Tribe Nine

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

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.

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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

I am not usually a fan of sports anime but I got to say I LOVED this futuristic take on baseball! Its like Oblivion Battery and Wind Breakers had a baby that is Tribe Nine! Sure I understand it is a promotion for the video game of the same name but by that logic all anime is bad because it promotes VNs, LNs & Manga! People need to stop hating on a show because its promotional material. This anime has a very unique and interesting premise that follows around gangs resolving violence with a futuristic form of baseball. Not to mention they fight hand to ... hand and can do whatever they want as long as it fits within the parameters of the rules! That is such a fun premise considering most sports anime can be pretty dull! The character design was also AWESOME! I mean Ojiro in general was just a really menacing character with a peak outfit! I didn't feel like I was watching a baseball anime even though it was very clearly a sports anime and for me that is enough reason to recommend it from now on! We get to see a team become a family after loss and then persevere against a monstrous enemy... LIKE WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT??? If you want a solid sports anime with baseball and fighting then give Tribe Nine a watch. Decide on your own whether its a good show or not.

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 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