Tribe Nine

I’m a huge Danganronpa fan, and while I didn’t catch Akamatsu Drive I figured I’d check out Tribe Nine this season. Unfortunately, this promotional anime is as the kids these days say “mid”.

So what about the good stuff? Well the music is great at least, Masafumi never disappoints with his compositions. You still have the excellent bops you have in other games he’s worked on, but the OST is definitely closest to Danganronpa’s. The character designs by Rui are also still real unique and have that edgy, rebellious style that works great with this series. Also sometimes, the animation genuinely is good and there’s one ... big twist around ep 3 that I did not expect.

However past that, the writing for this show just does not quite know what it wants to be. It constantly switches from a sports show to incredibly generic shonen. Characters survive lethal blows for no reason, and some scenes just felt nonsensical. I’m actually half surprised it didn’t bring back alive a certain char that dies, considering the way the writing was going.

The story of Tribe Nine is mainly just a general story of one time rising to the top. You have several eccentric and quirky characters you’ll forget by tomorrow make up the other teams the protags fight. They of course beat them, and then have one final battle against Ojiro and his dudes. That’s about it really, there’s hardly any nuance and feels like the worst bits of Kodaka’s previous works, where it’s just constantly escalating even if it’s nonsensical.

So what about the characters? Well most of the cast is fairly bland tbh. Haru and Taiga do grow as characters, but it’s very standard stuff. Shun is cool I guess, Kazuki joins later, and without spoiling has an alright dynamic with Ojiro. As for Ojiro, he’s kind of just a very typical “only the strong shall thrive” villain. The overall conflict of this show is standard stuff where “guy with power of friendship fights villain with no friends and shows him power of friendship”. I actually like this trope, it’s just very mediocrely done here. Perhaps the most notable thing about Ojiro I can say is that Corpse Father plays him in the dub.

If it sounds like I’m repeating myself, it’s probably because I am. There’s really just not much to say about this series, it’s incredibly average in most everything. The animation is fine most of the time, sometimes getting good but not to the point it would really affect my score. The voice performances are good in sub like usual. This anime mostly just sort of exists to promote the game like most anime of its type.

Overall, I’d give it a 5 maaaaybe 5.5/10. Peep the soundtrack when it comes out, but I wouldn’t really rec watching it, unless you’re a Danganronpa fan just absolutely starving for more stuff similar to it. Even then though, all you’re gonna get is a few crumbs.

I was hyped for Tribe Nine since I heard about its release a few years ago now, and I can start by saying I am still excited for the game. I am writing this review fresh off the last episode, and I can say I am overall pretty satisfied with what we got. I wasn't expecting anything revolutionary, and they pretty much delivered where I wanted. Keeping out spoilers I can say this anime will leave you surprised at some of the plot developments which is somewhat expected of this team.

The story wasn't anything special somewhat generic at times, and downright boring other times. The ... plot can be summarized as bad guy does bad things for no real reason other than "power." With that being said the art, and sound are on par with expectations they did a good job in that department. The theme and sound will have you forgetting how silly some of the plot actually is. The characters make up for a somewhat lacking plot, but not to the same degree as the art and sound. The characters range from interesting to downright annoying.

One notable example is one of the characters Santaro basically only serves the plot as a goofy character. Which is fine, but some of the other characters even part of the main cast in the Minato tribe have a significate lack of presence. Haru and Taiga are decent enough showing good growth throughout the running to balance things out a bit. Overall the characters are somewhat inconsistent with some of them having very little depth. In my opinion I can as most people see this work a lot better as a game since plot elements can be somewhat shrugged off.

Despite my complaints I did actually enjoy this anime since I think the visuals where well done. The concept of extreme baseball, well somewhat inconsistent in the anime would be pretty cool if made into a game. The anime did what it was supposed to for me since it got me interested in the game. I don't know if they will continue the anime to any degree, but if they did I would hope they expand on the world of Tribe Nine, and perhaps flesh out more of the established characters. I could add a laundry list of plot holes, or unexplained story elements, but I will leave it at well at least it was fun.
-Thanks for reading

Ask me anything; I'll be the first one to tell you I love danganronpa, for a long time now too, I wanted to make a Fanganronpa by the time 2 came out. BUT, if there's something I find redundant is excusing mediocrity trough legacy.

Right of the bat, you can tell that everything here was created with a purpose: Promote a high budget game by a popular group. Because this anime is nothing more than a marketing campaign, to the point where they slap a QR code to their main site -front and center- in one of the first episodes. Anyone who has ... seen the promotional material of tribe nine can easily tell a lot of budget is going into the game, and it's mobile nature will easily lend itself to monetization. This anime is only here to boost the game, because it doesn't compare in Visual or Written quality to anything realistically passable, and I can only hope they believe the game will do a better job at it all.

Story:
So, it's a story about a new Extreme baseball, right? It'd be logical that they explain what is still the same as in baseball, and what is new to this modality, but they never bother to. Suddenly you got people scoring points for touching first base, then next episode, the sides aren't changed once a team accumulates 4 outs, next episode, NOW they respect conventional rules.
I don't know anything about baseball, couldn't name a single team, but if I can tell something is off from the most basic knowledge I got from Wii Sports, you've done something wrong with your sports anime.
They never even tell you who's on first most of the time. But the story itself isn't especially bad, you're at least going to be entertained, and it's very consistent, so there's no parts that are especially good or bad.
Note; that's just the bare minimum.
There's no giant tonal shifts or unbelievable moments within the scope of the story, and nothing struck me as out of left field. That also means that it's mostly predictable, and the unpredictable parts are more often than not just the characters being dumb and doing illogical things for strange reasons...
On that Note about characters.

Characters:
And the characters, they become smarter or dumber for whatever the plot finds accommodating.
For example, one of the characters tells another that 1- They're terminally sick and need to drink their medicine for it, and 2- "I'm going to raise a death flag" then proceeding to give out a will...
And yet this other character doesn't bother to do anything about it, it's like the dying character decided to die and the other one allowed them, because the plot would see it fitting. No insistence.
The few characters that have arcs kinda work, but most of them don't have anything going for them, they are very inconsistent too with their personalities and ideas, but I'll let you decide weather or not that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Sound:
But you know what's INFINITELY more horrid? SOUND DESIGN.
I swear to you, I can't recall a single anime with sound design so bad, it's actually adding difficulty when watching. I've seen some things like the damn Bible Black dub, which actively attempts to be bad, and yet it's still better than this.
Masafumi Takada, composer of this soundtrack, IS A GOD, he makes the best music, but I don't understand what COMPELLED them to mix the music at the same volume as the vocals!!
That's right!
If the characters are having a big emotional moments, all you can hear is Takada's viper slamming on the table.
Again, all the respect to the composer, but you actually have to tune your ears to listen to the japanese audio.

WATCH THE DUB.
If you value the ability to listen, avoid the japanese version at all costs.

I'd regularly say "well, the seiju are [this] and [that]", but I can't properly listen to their work under the hellscape that is my brain during the watching experience. it's distracting and disrespectful to the voice actors, yet such a basic concept that it's unfathomable to mess it up. If people on youtube can slap a compressor on their background music, I don't see why an anime studio can't

Art:
Now, here's the commendable part, right? The designs are really good, right!?
No, but also yes.
Look, I can complain about the plethora of characters that look like danganronpa redesigns, in fact, I call most characters stuff like "Kaito 2" and "Chihiro 2", but that's not the anime's fault. If anything, I'm glad to see the character designer is actually making characters that don't look like "X 2".
By themselves, they are probably the best part of this anime, colorful, memorable, one of them is just a chubby human pikachu guy! (later a moropeko) It's not anywhere near bad. If the animation was up to par, there would be no complaints, but of course, most art is very 2 dimensional. that's not to say the more ambitiously animated scenes look bad and have huge mistakes, but it's fair to say they are at least pretty jagged, so don't expect the prettiest animation. If the characters weren't as nicely designed, then there probably wouldn't be any saving grace for a lot of these visuals. There's a huge missed opportunity with these cyberpunky environments getting boring background art.

I'm down to watch anything Tookyo puts out, I like the people working behind the projects, I know they have what it takes, they create amazing stories, but I'm sad to say this story is simply not one of them, go watch akudama drive instead if you're looking for something more on par with danganronpa.
Overall it's very average, and it's bound to be better received trough it's legacy, but I personally see a lot of the things the show does that are inexcusable, and any positive review is probably attributed to the legacy of danganronpa, their creators, designers and writers.
For it's own merits, the show does not stand as anything good, it's fun, but "fun" can be 300,000 different shows.

This might not be worth your time if you're not interested in the game this serves to promote.

You know for sure. One thing when it comes to shows, or anything that are by the same person who created Dangan Ronpa. That you are going to get a fair number of things. Memorable characters, interesting and creative artstyle and outfits. Among a general interest in the show in general. You'll find no different when it comes to Tribe Nine.

Story: 6
Imagine a world where conflict isn't sorted by logic, wars, among other things. But instead are sorted by a game of street baseball.It reminds me of a manga I read years ago, where instead of baseball, more it was crane games that sorted things. ... If you wanted something, you had to win a game. While this is more down to territories. If you wanted one, or wanted to make a demand of one, you have to win a game of flashy baseball. It's an interesting concept. The only down side is that it can feel like you want to play it, more then just watching it. As it does seem like real fun.

Characters and Art: 8
I'll throw these in the same part, as I said at the start, these things really fit well together. They always do from this creator. From outfits in general, to the entire city landscapes in general. It's colourful, flashy, and just super to look at. This sort of style is always a great style.

But that's not just the art style. You know full well when it comes to this kind of creator, you'll find all sorts of wild, and wacky characters, that will always be memorable for years to come. You'll have your fan favorites, and you'll have those you may not like. It's one massive highlight when it comes to this. They'll stand out for their personalities, for their looks in general. Which is what you want in a show.

Sound: 6
Can't talk much about the sound. It's fitting for purpose, and is decent all round. There isn't anything wrong with it, or that I find issue with. Never is, and never will be. It's all good. Which is what an anime should be like.

I'd honestly give Tribe Nine a chance. It's a decent show, with a very flashy concept, and interesting setting. If it were a game, I'd seriously consider play it myself. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Honestly, after watching the first 3 or so episodes, you get that this is no masterpiece of an anime, but if you keep watching with that mindset, you could probably enjoy it.
It's an action/sports anime with a bunch of character interactions in the middle.

The story is simple, the synopsis already says it already says it all about the theme, you follow along with the premise because of the characters and the "baseball fighting mechanic" (you read that right) itself. The story takes itself very seriously, but honestly at times, a concept like this could probably get more points if it was less dark and edgy.

The ... art is very iconic if you know Danganronpa, or even Akudama Drive, but just like the other 2, you'll find some frames that are not the most pleasant unlike other more well known anime, including some not-so-spectacular animation (your typical common animation I'd say).
There are bits of animation where you can see where the budget went however, and they really make sure you remember those.

The Characters are a 50/50 - either goofy or very serious.
They are not the most complex but not too simple - they're believable if any, and you'll find some tropes here and there, but it is still bearable because the anime seems to handle them good enough.
Each of the main members seem to be building up for future events, so it's not like they have no character development.
And of course, you'll find their designs a lot more likeable than their personalities at first, since their designs are really eye-catching and colourful.

The music? Now that goes bonkers. Upbeat techno music that gets you hyped up.
While it doesn't contain memorable melodies, the music matches the anime's energy, and honestly if you have any curiosity about this anime, check its OST, because you may like quite a few ones there.

---
TLDR

Not a super memorable anime, but if you want to see REALLY over-the-top baseball action with characters with really solid designs, you might want to give this anime a shot
Just don't come from a 9/10 anime and see this one afterwards or you will definitely get disappointed

Tribe Nine Review (6.1)

Rip-off of the baseball game that has power.The story is boring.It's boring to watch because the animation and the effects are ugly but it was improved in the last episode.The character designs are not well done, not very detailed.The song is very nice which is my favorite song right now.

STORY:5/10
This is a rip-off of baseball games that make the game of baseball ugly because they made it ugly,Baseball Bat,Pitcher and catcher have power and those rules are confusing especially the field is so big because they are playing in the city.Boring and corny to watch it would have been better if the ... production and storytelling were good

ANIMATION:5/10
Episodes 1 to 3 are boring to watch because of the ugly animation because their work is not very detailed. But it got a little better later on.

CHARACTER:5/10
The character designs are ugly,especially their hair,which is poorly made.They are not well introduced and the character development is like nothing,and they always get beaten up in the end.

SOUND:9.5/10
The intro is my new favorite song.

I am a huge fan of Chiharu Sawashiro, who plays Taiga. I’m mentioning this because, when it comes to anime, I tend to have an “I’ll watch it if Chiharu Sawashiro is in it” mentality. While it may have led me to watching some absolute gems like Tsukipro, I really need to stop having that mentality, because it also led me to watching Tribe Nine, which might just be the worst anime I have ever watched in my entire life. The worldbuilding makes no sense, I hate most of the characters, and it genuinely confuses me that someone looked at this monstrosity of a show ... and thought it was okay to subject the public to it.

The main character, Haru, is… fine. He’s alright. Personally, I find him a bit annoying in his weird passiveness, but there’s nothing actively wrong with him, I guess. This can be said of the vast majority of characters, in fact, because barely anyone has anything going on besides being extremely basic, stock image character tropes (the newbie, the singular girl, the big guy, the little guy who’s a huge perv, the big bad villain who just wants power, etc.), with two exceptions that I’ll discuss in the next paragraph. That doesn’t mean they’re tolerable characters by any means, though. They all kinda suck.

The two exceptions are Taiga, and the members of the Ota Tribe (so, technically, there’s six exceptions, I guess). Taiga is easily my favourite character (and it’s not just because he’s voiced by Chiharu Sawashiro, I swear), even if his character motivation kinda stopped making a ton of sense after episode 4 (no spoilers). He seemed to actually care about the things around him— both XB and the other characters— compared to the other members of his tribe who seem infuriatingly take-it-or-leave-it about everything. This is interesting considering that Taiga is a total newbie to both the sport and the area, being from “overseas” (the dub decided that he’s Irish?), and thus has every reason not to care. There was even a moment where something bad happens involving Saori, and he’s the only one who wants to help her, despite everyone else being theoretically her longtime friends. The show seriously treats him like a punching bag, calling him “arrogant” and “stupid” for wanting to do things that are the completely logical thing to do in the given situation. There’s also several moments in the show where he says to the other characters that he’s the only reason that they’re alive, and the show treats those moments as if he’s being dumb and overconfident, but if you follow the plot up to that point, it’s literally just the plain truth. It’s absurd, and my boy deserves better.

The Ota Tribe are just funny, honestly. They’re so gimmicky but it’s in a genuinely enjoyable way (very #edgy and rawr XD if I’m being honest, but in a funny way). Sonoda is a delightful antagonist, all he wants is chaos, and that includes keeping a guy who’s constantly trying to murder him by his side. The puppet show sent me into actual hysterics. Episode 9 was the only good episode of this show and it left me wanting the Ota Tribe as the protagonists.

The animation and art style are horrific. Most of the main characters have grey skin, the hairstyles completely change shape depending on the scene, and the limited colour palette makes my eyes hurt. The purpose of a limited colour palette is to make sure your colours look nice and cohesive in any scene, but they chose the absolute worst colours possible so there’s no point of making it limited in the first place. The shading also doesn’t make any sense in most scenes, neither does the lighting. It’s all godawful and I really shouldn’t have expected anything else from the people who made Danganronpa of all things.

The voice acting isn’t terrible, but the mixing in the Japanese dub made it almost unwatchable at certain points, even if the casting and voice acting was good. The music was super loud and invasive, and the voices were stupidly quiet in most scenes. The English dub fixed a lot of the problems, even if there wasn’t much vocal diversity compared to the Japanese cast. I still don’t entirely understand why Taiga was Irish, but Phillip Sacramento was honestly phenomenal, so it’s hard to even care. It was nice that they made it clear where he was from, compared to the Japanese dub which just said “overseas.”

The overall standout was probably Junta Terashima as Sonoda, though— he really captures how absolutely batshit the guy is, even when he’s saying stuff in an objectively calm manner, and especially when he was trying blow everything up for the sake of some “chaos.” Also, once again, the puppet show sent me into hysterics and I think about it regularly.

Everyone in the dub was about equally good with no real standouts, with my only real complaint being, unfortunately, Ojiro’s casting. I don’t hate Corpse Husband or anything, but he wasn’t… um… acting. He just seemed to be reading the lines as himself, or something. A bit disappointing considering his voice is obviously very unique and I think he could bring something really cool to the dubbing industry, but he really dropped the ball here. Hopefully he’ll get better over time, though!

Before I continue, I also really feel the need to mention all the misogyny in this show. It’s awful. Saori’s constantly getting sexualized (groping, getting walked in on, etc.), the main female villain’s gimmick at the end is just an excuse to draw her basically naked, and the only other female characters (Enoki and Minami) barely existed. Minami is basically just a prop to her male boss in most cases. It’s hard to say anything else without spoiling stuff, but please, if you’re going to watch this, be prepared to be practically assaulted with misogynistic bullshit. It’s very reminiscent of the humour of older, “haha they’re threatening to rape the girl, isn’t that HILARIOUS?”-type shounens, and it’s seriously uncomfortable to watch.

Overall, holy shit, don’t watch this show unless you’re some kind of Danganronpa mega fan, though even those people seem to be disappointed judging by some of the other reviews. It’s a complete mess of a show with a bad plot, bad worldbuilding, bad art, bad characters, and bad development as a whole.

If you want a show about a semi-post-apocalyptic Japan where a new government takes over and instates a law declaring that people have to fight with something extremely specific other than weapons, causing the 23 wards of Tokyo to form groups and essentially start a turf war, I would suggest Hypnosis Mic: Rhyme Anima, where it’s basically just Tribe Nine’s worldbuilding but with rapping and infinitely better. If you want “existing sport but EXTREME,” try Prince of Stride, which is about track racing but with added parkour. If you’re like me and will watch anything with Chiharu Sawashiro in it, try Cheer Boys, which is about male college cheerleading, or Tsukipro, an incredible chill and delightfully “nothing happens” idol anime. Alternatively, watch literally anything other than this.

If inazuma eleven it's the to go super stupid sport anime with a lot of heart and charm, then this is like the total oposite, and i don't know how many times i've seen characters designed by Rui Komatsuzaki, and i still don't find them appealing, i don't know what it is, but they don't click with me, and add to that super corny and cringy dialogue and i'm gonna dislike them even more. And what it's the point of adding baseball if mid match it turns into a fuckin free for all, you can remove the baseball and i don't think anything would change, ... this literally could be a generic battle anime. The animation it's good most of the time, but the some characters look weird, aoyama it's the one that comes to mind, he looks off most of the time, i think his hair might be the problem, because komatsuzaki can't draw a character with normal hair even if his life depends on it, and one last thing, 12 episodes anime shouldn't be allowed to kill characters, specially this kind of anime, because it feels funny of how sudden and outta nowhere that it is, and how the characters try to be sad and gloomy, but the anime it's short so the plot has to keep moving, so they grieve for like a couple of minutes and move on, funniest shit i've seen, and one last thing, the soundtrack fuckin slaps, specially in the last two chapters, i'll probably end up adding some of the songs to my playlist because they went hard

Sometimes you only really appreciate what you had once it's lost, and just how deeply it was embedded into everything else beings to tear everything else apart.

Well, enough with the dramatics - Tribe Nine never set itself up as anything other than a dumb action type of show. Let's play baseball, but this neon dystopian city is our playing field, and dying in the game is not only normal, but downright commonplace! Tragically though, this show immediately displayed that it was already sorely lacking half of what makes a show like this fun - proper directing to give the action weight and pazzazz. The matches, ... while kinda fun, don't convey any sense of where everyone is relative to each other, and it doesn't focus too much on setting any rules. It could still be fun with a rule of cool sorta deal, but it just doesn't have that either. It's just sorta bland.

But nevertheless, the first three episodes were enjoyable. It had big sections of these kids just fooling around, giving each other silly nicknames, and everyone reacting to the zanyness that is their leader, Kamiya Shun, delightfully portrayed by Akira Ishida who is obviously having a lot of fun. It felt like the show, while not all that well-balanced, didn't take itself too seriously and that despite all the brutality, this show still gives off the vibe of a group of outcasts who found each other in this unlikeliest of places and are just trying, day in day out.

And then episode 3 happens.

I won't say why, but by the end of it, a huge shift to the general, somewhat comfy dynamic occurs that just... initially, it effectively pulls out the rug from under the main cast and lets them adjust to new circumstances, but after that? It still had some minor ideas I kind of liked... but the one other thing this show had going for it - the dynamic of the cast members with each other - is gone. There is no longer anything to really care about.

That's not to say a big mood shift is a bad thing, or that I think the show is bad because it wasn't going "my way", but just that it lost the one thing it had going for it despite kinda botching its initial premise. And with that one thing gone... the episodes just blended into each other, feeling like a random baseball show with just more brutality to it. And that kind of thing isn't even done well here. If I want outlandish violence, or if I want baseball, I have plenty of better options - and heck, if I want both there are Jun Maeda baseball episodes that deliver on this premise much better, safe for the gore. So while this show isn't the worst thing ever, it's uneven, and worst of all, honestly just pretty boring.

Not much to say great about Tribe Nine. Due to it being pushed for the upcoming game that’s set to release soon. The overall idea is different than your usual sports anime tho and it gives me vibes to the early 90’s-2000’s with how characters are with Shows like Yugioh,Pokémon, etc but with the usual Dark twist to it since coming from the trio of Daganronpa creators. The story isn’t much to ride home about as I’d say it’s cliche 9/12 episodes in nothing really tho this isn’t the shows strongest suit or best work From what you’d expect from the insane plot/story writing that ... you’d normally see from the Dangan Trio in Kodaka,Taka,& Rui. 6/10 for story depending on the last few episodes could be a 4-7.

Art is about the same as what you’d expect from Rui he sticks to his theme like his previous works and it doesn’t change here 9/10.

Sound isn’t a issue from the good catchy Opening to the beats and ost that Taka brings to the Dangan Trio I feel your not gonna miss much here the ost is a decent 7.

The characters aren’t bad they tend to have the few used character tropes that have already been fleshed out but with their takes on it. Typical weak minded, not confident MC to Airhead character/Comedy character that gets picked on by everyone. Typical villain trope tho his whole reasoning thus far wasn’t explained but hopefully it’s a good one cause being evil just to be evil is kinda dumb. I’d say it’s a 6 not missing much here.

Overall my enjoyment is a 7 tho that could change depending on the ending/ last few episodes but I feel like it gives me that classic 90’s early 20’s vibes with the classic anime shows so its been a fun watch I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this one unless your a fan of Daganronpa or looking to watch something different.

I didn’t know much about this anime when I first wanted to watch but I was not expecting it to be a sports one. It’s more of a combination of sports x action x futuristic tech, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. I thought that the main storyline was mediocre at best and was annoyed how the most interesting character was only in 3 episodes, and there’s the overused trope of a “group of guys + 1 girl” which I find a little sad. Also, it can get unnecessarily violent at times which I didn’t expect and kind ... of put me off from watching any more episodes. On the other hand, the animation was nice, the VAs did a good job, and the character introductions and designs were interesting.

While at a glance the main poster looks like its going to be a banger, this was an anime pill that was excruciating to swallow. I would not recommend, there are better things to waste time on, like staring at a ceiling contemplating existence.

The concept is already kind of off whack. In the future, gangs can only settle disputes by Xtreme Baseball, and any other form of disputes will trigger some bots to noscope your ass from across the alleyway or something. Even worse, the story doesnt really do any worldbuilding, it just tosses you things cause "its like that".

The art is reminiscent of Danganronpa, ... and I dig it, but the animation is clear where there is and isnt budget. Early on they spend alot on VFX for the high tension action scenes to hook in the viewers, but the quality just evaporates not even halfway through the season. Heck, the sound balancing is off whack, there are parts where the voice and music are equally loud, making it difficult to hear what the characters are actually saying. The SFX in certain parts is also very misplaced.

Most of the characters are kind of just plain annoying, and there is no real development in their characters since the start. Some are slightly more interesting, but even ruffians change over time. While Tribes are supposedly built up as some "major power" in the synopsis, it never felt that way at all. The characters all feel like theyre playing around at an after school club, hoping to get into the big leagues and beat actual delinquents with kindness and friendship.

I'm losing my mind here!
The show starred off extremely boring and confusing. Like what are the teams? Are they gangs who play this game instead of fighting? Who are half of these characters? Why should I care about them? Why is it even a sports anime to begin with? This makes no sense!!
Very little is explain. I feel like I'm getting punished for not playing the game the show is based off.
The only reason I watched the show was for Corpse Husband, but I don't even think he could saved this show.
I shouldn't have to play the original material just to understand the show! ... The anime should stand on its own.
To me, it just feels, lack of a better word, stupid.

Side note, the main character is extremely annoying! "I just love how he is perfect at the game while he has never played." Like wow. Come on!! This trop need die!

Really wish I could explain why it’s getting this score because on paper, this is a pretty solid show. By no means one to get the emotions rising but pretty solid in a lot of respects.

I watched the dub and do absolutely enjoy it. Great casting choices and the VAs gave very good performances despite a few lacking experience.

There is also occasionally some great animation in this show and I generally like the character design.

I guess the stuff I am less keen on is all the picture things. Characters are fine but many aren’t as fleshed out, I am not a huge fan of the ... plot or themes, humor and action doesn’t really excite me as much as it. It’s very middling in a lot of regards. I absolutely do think someone could come away loving this and I can see why they would, but this didn’t scratch any itch I had.

I have a hard time focusing on shows that I love, let alone ones that confuse or bore me. Tribe Nine never once lost my focus. I loved every moment of this show.

Script/Voice Acting - 9/10

I watched it in English, as I do most shows (as an appreciator of English voice actors), though I did watch a few scenes in Japanese to see differences in voices and dialogue. The Japanese voice actors did a great job, but I have to admit that I think watching it in English is partially what made Tribe Nine so captivating. The English script was so quirky and entertaining, ... and each character had their own mannerisms and interesting ways of speaking that brought me so much enjoyment. The English voice actors completely knocked it out the park (no pun intended) too. Taiga's Irish accent and colloquialisms were endlessly entertaining, Corpse Husband in his first professional voice acting role completely owned his part, and while I'm not one to often laugh out loud at shows, these characters had me rolling so often. I found them all to be so charming, even ones you're not supposed to like, due to their captivating vocal performances and hilarious dialogue.

Characters - 7/10

I love the entire cast of characters in this show. All their motivations seem solid given the information we have about them, and their interactions with each other are so charming and entertaining. All of my favourite shows have one thing in common - that being a cast of characters that interact and bounce off of each other in fun and comfortable ways. I got that feeling of fuzzy, cheeky, close-knit banter with Tribe Nine, even the characters that weren't friends at all. I do wish we were given more backstory in relation to the main characters, the villain at least was given a good amount of explanation - but I love the protagonists too! I want to know why they do what they do and are the people they are. There is, at the least, a good amount of character development. Most of the main cast have their own progressions and overcome some form of obstacle be it in physical skill, attitude, or mental fortitude.

Plot - 7/10

The story was enjoyable and the mechanics of the main gimmick, obviously being the game of XB were easy to understand and easily had me motivated. The pacing I found to be really well-done, no moment seemed overly drawn out or too short to make sense or get a real feeling of. The world-building did make some aspects a little hard to understand, while it is explained that these tribes exist and play XB, the world outside of that - while not too directly relevant to the plot itself - definitely would've made the entire show feel a lot more cohesive. This also ties into a lack of backstory for some characters - Haru, for example, his being in Minato city, his family, what he was doing before he joined the Minato Tribe - none of this was really touched on, and I'm sure a general idea of what the majority of the population are doing outside of the events of the tribes would've made the settings and characters feel a lot more grounded.

Art Style/Animation - 10/10

Really, I can't criticise anything about the visuals of this show. It's all so pleasing to look at. The art-style itself is fun and unique, and as a fan of Danganronpa - really nostalgic to see, and the animation lends itself well to some REALLY cool action scenes. Of course, these aren't Demon Slayer-type, long-winded, gruelling battles but they are tense and fulfilling in their own right, and they are animated so beautifully for what they are. Each character is design in a unique, fun way that lends itself really well to their characterisation - each of the characters acts and behaves in the way you would 100% expect from their appearance, and no detail feels misplaced or overdone. The colour pallet of Tribe Nine has to be what ties it all together though. Every scene and character are gorgeously and vibrantly coloured, making every frame interesting and captivating to look at. The visuals of this show alone set the tone, and sell each character and scene perfectly.

Overall - 8/10

I really love Tribe Nine, I'd go so far as to say it's become a new favourite of mine. Once I had finished it, all I could think was "that was a lot of fun!", and it really was! I love the characters and while these 12 episodes were wrapped up nicely, a season 2 could also fit in well and I'd 100% be excited to see it! I really recommend giving Tribe Nine a go if you love a bit of cheesy "friends make me strong" sentimentality, gorgeous visuals, and cheeky banter between a group of friends you end up wishing you were a part of.

It's a very cool anime with interesting characters and story but:

It is sad not to see a gradual progress of the 2 main characters ( Haru&Taiga ). For the rest I have nothing to talk about, because the narrator already introduces the other characters as being familiar with the action in the anime. It was nice to see the characters Haru and Taiga progress, just like how Naruto from the anime of the same name goes from being rejected by his peers to the most powerful Hokage. Besides this, the series excludes one of the most interesting characters.
I recommend the anime with ... confidence, my opinion is not a bad one but just a disappointed one, I think it would have had much more potential if the story had been rewritten a little