galina is the one who mostly is there to protect Alouette from any danger. Since Alouette's father was forcedly taken away by the Yatter Soldiers, Galina is the only one left to look after her. Galina is often pronounced as "Gatchan" by both Doronjo and Alouette. While not of much help in the start, once he joins the gang he gradually learns techniques from Boyacky and Tonzra and is one of the main characters in show as there's an episode dedicated to him where he saves the trio from being captured and kept in prison forever. Other than these five there are no other characters frequently used other than the General Goro who is out to capture the Doronbow as they continue to defy Yatterman. Hints are given in the show as he's the father of Alouette, who has lost all of his memories once he was rebuilt as a robot to work for Yatterman but at times he gets little fazy memories of Alouette as he speaks her name or sees her. The art is done by Tatsunoko Productions, and nothing is really that special but the characters are all well drawn and colors for the background of what seems like an isolated wasteland fits in pretty well. Even for the Yatter Metropolis most of the details are done beautifully thus I have no complaints regarding the art.

Yatterman has quite a lot of perverted moments for a kids show for example the breast-feeding scene of Dorothy to Leopard and scenes of Alouette taking a shower as Tonzra and Boyacky try to sneak up on her. The weirdest one was probably the guy from the 7th episode who has a fetish for sea animals like Fish and Tortoise! At times it doesn't even make any sense and is mostly annoying. As for the sound aspect of the show I think the opening Shooting Star is a very joyful and a pleasant intro for the show. The ending can be said more of the same and it's dedicated to Galina and Alouette in terms of the visual. Other than that the soundtracks weren't anything out of order or special. The voice acting of everyone was done pretty well but the only annoying thing was the voices of the Yatter Soldiers who literally know only to scream "Yatter! Yatter! Yatter!" and nothing else. I'd like to mention the voice of Leopard is exceptionally well done as it suits really well for her childish and a talkative personality. Some of her famous taglines from the show are "Pure, Honest and Beautiful!" and "As long as there is Doronbow evil will cease to exist in the world!". Both are exceptionally well-voiced and is a joy to the ears.

As a package filled with goods and bads, it's the bad side that gets the better of it. There is little to no characterization in the show with Leopard remaining the same annoying kid who in a moment of time grew as a baby to a teen. Tonzra and Boyacky may have some talents but yet they keep fooling around all the time and don't mature a lot. Perhaps the redeeming quality when it comes to characters is Galina. While he is depicted as a shy boy at the start and doesn't seem to be much of a help to the gang, he does play a very important role in the show both for Doronbow and for Alouette as well. It's also seen that Doronjo aka Leopard showing her feelings towards Gatchan. Overall Yoru no Yatterman is a mediocre show that does promise an exciting turnout but instead fails to deliver in all aspects. Even if you're a fan of the older series I don't see how this could be any enjoyable addition to that and since won't recommend to anyone.

(This has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

I love my mom. She’s the woman who not only raised me from child to adult but also provided me with the guidance necessary to look at life in a good way. “Something nice always follows something bad,” “what goes around, comes around,” and “karma works in mysterious ways” are some of the phrases she normally uses. Goodness is something that is always around no matter how bad something might be. It’s a simple idea that makes living life that much more enjoyable. Knowing that doing good deeds brings about good, and even if a bump ... in the road is encountered, said good is just around the corner. Yoru no Yatterman tries to focus on this motif, but is largely distracted by other venues, generating an anime that isn’t good but instead contains lots of wasted potential.


STORY

Yatterman starts off in a rather strange way. Leopard is the daughter of a woman named Dorothy. When Dorothy gets sick, Leopard and her two guardians, Voltkatze and Elephantus, attempt to contact the Yatterman Kingdom. But their refusal to help causes her mother to sadly pass away. Vowing to follow her ancestors’ footsteps and become the vigilante group known as “Doronbow,” the three attempt to “bring a new dawn” to the kingdom that wronged her.

The synopsis there is somewhat lengthier than usual, but that’s because the actual premise has an interesting origin. The show is based on an anime known as “Yatterman,” where the good guys here, “Doronbow,” are actually the bad guys. This inversion of roles immediately connects with the theme already presented, the idea that there is niceness in unexpected places. And as the anime unfurls, we are constantly given this notion. Whether it be a robotic father whose memories were wiped or a monkey who loans his master’s car to the crazy ensemble, the group is always given the chance to witness that goodness takes on forms that are, by and large, unexplainable. But this theme isn’t something that is immediately evident – it only becomes apparent near the anime’s end – and is in fact one of Yatterman’s many problems. The initial focus was on Leopard’s mother and her guardians, therefore giving the show a more familial direction. How families work together, what it means to love and be loved in a relationship, the power of “good parenting;” family was the name of the game, but it quickly devolved into something unwieldy.

What the show morphed into was an amalgamation of stories that made it less and less about family and more and more about showcasing “fun.” The anime is completely dreary: people are despondent, conditions are borderline poverty, and nothing is peppy. Despite this, the show contrasts itself on a near constant basis by having comedic moments interlaced throughout its run. In other words, the show (at first) tries to be this mature and insightful anime, but quickly transitions into funny references and mistimed offerings that only serve to distract the audience from the themes it was attempting to work with. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there, because the show has a very bad habit of ignoring the characters, scenes, or events that it presents. People such as the “Whispering Reporter” are interesting, given the context, but he’s used around two times. The “Twelve Yatter Gods” don’t do much of anything besides stand around having different hair. And worst of all is Leopard’s mother, Dorothy; by the show’s end, it seemed to have completely forgotten her and her importance to the narrative, with lazy remembrance of her given in the form of them visiting her grave for all of three seconds. This last example firmly proves how lost the anime became in the focus it normally had to begin with.

Yatterman does do something clever, even with all of the holes and hills it made for itself to climb out of and over. The anime isn’t a story about Doronjo, Boyacky, and Tonzra exacting their revenge, for that wouldn’t align well with the ideas of goodness let alone their newfound sense of justice. Rather, it’s a story about the two people that tag along near the beginning: Gatchan and Alouette. As the anime progresses, and as is without a doubt confirmed by its conclusion, what we are given isn’t just a rethinking of the older work but a reimagining of what it’s done. It’s an origin tale within an origin tale, with the show depicting just how the Yatterman Kingdom rose, fell, and rose again. Sadly, such a plot point does come rather swiftly – the ending is incredibly rushed in order to make its previous scenarios relevant thematically – making it less impactful than it could have been. So while the development is interesting, it’s ultimately lacking the execution necessary to make it worthwhile.

ANIMATION

Perhaps Yatterman’s strongest facet is in the art and animation that it provides.

As has already been discussed, the show is mired in dread. And to heighten this effect, the anime employs the use of very melancholic colors: lots of greys, browns, and blacks. At the same time, the anime is capable of bringing about rather diverse environments even with the “same” color schemes and general barrenness of the country. A mountain village, a villa by the lake, an industrial city; Yatterman’s coloring and style lends itself well to giving the show the distinct feeling of “something isn’t right” at every turn.

The designs for the characters flip-flop between realistic and unrealistic, much like the anime and its tendency to switch between dramatic and comedic. The members of “Doronbow” each have their signature attire that their known for, Gatchan and Alouette wear their hand-me-down clothes, and the Yatter soldiers and generals are always found in their mish-mash of patterns and black garb with capes. They often contrast with the environment in which they find themselves, making them, intentionally or not, stand-out no matter the situation.

As for the anime’s actual animation, it’s around above average. The show is filled with more action than at first perceived; the machine fighting, the running, and the overall shenanigans have Doronjo and crew always doing something on-screen. While they do have fireside chats from time to time, even those contain a hefty amount of animation, breathing life into the world that seemingly has none. However, there is a blemish: the final episode is comprised of many continuity issues and reused scenes, so much so to the point that it leaves one questioning what went wrong rather than allowing the audience to enjoy the ending.

CHARACTERS

Yatterman sits at a distinct crossroads when it comes to the characters that it contains.

Many cast members don’t see much in the way of development, or at the minimum, meaningful development. The biggest offender of this process is Alouette. She is at first perceived to be Dorothy incarnate – besides just her looks, her unending caring and kindness paint her as a motherly figure. But it quickly becomes apparent how much more of a child she is when compared to Leopard. She’s wholly ditzy, unaware of the gravity of her situation, and overly optimistic in a place designed to quash one’s dreams. In essence, she’s the last remaining bastion of light that hasn’t been snuffed out by the darkness. She acts this way for the entirety of the anime, barring the ending. There, a figurative switch flips within her, moving her from dependent child to leader of the free world without any kind of pretext. They try to make it seem as if her experiences didn’t go unnoticed by her, that she was “turning a blind eye” to everything going on. Her actions, though, were always consistent and never made her out to be someone who was worrying about the calamity surrounding her. Even then, if that is true, then it undermines her very character and the light she represents.

Leopard is someone still deciding on the path she should take. On the one hand, her characteristics make her out to be anything but a leader. She’s a child, both in mind and in body, so her being the head of anything, let alone a rogue group destined to fight a bunch of robots, is weird. But it works, because the setting she finds herself in is even weirder. And what’s interesting is that, while she is the leader, she never seems to do anything. Tonzra fights and Boyacky constructs, whereas Doronjo just yells a lot at everybody. She’s the leader, though, not because she was Dorothy’s daughter or because she wears the main outfit, but because her personality is commanding. She’s loud, stalwart in her convictions, and always pushing forward without ever giving up hope. On the other hand, she doesn’t grow as a person despite being a kid. She’s stunted in terms of development in favor of focusing on the other characters antics and the disjointed storytelling, causing her to stagnate quite early on. Unlike Alouette, she actually remains “in character,” yet doesn’t seem to gain anything from the journey she embarked on.

The strongest character of the anime is easily Gatchan. He’s the only person to actually develop over the course of the show. When he is first introduced, he’s afraid of the world around him and extremely protective of Alouette. Worse still, he leaves everything up to chance, rolling die in order to make his life decisions for him. But as he says, his time with “Doronbow” gave him the chance to improve. Tonzra toughened him up physically, Boyacky did the same but mentally, and Doronjo motivated and encouraged him every step of the way. The three of them were like family, each providing their own slice of wisdom for him to ingest, to make him into the kind of person capable of not only keeping Alouette from harm but also the Yatter Kingdom, too. No longer does he gamble at life’s crossroads; rather, he forges his own path.

SOUND

The opening theme has some pretty impressive vocal work, matching the more orchestral tone of the piece itself. The track is oddly fast and slow simultaneously, coinciding nicely with the mix of comedy and drama that permeates much of the series. The halfway point seems to pick up the tempo, but it, oddly once more, recedes back to its normal beat. It’s off-putting, reducing the piece from something interesting to simply fun to hear. The ending theme is all speed; it starts off jumpy, and continues this trend until the very end. It mirrors the anime: Yatterman is pretty quick, moving from one scenario to the next, with the ending bringing about the only sense of calm. The quickness can be catchy during certain segments, but the singing can’t “keep up” with the instruments, making the piece largely forgettable.

Yatterman does find strength in its soundtrack, despite the OP and ED being lackluster in what they give. “Doronbow ga Irukagiri Yatterman ha Sakaenai” is the perfect theme song, capturing “Doronbow’s” grandiose undertakings and their larger-than-life way of dealing with anything thrown their way. “Dorothy no Yume” is a memorable piece, filled with a soft piano that is both peaceful for the mind yet sad on the heart, which applies to the other tracks that sound similar. “Tabi ha Tsudukuyo Dokomademo” reflects the countryside environment nicely. And they even pay homage to Yatterman’s original opening. It’s a nice soundtrack that finds itself hidden among the other sub-par material of the anime.

Voice-acting, like the soundtrack, tends to be above average. A special shout-out is deserved for Eri Kitamura as Leopard, for portraying quite well the young child’s spunky, happy, and girly voice and attitude.

ENJOYMENT

I think part of the allure of this one is being able to connect, or at least understand, a lot of the references that it throws at you. Having never seen the original or anything else related to this long-running series, I probably missed more jokes than I would like to admit. Regardless, the first episode is what hooked me. The presentation, the themes, the emotions; it was very well done, and seeing it steadily dwindle the further it went on was an unfortunate circumstance. Besides the first few episodes – where they provided some focus on Leopard as a baby or young kid alongside Dorothy and the idea of family – I was never impressed by what it was doing, be it the jokes or the action. It got repetitive early on, and watching it remove itself from such a powerful beginning and set-up into something lesser wasn’t fun to see.

Yoru no Yatterman could have been something good. While the nice art, animation, and original soundtrack do what they can to alleviate some of its problems, the narrative, characters, and other minor issues keep this one from being fully cured. It isn’t going to see a new dawn, but instead a slowly falling sunset.

SUMMARY

Story: Bad, wishy-washy themes, plot point ignoring, sometimes clever, but often falls flat

Animation: Good, nice art style, interesting character designs, and above average actual animation with the exception of the final episode

Characters: Bad, Gatchan develops, Leopard is interesting, but the rest are either bad or incredibly weak

Sound: Fine, okay OP, bad ED, nice soundtrack, above average VA work

Enjoyment: Bad, besides the first few episodes, it was repetitive and not endearing

Final Score: 4/10

*Edit made on Monday 6th April. Slight fixes + Story from 8-7 (just thought 7 was more appropriate) + Revised comment on the first episode tone compared to the rest of the series (2nd paragraph).

* Edit Sunday 28th July. Just reviewed my review and lowered some scores. This was mostly brought about by comparing this anime to others on my list and thinking, 'hmm is this really as good as that?'. Though, the personal enjoyment I got from this series is not equal to the sum of its parts. This anime was weird.

I've seen so many people showing this series negativity, regarding tone shifts, ... ass pulls and so on. Those points may be valid, but here's my defense of why I think this anime has been very underrated.

Story : 7

The story is simply about a team of people trying to rectify a dystopian future. Every episode shows our team engaging somehow with their Yatterman foes, meeting new people here or there and continuing their journey. The first episode is pretty sad and I think many people would have preferred the whole of the series to stay in that sort of depressing tone, rather than mixing in comedic events, that they believed only detracted form the story. Just a warning that the first episode may, and emphasis on the may, betray expectations for the rest of the series. I suggest to keep to the 3 episode rule of whether or not you stick to the series if you're worried about that.

Now here is where the first of many complaints people had kick in. The ending of every episode is very predictable, always involving robots that come out of nowhere to fight the enemy. But you know what? I didn't care one bit. There's something about the setting of this anime and the overall way the message and journey went, that made me not care about the predictability. What mattered was how the characters interacted with each other and how they grew each episode to eventually try and reach their goal.
If this bothers you, then you shouldn't watch the series. Remember that this is a reboot of an old kids show. They need the robots otherwise the essence of the show would be forgotten

People would also point out the tone shift problems. It seems so sad one moment, but then a robot comes out of nowhere. Honestly, I had no problems with that. There was an ironic sweetness to all the crazy moments, as the world they live in is really messed up. The characters take the good with the bad and always try to pursue their end goal. I found that the underlying depression was always there, even during the happy moments, which made the most of the series seem hilariously tragic.

There are some filler (sort of) episodes (I'm thinking of you sumo) that I believe could have been replaced with something better. Maybe some more character development where we could get more into the group dynamics.

The ending had me very conflicted, (disregarding animation derps, and my own personal confusion regarding a character that I thought shouldn't have been there). The overall message was clear and sweet. There was a good sense of bitter-sweet closure, with a symbolic sense of liberation through the whole thing, but I couldn't help but feel as if the some our main heroes weren't given enough of a spotlight regarding the final villain (which was kind of a good twist of you ask me). I had to think real hard about how the characters had finished up.


Art : 7 / 6

The art pretty nice and crisp. It suited the world. Nothing amazing, but nothing bad for the whole series..... except the last episode. Overall, the series gets a 7 or 6 for art, but if we were to look a that episode on its own it would get a 2. I think this was due to a lack of budget, but there were flipping reused frames in that episode that made you go WTH is going on. It's not that the art and people's faces looked deformed, or anything. Just that the animation in one particular bit was drastically botched.

Sound : 7

OP and ending pretty cool. The sound was alright. Some sad tracks during some sad moments that tug at the heart strings. Nothing that particularly stands out, but nothing that I thought was horrible that has to be mentioned either. But I know jackshit about this stuff, so whatever.

Character : 6

I think the 5 main heroes that we follow were pretty cool. There was something endearing about this group that I could't shake off.

Elephantus and Voltkatze ( though these names are hardly used) :
The joking father figures. They aren't really the subject of major character development. but the way they're always there for their almost adoptive daughter, I found was really sweet. Thought the flaw here would be that they could and maybe should have been developed more, rather than just being goofy a lot of the time.

Leopard: She starts off a little girl with a mission. And she tries really hard to get it. What else can I say, but I think she was well rounded and a good developed hero. Some may say she's annoying, but in my opinion it's important to remember that she's a still a and super young and naive girl trying to fight the world.

Alouette: She seems kind of mindless/traumatised for the whole series. The last episode however provides her with a symbolic twist. She's someone that has tried to reject reality for the whole series, but then finally comes to term with it in the finale.

Galina: Oddly enough, though not the main, he seems to get the most development. He's a coward at the start, but slowly but surely becomes stronger and stronger as the story goes on.

There are many minor encounters but they are just ways to enhance interactions between our main heroes. There's one main villain that pursues our heroes for a long time. But there's something important about him, and the show handles him beautifully, in my opinion.

So in the end:
Personal Enjoyment : 8
Overall though : 7.

I enjoyed this anime way more than I expected. Just remember guys and gals, that this is a reboot of a 1970s kids show. It took that and added a dark twist to it. There are very emotional bits that really tug at your heartstrings, and from my perspective, made me realise how much this isn't just an anime that goes 'hurr durr robots'. It's not just kiddy craziness, but a real sense of people growing up to save others. I think I will honestly remember this as a fun and endearing adventure. But it's definitely not for everybody, especially given that this anime was most likely, in my opinion, targeted at old viewers of the show. And I'm certain the many of you reading this review probably will not be said old viewers.

Alright, second try at reviewing. If i failed at something like repeating something well ... sorry. ._.

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Yoru No Yatterman was a fun ride. Sadly, it went under the radar of a lot of people. It wasn't the best of this winter season but it wasn't bad like a lot of people says. Is it worth your time ? Let's look at it.

Story : 6

Leopard, Elephantus and Voltkatze are descendant of the Doronbow gang, who were the antagonist of the Yatterman series. They live with Lepoard's mother somewhere outside the Yatterman Kingdom walls because their ancestor got kicked out of the kingdom. ... So one day, Leopard's mother die and discovers that the Yatterman are actually bad people... and thus begin the comeback or the Dorombow gang to avenge her death and give the Yatterman a good forehead flicking !

See? pretty simple !

Art : 7

The art was very good imo. It wasn't mindblowing but it didn't suck at all. The background and the characters were really nice. However sometimes the quality dropped and sometimes... it wasn't pretty.

Sound : 7

The opening was one of the best this season and the ending was nice. The OST was compsed by the same guy who did the OST of Mirai Nikki, Free!, Seikon no Qwaser and more. Just this is actually pretty good. However nothing didn't catch my attention. I guess it's better than catching my attention because the music would be bad.
So yeah, i guess the OST did it's job right !

Character : 6

For some people the problem might be the main protagonist, Leopard who's a 9 years old girl that might just be ... pretty annoying. Personally i had no problem with her but i can see why some people have. Boyacky and Tonzra are funny. The problem with them is sometimes their jokes gets old, like Tonzra who says that he can be Leopard's mom for an entire episode.
Later we have Gatchan and Alouette. Gatchan at first i didn't liked him. Always scared and uncertain, throwing a dice to know what to do. Luckily he had a really good character developement ! Alouette well ... i liked her. (no not because she has boobs ... jeez.) She was funny and also at the end i liked her even more! I'm not gonna say more about it. c:
For the others, you might just don't care about them.

Enjoyment : 7

If you are the kind of people who needs explication for why this happened or why they didn't do this ... just don't watch it. You're gonna be mad and just put a 1 to this. This show is just full of surprise and ''asspull'' but for this kind of show, i didn't care at all ! The comedy is hit or miss though. Like i said before, sometimes the jokes gets old or it's just ... doesn't work at all.

Do we need to watch the Yatterman series before watching it ? Not really. I haven't watched them and it's pretty simple to understand without them. However, some reference or jokes just gonna fly over your head and you might just think ... ''k'' (like me)

Overall : 7

It was a good adventure that will be forgotten pretty soon.
Try it, maybe you'll like it like me !

There are all kind of reasons for Japan to reboot/remake an old classic from introducing the past to a new generation to celebrating a specific anniversary date, and Tatsunoko’s second Yatterman remake definitely belongs in the latter category with a bit of the former mixed into it. But even if that’s the intention, that doesn’t negate everything else a new iteration of an old children’s cartoon that no one outside of Japan really cares all that much about can bring. You can get new generations interested in the old property, you can update the material so that it’s not only enjoyed by nostalgia-blinded morons who ... still think any cartoon from the 80s holds up, or you can just be your own thing whilst giving some reason regarding why you’re using the franchise name to begin with. I generally support the last one because if I really wanted to watch the original, I’d just watch the original – provided it isn’t over 100 episodes long most old anime that made it big were back then, in which case I’d just need a movie summary that isn’t Escaflowne’s.

Now in all honesty, I’ve never seen the original show, the 2008 remake, or any of the Time Bokan OVAs. I saw Miike’s live-action adaptation which pretty much tells me nothing other than the villains are Team Rocket and the heroes are the Ice Climbers. So I was really hoping for the new Yatterman to belong to be its own thing, less it turned out like Sailor Moon Crystal – although to be fair, any anime with their production values would turn out as poorly received as Sailor Moon Crystal. Thankfully, that turned out to be the case. There’s just one little problem though, and that’s the fact that the new Yatterman is total shit. And if you’ve been reading my blog posts, forum posts, and Twitter posts for the entirety of its runtime, you’d know this post to end all posts in regards to the specific subject was coming with a vengeance far greater than a vindictive Korean Go player.

Yes unfortunately, Yatterman Night belongs to that bad side of the modern remake populated by those live-action Scooby-Doo films and movie-length Dr. Seuss adaptations in that in trying to aim towards those who have nostalgia for the original product whilst doing something new, they completely misfire by both missing the point of the original source and not even doing a good job with its new direction. And whilst I’m fully aware the original source actually had crude humor, unlike that atrocity we human beings call The Grinch, it’s really badly mishandled here due to the very premise of the show. Did you ever watch Now and Then, Here and There and think to yourself that it would have been better if it had been directed by Seiji Kishi? Hell, I’m surprised this thing wasn’t his baby, because it has pretty much all of his quirks from the terrible tonal shifts to the lame animation to the amount of “suspension of disbelief” I have to buy in general. If these characters are so poor, how can they build mecha and summon ’em out of nowhere? Where do they get the parts for ’em? You can’t seriously expect me to believe that they’re just lying around randomly like rocket launcher ammo in a Turkish knock-off?

Granted, I think Turkish Yatterman would be a much better watch than Yatterman Night. At least the former wouldn’t wallow in mediocrity with its lameness and more importantly, it’d be interesting to talk about. Because as much as I dislike this show, there’s not really a lot I can say apart from the fact that nothing works. Similar to Rolling Girls and Nobunaga the Fool, it feels like the creative team decided to put all these ideas into the show with absolutely no idea how to execute them, leading to an altogether empty experience. The plot and characters are so simplistic and treated everything with so little urgency and momentum it’s not even worth elaborating on them besides their basic traits, and I can’t even summon up enough energy to do that. Several episodes are just one-off comedic (being generous here, because they didn’t make me laugh once) interludes that add about as much flavor and substance to the product as Pitbull does in every single song I’ve heard of his. And considering this is Tatsunoko, be prepared for some tolerable animation that later on becomes as pleasing to watch as gorillas humping each other despite the fact that one of them is suffering from erectile dysfunction – particularly in the final episode which the creators flat-out admitted wasn’t finished shortly after airing and that it’d be fixed on the blu-ray. Because aren’t they all these days?

Being empty in terms of animation, plot, characters, and pretty much all the basics of entertainment is enough to doom anything in general, but despite that all being true for Yatterman Night’s case, that’s not my main issue with the show. I don’t care about how it threw away its role-reversal promise because I never believed it would follow through with it in the first place. No, the biggest problem I have with the show is something that’s been bothering me since the second episode and which I asked around the time the show was airing and folks could still say they liked it with a straight face: who is this show for? It delves into subject matter too adult for kids (dystopian societies and crucifixion for example) and it doesn’t treat the audience seriously enough to be for adults. So why does it exist? Was it simply made for the fans?

If that’s the case, I have two new questions. 1) Why did you air this anime on broadcast TV where a wider audience can easily watch it? 2) What was the point of this new direction in the first place? Why didn’t you just remake the show the same way you did in 2008? I mean I guess they technically did given the amount of childish gags and such littered throughout the show, but why a dystopian society that feels like it came from somebody’s bad fanfiction? And what is your fascination with nine-year old girl butt? Did you forget that the only reason that kind of humor was tolerable with the original Doronjo was because she was an adult? Every time one of my questions gets answered, two or more show up to take its place, and that’s not a good thing in this show’s case because I can’t even get interested enough to want to discover said answers for myself.

In fact, at the end of the day, I just can’t summon any energy for this show at all to the point that I probably shouldn’t have watched it in the first place. I mean yes, there’s a lot wrong with Yatterman Night for the reasons I described earlier; but when you get down to it, it’s mainly bad in a way that’s just substance-less and “nothing”, which is worse than being bad in an evil way in my eyes because I can at least work with that. It has no audience at all, there’s no creative spark in regards to anything, and thus it’s not worth giving this thing the same treatment I gave Rolling Girls – a show that at least had passion put into being banal. Let’s just finish this review by saying this show is worthless and move on. A lot of you already have by this point anyways – or at least I hope you have – so I might as well have spent the entire review copy-pasting my numerous shit-tweets on here if this was the best I could muster for the show.

To be honest, this show looks like something made from out a some video game. Although not part of any game universe, the series is inspired by a franchise in the 1970s under a similar banner. As a way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Time Bokan series, Yatterman Night (Yatterman of the Night) is this oddball show produced by Tatsunoko Production with a whole lot to give. If science fiction and adventure is part of your vocabulary, then Yatterman should be nothing less than of a treat.

Coming into this show fresh, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t watch the original ... franchise although learning more about it is definitely a help to understand this series better. However, this series can be watched as a standalone with no prior experience to the franchise. The premise is actually fairly simple. We have a fantasy world setting where the main characters plays the role of a group known as the “Doronbow Gang”. Lead by a 9-year old girl (yes, she really is nine), the group seeks to overthrow Yatterman because they rule the lands with an iron fist and corruption. This 9 year old girl named Leopard takes on the legendary alias, Doronjo after an incident that resulted in her mother’s death. And as such, she becomes leader of a rebellion with a goal in mind to destroy the current generation of Yattermen.

As a series about superheroes, one has to remember that not everything is fair. This is especially true in this show where our main characters are isolated and can only depend on each other. The main core of the group consists of Doronjo, Voltkatze, and Elephantus. The latter two takes on the alias Boyacky and Tonzra. The group has the ingredients to make a difference because Doronjo leads it with a passion. Furthermore, we have her partners that makes up the brain and brawn of the trio. Later on, we have other members joining the cause for a variety of reasons. But taking a step back further, we have to see the type of girl Doronjo is in the present world. We know that she has suffered a tragedy when her mother is taken from her. This is shown through the early flashbacks as she seemed to have a very close relationship with her. Furthermore, the show builds on her passion to lead a rebellion by showing her taking on the role of a crusader. The chemistry she has with her partners are also evident as they seem to be quite respectable and loyal to her; evidenced by them risking their lives. And in return, Doronjo seems to show sincere concern for their well-being. That being said, the show makes great characterization of all three main characters. Later on, we even see some background stories from new members such as Galina and Alouette. In retrospect, the character focus in this show shines not with the way their roles are played but by their motivations. It gives them a purpose to fight for a cause they believe is worth for.

On the other hand, we have the Yattermen Army. The show portrays them as comedic villains although their intentions are malicious and corrupt. It’s evident that they seek to create a state of totalitarian dictatorship over its people. This is evidenced by their actions to punish people who committed “wrong deeds” with indiscriminate ways of terror. Their technology also trumps over the majority of the characters in the show it their high tech robots and weaponry. However, the series makes its goal well known for the Doronbow’s Gang to end their reign of terror. Every episode involves their clash in some way or another. And despite the Yattermen being seemingly unstoppable at first, we see how Doronojo and her friends overcome the odds. I’m all for heroic battles and clashes but this show takes it to unorthodox style. Rather than having the big guys shouting out generic attack names or classy heroic lines, we instead get a stylistic way of battle confrontations. Every episode details this in some different way whether it’d involve gadgets, fancy vehicles, or even boxing matches. To say the least, this show has style and decorates it in a classic way. Unfortunately, this could also be less of an appeal for those who are unfamiliar with the franchise. The story is written in a way that the battles are part of its culture with references and gags. Those who have a better understanding of the original series will probably get a better experience from this show. That being said, the comedy aspect of the series still delivers stellar performance whether it’s the characters, themes, or in general the overlay of the story.

Artwork seems simple and classic. As a series based on some classic heroes, we have the character dressed in their fancy gear. Doronjo for instance wears a mask and flamboyant costume complete with a cape. Her partners also has some fancy gear on that makes them look like superheroes. On the other hand, the Yattermen has a strange design. They are decorated with a Sentai-like style ornament complete with their signature poses. Their boss General Goro has a stereotypical look of a villain armed with an electrical cane and generic robots at disposal. Speaking of which, most of the robots in this show seemingly looks “complex” on the surface but operates with simple maneuver. There’s no mechanic really explained with insight but the machines operate on more of a classic style. Finally, the world fiction setting of the series has a very classic adventure tone. The lush landscape, opulent natural surroundings, and the lifeforms all give off a welcoming fantasy feel.

When it comes to soundtrack, the most noticeable part is our character voice mannerisms. Or more specifically, Doronjo steals the spotlight almost every episode with her contagious laugh. Similarly, the fiery chants of YATTERMEN will echo throughout the show so be prepared for that nationalistic like atmosphere whenever they make a presence. But to say the least, the characters stay enthusiastic with their roles and gives life to the series. Otherwise, soundtrack for OST is mostly moderate except during some of the more emotional scenes where it highlights moments of solemn. The OP and ED songs for the series aren’t very noticeable except by their classic style.

Yattermen is a show that isn’t easy to accept. It’ll take time to be familiarized with the way it’s handled especially with our main characters. But once you get into it, the show can be quite a fun ride. The story itself is cleverly written although it still relies on generic gimmicks. Furthermore, it’s hard to take the story seriously when we have the Yattermen behave like the way they do. For this reason, I’d say that the comedy could probably fit better when it comes to embracing this show’s ideas. It’s more of a sci-fi adventure with a load of references, gags, and even parody along the way. What it is trying to be isn’t always what you may think. But in the end, fun is still always part of its plan.

Disclaimer: I love this show. I also might be thinking way to much about the message of this show.

Should You watch this show:
-Short version: Yes;
-Long version: Come back after you watched the show.

So I do not make a habit of writing reviews, as it means a lot of work, but I have seen all the negative and mixed responses for this show and I want to defend it as I found it quite good (second favorite show of Winter 2015, after Your lie in April).

So what is Yoru no Yatterman?
It is a spiritual successor and a tribute ... to the 1970 KIDS TV show Yatterman, which in a nutshell is a sort of Japans version of the Power Ranger. You got your two main HEROES, with several sidekicks, your evil mastermind and his henchmen. I did not watch the show, nor do I intend to, but it is simple enough that you can understand it just with a little research, Good guys VS Bad guys and the good guys always win. So why did I waste you time talking about a 40 year old show?...you will see.

*Spoilers ahead*
So Yoru no Yatterman is set in the future where society has walled itself from the outside world while being defended by the Yatterman,the police, the heroes aka the good guys. But our story starts outside the wall where are characters live a peaceful life, exiled from society.
Leopard lives with her mother and 2 other friends ,Voltkatze and Elephantus, (please ignore the retarded names). Leopard is taught form a very young age that in order to go back to the Yatter Kingdom she must be a GOOD girl and then maybe she will be allowed back. She learns that the Yatterman are HEROES and that the infamous Doronbo Gang are the BAD guys.
Several years later Leopard mom gets ill and in an attempt to save her mom Leopard sets sail with her 2 friends to seek help from the Yatterman, but they ignore her and they let her mother die.
It is here where most viewers get fooled and create expectations for the show. The Yatterman did nothing BAD, they respected their Kingdoms rules and Leopard does not become a HERO she swears Vengeance.
So the show continues with the party going to the Yatter Kingdom to "give them a big doink" aka to exact vengeance.
The show has a very episodic nature where the party meet several characters, see the dark side of this society, fight the Yatterman and LOSE...every time they fight the Heroes they loose.
The episode that made me realize how great and dark this show is was episode 4.

The characters are fantastic as well.
In the first episode Leopard discovers that they are the descendants of the Doronbo Gang thus imaging the original show very well:
-Leopard is the leader, but she is just a child... that's it, she has nothing except her Vengeance;
-Elephantus is the brute with superhuman strength;
-Voltkatze is the genius that can create robots out of anything...why is this not okay, but having superhuman strength is? Voltkatze is probably the most hated character in this show because the viewers are annoyed about how UNREALISTIC it is to build robots our of nothing...really?
What you have here is basic, by the book, Evil gang, Team Rocket comparison if you will.
There are two other MAJOR characters that I will no touch upon, the leader of the Yatterman that chase leopard the entire show and the Yatterman themselves which are a symbol of ORDER and PEACE in this Kingdom.

Episode 11 is where we understand everything and made this show my second favorite as it explains very easily EVERYTHING.

Now I will not touch on art and sound as they are a personal taste. The sub was good/great, music did it's job but also did not stand out and for the animation.....well that were everyones personal taste comes in. The art and character designs try to image the TV show as best as it can without feeling old. Proof is in episode 2 where are party is naked by the fire and you go "WTF". Also the MC is a small child so I'm guessing a lot of viewers felt guilty for getting a aroused (There's a pedophfile in all of us).

So why do I think this show is worth a it's 8:
It's start off from a single point and then just expands in this massive world after which it's all ties itself perfectly at he end.
Why do people hate it?
Because they were not expecting this show to develop as it has. They were expecting to see the Heroes the Doronbo Gang to defeat the Evil Yatterman and save the Kingdom.

But that does not happen.
Form START to FINISH this show respect the original almost to a fucking T. People who watched this show and hated it mostly never watched the original, BUT the producers almost certainly have.
The Yatterman are the Heroes that protect the Kingdom form the Vile Doronbo Gang. The Yatterman fight and always vanquish the Evil Doronbo gang, but are never able to capture them.

But where this show shines is in the grey line it paints. Yes the Yatterman are Heroes protecting the government, but the government are corrupt. Yes the Doronbo Gang are Evil because they oppose the government, but because of Leopards pure heart they came across as good people, fighting for a good cause in the eyes of the common folk.

It is a show that discusses the ambiguous nature of GOOD and EVIL.
If you are a fan of the old series you will probably love this as I am certain there were many things that are reference to the original (even I noticed and I didn't watch the original).

But are people wrong thinking that this is but a bellow average show? YES and NO.
The show didn't have enough time to explain it's message well and because they wanted to respect the source material as much as they could, a lot of people just dismissed it as childish and stupid. BUT the ORIGINAL show was childish and stupid.

This show has a beginning, a middle and an end (Which is more than I can say for most shows). the characters are great, the journey is fun and the ENDING is perfect.

I don’t think I’ve seen a show from 2015 go as far south from what I initially wanted from it more than Yatterman Night. For those of you who don’t know about this series, it’s basically yet another retooling of those old Japanese kids show franchises no one cares about in a similar vein as something like Casshern Sins or Gatchaman Crowds. Yatterman Night is a far-flung sequel to the Yatterman franchise (meant to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the original series) in which the roles of the original heroes and villains have been reversed in a huge way. The legacy of the original heroes, ... the crime-fighting duo Yatterman lives on in the form of a large kingdom known as the Yatter Kingdom. The series stars a young loli named Leopard who, when believing in the Yatter Kingdom as a beacon of hope and kindness, is disillusioned when she is harshly refused entry into the country to obtain medicine for her ailing mother by the very heroes she looked up to. Having been red-pilled on the true nature of Yatterman, Leopard and her two reliable family friends Boyacky and Tonzra set off on a journey to take down the false heroes and the Yatter Kingdom whilst donning the masks of the villainous gang of thieves (the enemies of the original Yatterman) known as”Dorombow”.

Whilst I'll admit to not being wholly enthused by the 1st episode as much of the people saw it were, but Yatterman Night seemed like it would be on to something, that it would be more than the boring kids show it was based on. It turns out however that the show didn't have the grand ambition I was hoping for. Given the set-up practically screams, "original take" Yatterman Night opted for anything other than being original. Unfortunately, the 1st episode is the only one that gives off the promise of potential theme exploration. The idea of symbols slowly warped to betray original intentions, or how happiness can be sought from the most unexpected of places are cool ideas to build a show around. Where Yatterman Night fucked up royally 1st and foremost was with its handling of tone. We have this extremely morose, impoverished setting, with people being overworked for the sake of a monolithic governing body from overseas. Basically, no one in Yatterman Night has any reason to feel the slightest bit chipper at all. However based on how the script carries itself, its hard to see how I'm supposed to take this all in I'm not really sure of since most of the episodes are interlaced with tons of lame, childish and badly timed humor. The script seems like the unfortunate result of throwing the entire tonal spectrum from Texhnolyze all the way down to The Teletubbies into a blender. Aren't the fans of the original too old for the childish gags? Aren't the kids too young to appreciate anything that sets it apart from other titles aimed at younger demographic? What Yatterman Night does not seem to get is that the most enduring kid shows should be able to appeal to adults and children at all times. This is the reason why the Animaniacs and the earlier seasons of Spongebob are things I can appreciate as an adult or as a kid. Same goes for less comedic examples like season 3 of Digimon and Princess Tutu (both, of course, being popular examples shows that manage to be "mature" without being inaccessible to younger audiences).


The real cost of the show’s ridiculous approach to having wide-spread appeal goes beyond the fact that the humor sucks. It also becomes impossible to take the serious bits, well, seriously. What I mean by this is how no one would bat an eye at how the Dorombow gang conveniently pulls robots out of nowhere when being pursued by Yatterman’s goons if the series had made it clear from the get-go that show was leaning solely towards being a goofy action comedy. But, as we’ve gone over already, it’s not. Yatterman Night wants to be more than just “fun” without making any of the requisite sacrifices. The scriptwriters sort of wanted to have their cake and eat it so to speak. I was never convinced that Leopard’s childish idealism was actually putting her and her friends at risk for nothing since all the conflicts play out as cartoonishly as possible (to the point where explosions have about as much effect on them on them as they do on Team Rocket). Don’t expect anything from the character development department. The closest the series came to having poignant character development is one episode within the 1st half in which the Tonzra and Boyacky begin to question whether or not to keep up with this silly attempt at a rebellion. This welcome dosage of realistic thinking is nowhere to be found in future episodes however since the series continues to let the childish idealism it called into question briefly go unchecked for the rest of the series. There was one attempted character arc between an amnesiac father turned villain and his mentally handicapped daughter, but the way it was executed was laughable with hardly a few tacked on minutes devoted to it.

Coming off the boring comedy-centered episodes in the middle of the series, the last arc did nothing to restore enthusiasm for the show so much as it went ahead and backpedalled on its promise even further. The final conflict itself, on top of being rushed, the lame cartoony tropes finish off eating away at the harsh realism. The mystery behind why the Yatter Kingdom ended up the way it did turned out to be disappointingly simple (not that that was enough to keep the show from explaining it for half an episode). All the goofing around the series did earlier would have made it impossible for the overall net-sum to qualify as good in any case, but the only thing worth remembering from the final stretch was the hilariously unfinished animation for episode 12.

Such a shame to see a potential dark horse break both its legs the moment it leaves the gate. I wouldn’t recommend watching the poor thing drag its way to the finish line.

I made a video: you can find it at my YouTube channel "BasementOtaku"

Video Script:

Yatterman Night (7/10): To learn more about my rating system check the description down below. Not it is time to dive into this spoiler smattered review.

I am a big fan of original shows, not being tied to a source material means the show can have a conclusive ending and balance the pacing of episodes easier without tip toeing around a core story. Yatterman Night has some truly stand out episodes, episode four had me aghast that the show was willing to get that dark and the final episode, while it had ... its problems, was exhilarating to watch. I had two major issues with the show, first the mother character: she is set up to be a very sweet and caring character but we get very little time with her and she never really displays any flaws or characteristics that make her feel like someone I can relate to or care about. So when the show kills her off I never felt the attempted tug at my heart strings, and when the show keeps bringing her up in flashbacks they are all continued examples of her unwavering perfection so I was never able to relate to that pain. Second was how little the world of Yatterman Night was fleshed out, it would have been easy to include propaganda or design the towns in such a way that they felt more Yatterman themed but for the most part all of the wooden hut villages and bland enemy bases never felt like they had much character. Which is sad because the theme of Yatterman attempting to brainwash the public is really only explored well in episode four and the later three episodes.

The show never tried to adhere to reality, which lowers the stakes for the main characters, the show is at its most powerful when working with citizens of the Yatterman kingdom because they feel more grounded in that reality. Which is what makes episode five and eight feel like missed opportunities. Five because the character they related to was also unbelievable and episode eight because it brought in the lochness monster for no apparent reason. As much as I am griping about the show it never fails to have a sense of fun with some really expressive animation. While the final episode does reuse three or four clips the rest of it is animated with such style and energy it is easily forgivable. Also the opening is a blast to watch and does a great job of encompassing the darker undertones with the more bombastic nature of the show. I had a good time with it, and if you are in it for the fun I’m sure you can too.

Yoru no Yatterman starts out full of promise. The premise is interesting, the execution spot-on, some themes and ideas are tossed around. . .

Then the halfway point happens and it's all downhill from there. We fall into some Saturday-morning-cartoon tropes, cut some corners, repeat some frames in the finale obviously enough to make one cringe, and all in all the show ends up being a bit of a letdown, really. Too many dumb jokes in quick succession, and it's all the more disappointing because the first half was so great. Even the ending seems to be an afterthought and felt to me like something of ... an easy way out after everything the show had talked about up to that point.

If I was rating the first half of Yatterman, I'd give it an 8. But I'm rating the whole thing, and the whole thing disappoints. There are some good points in the second half, but they're meshed with some really tired and cliche points. During some of the last episodes I felt like I was watching two shows at once.

So where am I going with this? Yeah, watch it if you want, I guess. The first half is pretty great. Just warning you the rest is something of a let-down.

Yoru no Yatterman is a story about seeking the truth within dystopian world created by superhero regime.

The presentation of the show was alright at the beginning but later lose focus and fails to have an impressive narrative. The plot is about innocent girl wanting to find the reason behind her family's exile in this desolate land. Leopard learns of her ancestor's legacy and the Yatterman ultimately triumphing over the villains.

This however can't be further from the truth. Leopard accepting the label of villain by this legacy, fights back against the Yatterman to learn why the good guys didn't help her mother. And thus begins the ... episodic adventure towards the center of this mad world.

Each episode expands upon obviously dystopian society and their forced happiness and loyalty. However that is all they really explore and doesn't expand upon other ideologies of themes deeply.

The opening theme with gorgeous character design as well as fluid animation was really well represented earlier on. Colour was solid grim at times but also bright and vibrant at other scenes matching the mood of hope and despair.

One gripe I had was animation rehash problems and low frame count towards the end.

As a disclaimer I am bias as bush when it comes to superhero contents.
Should you recommend Yoru no Yatterman?: Title has no in it, but if they like Yatterman; this is a legitimate reboot

Hello, my first review here, I really like this side story because there are connections to the original series, What i really loved is that if you are watching anime on 90's-2000's you will feel very nostalgic because there are many cameo (I don't want to spoil it). and this anime make me cry numerous time because the characters bond and development and those plot twist.

so I think I can understand for people that just recently watched anime can't get my feelings, because I am not just watched this series, but grow old together with this series..

last, sorry for my engrish, hehehe.

Have you ever wondered what it'd look like if villains turned into heroes and heroes turned into villains? Well this anime dives into that idea.

You may not be familiar with Yatterman because it's mainly a kids' show. But this anime created a concept which was so crazy it just might work. And it did. When our story revolves around the villain, our perspective also changes. We think the MC always wins just 'cause the plot demands it. But in this series, our villains don't always win. Most of their efforts are rewarded with failure. And that just shows that every person is flawed, be it ... hero or villain.

Another thing that I liked about this show is that it portrayed the unity of heroes and villains to defeat a similar enemy. Doronbow and soon-to-be-heroes travel all over the kingdom just to give the cruel ruler a forehead flick. Seeing both parties working together for the same goal made me think highly of this anime... until the last episode ruined it all... I'll avoid spoiling it, so all I can say is that it's full of Deus ex Machina. Well, it was based on a kids' show, so maybe I expected too much...

The characters are memorable in their own ways. Each of them stood out and there's not just one main character. This title is passed down from one person to another, which made us focus on each of the character rather than just one.

The animation was fluid, but I wouldn't say that it complimented the whole show.

All in all, it's a good sequel, but the ending was quite rushed. I recommend this to those fond of twists in plot and adventure montages like those you see in Pokemon. When night falls, unlikely heroes will step up and fight 'till dawn! That is Yatterman Night!

This is my first time writing a review, and I know I'm kinda late to the party but I just had to because I don't see this anime gets the love it deserves.

I mean this works amazingly well as an epilogue for Yatterman, not as a reboot or as a new anime as some people see it. Because they will not pause to explain actions of phrases they take from the versions of 1977 or 2008.

If you like Tatsunoko and Specially Yatterman, this is your kind of anime. There are references to Hutch the Honeybee, Speed Racer, and more in each episode.

I really liked what ... they did with the franchise here, was a fresh new take on an old classic.

Pointless spinoff where 'actually the bad guys were good the whole time just misunderstood!' like a bad YA novel
Image a Dragonball spinoff but Goku was Evil and Pilafs was good and Mai's gran-daughter had to kill Goku or something
The series was mostly filler and most of the budget was spent on the final episode.
They forgot about the dead mom catalyst until the last 20 seconds standing over her grave

Why was the main cast constantly naked including the 9 year old?
What was everything washed out and shaded with a black gradient?
Why were we supposed to care about any of this?

I don't know