Arknights: Prelude to Dawn

The discovery of a black crystalline mineral known as Originium has accelerated technological advancement in the world of Terra, with its high energy yield allowing people to demonstrate abilities akin to magic called Arts. Large veins of Originium can naturally be found at the sites of Catastrophes, various forms of natural disasters caused by the mineral itself.

However, the usage of Originium comes at a price, as there is a high risk of getting infected with Oripathy—an incurable and highly contagious disease. Because nations subject the infected to harsh discrimination, the oppressed begin a dissident movement. Calling themselves Reunion, the rebel faction mercilessly destroys cities, further contributing to the already calamitous nature of Catastrophes.

Rhodes Island, committed to treating the infected and uninfected as equals, is a paramilitary pharmaceutical organization believed to be the most advanced in its research for the Oripathy cure. Unfortunately, the person spearheading the project—an enigmatic figure known only as the Doctor—suffers from amnesia, effectively impeding what might be the only hope for the infected to break free from their chains of despair.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Amiya Main

Kurosawa, Tomoyo Japanese

Doctor Main

Kaida, Yuki Japanese

W Supporting

Taketatsu, Ayana Japanese

Texas Supporting

Tadokoro, Azusa Japanese

Exusiai Supporting

Iwami, Manaka Japanese

Kal'tsit Supporting

Hikasa, Youko Japanese

FrostNova Supporting

Takagaki, Ayahi Japanese

Ch'en Supporting

Ishigami, Shizuka Japanese

Talulah Supporting

Sakamoto, Maaya Japanese

Hoshiguma Supporting

Yasuno, Kiyono Japanese

Hata, Takehiro Producer

Watanabe, Yuuki Director, Sound Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation, 2nd Key Animation, Animation Director

Yokouchi, Kazuki Episode Director

Nakamura, Masashi Episode Director

Reviews

Dec 16, 2022

Mcsuper

Recommended

Game adaptations or game advertisement anime have always been a mixed bag. Whether it’s terrible plot writing, boring worlds, or obvious pandering, game adaptations always are met with skepticism. However, Arknights: Prelude to Dawn is an example of one done with passion and love for the source material. I haven’t played Arknights myself, but I would imagine many Arknights players would be satisfied with this adaptation and loved how their favourite characters came to life. Of course, that isn’t to say that the entire eight episode run was flawless, as I did find a few parts rather heavy on exposition and a bit boring, but ... overall, it was quite a treat to watch, and one of the better shows to come out this season, in my opinion.

STORY:

The story wasn’t particularly unique, as these types of dystopian stories with diseases ravaging the population isn’t anything new. We see these stories in Hollywood movies all the time. That said, the world in Arknights is decently built, with different organizations having different morals surrounding Oripathy, and the treatment of the Infected. It would have done even better with just a bit more exposition, but what we got was quite sufficient. Obviously, this part of the story was probably the weakest part of the game, if I was to venture a guess, and that makes me all the more excited for what’s to come, if there are future seasons in the works.

ART:

It has a very cinematic feel, especially at the start. It felt vastly different to the anime I was used to watching, but slowly eased its way back to a more “anime style”. I really enjoyed the backgrounds and some of the fight scenes, and I thought the overall production was quite solid. Props to Yostar Pictures for doing quite the phenomenal job here.

MUSIC:

The OP and ED are quite fitting for the show and its darker themes, and the soundtrack itself is decent, but the music doesn’t get overplayed that it covers the eerieness of some of the scenes.

CHARACTERS:

The overall setup of the characters and their respective organizations was good, and some of the characters do stand out quite a bit. Amiya is your typical protagonist that tries to keep peace between the organizations, the doctor is a very good leader in battle, not necessarily someone I’d see as a self-insert, especially with how he/she is portrayed.

ENJOYMENT:

My thoughts for this was pretty consistently positive, with just one episode that was a bit underwhelming. I enjoyed it for the most part for sure. The production was good, and the world building was quite intriguing to see.

THEMATIC EXECUTION:

The dark themes were actually done quite well, along with the whole idea of discriminating against the Infected, along with the moral ambiguity. You feel for each side to a certain extent, which was certainly the goal here.

OVERALL:

A solid job by Yostar Pictures, and an adaptation that inspires hope if there are indeed future seasons of this, which I would wholeheartedly want to see. It was a good starting point that has some interesting ideas going for it. I’d love to know how Arknights players thought of this, but even as someone who knew nothing about this game beforehand, I can definitely say that I’m intrigued now.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Dec 16, 2022

GG-WP

Mixed Feelings

Well-written

A game adaptation that stayed true to its source material. To the average person, this show may appear boring and will not pique their interest in the game. While to someone who plays Arknights, this show was a pretty good adaptation and overall an enjoyable ride, especially seeing their in-game waifus get the screentime they deserved.

As the title suggests, this season is simply introducing the audience to Rhodes Island and Terra's current state, problems, and so on. Unfortunately, since it is an introduction, it is bound to bore many people. But it serves its purpose admirably, hence the "Prelude to Dawn" in the title. In ... terms of execution, the chapters adapted by the show were boring to read in-game, so Arknights players may be surprised that the adaptation turned out well while remaining true to the source material. In that regard, the writers have done an outstanding job.

In terms of art, the backgrounds are well-made, with the architecture of Lungmen and Chernobog being unique. The art style for nonhuman objects is generally good, and the same face syndrome in character art isn't too bad, but it still exists. Doktah is my main source of dissatisfaction because its figure's stature is sometimes off and feels weird in the show, but the art is otherwise above average. In terms of animation, there is little action, so there isn't much to say, and nothing particularly noteworthy. But the few action scenes, especially Ace's, were pretty cool. Otherwise, the animation is mediocre. Still images are boring. Background characters are unchanging. Their decision to use CGI for Reunion soldiers is probably good for budgeting.

The OP is ok, nothing special, but the contrast between its calm atmosphere and the dark theme is pretty good and fits the mood of the show. The ED, in my opinion, is the superior of the two, and it, once again, matches the mood and vibe of the show. The accompanying art in the ED is also very pleasing to the eyes. In terms of sound, the VAs did an excellent job of portraying the characters they play. The viewers can tell who is who. When the VA speaks, their emotions and feelings are properly captured. Ch'en is an example of this, as her VA's voice acting perfectly portrays the character.

This show has elicited a wide range of reactions. One may or may not enjoy it. Those who play Arknights will undoubtedly have the edge in terms of investment and enjoyment of the show. Coming from someone who has no knowledge of Arknights, I'd say it was pretty boring, but it was still a good adaptation that stayed true to its lore. The show did well for its role as a crash course to the Arknights game. It is worth watching for those who want to learn more about Arknights' world. People looking for a one-time stop, on the other hand, would be disappointed since the chapters adapted are only a small part of the Reunion arc. It will take more than one season to complete.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Apr 18, 2023

aurora_aeterna

Not Recommended

tl;dr rating if you play arknights: 8 or 9 /10. rating if you don't play arknights: 5/10 at best

Surely this show's ratings are inflated by the fans of the game. I mean let's be honest. I play the game and while yes, the game has great story and yes, the game has great voice lines, the anime was without a doubt very slow paced and at times boring. It is practically word-for-word from the source material though so points for staying true there.

Like I mentioned above, if you don't play the game you will fall asleep watching this. The gravity of the scenes, the explanation ... for the world of Terra, the way the characters interact with each other; all of it would not make sense to a non-fan and the anime does little to try to explain any of it to people who are unfamiliar with the source material already. The pacing is molasses. The character development is also molasses. Both of which are real shames because the Arknights main story is actually quite interesting and at times thought-provoking and challenging. All of that was latent in here in the show, sent to background in favor of what felt like character showcases. I should also mention that Yostar/HG make great PV's and music but we didn't get much of that here. Some cool action sequences, a smattering of music, but it didn't shine.

It really hurts me to say it but I do not recommend this to anyone who didn't play the game. I would recommend the game though. So I guess you could come back to watch this after playing the game some? It is a good game...

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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