BNA

Throughout history, humans have been at odds with Beastmen—a species capable of changing shape due to their genetic "Beast Factor." Because of this conflict, Beastmen have been forced into hiding. Anima City serves as a safe haven for these oppressed individuals to live free from human interference.

During a festival celebrating the town's 10th anniversary, Michiru Kagemori, a human who suddenly turned into a tanuki, finds that Anima City is a far cry from paradise. After witnessing an explosion in the square, she is confronted by Shirou Ogami, a seemingly indestructible wolf and sworn protector of all Beastmen. As they pursue the criminals behind the bombing, the two discover that Michiru is anything but an ordinary Beastman, and look to investigate her mysterious past and uncanny abilities. Could she turn out to be the missing link between Humans and Beastmen?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kagemori, Michiru Main

Morohoshi, Sumire Japanese

Ogami, Shirou Main

Hosoya, Yoshimasa Japanese

Hiwatashi, Nazuna Supporting

Naganawa, Maria Japanese

Itami, Marie Supporting

Murase, Michiyo Japanese

Jackie Supporting

Han, Megumi Japanese

Flip, Nina Supporting

Maeshima, Ami Japanese

Sylvasta, Alan Supporting

Ishikawa, Kaito Japanese

Kuro Supporting

Motohashi, Daisuke Japanese

Flip, Giuliano Supporting

Tadano, Youhei Japanese

Cliff, Boris Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Tsutsumi, Naoko Producer

Yoshinari, You Director, Storyboard, Key Animation

Ootsuka, Masahiko Sound Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Executive Producer

Miyajima, Yoshihiro Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

May 7, 2020

ziIIa

Recommended

Alright alright. When I first took a glance at BNA, I felt that it was going to be something pretty cool and awesome. Well, was I wrong, or was I right? I’d say neither. BNA is a show that shows the darker side of the world if beastmen really existed.

Firstly, I was pretty shocked to find out that BNA was 12 episodes instead of 24. The setting and everything made it feel like it would have lasted a lot longer than what it actually is. The world-building and everything made you have an easy understanding of what is going on with their world and ... I honestly appreciate that they used several episodes for that. The story is extremely simple and straightforward, with some things still left unexplained, such as how does Michiru has all these incredibly supernatural powers, even in a supernatural world. I personally enjoyed this show a lot, how you could have never dreamed of such a city being existent in our world. And that the balance between the comedy and the seriousness was of good standards. That dark feeling along with Slice of Life being the jam on top of it created that urban fantasy type of feeling.

Even though the story was shown in a straight-forward and simple way as it chooses not to be sophisticated, however, those final few episodes in my honest opinion wasn’t able to push out a darker feeling than I expected it to release. Like I said, Slice of Life is the jam, don’t forget what you’re eating is still the bread. I feel that a darker final few episodes, even if the resolution is still the same, would have impacted many more audiences, myself included.

Another thing that got me started on BNA was the pretty unique art style. Nowadays most modern anime (especially isekais) tend to adapt with that pretty generic art style which I don’t mean to be an elitist or anything, I don’t appreciate much. So having this unique curvy, joyful, and dynamic art style is definitely a plus in the art department. As for animation, I don’t have much to say, it’s Trigger. They've always been gorgeous when it comes to their style of animation. If they fail in animation, it’s the same as saying KyoAni produces shitty art—which in contrast, produces the most eye-candy art you'll ever imagine.

As for sound goes, I was pretty satisfied. Actually, I was more than satisfied, I was pretty impressed. The OSTs, OP & ED, all had that urban modern society taste imbued into them, along with a bit of a futuristic kind of feeling as well. This led me to really enjoy them and rock to the beat, although that is more of a subjective thing. One OST that impacted me was that song Michiru and Nazuna sang together, it reminded me of how special friends were, and yeah. That’s literally all.

The character development for the characters I would say wasn’t the most substantial, but it’s decent for a 12 episode series. Especially Oogami, his character development, backstory, and everything was really well-done and Trigger deserves a thumbs up for that. Michiru like what Nazuna always tells her hasn’t changed much. Well, I suppose that is pretty realistic, humans don’t change much over such a short period of time do they, especially for somebody as stubborn as Michiru. But the characters overall were really enjoyable and I had a really fun time watching them. (Especially my little precious bear Jackie)

Overall, I had loads of fun watching BNA, although story-wise it was not even close to what I had wanted, but I got something else that I didn’t ask for: Fun character interaction. Honestly, I’m satisfied with just that. So, you interested in BNA? Sure, go ahead, but don’t expect some crazy complicated storyline that even the great Hououin Kyouma can’t figure out. ;)

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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May 8, 2020

An1meDweeb

Mixed Feelings

*COMPLETE REVIEW OF EPISODES 1-12*

First off, I want to mention that BNA is my first Trigger show, and I intend to share my thoughts on the show based on its own merits without this infamous studio’s work in mind. That being said, I’m definitely looking forward to exploring Trigger’s catalogue further. One more thing, this first bit is going be spoiler-free, but I’ll include some specific details at the end, so read at your own risk.

Brand New Animal (BNA) brought up plenty of discussion among the community when the project first got announced. An anime-original story, backed with a Netflix release? That’s just unheard of!* ... Jokes aside, news about the show and its premise did pique my interest. Was I pumped for the show? Yes. Did I have a good time? Sure did. Was the hype warranted in the end? …Not quite, IMO.

Let’s get this out of the way: BNA absolutely nails its presentation. The art mixes overall vibrance with moments highlighting individual color tones, keeping the scenes looking anything but mundane. Animation here is free-flowing and complemented with careful shot composition, which makes the action and pivotal confrontations stand out. The sound design is great, and the score is really well implemented. The OP slaps, and I can never bring myself to skip the ED. Overall, these elements are executed incredibly well, making for a fun show that I can easily recommend.

With all that being said, I have a few problems with BNA regarding its writing and series structure. BNA’s premise is a big draw for the series, but unfortunately I never got the feeling that the show fully delivered on its potential. The broad issue I have is that the show’s overarching plot is too thin and stretched out, leaving little room for tension and only having a couple of compelling story beats. This certainly isn’t helped by the show’s unusual release schedule. BNA is essentially split in half and premiered the first 6 episodes back in March. I watched the show in-line with the Netflix broadcast, and it had this disjointing effect, with mostly inconsequential “filler” episodes frontloaded and more exposition-heavy material in the latter half. Note I say “filler” loosely (there’s only one egregious case)**, in the sense that the show raised some interesting ideas that didn’t really mean anything or arrive at a meaningful conclusion in the end. Our protagonist Michiru meets the indestructible badass Shirou and spend the initial episodes exploring the crime syndicate known as The Family. Through these experiences, Michiru comes to gain a grasp of the nature of Beastmen. That one tangent alone would have been sufficient to service a whole cour of the show, balancing that buddy cop relationship and character introspection for Michiru, the human-turned-beast. That was the show I was expecting, but then the show just leaves that thread hanging. Instead, the show chooses to shoehorn in new characters, giving the show a looser feel and lessening the impact of potentially strong material. While that in itself is not an issue, I feel that BNA is a bit of a tease for only briefly hinting at these ideas without committing to them. This lack of narrative focus may be less of problem if you’re binging the show and is mostly dealt with two-thirds into its run, so make of this mini-rant what you will.

Now, to quickly address a few specific problems, mostly having to do with the points mentioned above. The worldbuilding in the show varies quite a bit, as good ideas can get tossed in one episode while the next may see Beastmen doing human things the exact same way humans would. Conflict within the characters in the show seem inconsequential unless fangs are bared, with one exception coming at the end of episode 6. The characters themselves are fine and serviceable, not exactly bland but not interesting either.

TL;DR: What do I think of BNA? Although I’ve attempted to give this show a good bashing, that’s only because of what I thought it could have been. And I believe I’m not alone in thinking that BNA could have been so much more. Story threads that weren’t given enough room to grow, themes that weren’t comprehensively explored, and a world not fully realised hold BNA back from making much of an impact. That being said, solid production from a renowned studio and genuinely fun moments keep things engaging. BNA might not be a beast in contention for AOTY or anything, but it’s certainly fine for what it is. Trigger could have done a lot worse here, and there is always a place in the anime landscape for this level of creativity. BNA, for what it’s worth, is a fun ride, and I think in these times we could all use a little light in our lives. 6/10~

STRAY RAMBLINGS (SPOILERS):
- *that is, unheard of for roughly two seasons. The comparisons between this show and Carole and Tuesday run deeper than Netflix and the release schedule; C&T also has the pattern of episodic romps in the first half and a more plot-oriented second. However, with C&T the tone shift was more nonsensical, and it tried to go from Folk Tik Tok songs to… a discussion on immigration? Still trying to wrap my head around that one.
- **my GOD I hate the baseball episode, why does it exist
- I want to punt Jackie across a room, why does it exist
- Said it once and I’ll say it again, “NIGHT RUNNING” deserves to be put on loop. Spotify, we’re waiting.
- The Nirvasyl flashback sequence in Episode 8 was really good. Great idea to switch up the art style, there was a frame or two in there reminiscent of Genndy Tartakovsky’s best work.
- Best Girl: If I had to choose, probably Nazuna. Her interpreting being the face of a cult to her aspirations of becoming an idol is probably the most interesting idea in the show.
- In A Nutshell: Zootopia meets the Powerpuff Girls (with a dash of Major 2nd**)
- Greetings Internet! Just a small-time anime fan here, I’m trying out some stuff in this community and sharing my ill-informed opinions. This is my first review and at the moment I’m satisfied with it, although I have a feeling I’ll regret this whole idea a week from now. Looking forward to doing more of these reviews here and there, I don’t watch a ton of shows seasonally though. In any case I hope you enjoyed this piece and that it gave you something to chew on. I do want to get better at this, so if you have any feedback feel free to let me know, peace!

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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May 19, 2020

JillFanatic

Not Recommended

You ever watch a series that feels like it tries to juggle too many plot points at once? When attempting to have a full story in the short time span of 12 episodes, you generally want to focus on only a few elements at a time, but this series tried to have its cake and eat it too, with concepts such as discrimination, segregation, poverty, super powers, corruption, a friends middling relationship, and it all ends with a subpar Trigger final battle that resolves all the issues in the city that it really shouldn't.

The protagonist is Michiru, a young teenage girl who mysteriously turned into ... a beastman, a half human animal hybrid, and decides to run away to this city called Anima city where beastmen live separated from humans to avoid getting harassed by humans. As for why humans despise and discriminate against beastmen, that is never really given a proper explanation. Furthermore, beastmen have the capability to transform into normal humans and the question becomes why does anybody care about these beastmen to begin with. In any case, we follow Michiru and try to figure out why she was turned into a beastman and how she can transform back to normal so she can go back to her normal life with her parents. The first half of the series focuses on Michiru learning about Anima City and the conflicts surrounding the beastmen on a daily basis. Together with loner wolf man Shirou, they occasionally fight crime together.

The first 5 episodes had a more episodic feel to them, such as Michiru joining a poor baseball team and inspiring them to not give up just to earn money, or this one episode where Michiru was trying to teach a group of children how to read and write for this mafia lady to get her wallet back. These episodes aren’t necessarily bad, but given how the show ends up, they do feel pointless in the grand scheme of things(Aside from ep 1). The baseball episode felt particularly egregious since aside from one adorable bear from the team, we really don’t see the team much ever again, and what could have been an interesting commentary on how a capitalistic system can force poor folk to stay poor, it just kind of ends on not giving up, which is nice, but it doesn’t really do much to explore this city.

The other thing is that the show never focuses on how Anima City really operates. The city is generally unable to access the internet and the only way to do so would be through illegal means. How does this society function without the internet? What means do they have to get through their day to day lives? What do they do to get things done around the city? We do get parody brand names like Dog Way, and there seems to be a mafia gang running things behind the scenes, but generally speaking, we really don’t get much of anything out of this city. It has an Us vs Them mentality regarding humans and beastmen, but it's not like that's explored much beyond violence. There is a conflict involving the cult and what happens in the last two episodes is so stupid that I don't understand how this society even got off the ground. It's that bad.

One interesting thing regarding Michiru at first would be her desire to return to being a human and go back to her town. There's this interesting scene where her parents wish her happy birthday over on Instagram and she hesitates to respond. Sadly, this conflict is never brought up again, and she decides to stay as a beastman anyways so her whole story felt useless. She even gains the ability to transform into a human out of nowhere in one of the earlier episodes and its never used again. She constantly gains all these abilities such as Cheetah legs to run fast, bird wings, stretchy arms, and so on, but it's never explained how she's able to do all these things. Then her friend Nezuna and her cult is introduced in ep 6 and this is where the show really starts to take a nosedive. To her credit, Nezuna does call out Michiru for continuously jumping to conclusions and acting before thinking, but this argument that they end up having doesn't really help her change for the better. If anything she continues to act the same while being a little sad as well. In the end, Michiru feels so detached from the main conflict of the series, and her end goal of becoming a human again is thrown to the wayside. Her character arc is the usual "I've come to accept myself as a beast" trite that I've only seen Shrek pull off. It would honestly make more sense if Shirou was the protagonist, though its not like he's a good character either. At least she's got a cute character design. I wish I would've liked the cute tanuki girl more.

Shirou is like that loner anime man that came out of the early 2000's. He's rude, hates humans, clearly has a dark past or some nonsense, and works alone. As a wolfman, he has the ability to sniff out certain people and objects such as bombs and so forth. He's a part time detective who works for the police. I don't get how something as arbitrary as smell is accepted as evidence to the police. Phoenix Wright would be all over their asses, but it's generally used for plot conveniences. What I don't like about Shirou is how he doesn't have any sort of character chemistry with Michiru and his character can be very easily summed up as "Humans bad, Beastmen good". The bastard also allows a fucking bomb to explode to catch the criminals in the act when finding and stopping the bomb would be more than enough. When his "backstory" is revealed and they bring up WW2 I was laughing. Everything about him is such a hot mess.

I don't have much to say about the rest of the cast. Nezuna is mostly just a prop and a means to an end for the main villain as well as a source of conflict for Michiru, the main villain will not be named due to spoilers, but it's pretty obvious, and everybody else is fodder.

Now on to the general look of the series. The director of the anime is Yoh Yoshinari, and you may recognize that name from LWA since he was the director of that series. It really shows since this series looks rather similar to his previous work, though not quite as visually appealing in my eyes. Like that series, this show has a lot of character put into it with expressive facial expressions, pull and stretch animation, and a lot of energy when it counts. The final battle, as contrived as that was, did have a lot of visual flare to it, which I always appreciate. Having said all this, I was hoping that this show was going for a cyberpunk esque world given the previous poster that this series had when it was announced, and I quite like that aesthetic. I do wish Yoshinari and Trigger experimented a little more regarding this show, but it still looks appealing overall.


Finally, there's the soundtrack. I do really like opening and ending songs, but the ending song is used way too much throughout the show. I get that anime likes to use their opening and ending songs sometimes as a nod, but in this case it feels super forced and annoying. By themselves however, they're nice to listen to. With the ending song has this sort of chilled vibe with a super stylish art style that I love. The rest of the soundtrack is fairly solid, with Mabuna who also did the OST for Megalo Box and he did a good job here. Easily my favorite part of the show.

Sadly, I can't really recommend this series unless you lower your expectations to rock bottom. It lacks any kind of focus and generally feels directionless until the disaster that is the second half. It's not really worth your time. Just watch Beastars if you haven't already.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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