Koutetsujou no Kabaneri

The world is in the midst of the industrial revolution when horrific creatures emerge from a mysterious virus, ripping through the flesh of humans to sate their never-ending appetite. The only way to kill these beings, known as "Kabane," is by destroying their steel-coated hearts. However, if bitten by one of these monsters, the victim is doomed to a fate worse than death, as the fallen rise once more to join the ranks of their fellow undead.

Only the most fortified of civilizations have survived this turmoil, as is the case with the island of Hinomoto, where mankind has created a massive wall to protect themselves from the endless hordes of Kabane. The only way into these giant fortresses is via heavily-armored trains, which are serviced and built by young men such as Ikoma. Having created a deadly weapon that he believes will easily pierce through the hearts of Kabane, Ikoma eagerly awaits the day when he will be able to fight using his new invention. Little does he know, however, that his chance will come much sooner than he expected...

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Mumei Main

Senbongi, Sayaka Japanese

Ikoma Main

Hatanaka, Tasuku Japanese

Yukina Supporting

Ise, Mariya Japanese

Kurusu Supporting

Masuda, Toshiki Japanese

Suzuki Supporting

Powers, Maxwell Japanese

Yomogawa, Ayame Supporting

Uchida, Maaya Japanese

Amatori, Biba Supporting

Miyano, Mamoru Japanese

Sukari Supporting

Oosaka, Ryouta Japanese

Kajika Supporting

Oki, Kanae Japanese

Takumi Supporting

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Wada, Jouji Producer, Executive Producer

Okada, Maiko Producer

Araki, Tetsurou Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Mima, Masafumi Sound Director

Reviews

Jul 1, 2016

akitosumire

Recommended

Why are people comparing this anime to shingeki no kyojin? I mean, this anime by itself is already very good. I dont really understand why people are starting to rate Koutetsujou no Kabaneri lower now that they've watched the last episode. Overall, the last episode wasnt even that bad. IN FACT, it kind of gives way to saying the the story isnt really finished yet, which then leads to a hint that there could even be a second season. If people want to rate this anime, they should at least try not to be as biased as possible. Anyways, Hiroyuki Sawano, as usual, created an ... amazing set of OST (original soundtrack). The art was quite good, making it look more realistic. The characters are quite unique, although there is a slight sense of cliche with some of the personalities like Ikoma's for example. The anime really was enjoyable. Even though the ending seems to be kind of rushed, the overall thing was quite good, and it isnt exactly as bad as what some people say. As for the story, i think that the pace was going at a satisfying pace (excluding the ending). The plot really made it unique since it has been a long time since a good post-apocalyptic anime came out after HOTD and SNK.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 30, 2016

Stark700

Mixed Feelings

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri (also known as Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) is honestly one of those series that almost wants to make you rip your hair out. By first impressions, the show seemed to be on the right track. Dubbed by some as a generic clone of “Attack on Titan” or the next “big thing”, this series is one that is filled with controversy.

As an original anime by Wit Studio, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri seems to be inspired by a lot of generic concepts taken from the dark fantasy genre. These concepts ranges in variety from survival horror, revenge, tragic past, monster invasion, betrayal, experimentation, you ... name it. If you’ve seen a monster movie, chances are, you’ll find one of these ideas stuffed into this show. As the first few episodes rolled through, I do have to admit that the series is highly entertaining. The storytelling sparks interest, the setting has potential, the characters are diverse, and the production is solid. So what exactly went wrong?
Before we get to the meat of the series, it’s probably best to understand the staff behind the series. Besides Wit Studio, we got director Tetsuro Araki who is well-known for his work on Attack on Titan. Then, there’s Ichirou Okouchi, the guy that wrote the scripts for Guilty Crown. And finally, the music you hear throughout the show is crafted by Hiroyuki Sawano who is well known for many series (Kill la Kill, Aldnoah Zero, Owari no Seraph) Take this in all a second and you may see a pattern. And chances are, you’ll find some familiarity with these shows if you’ve seen them.

It’s pretty much one of those mainstream shows that tries to appeal to a broader audience. And by that, I mean it’s a show that tries to do everything possible to make it entertaining. Not necessarily entertaining for its story but more about its over the top notch action. It’s pretty obvious though. The production quality of the series is stellar. A simple glance at the first two episodes will have you in awe with the action as we see humans fight monsters (or otherwise known as Kabane). These monsters seems mindless and inspires horror based just on their appearance, behavior, and way to try to assimilate others into their race. The setting has the apocalyptic feel with the widespread destruction caused by the Kabane. Furthermore, we also have steampunk technology in the form …trains. That’s right, trains. They are actually called Hayajiro and are locomotives used for transport and protection due to their armor. The most infamous one is the Koutetsujou where we meet our main characters.

Collectively, the characters are both generic but also has some unique traits about them. The main protagonist is Ikoma. He may seem like the typical teenager but has genius intellect when it comes to inventions. On the other hand, there’s nothing too special about him except for his main role in the show because of his personality. You’ll probably notice it right away from other series similar to this: the type of characters where they have a strong will power to protect what they believe in and make a difference in their world. Then, there’s Mumei, a strange petite girl with a lot of mysteries of her own. Unlike Ikoma, she has the personality of a child despite her powerful abilities to fight the Kabane. It’s also shown that she had a tragic past so expect PTSD-like scenes in some of the later episodes. In essence, what she lacks is more of a character that can be relatable or we can feel attached with. Although throughout the series, Mumei does forge a strong bond with Ikoma that seems to grow more and more. However, the way some characters develop throughout the series is rather questionable. While Ikoma follows a straightforward progress of becoming a savior of mankind, Mumei’s character seems to develop backwards from a badass fighter to damsel in distress. While I still find the chemistry between Ikoma and Mumei to be fun to watch, their characterization is something that really degenerated.

Of course, we do have the princess of the series. Meet Ayame Yomogawa who is blessed with noble blood. She’s pretty much the typical female character you’ll find in books who has a reasonable understanding about certain individuals, is honest, and even shows mercy to her enemies. She also shows potential as a leader and unlike Mumei has more of a mature personality. And if you can guess by now, she also has her own personal bodyguards such as Kurusu, a serious man with a code of honor and skilled fighter. So on paper, the majority of the characters from the series each has their own strengths and weaknesses. You’ll discover them easily through their role in the story and believe me, some of them are generic to the core. On the other hand, I do like some of the relationship dynamics throughout the show. Strong friendships such as Ikoma and his childhood friend Takumi, the deeper bond between Ayame and Yukina (engineer of the Kotetsujo), and Ikoma and Mumei’s building trust are just a few to name.

So initially, I had little problems with the show mostly because it’s what I had expected and nothing really took me by surprise. The revelations and identities of the Kabaneri, zombie symptoms spread through like a “curse” by infections, background history/storytelling, or the weaknesses of the Kabanei never really bothered me. What started to become rather questionable is the storytelling and execution of the episodes around mid-season. Out of nowhere, we get antagonists whom I find as some of the most stereotypical characters I’ve ever seen. Their motivation and roles in the story almost makes me puke just because how preposterous they are. As I’ve also mentioned before, Mumei becomes one of the most insufferable female characters in the series later on. That’s actually a bit disappointing to realize as well because the show has painted most of the female characters as strong women. Otherwise, storytelling takes a swerve with two faced characters, the overemphasis on certain plot devices (such as mind control), and overall just seems unrecoverable after certain episodes in the latter half of the season. The inserted breather episodes are overshadowed despite their importance while deaths of certain characters are extremely predictable from miles away.

By technical standards, the show is gorgeous. There’s little concern about it as production values remain high throughout the entire series ranging from battle segments to cinematic choreography. The setting of the series is also designed with high caliber quality with rich backgrounds. The technology has a crude yet firm design such as the weapons that Ikoma and Mumei uses or the locomotives we see every episode. The monsters also gives a horrific feel with their design and although isn’t too unique still inspires fear. Finally, character designs sophisticated that makes both the male and female characters credible with their roles.

If you got headphones, then definitely put them on for the show. It’s worth it because the OST is something that will get you in the mood quickly. Because the show is very action oriented (especially in the first few episodes), you’ll quickly catch on with the flow. The OP and ED theme songs are also nicely choreographed and sung by world class talents. Speaking of talent, Sawano’s skills are easily recognized as well that combines elements of thriller and his instrumental style to bring the show larger than life when it comes to music. On a lesser note, character voice mannerism is moderate and you’ll hear plenty of screaming.

So, the big question mark is if you should watch Koutetsujou no Kabaneri. It’s an original show so there’s nothing to lose when it comes to adaptation. But for its storytelling, do be aware that it’s not exactly as impressive as it seems. Characterization throughout the series is questionable for certain characters and the show also suffers from numerous flaws about them. But if you’re in it for some fun entertainment, then this is definitely the show to go see. Put those headphones on, ride the train, and see what’s ahead.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Jun 30, 2016

ZephSilver

Not Recommended

If you've spent enough time familiarizing yourself with the anime community, you'll come to realize that we're a demanding bunch. That should go without saying, given just how much anime tend to diverge from most mainstream trends. Because of this, we're always on the lookout for the next best thing. Constantly asking for something innovative. Captivating. Unique. Competent. Something to not only entertain but also to satisfy on some intellectual level. In a way, we're spoiled, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We push for more because we've seen the medium deliver time and time again. Anime isn't afraid of addressing social taboos, nor ... does it shy away from concepts that most other mediums won't dare touch. It's a format that isn't afraid of stepping on a few toes (also, it helps that Japan is batshit insane). So we make demands. We ask for further development. We lobby for anime's continuous growth because we care about the medium... and yet, despite this progressive attitude, every season without fail, we support and exalt titles that stand as the antithesis of all the requirements we beckon for.

We could always point the finger at the industry, holding them accountable for the type of shows we get, but that's just pointing out the symptom and not addressing the actual problem. The anime industry is a business, and like any other business, it provides a consumer need. If consumers show an invested interest in schlock entertainment, then guess what? Schlock entertainment is what they'll offer on a silver platter. Ladies and gentlemen, at the risk of sounding like a condescending prick, I write this intro, not for some personal agenda but for us as a community. If we want better, we must first discard inferior goods. Nipping the bud of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress's popularity isn't something you passively acknowledge while twiddling your thumbs, it's a matter of civil duty at this point. If you want change, supporting another cheap Attack on Titan substitute is not the answer. But you know what would be a step in the right direction? Gathering up your pitchforks with me as we burn this title at the stake.

Watching Kabaneri is like watching a 5-car pile-up on a busy intersection. It's devastating, but hard to look away from. With each plume of smoke breathes a new fiery furnace of stupor; delving deeper into new unforeseen territories of hackneyed writing. Where other shows simply crash and burn, Kabaneri decides to push forward with a broken axle and the power of irrationality to combust its engine. It's a wondrous, smoldering pile of fecal matter on wheels. A beautiful travesty captured in frame by uninspired creators, seeing just how close they could pass their hand over the surface of unoriginality without being scorched by the heat. And trust me when I say that Wit Studio got their hands pretty fucking close. Had they gotten any further, we'd be naming this Shingeki no Kabaneri: Volume II. To say they're cashing in on an existing fanbase would be an understatement. These hacks took the cash-cow home, milked it dry, then butchered it for any remaining morsels that they could scrape together. Kabaneri isn't just below average, it's the residual excrement that resides at the bottom of the barrel.

The only thing more overwrought than my need to articulate ways of calling this show shit is the actual execution of the show itself. This anime is bad, I cannot for the life of me stress that point enough. There isn't a mountain high enough to utter this phrase to unexpected viewers. So instead, let's trudge through the latest member of the dung heap, as we explore the hidden depths of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress.

Set during the time of 'unexplored settings' in the lands of 'who cares about proper world building', we're introduced to our protagonist SeaweedWig-kun (also known as Ikoma), as he grunts around mad at everyone and everything around him, working as a steam smith for his town. In a world overrun by kabane (humanoid super zombies), SeaweedWig-kun and the rest of society find themselves residing inside giant walled-in cities to protect themselves from annihilation. With the assistance of steam-propelled weapons they—... wait, what am I doing? Silly me, just recite Shingeki No Kyojin's synopsis and call it a day. After all, this is Wit Studio's 3rd repackaging of the same setup.

In my Owari no Seraph review, I created a template to help viewers identify shows with this typical premise. For the sake of saving ourselves time and me not paraphrasing what I've explained in the past, I'll just insert that here as well:

One day humanity is suddenly attacked by a group of [insert name of threat here] and is brought to the brink of annihilation. Over [insert amount of years] later and it seems like there's no coming back from this almost divine punishment. But with the discovery of [insert name of weapons or power here], they were able to fight back. We follow our protagonist [insert name here] as he and his comrades use [insert name of weapon or power] to fight the [insert name of threat here] and reclaim humanity in this post-apocalyptic world and slowly discover the crazy mystery of their sudden appearance that might be closer to home than everyone thinks.

Kabaneri joins its cousins God Eater, Black Bullet, Knights of Sidonia, Owari No Seraph, and others as the new iteration of this tired trend. With the same director, musical composer, theme song performers, scriptwriters, sound director, color designer, and much more being brought back from their work on Attack on Titan, the intent of Wit studio couldn't be more obvious. I could drill this point home further if need be, but every show deserves to be evaluated independently (even if there's very little worth evaluating). And while Kabaneri isn't winning any anime awards in innovation anytime soon, there are a few distinctions made that separate it from the rest. For one, it's heavy use of steampunk.

While the steampunk in Kabaneri is treated with as much relevance as a script for a porno, it was still a distinction that many were initially drawn to. It gave it an identity outside of its overused setup. As pointed out by fellow colleague themegamancave, the involvement of massive trains made to accommodate and sustain people while they travel from city to city, had aspects that were reminiscent of the movie Snowpiercer. This may have given off an impression that the show was possibly going to be more than its doppelgangers (no matter how brief that hope was). With zombies, huge trains, steampunk, and an industrial-like setting, Kabaneri could have been an entertaining romp, had it been entrusted in the hands of more capable creators. Even the protagonist, as rambunctious as he was at times, still demonstrated some qualities, that if smoothed out, could have made for a compelling lead.

But that's as far as the show got, by the end of episode one the writing was already on the wall. The show was going to be a trainwreck. Many may not have seen it, but for those that did, we buckled up, grabbed a tub of popcorn, and waited for the title to eventually derail. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long, as Kabaneri started off stumbling, only to further lose its footing on its quick descend downwards (which I would discuss in detail in my spoiler section).

In typical fashion for this type of show, SeaweedWig-kun's homeland is invaded by the kabane after a freak accident causes a part of the wall to be knocked down. Accompanying us on our trainwreck to hell, we're introduced to Mumei, or as I like to call her, Bipolar-chan. While the citizens run around in a panic with the kabane slowly picking them off, SeaweedWig-kun and Bipolar-chan take matters into their own hands. Bipolar-chan, a 12-year-old terminator, made quick work of the kabane fodder while giving us glances of her prepubescent pantsu. And while this is going on, our protagonist SeaweedWig-kun concocts a plan to ambush a zombie with a weapon he made with what remaining time he didn't dedicate to yelling at people. After the dust settles from all the chaos, our remaining citizens find themselves aboard Thomas the Tank Engine as they leave behind the charred remains of what they called home. And so our adventure begins.

With caked-on color gradients, a grandiose soundtrack by Sawano, and nice action set pieces, it isn't hard to see why initial impressions would cause mass hysteria for more Kabaneri. But little did people know, what they were getting was a ticking time bomb, just waiting for the slightest nudge to explode. Even elements that seemed to be a strong attribute at 1st couldn't keep up the façade for long. Take the art and animation for example. Because of the polished look that the show draped over everything, many viewers often fail to notice the fact that several scenes throughout each episode were actually still shots, with no more than a shaky-cam effect to mask it. And outside the moments that fight scenes broke out, the actual fluidity of the animation was no higher than the usual standards demonstrated by other studios. Kabaneri was a mess only held together by duct tape. And when it started bursting from the seams, episodes like 9 began to happen. And what little makeup it had to distract from the truth that was there all along, it was no longer enough to fool even the most gullible of individuals.

These sleight-of-hand tricks weren't limited to later episodes either. The degree to which the audience notice these shortcomings depended entirely on their initial investment. And seeing how my invested level was lower than dirt, Kabaneri was an eyesore from the moment SeaweedWig-kun had bright ideas about how the body's circulatory system works.

But even a trainwreck like Kabaneri had some positive qualities. As previously mentioned, the soundtrack by Sawano did wonders for the show. It helped shape the mood and tone of the show's universe. Swelling up whenever the action came to a boiling point or simmering down during quiet moments; whatever the occasion, Sawano had all ends covered. It made the experience far more enjoyable than it would have been had a less talented composer been given the job.
On a side note, there was a minor character with a widely inconsistent vernacular. I'm not sure if the voice actor wanted to be British, American, or Australian. It's like trying to get Arnold Schwarzenegger to trick someone into believing he's a part of the British Intelligence. The random hammy phrases uttered by this individual got me to chuckle every time. Outside of that, the rest of the cast did fine. But ultimately the biggest highlight from the auditory department was that of Sawano. A man that unfortunately had to sully his hands once again with a project undeserving of his talents.

And speaking about creators that elevated Kabaneri from the shit pile, Tetsurō Araki directorial work once again shines through. No matter the project he takes on, his flair for the dramatic is never underplayed. The man knows how to get the most from the material he's given. Whether he's directing the Spiderman view shots of the 3D maneuver gear in Attack on Titan or physics-defying with the matrix boobs on High School of the Dead; Araki goes all out every time. He's to anime what Zach Synder is to film. Whether you view that as an insult or not isn't of concern, the fact is he never stops delivering his signature flair, no matter the quality of show he's working with.

But this is where the praise comes to an end, as our trainwreck makes its final pit stop. For those of you who've seen the show and had a hard time spotting plot inconsistencies or contrive narrative decisions, don't worry, because I'm feeling extra generous today. Join me in the spoiler section as I break down this idiotic title by each episode. And for those of you who haven't seen Kabaneri yet, scroll down past the "end of spoilers" indication to avoid having this "masterpiece" ruined for you.

***spoiler section****
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Kabaneri showed cracks in its foundation from the very beginning. This breakdown will cover them all.

ep1:
The show thinks the body circulatory system works by bullshit logic, with the main character hanging himself to stop a virus. There're two kinds of choking: one that restricts blood flow to the brain, denying oxygen intake, and the other is strangulation, which cuts off your air intake altogether by closing your windpipe. Restricting your blood flow or air intake doesn't stop blood from going to your brain, it restricts it. It's like going from a gush of water to a slow trickle. So choking yourself isn't going to prevent a virus from spreading to your brain, all that would do is leave you unconscious and eventually cause death when there's no one around to help resuscitate you. This still doesn't even address the fact that he slit his wrist, which, if you don't know, could cause you to bleed to death. There's a reason it's a common method of committing suicide. So our protagonist committed two acts back to back that would usually lead to death, yet survives both, all for an end goal that logically makes no sense whatsoever.
Even if we put aside how illogical this solution is, and suspend our disbelief to buy into it, the fact remains that our protagonist never informs anyone of this accomplishment. If temporarily cutting off circulation to your brain and infected area is all that it takes to combat this virus, why would he not inform the other citizens about this after he had gained their trust, instead of having them kill themselves with pocket bombs? When you take this into consideration, our protagonist is essentially responsible for the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of people. For someone who tries his hardest to protect others, he sure does a piss poor job at doing it.

ep2:
Mumei single-handily wipes out dozens of Kabane with ease. This may not seem like a big deal until you realize what it does for the stakes of the show. If these monsters are made out to be such an imposing force to humanity, only to have them be taken out with little effort by a 12-year-old girl, what does that do to the stakes? Yes, the Kabaneri inclusion spices up the story but it also removes any sense of tension when you have a one-man army on your side.

ep3:
After saving the lives of everyone, the Kabaneri are scrutinized by the people. This isn't the actions of sensible adults, this is the writers turning an entire population into imbeciles. No matter the time period or cultural upbringing, using weapons to extend survival has always been intrinsic to mankind. Taking precautions to keep them locked up? Sure. But to outright discard them right after seeing their effectiveness in combat? Now that's plain lunacy. To top it off, these buffoonish adults gather in a mob to threaten the Kabaneri, despite seeing their physical prowess against kabane; beasts they could barely take out as a group. This is also where Bipolar-chan began to show her wishy-washy personality; switching from one archetype to another at the drop of a hat.

ep4:
A kabane has the ability to wield a samurai sword with as much proficiency as a trained warrior. At this point, red flags should be going off in your head. This is insanely stupid, I shouldn't have to explain why this is a huge problem.

ep5:
Mumei's flip flopping characteristics become increasingly worse. She's always been bipolar before this episode, but this is the point where the writers show that they don't know how to write a mentally disturbed character, from one that simply flip flops between different personality traits. She goes from tsundere, to yandere, to kuudere, to dandere, back to tsundere again. This is terrible characterization. The last time I've seen a character this inconsistent was Slaine Troyard from Aldnoah.Zero.

ep6:
LOL The Black Smoke. Do I need to say more? At this point, those red flags in your head should be set ablaze. This is where the show nosedives at 100mph.

ep7:
Impoverished, with little food to feed their people, yet they have enough resources to waste on a celebration? This desperate attempt to add levity only backfires. To top it off they light fireworks... FIREWORKS! That's how you attract hoards of kabane to your location. The show temporarily forgot that it was a zombie survival story and does something far too stupid to be excused. Also, this is where Biba makes his first appearance lol And God knows what that means.

ep8:
It's the introduction of Biba and the relinquishment of any integrity Kabaneri may have been holding on to. Not only does he collect Kabane like he's a pokemon master, but he's also a genocidal lunatic with little in the way of proper reasoning for any of his actions. Where other antagonists take an inch, Biba takes a mile, and then some. Also, Bipolar-chan's gullible personality is poorly excused with the actions taken by Biba to get her to the mental state she's in.

ep9:
As far as I'm concerned, the show jumped the shark with the colony kabane monster, but this serves as the most noticeable case of it going off the rails completely. The Kabaneri are now pokemon, with Hyper Beams, agility, and double team. This, my friends, is what schlock action looks like. This is also the moment that many people gave up on the show. There's literally no defense possible to excuse this. The show has 0 value at this point.
This doesn't even touch upon the fact that Biba killed thousands of innocent people for what amounts to him being butthurt.

ep10:
Mumei is still a flip-flopping idiot, Biba is still demonstrating Saturday morning cartoon levels of villainy, and in what was supposed to be an emotional sacrifice, where Ikoma's friend Takumi jumps in front of a bullet to protect him, losing his life in the process, turns out to be just another failed attempt by the show. You see, there's just one problem with this "emotional" scene, he didn't need protecting, to begin with. We've seen Ikoma have chunks of flesh ripped from him by hoards of kabane on several occasions, as well as other life-threatening injuries. The kabaneri are known to have amazing regenerative abilities. So had Ikoma been shot, it wouldn't have mattered all that much. This makes Takumi's sacrifice pointless and only there to add emotional weight for a moment that didn't have any. And after hitting a conveniently placed lever that opens up the train's walls (seriously, what function does this even serve?), Ikoma falls into the river after Bipolar-chan stabs him, in what is the most overused fake death scene in any storytelling medium.

ep11:
Ikoma turns into Rambo and staples a gun to his arm (because reasons) and takes a drug to go super saiyan, which has the side effect of depleting his life and killing him (remember this); while Biba devises a plan that operates entirely on plot convenience. It required his father to kill him using a weapon that he himself had devised as a trap, with a convenient formula that instantly infuses your blood with Kabane's, a substance that we never saw before (which makes no sense given the prior cases of kabane transformations we've seen).

ep12
The show couldn't keep its promise and at least deliver Ikoma as a sacrifice for Mumei's life. Instead, it chose the pussy way out, by keeping him alive (despite what they said just one episode prior to him taking the drug). Ikoma temporarily became a Jedi and used the force to send a train flying off the tracks. They also try to humanize Biba at the last minute with perhaps the dumbest revelation up to this point. Remember, this is a guy that committed multiple genocides because he's a little butthurt, so seeing the show try to add humanity to him at the very last minute is not only unwarranted but plain stupid. And the way he goes about receiving this forced "redemption" opens up another can of worms, in perhaps the show's stupidest mistake up to this point. If Biba cured the Kabaneris with the formula that the scientist had, doesn't it stand to reason that the same cure could work if you're bitten by one? This revelation not only ruins what little semblance of urgency the show had, it effectively erased all the danger of every encounter up to this point. It also negates the struggle that Kabaneris faced with not being completely human. It's astonishing just how many dumb things the show does in the last few minutes of airing. This isn't even accounting for the numerous stupid moments littered throughout the episode. The show went full-retard, there's no other way to describe what happened.

So with all this said, when I see people say the show was good then got terrible after a Kabaneri spammed a "Grand Rey Cero," I'm honestly perplexed, because, from my account of every episode up to that point, the show has always been bad.
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***end of spoiler***

Whenever a title receives widespread popularity, a slew of variations and rehashes of that project tend to follow. Like in the case of The Matrix, which effectively started a trend of high-concept dystopian action movies like Equilibrium, Ultraviolet, and Minority Report. The anime community has no shortage of this event happening either, with the two biggest recent examples being Sword Art Online and Attack on Titan. Titles that saw with it a huge incentive for the anime industry to pump out MMO augmented reality shows and the next humanity monster survival tale.
The only time these trendsetting tidal waves subside is when audiences no longer express interest in that product. Kabaneri wouldn't be the last unless we as an audience say enough is enough. And while they're anime viewers who simply love the idea of more Attack on Titan, remember that this will only lead to negative backlash later on. If you consume the same product every day, sooner or later you're going to get sick of the taste. Over-saturation is what kills interest, and as long as you give these half-baked shows a monetary gain, studio heads would see no incentive to stop.

Enjoyment: 7.5/10

Kabaneri is entertaining in the way watching a dumpster fire could be seen as fun.
Thankfully the only casualty of this trainwreck was the integrity of Wit Studio's staff, and perhaps the brain cells of those that actually thought this had a chance of being good. I really hated this show at first, it was doing illogical things but not to the point of alerting other viewers. So while I sat there uninterested, others saw something "good" or at the very least, entertaining. But then the show got increasingly worse, eventually getting to the point where even casual viewers couldn't possibly ignore it anymore. And as it quickly decreased in quality, my enjoyment quickly shot up as a result.
Kabaneri's writing is impressively bad, like worthy of a Razzie bad. I'm all for dumb fun, but what I don't advocate, however, is confusing "so bad it's good" titles with actual "good" ones. And while I enjoyed making fun of this show, laughing at each new idiotic plot thread, it is by no means a good title. It's a confused, contrived mess that made for great B-movie entertainment. So while this dumpster fire occasionally whizzed out fireworks for my amusement, I can't promise the same results for everyone else.

Overall: 3/10

Kabanaeri is the malignant tumor slowly eating away at the anime community's set standards of what constitutes a "good" title. Each new layer is like a slow descent into madness; deciphering your way through the muddled maze of abysmal writing and "so bad it's good" narrative decisions that even experienced viewers would be baffled by. Very few shows left me dumbfounded with their stupidity in the way Kabaneri did. I was dumbfounded trying to process the sheer level of absurdity that each new episode brought, and just as I thought it was done with its surprises, it manages to pull another rabbit out of its (ass)hat. Unintelligible, uninspired, and gasping for air, this anime is on the verge of being comatose. Pulling the plug is the only humane solution left. It reached the apex of nonsensical writing, and there's no cure potent enough to save it from dying of brain damage. This is truly the representation of "schlock" in its unadulterated form.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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