Deca-Dence

Far in the future, the lifeforms known as Gadoll suddenly arose as a threat to humanity. The last surviving humans on Earth confine themselves to the Tank, a lower district in the giant mobile fortress Deca-Dence. While the Gears who live on the upper floors are warriors who go out to fight as part of the Power, most Tankers are content to provide support from the backlines, butchering Gadoll meat and reinforcing defenses. Natsume is among those who would rather go to the front lines; undeterred by her prosthetic right arm, she seeks to join the small number of Tanker soldiers who join the Gears in combat.

But despite her peers at the orphanage each receiving their work assignments, Natsume’s enlistment to the Power remains unapproved. In the meantime, she begins a job as a cleaner in an armor repair team led by the hard-nosed and apathetic Kaburagi, who seems to be more than he lets on. Though initially cold to his idealistic subordinate, he soon recognizes in her the potential to upset the status quo of the world. As Natsume’s new mentor, Kaburagi prepares her for the special and unique role as a game-changing bug in the system.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Summary:

Deca-Dence: Install

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Characters & Voice Actors

Natsume

Main

Kusunoki, Tomori
Japanese

Kaburagi

Main

Konishi, Katsuyuki
Japanese

Kurenai

Supporting

Kitamura, Eri
Japanese

Jill

Supporting

Murase, Michiyo
Japanese

Minato

Supporting

Toriumi, Kousuke
Japanese

Donatello

Supporting

Koyama, Rikiya
Japanese

Hugin

Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito
Japanese

Sarkozy

Supporting

Ueda, Yuuji
Japanese

Fei

Supporting

Shibata, Mei
Japanese

Mindy

Supporting

Ishii, Misa
Japanese

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Staff

Oowada, Tomoyuki

Producer

Ogata, Mitsuhiro

Producer

Tachikawa, Yuzuru

Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Gou, Fumiyuki

Sound Director

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Opening Theme

"Theater of Life" by Konomi Suzuki (鈴木このみ) (eps 2-11)

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Ending Theme

"Kioku no Hakobune (記憶の箱舟)" by Kashitarou Itou (伊東歌詞太郎) (eps 2-12)

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Sep 23, 2020

KANLen09

Recommended

"The world must be rid of bugs." Sorry, let me rephrase that: "The world NEEDS bugs." With all that: Login/Logout of the Deca-Dence. "It is for me to decide which WORLD to live in!"

Never have I been THIS pumped-up and excited for original anime, because unique shows are a dime a dozen of few hits and many misses. But in the case of Deca-Dence, I can confidently say that it was a constant harbinger of expectations running wild and subverting them all at the same time of questioning me: "What comes next? What should I (not) anticipate?" And I was blown away each and every ... time with what Deca-Dence has offered in its more-than-enough perfect 12-episode storyline about a decayed world that is then occupied by cyborg-like avatars from an in-game perspective.

First off, I have to just commend the all-star production team of Deca-Dence, which comprises of talented director Yuzuru Tachikawa, scriptwriter Hiroshi Seko, character designer Shinichi Kurita, and many of the staff behind this colossal project. Fans of Tachikawa and (especially) Kurita will be delighted to hear that their works on Death Billiards, Death Parade have made them a household name, while Tachikawa and Seko have been in even bigger shows like Attack on Titan and Mob Psycho 100. (Kabaneri in Seko's perspective is shitty, NGL) Needless to say that these 3 are the big names in this show, and what a way to celebrate the living and breathing of anime by collaborating altogether to make something that is a trope, yet still make something special and different that I definitely won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Secondly, let's tackle the elephant in the room: Hiroshi Seko's scriptwriting as a whole (including that PARTICULAR plot twist that thankfully doesn't betray the entire source and inspiration of the show). The meaning of Decadence (one word) is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as: "The moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury." And back to Deca-Dence (the same one word, split into two parts), shows a world that is once habited by humans, but excessive decay have rendered them out of extinction by the manufactured creatures known as Gadolls, and cyborgs have taken over as humanity's last bastion of life. See, the feeling of Deca-Dence is like playing RPGs: you have your own avatar to resemble your traits, and the in-game humans are just NPCs that serve their roles to fight against evil (the Gadolls) and die mercilessly at the behest of the corporation in control. And that company is the Solid Quake Corporation, which houses these cyborg denizens in the Deca-Dence and controls them like any administrator or Game Master would to have a stabilized, all-governing system. Before I get too far ahead though, let's bring in the central characters.

Natsume is a cheerful, bubbly young girl whose father (and his colleagues) have been all but decimated by a Gadoll attack, leaving her behind with a lost right arm and the dream to be a "Gear" when she grows up. See, the class system in Deca-Dence is split into two: Gears, the strongest of humans that are able to fend themselves from Gadoll attacks and eliminate these respawning creatures, and Tankers, which are primarily support characters in the background that serve to keep Deca-Dence afloat with the Gadoll's "blood" called Oxyone, which coincidentally is the lifeblood of the mobile fortress to unleash big-scale attacks. Growing up with a prosthetic right arm and joining as a Tanker is too boring for her, but meeting up with a burly guy named Kaburagi, he is more than meets the eye.

Kaburagi was once a veteran for the Deca-Dence (when it was free roaming), and he was considered the highest class of Rankers for doing the same role that the Gears are doing now. But due to a mishap of his former teammates rebelling against the system, he was questioned by Hugin, the overall commander for Deca-Dence and subsequently demoted to eliminating the rebels a.k.a "Bugs" secretly in the background a.k.a doing the dirty work for them. The thing is, anyone who is registered as an avatar is tracked in the Solid Quake system, but Natsume is a special case: she is a "bug", and in the special case of hide-and-seek, Kaburagi as one of the previous "administrators" decides to keep her under wraps away from the system tapping her presence, and in the way, nurture her growth from a Tanker to a Gear.

With the other characters in toll, the hide-and-seek game officially starts with Kaburagi making pivotal decisions every step of the way to keep her away from Hugin, and have her participate in the missions for Gears to keep the Deca-Dence safe. From that moment on till the eventual reveal of the overall setting (which baffles Natsume with destroying her expectations when she comes to find out the REAL truth), with Hugin chasing Kaburagi down after seeing the fire in Natsume's eyes to depict the world as how she sees it, he begins a change that would define his character back to his original Ranker status as a fighter who would fight for the better of mankind, for Deca-Dence. Even with the "bugs" of Solid Quake which are a constant nuisance, they also do serve a part to play in part to rebel against the status quo and fight for what they believe is right. And what a profound statement all this is.

Studio NUT, coming after "Saga of Tanya the Evil", and subsequently coming off from former Madhouse members, with Deca-Dence, they're a studio that I can firmly accept that they're not to be rifled with. Even with the less-than-impressive CGI that thankfully isn't a chore to watch, it has been consistent throughout this series, and it's a blast to see the art and animation get its flexing of the vibrant world and with it, the lore of science fiction.

Even better is the sound department, under yet another talent that is Fumiyuki Goh. Having worked with big names like Overlord, it's of no surprise that his talent have worked wonders for this show, adding onto the atmospheric worldbuilding with every inch of consideration. Great pairing of the OST with Konomi Suzuki's OP (to which her songs are getting better repertoires) and Kashitarou Itou's ED. Never have asked for great songs in yet another paltry season, but I'm glad that it exists.

Overall, this was a buffet of a treat from start to finish, and while I don't ever think that this will get a Season 2, pretty much what is said can be translated into this phenomenal show that I still can't stop trembling in fear and excitement over the past 3 months. Am quite sad that after the plot twist of Episode 2, haters just kinda shrugged it off and leaving this to dust, because greatness awaits in every step of the way.

One of the few original anime that I can wholeheartedly recommend, but it'd be best to binge all the way through. Quite satisfied at what we got, and there won't be anime like this to grace the small screens in a very long time that sparks creativity and lavishness.

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Sep 23, 2020

Omegeria

Recommended

Alright this is my favourite anime of all time, obviously a big statement to start a review with. I obviously don't expect anyone else to think so highly of the series, but I genuinely do think it is a masterpiece. I also don't like breaking anime down by how MAL does reviews numerically, but eh I'll give it a go.

Story: 10
This is a fast-paced anime, it's a 12 episode original. Keep that in mind, personally I think the pacing is well done. Every episode has its own direction in terms of what it wants to do if that makes sense, but it's still under one ... story. The story itself looks simple during the first episode, but all I'll say is that there's A LOT more to it. Many philosophical concepts explored in the story, which I won't get into but if you go into the story with a philosophical lens you'll find a surprisingly high amount of stuff for 12 episodes. There are some central themes that are well-focused and explored throughout the run of the anime, and we get good conclusions to them when needed and others are left more open-ended when that is appropriate.

Art: 8
I'm not gonna act like it's some Ufotable or Bones stuff because it's not, but the art is still well-done. There are basically two main distinct art styles in Deca-Dence, and it throws some people off, think of Mob Psycho 100 or Masaaki Yuasa works. But the animation itself is pretty damn well done, has really great aerial combat(this is from the same studio who made Tanya the Evil for context), and transitions between the two styles damn well. The directing is also fantastic; episode 5, 8, and 10 stand out a ton in this regard.

Sound: 10
I don't like talking about something as obviously subjective as music/sound in an analytical sense, but I'll say that the soundtrack was awesome and used very well, with many memorable tracks(especially the ED wowie). Voice acting was on point, and sound effects were well done. I don't have any flaws with it, fantastic job. Also Koyasu Takehito has a big role doing what he does best, sounding evil. Can't go wrong with that.

Character: 10
Our two main characters of Natsume and Kaburagi are FANTASTIC, and definitely carry in this department. They have a wonderful relationship that I can best describe as a shared inspiration. Both of our characters develop tons both due to each other and their general environment, and it feels very genuine. Natsume in particular has some moments that absolutely blew me away. The rest of our cast are obviously not as explored since this is a short anime, but some such as Minato and Fei bring interesting perspectives and make for some great dialogue. Our antagonistic force is also very well done with reason to their actions, and we come to a quite fitting resolution.

Enjoyment: 11
I seriously still can't believe how much this anime appealed to me. Obviously the enjoyment rating can vary person by person, as can honestly any of the other ratings. I've literally cried just from thinking of how much I love this anime, on more occasions than I can count. Episode 5, 7, and 10 are literally my three favourite anime episodes of all time. The anime also made me laugh a bunch of times, it's certainly good at being goofy when it wants to be. So yeah, I enjoyed it a ton. If you're super stuck up about me rating enjoyment as a 11, then just think of it as a 10 doesn't make a difference for me. Fantastic anime regardless :)

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Sep 23, 2020

Stark700

Recommended

You know what I need these days? An original sci-fi adventure. I honestly can’t remember the last original sci-fi anime that gave me a lasting impression. But luckily in the Summer Season of 2020, we have this show called Deca-Dence, an original science fiction animated by studio NUT. But did it leave a solid impression?

Judging by the synopsis alone tells me exactly what to expect initially. We have the post-apocalyptic setting with humanity on the brink of distinction. Humanity fights to survive in this dark age and we follow the journey of two characters – Natsume and Kaburagi, with very distinctive backgrounds. Coming into this ... show, I had one main goal in mind and that’s to embrace the creative story in a sci-fi world.

Let’s get business out of the way first. Prior to even watching the first few episodes, I realized that director Yuzuru Tachikawa is involved with this project. He’s worked on previous titles such as Death Parade, Mob Psycho 100, and even parts of Steins;Gate. Those are among some of my favorite titles in recent years so I had my expectations set high. But looking back at that roster, Deca-Dence stands out very differently. Among the first things I came to notice in this show is the theme of survival. We have to realize the timeline takes place since hundreds of years ago and in reality, humanity itself is in danger of extinction. This is caused by the presence of the mysterious lifeform known as Gadolls. The first few episodes shows us the life style of two types of people, the Gears and the Tankers. Natsume has a dream of becoming a Gear fighter but to her disappointment, she ends up becoming a maintenance worker. Serving under the wings of Kaburagi, she soon realizes what he’s really capable of and in a twist of fate, he offers to train her as a warrior. Talk about a change at luck, right?

Well, it turns out, that's not the only element of surprise. This isn’t your typical survival sci-fiction adventure as we quickly find out about the existence of a mega corporation known as Solid Quake. The second episode also reveals the plot twist for the purpose of Gears, simulated characters built to fight the Gadolls in the way of video games. Don’t make a mistake though. This isn’t some isekai show where the protagonists are thrown into some virtual reality world. Humanity is truly in danger. However, the plot twist will caught most viewers off guard as it shifts from the typical science fiction tropes you see so often. It may sound outlandishly risky and indeed, Deca-Dence’s antagonists is actually an evil organization. After the second episode, Deca-Dence almost feels like a different show.

That’s the beauty of original anime. You’ll never see it coming. From episode two and beyond, we are shown more details about the inner workings of Solid Snake and why characters behave the way they do, especially Kaburagi. One of the elements of the show also involves capitalism at its extreme nature. Natsume and Kaburagi aren’t just living in a world dominated by mysterious lifeforms but they are controlled by capitalism. The war they’re fighting isn’t just about survival anymore because in reality, there’s no limit at how many Gadolls can exist. It’s like a live service video game with admins adding whatever amount of content as they please. Picturing it in your head right now and you’ll realize how hopeless this will be for humanity.

Still, humanity does have hope thanks to the efforts of Natsume and Kaburagi. One of the key selling points of the show is their character chemistry. At first, they just seemed like a pair that were forced to work together but overtime, the two bonded and become more than just fellow comrades. Natsume in particular shows she is adamant to achieve her dream. Kaburagi realizes her potential and trains her to be a Gear fighter, even in some of the most ridiculous ways possible. What’s more important than ever is they represent the hope for humanity. When everything seems hopeless, they fight for the greater good. This applies more to Kaburagi’s case including one episode where he becomes a prisoner. Watching Kaburagi’s actions in such an episode shows that he is more than a fighter. He’s a believer in that one day, humanity will be in a world where capitalism isn’t a dominant force and humans will no longer have to live in fear.

Studio NUT hasn’t been in the animation business industry for long. Their most noticeable work was Youjo Senki back in 2017. Deca-Dence artwork style didn’t seem appealing at first based on the trailers and promotional material. It had a decent production quality but nothing in particular stand out at first. With the fictional fortress made of 3D art, it actually symbolizes as an icon in their world, a place of salvation. Character designs of the human cast is more intact with modern animation style while the cyborgs were drawn by hands. To make the art look more distinctive, we have the cartoony look for the simulated virtual characters. From the second episode and onwards, you’d be surprised to see how different the show looks when scenes shift between one settings to other. Finally, the Gadolls resemble monsters you’d can picture from sci-fi fictional stories – monsters with Godzilla-like intimidation and a whole lot of otherworldly characteristics.

Deca-Dence took the sci-fi genre by storm. What started out as a generic opening of the first episode quickly turned itself around after the big revelation. Such a reveal gave Deca-Dence more of an identity, an IT factor that defines this show’s story and characters. This isn’t a typical sci-fi show that you may get used to and over time, you’ll come to appreciate what Deca-Dence really is. And truth to be told, I welcome our alien overlords.

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Deca-Dence

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Deca-Dence

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Reviews

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