Tousouchuu: Great Mission

Run Protag-kun Run!

Based on a popular Japanese game show where contestants run away from things for money, Run For Money: The Great Mission had a fun premise going for it. Instead, what we got was another low-quality dystopian future anime about some guy living on the moon trying to save his sick little brother by entering Run For Money and winning the prize money so he can afford to pay for the medicine.

It is not devoid of fun, however. I enjoyed the voice acting, the Agent Smith androids chasing the contestants were fun, and there were some tense moments which I enjoyed, but, I mean, ... just look at the show. The art and backgrounds are not well animated making it extremely awkward to watch. Couple that with the unnecessarily basic story and quirky yet ultimately bland characters, and you've got an anime that's just kind of crappy. You might as well find and watch the actual game show it's based on.

This is a Toei Animation anime, and as we all know, it is morally and ethically okay to pirate the shit out of Toei Animation's catalogue of anime, but you might be better off finding something better to pirate that lives up to its premise and sticks the landing.

3/10 Wasted Potential.

From Chronus Inc comes a show based on the live action game from 2004. In a race against time, celebrity contestants try to outmaneuver black-clad hunters for a chance to win a cash prize. The future has the human race living on the moon but the rules of the game still apply. We follow a group of eccentric characters as they compete for the prize.

I enjoy the humor and skill set of the group of celebrity contestants as they work together or not to win the prize. The voice actors are all on point with good-natured banter while avoiding the hunters. The animation style is ... reminiscent of shows from the 1990's colorful and consistent, the CGI 2d and 3d blend in well for this style of show. There is a under current of life on the moon that is a slow burn for the reveal. I appreciate that there is no excessive bloody violence nor fan service in the show.

I recommend this show if you like straightforward action that is PG rated, or you are feeling nostalgic for shows from the 90's with a better budget for animation. Also a big fan of Racoon Dog Man he deserves his own series.