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Don't be fooled with the action sequence in the first episode. It's more into a slice-of-life based on a time-travelling aspect with some fighting scenes along the way.

Noein: to Your Other Self is a fairly older anime from 2005-2006. Directed by Kazuki Akane and made by often collab scriptwriter Hiroshi Oonogi, I realized certain elements from Akane’s and Oonogi’s Birdy the Mighty: Decode and The Vision of Escaflowne (that one only was done by Akane.) All have used a sci-fi/fantasy background, incorporating genre-bending along with multi-layering story lines as well a somewhat simple premise that slowly builds up. Many themes are quite similar, but its ... focus is quite different. In Noein’s case, it focuses a lot more on its sci-fi concepts compared to the other two.

** It’s a clean anime devoid of a lot fan-service; just expect some standard shounen violence and some disturbing disfigurement. I believe that I need to explain some of its concept of quantum mechanics or else many ideas will blow over your head, especially in the middle of the series. So please bear with me with spoiling the techno babble. The technobabble is strong in this one. **


Characters, Concept, Story-

The concept revolves around a multiverse theory filled with limitless possibilities and dimensions, but this anime limits to three main dimensions: one called Shangri-la, another called La’cryma, and one on present-day Earth in the port of Hakodate located in Japan. There are also jumps to other dimensions, having variations here and there along with some manipulations of space-time (e.g. stopping time and reconstructing matter or energy called Reizu.)

However, what unfortunately happens is that the anime doesn’t go leaps and bounds to fully explain this to an audience without prior knowledge of quantum mechanics. While that also means it doesn’t hold the viewer's hands, it means that much of its well thought-out ideas do not come to fruition.

** It's not entirely necessary to enjoy this anime. But it might help in clarifying Schrodinger's cat .**

With that being said about its multiverse theory, it basically means that in one hypothetical situation, you can forget you to take out the trash in one dimension, and in another almost identical one, you actually go outside and take out the trash. Considering all the different factors that make our universe, there will be endless combinations and possibilities of dimensions with you just trying taking out the trash. However rather than these dimensions simply being a hypothetical “what if,” its existence becomes more tangible and practical because of the observer’s perspective who validates its existence. An “observer” - like you, myself or somebody else, for example. So much of the outcome is derived on how and what the "observer" witness, but before that happens, the event just becomes an uncertain possibility (either the trash is out or not or some random thing). This is basically more on the lines of a variation of Schrödinger’s cat.

tl;dr: Observers affect the outcome by seeing it. Otherwise what they don't see beforehand, are the other potential possibilities that could be true. (That's as simple as I can describe it.)

Things become a bit more complicated when there are “observers” from different dimensions, but the “illusion” is or the hypothetical “what if,” would be more likely to be the one separated from their original dimension. That's why the Dragon Calvary need to attach long cables tethered to their original dimension or else they would disappear. They can't exist in Hakodate for too long because they are an "illusion" of that dimension and shouldn't exist in children's world in the first place. However, the same thing would happen is true if one of the kids go to La'cryma. That's why from the Dragon Calvary's perceptive, when they traveled to the other world, they often call Hakodate and the children (especially Haruka) the "illusion."

In the case of this show, the power of the Dragon Torque becomes the ultimate observer. Because of this, it’s quite OP and used for many deus ex machina as it can travel to other dimensions and affects the outcome of reality, but it’s limited due to Haruka’s character.

Rather than solely geared to be another fighting shounen as shown in the first couple episodes, it displaces the concepts towards more slice-of-life factors. It becomes a refreshing take on our events on our everyday lives, and how it reflects our actions and beliefs in transforming our future selves. Also, the multi-layered usage of children and adults becomes an interesting manner that’s not presented in many anime, having children going through normal societal issues, such as having parental problems, caring for friends, and going to cram school, while also having some action pack scenes and more life-or-death situations from the Dragon Calvary. In fact, it can be quite endearing or gripping at many moments.

However, because of a large cast, the story collapses from its main objective, (boiled down to capturing Haruka) going on with various tangents, and bogged by its confusing concepts (that I hoped clarified). Also, don’t expect the big bad villain to be seen behind the shadows because he’s mostly there at the end when it sort of loses its end-game pieces. But overall, it executes the intertwining storylines quite well (albeit over-ambitiously).


Art, Animation, Sound-

Done by the animation studio, Satelight, the art style has been consistently inconsistent. Certain fights appear surrealistic when time stops and are more similar to the Naruto vs Pain fight. The Dragon Calvary wear long cloaks for obvious reasons to be animated easier but character designs are a bit blobby and are off model quite often. However if aren’t the one bashing your head from Naruto’s animation, you can actually notice that the attention in the background- studied to resemble the real Hakodate. CGI isn’t too jarring and fits surprisingly well probably because of the eccentric art style. Also, you can see the weight to some of its chaotic movements and energy blasts.

Just be more open-minded to it, especially when fights and visuals are more in the lines of experimental.

As for the sound, it is quite well done. Certain OST composed by Nanase Hikaru (Itou Masumi) are hauntingly beautiful and orchestral at times while some are a bit whimsical. The opening and ending are more polyphonic and quite cheerful, unlike its unreleased opening track. Voice acting from Karasu and Yuu, done by Cripsin Freemen and Yuri Lowenthal, respectively, from the English track, are a bit hard to get used to comparing to Kazuya Nakai’s (Roronoa Zoro) and Takimoto Fujiko’s (Suguru Misato) take in the Japanese voices.

One thing to note: I always hear the Dragon Calvary’s movements sound like some high pitch vinyl scratches. It wasn’t irritating as I described it but really grew on me and something to take note.

Personal Enjoyment
8/10 first 6 eps (Very Good)
10/10 next 14 ep (Outstanding)
8/10 last 4 eps (Very Good)

I will say straight off the bat, this is one of my favorite anime and that my enjoyment has been rooted since I saw this on Ani-Mondays from the SyFy channel (when it was called the “Sci-fi” channel almost a decade ago.) However, I watched it a lot more recently and still enjoyed the mixed genres and great tonal usage. For me, it was not whimsically juvenile, but never staunchly adult and knows how to treat their characters with more respect compared to other anime. It's a refreshing take that I usually don't see quite often with some truly heart-warming moments that so many other shows tend to discard. While the beginning was quite hard to grasp and the ending a bit anti-climatic, in-between, it knew how to build up slowly with its content.

Btw, Tobi is a boy. Just need to point that out if you're looking at subs. In the dubbed version he's a girl.


Overall, a high 7/10 (Good)
Or a mid 8/10 (Very Good)

It's structurally flawed but wonderfully done.

Given pacing issues, somewhat messily presented concepts (such as those seahorses), and a fairly non-centralized story, I will have to objectively give it a 7. However, if those problems were easily overlooked (which they can be), it goes well into an 8 in my book for implementing much of its unique concepts and its great usage of genre-bending that I’ve seen from Akane and Oonogi. If you brush up a bit on Schrodinger's cat and appreciate the inner working efforts taken for this anime, I highly recommend this hidden gem.

Kemonozume is obviously not your typical anime. I knew what I was expecting from the director Masaaki Yuasa, known from his critically acclaimed works such as Kaiba, The Tatami Galaxy, Mind Game, and the most recent work of 2014 Ping Pong the Animation. The surrealistic art style, jarring enough to see the choppy yet dynamic movement, and the unconventional means of using a diverse set of characters to get the message across its audience would be also in Kemonozume. I was half right.

What I didn’t expect was the copious amounts of gore, sex, and nudity that were there. However, I did get used to ... it and the nudity was far from an erotic hentai and was more under the lines of unsettling due to its abstract art style.


**Pretty much spoiler-free. Be aware of the frequent uses of “T and A” and grotesque violence that’s usually there for every single episode and sometimes at the same time. Also, it doesn’t get lighter. In fact, it’s somewhat progressively worse, but you might get used to it and see the other things it has going. **


Characters, Concept, and Story-

The concept itself is far from original. Unwanted supernatural beings living and hiding in our society have been used (and will have been used), ranging from titans, hollows, ghouls, aliens, ghosts, demons, chiropterans, parasites, beastmen, walkers and other inhuman organisms. However what makes Kemonozume different from other monster exterminators is its focus. It manages to have a collection of motley tones and genres that when the action and gore are removed, Kemonozume holds water compared to those others that would come off empty. The elite hunters called the Kifuuken aren’t solely at a conquest for more power-ups and the monstrous Shokujinki aren’t superficially painted as the decisive villain. Also, the narrative is not a bleak melodrama as there are various insert comedic reliefs mainly for the monkey Saru and the beginning of some episodes. Yet it also has its placid moments and energetic romance.

With that being said, it’s quite difficult to separate the characters from the scripted plot. More akin to Baccano! it focuses on an eclectic cast of characters, done by granting them a moderate amount of screen time and contributions to the individually segmented, but somehow overall, cohesive plot. But the same, inseparable problems are still prevalent. Characters are blown up to extreme exaggerations often to offer a quirk or two: a pair of star-crossed lovers, a rival, a kick-ass monkey, a deranged megalomaniac, and a jealous partner. Problems within the narrative often make a large hop, skip, and a jump towards their objectives in the beginning such as when Yuka hopes to go to this certain place to [insert spoiler]. However, that may be a minor flaw because as it goes on, the crafty and nonlinear story starts connecting the dots by the viewer’s progression.


Art, Animation, and Sound-

By now, the art style is more towards Yuasa’s Ping Pong the animation rather than the more polish Kaiba and the Tatami Galaxy. Expect the jagged contours, asymmetrical figures, trippy color schemes and real images. However, despite its rough drawings, it’s far more dynamic than most cel animated shows. I would also mention the change in art style typically at the beginning of each episode, as the start of Ep 5 has one of the cleanest art styles. While I wouldn’t call the art at face value for just a bunch of scribbles, it’s quite fitting to it as a whole. But I can’t deny the clumsy movement of a person tied to a chair in one scene.

As I’ve said before, there are a lot of scenes of people making out, having sex, having innards spew out and having the grotesque figures of the Shokujinki. Overall, it does well to capture the horrific images and visceral actions. I could have also sworn that I’ve seen Yuka without clothes almost more often than not. It’s obviously something to take note.

In the sound department, it has a jazzy theme done by Katteni-Shiyagare and a calmer ending. But it really disappoints me that there really isn’t much music in the background and it’s usually jazz played during the action sequence. Meanwhile, voice acting is fun and exaggerated and the sound effects are fine.


Personal Enjoyment

6/10 Episode 1 & 2 (Fine)
7/10 First half(Good)
9/10 Latter part (Great)

It was an uncomfortable start when lacking prior knowledge of its content. Also, because of its jarring tone change I sometimes get whiplashed as I couldn’t pin what Kemonozume actually is, but soon see what it is trying to do. However, towards the end, it was a fun ride even if certain events were absurdly random and were just there to escalate the thrill.

Btw: Shortly after it finished, it just dawned on me what just happened towards the very last scene after the turbulent climax. I almost forgot a critical event and had a major epiphany.


Overall- low-mid 8/10 (Very Good)

As much I enjoyed Kemonozume, I can’t overlook the structural and technical issues with its possibly offensive content. It is definitely a diamond in the rough with several scratches here and there. However, the beauty of this gem would be its somewhat critical approach for its themes of our own reflection of our dark, primal instincts needed to satiate our idealized lust, greed, and strength. While very much extreme, it can also mainly be taken at face-value for its rollercoaster ride entertainment, chock full of a cornucopia of genres and style.

When it comes to an experimental anime like this, it’s quite difficult to give a conventional score. Even more so, Casshern Sins tends to polarize the audience into two groups: either calling it a work of art or being bored as hell by it.

Here’s a good test whether you may or may not like it.

Are you an anime fan one who:
A) Tolerates a continuously oppressively grim atmosphere and a snail-paced plot?
B) Forgives gaping plot holes for the sake of appreciating the heavy symbolism and existentialism?
C) Is fine with an acrobatic fist-fight for every single episode?
D) Doesn’t mind sparse dialogue, one-note and ... melodramatic characters, and numerous silent introspections?
E) All of the above

If you picked choice E, the chances are in your favor and you may like this style over substance anime.

**No Spoilers really. And I’ll be vague in the analysis as for the most part, you should be the one doing that. Keep in mind, that it can be a depressing anime. **


Concepts, Character, Story-

It doesn’t have much of a plot but has some unique and interesting concepts.

The first half starts episodically, featuring heavily on the surrounding bleak world. Our main protagonist, Casshern, wanders around the barren wasteland and sees how the various humans and robots react towards this post-apocalyptic event that he caused. Suffering from amnesia, he intends to find answers in his placement for this world. Meanwhile, the second half starts explaining the mysteries of what occurs. But it never gets fully resolved and makes gigantic jumps in the narrative. There were sudden shifts in characterization and in the end, becomes incredibly ambiguous.

As for the cast of characters, “naturally wooden” would be the best way to describe them.

The main quintet of Casshern, Lyuze, Ringo, Ouji and Friender appear one-note and simple to evaluate. Their dialogue is sparse, often calling each other’s name many times or simply staying silent the entire time in an artistic way. Also, Casshern may seem also too melodramatic at first, but very slowly develops because of the other characters. The antagonists and robots (if I can even call them antagonists) have simple motives but gets confusing as it changes pace in the second half and stumbles itself near the end.

Regardless of their flat characterization, they give out further meaning towards this post-apocalyptic world in a crucial, yet subtle way. However, for Casshern Sins, it becomes a double-edged sword as non-recurring secondary characters of each episode suffer from redundancy. There are no surprises from seeing what may occur to them (it’s quite predictable and repetitive), but taken upon further necessary examination, they provide some heavy symbolism that manages to be new in its own right episodically.

In all, it depicts a metaphorical setting that not many anime generally would take. There are lengths for ambiguity for it and different interpretations on what they may mean. However, most of the themes are rooted in existentialism and the meaning of life.
Granted, despite its slow pacing and episodic format, I had to binge watch this over the course of 3 days as I’ll end up forgetting the impact of the setting and atmosphere.

Sound and Art/Animation-

As for the OST, Kaoru Wada made it seem like a déjà vu for his InuYasha’s OST. Seriously, I could replace some of the tracks and it wouldn’t make much of a difference. However, it does well to bring out the bleak aspects of the atmosphere and manages to blend into the ambiance. The opening “Aoi Hana” by Color Bottle has a catchy sound that I like but doesn’t fit well overall.

On the other hand, “A Path” sung by Nami Miyahara has some pretty good English pronunciations (even more so with the English version by Caitlin Glass) and bears weight to the overall themes to the anime. It’s very emotionally moving, but it noticeably gets repeated a couple times, though.

Voice acting for both English and Japanese carry out their part when necessary and manages to project the character's angst for catharsis. One thing that I may have overlooked would be the sound effects. The visceral crunches of the iron clad robots and the most minor of movements such as rustling fabric embellish the complexion of its environment even when dialogue remains tacit. And there are occasions of a show-and-don't-tell presentation.

When it comes visually, it does well for it. It’s Madhouse what do you expect.

The brown rusting of the robots gives a good contrast to the azure sky. The details are quite beautiful to gaze especially since not much else is going on. The specks of dust and other particles splinter into the air on many occasions and it's very aesthetically pleasing especially with the flora that sometimes gets presented.

Childlike character designs are juxtaposed towards its more depressing background. The contours are bold and sleek but details are quite simple. The animation features very solid figures with hand-to-hand combat, although I can’t help but easily see the numerous repetitions of each scene. I distinctly remember certain fights and robots being re-used. Because of these repetitions, it makes it feel even more monotonous. It's a bit unique though as choreographed scenes quickly pan to the smaller details of the area rather than focusing on the characters, having that elegant flair.

While certainly not the most high-budgeted and most amazing animation, its presentation and style is what makes work well for the atmosphere and the anime as a whole.


Enjoyment- 9/10 (first 15 episodes)
7/10 (latter part)
5/10(ending)

What made me enjoy this anime would be its world. The pacing is intentionally slow and not hamfisted with details, allowing for some thought-provoking ideas on existentialism to leak through. It establishes that ambiance and truly makes it a post-apocalyptic world. Because of this, even if I found many scenes to be melodramatic and not relatable, it manages to get me emotionally that some other anime can’t pull off.

It takes the conventional heroism where the main character is OP, and there are continuous strings of fights for a sense of justice. However, it subverts it as the fights are never thrilling, mostly everyone (including the antagonists) are victims of the decaying society, and the meaning to continue to pursue a goal is grimly lost as one mindlessly wanders around the world, knowing that he is different and must be alone as he loses everyone around him.

Once it starts trying to unravel its mystery, my focus shifted towards that and I was expecting some sort of large revelation that would solve everything. But it doesn’t. Near the end, the pacing speeds up, makes a large shift in unresolved details, and fizzles out in the end.

If I would make an analogy, it’s kind of like Ouji’s dilapidated jeep. It works well slowly, but when it puts the pedal to the metal and makes a large U-turn, the rusted parts start crumbling away because of the Ruin. At least there is still some meaning for that ending.


Overall- a mid-high 7/10 (Good, not average)

The flaws are apparent such as its monotonous pacing and unrealistic characters. If taken at face-value, this anime will be a terrible chore. This anime is not the most accessible as it doesn’t cater the audience’s general accustomed tastes. However, its quality is mostly based on the eye of the beholder through individual experience and appreciation for analyzing. If read in-between the lines in its atmospheric presentation, it will be a unique experience that few ever dwell upon.

I was frankly disappointed with the untapped potential that could really make Zankyou no Terror a masterpiece. However, it took the route of a mystery/thriller and forgot to add a solid script, ruining much of its promise.

When I first saw this show, I never fell for hype behind this. Yeah I know... as a self-recluse introvert, I live in a cave and I don’t follow anime on a seasonal basis, but a friend recommended this to me after a long hiatus. I later found out about the director being Shinichiro Watanabe, the same one who made the classic Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and the ... fairly popular Kids on the Slope. Still, I wasn’t excited for it, but I certainly thought it was cool.

** Take this review with a heavy grain of salt when you don’t mind the negativity or want to see why some don’t like it. I do have some mild spoilers, but most of the time, the facts deal with the premise. I will notify if it really goes into a heavy spoiler. **


Story- 4/10

*Mild Spoilers*
Various buildings and infrastructure were destroyed by a pair of teenagers named Nine and Twelve. Their motives are yet unclear as they broadcast themselves as terrorists under the alias as Sphinx 1 & 2. Giving out riddles for each of their targets, they provoke the police as the gifted detective, Shibazaki Kenjirou, trails on them.

However, the two have a mysteriously troubled past and have brought a timid yet bullied high school girl name Lisa Mishima as their accomplice.

In an 11 episode series, I probably wouldn’t expect much of a plot as the first part of the series was rather formulaic. Our high school students plant a bomb, post a video about a mythological riddle on what appeared to be Youtube and Shibazaki gains a eureka moment to solve each passing puzzle. However, each riddle lacked relevance towards advancing the plot and further expounding the mysteries of the two characters. In another case, Oedipus Rex addresses a deeper meaning, but that was only towards the end.

In addition, the concept of destroying buildings without any casualties appears impractical, requiring a large suspension of disbelief- while technically, casualties also account the injured. Even if there are no deaths, people would lose jobs and the reparation costs would indirectly affect the citizen’s personal lives. It doesn’t have the realistic repercussions as it would appear to have and it makes a much more drastic event such as 9/11 seem watered-down and even harder to compare, aside from seeing an iconic tower get blown up.

9/11 is a sensitive and a complicated topic to discuss, filled with various motives and conflicting emotional reactions towards that event. People of different backgrounds have, to some extent, (whether ambiguously right or wrong) justifications for their beliefs. But I don’t see those same gray areas in ZnT. Now back on track. Nine and Twelve could have simply blown up abandoned buildings and it wouldn’t make much of a difference. Casualties and property damage would be even less likely (since no one’s there) and to a lesser extent, the attention would still be drawn out by the media.

The second half of the series appeared to throw out the realism with this anime as Five was ridiculously added. There were questionable actions when the FBI could have restrained her. Worst off, the story could have easily progressed without her. However, I’ll give credit when credit is due as ZnT ties most loose ends, but it pushes back most of its answers instead of giving a consistently sound structure overall.


Characters-4/10

Within the main cast of the high school adolescents of Nine, Twelve, Five, and Lisa Mishima as well as detective Shibazaki Kenjirou, it seemed a bit flat. Their characterization is done by the bare bones and their character development seems shaky.

Twelve is the brown haired jokester and serves as a foil to the more reserved Nine. However, outside their massive intelligence for software hacking, name memorizing, and grenade chucking, it’s somewhat difficult for me to describe the main characters (in a more negative fashion.) Their motives for terrorism have been pushed aside until the end when it was fairly simple, to begin with. Their past was flimsily expounded when it should have been used to really explain their current behaviors and beliefs. In addition, they lack interactions with other people (besides Lisa) that normally would shine their personalities from different perspectives and asserting its flaws and strengths. However, one may say that they lack in interactions as a part of who they are, but that maybe a crucial mistake when their cat-and-mouse chase with Shibazaki felt disjointed and rather alienated, even when their screen time are close to each other. I mean within the entire half of the series, there was not a direct confrontation between them and it was mostly behind the recorded (or live) electronic screen.

Regardless, possibly the most interesting character in the story would be Shibazaki. He provides a clear motive, based on a troubled past, to apprehend both Nine and Twelve. His habit of smoking helped compliment his overall personality and ambition. Though a minor detail, when he lights a cigarette in the no smoking zone of the police station, it suggests his ideals to follow a sense justice, not the formal law (you can see that applicable in the latter half). His background brought more historical relevance and topics that could be discussed further. Unfortunately, the progress has been stymied due to the monotonous riddles and Five.

Five may have been the most apparent “nail in the coffin” when it comes to ZnT. Her outlandish behavior requires a large amount of suspension of disbelief and it felt unnecessary to have her as part of the cast. I can say the same for the rest of the police who appeared fairly one dimensional.

On the other hand, Lisa could have been a better-utilized character, but the plot served her to be a klutz and a damsel in distress. It is a shame the over protective mother could have been an interesting avenue for some sort of development, but it is never presented properly.

[SPOILERS]
Hypothetically, Lisa’s father could have been a victim of terrorism. Her mother could have seen the news on what happened in the first episode (she never actually saw nor mentioned it) and this would give a better justification to be so overprotective and paranoid instead of a one-sided appeal that would weaken the strength of the analogy about the Japanese government's Prime minister and its surge of nationalism.

Lisa could have developed a distrust for Nine and Twelve based on her mother’s accusations, and yet also become conflicted to have the only people sensibly accept her be a pair of terrorists. Two sound sides would have its complexity and fair reasoning to develop her character as she slowly opens up to the two guys, learning that they haven’t committed any casualties and also bear that same experience of being ostracized.
[END SPOILER]

Art/Animation- 10/10

Simply put, this anime is gorgeous.

I have no qualms about this aspect and I can fully agree even to the fanatics of this show. The animation directing was fast-paced with slick animation presented on highly attentive detail for its art. The choreography was aesthetically well-done and body language projected differently from each character. There were various executed moments that studio MAPPA visually showed without being explicitly telling. I will praise it for that.
The color pallet and art style are different from your conventional anime, often utilizing more somber colors and realistic drawings. It is certainly highly budgeted, and for the most part, it is very consistent with its quality. There some goofs inevitably here and there, but I can't deduct points.

Now, the biggest downside to the art style would be that everything else doesn’t compliment to this kind of style. The outlandish events of the anime polarize the seemingly human presentation, making it more like a cinematic Hollywood spectacle with less sentimental value to it. Some may like it, but I personally don’t.


Sound- 9/10

The sound’s quality is parallel to the art. The opening, “Trigger,” sounds weirdly syncopated and doesn’t cleanly fall to people’s expectations that normally be within the beat. The same can be said with the some of the OST composed by Yoko Kanno. However, for the most part, they are fitting and of high quality for this anime. The main issues for sound for me were the jarring English voice acting for Five (however, the character itself was more questionable.) Fortunately, the dubbing amends that minor quibble.


Enjoyment- 4/10

Unfortunately, this is where my review follows more into an ugly subjective rant.

I came with the wrong mindset with this anime. I was expecting more realism on the aspects of terrorism, not some 11 episode thriller. It lacked the bite in dealing with terrorism, as the motives and target of the two characters should have been explicitly stated from the start to make me care more about the characters (especially when they are on a controversial position as terrorists.)

[SPOILERS]
There were many plot holes and illogical actions that really requires a large suspension of disbelief.

For example, the police normally do not solve literary mythology, but rather they should track down physical evidence and forensics. They should not follow the clues guided by the perpetrators, (to the point of making them incompetent) for the sake of making Nine and Twelve seem highly intelligent. Also video analysis from the aliases named Sphinx 1 & 2 should have identified the so-called terrorist to be fairly young and pale skinned; one with brown hair and the other with black hair. I mean they don’t even bother to cloak themselves. It is even to the point to make a safe assumption that they are high school students. The police could have done a background check on their alias as high school students and find the hidden bomb from the school locker. While I’m bringing this up, the point of being in high school for our protagonists was largely forgotten besides going to the Tokyo Metropolitan Governmental Office, reeling in Lisa (from the beginning) and stuffing the prototype bomb in the locker (near the end.)

There were problems that there wasn’t enough time to build character development in a series with only 11 episodes, but it exacerbated with that mystery because this show had numerous filler moments. Many of the episodic riddles could easily have been truncated and the events of Five seem shaky to even consider it as part of the plot. It really beat around the bush when it really didn’t have enough time for it.

Now, the point and theme of the story would possibly be the disconnection from the society. Those who are disconnected, they may share that common ground of separation and project their far cry towards the general norm with the hope that it will reach. However, the story lacks to address the majority who are connected with society. ZnT does not present that other side, in order to emphasize the stark contrast in the character’s isolation or at least give more meaning to it. Because of this, it really felt one sided and one noted.
[END SPOILERS]


Overall- mid 6/10 (Fair)

Its major shortcomings would simply be its presentation and focus. It's difficult to support a political statement going into the grey areas of polemic concern when a large part dealt with a thriller route. Well, thought-out characters struggle to have depth when a mystery covers them more often than not, while some of the most beautiful directed scenes in a TV series loses its value when character and plot are on the weaker end.

I do see some well executed moments on its lesser details and recommend it to those who prefer a highly fast paced crime-thriller. It certainly takes a step forward by presenting maturity and becomes a breath of fresh air in the anime medium that often features silly high school students riddled with goofy stereotypes (even though it doesn't hurt to like those anime.)

On the other hand, it does take a step back when it comes to dealing with the responsibilities of that maturity. It really disappoints me above everything else to see the wasted potential of fine directing and an intriguing topic when minor tweaks can greatly improve the glaring flaws. I will not recommend it to those who prefer a more concrete plot with character development and for those who would rather see terrorism be addressed more properly.

Having a somewhat lackluster ending from the prequel I’ve never expected the quality difference between the prequel and sequel of the anime. I’ve watched the OVA (the Cipher) before this sequel. I recommend you should too as it is a liaison between the two parts.

*I will note that this sequel is more violent than its prequel. There is a reason why it’s rated R while the other is P-13. It follows a more mature subject matter and there are decapitations and yanking limbs.*

However it’s not violence and edgy scenes is what makes a better sequel.

*I will also note that it is mostly spoiler-free and ... this is based on 5 as the mean instead of 7 in standard grading*.

Story- 8/10

The story doesn’t become a magical reset and begins a month after the events of the prequel. The dynamic duo of Birdy and Tsutomu now must hunt down escapees that came down to Earth who have ties to the consequences in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Natsumi Hayamiya and Tsutomu’s other friends decided to address those effects for the upcoming cultural festival in their school.

From then on, Birdy is the focus, unlike the prequel (which was Tsutomu). It explores her past with the various villains and people (Altans and aliens technically) that she reencounters. It has its share of geopolitics, slice of life moments, action, and drama. Fortunately, it often jumps scenarios and helps encompass its tones better as the comedy doesn’t hamper the following serious atmosphere. Anymore than that and it would be spoiler territory.

This is a much more focused story with better pacing and structure. It follows the same formula of a mystery from the prequel with bits and pieces that come together, but this time it helps flesh out a character. Though more linear (quite predictable actually) and not entirely complicated, it is well articulated and more detailed, making use of the world-building better than before. The ending resolves many of the asked questions in the prequel, but lends subplots and foreshadowing to be expounded for a third part (which unfortunately is never made).

I do have to say it may require a more myopic focus and a rewatch to help piece everything together for it to make much more sense and appreciate it. Things may appear superficially simple, but its execution is key.

Watching it casually or an episode weekly will probably keep you scratching your head or lose interest in this anime.

Characters- 9/10

As stated, Birdy becomes a highlight of the show and being the much more interesting character, the story becomes more character driven. It also brings up the persona, Shion Arita, and makes well use for its comedic purposes. Her childhood people are complex enough to have some depth and the various escapees as well as Tsutomu help colorize and develop her personality.

These escapees have enough screen time to have characterization and their interactions prevent them from being the “I’m an evil villain trope”. Each can have different enough personalities that help me distinguish the characters (though they’re hard to recall their names due to the short time span) without being one-sided as a whole. Best of all, the main antagonist is a much more complicated villain with better motives than the cardboard cut-out of Shyamalan. However, I can’t spoil anymore, but I can say that they explain why she is “Birdy the Berserker Killer.”

Unfortunately, Tsutomu loses most of his screen time, but he does have his fair share and he develops more maturity based on his experiences on the prequel. Irma and Capella have more comedic interactions. In addition, Muroto and Tsutomu’s friends while lacking in development; helps bring a different perspective of the world to make it more realistic and less about the melodrama or light-heartedness of the vantage point. I can say the same by bringing Megius and Skeletso to the story even if it is a minor one.

My biggest complaint would be some of the other characters. However, it could be a good thing that they dropped the weird cameo villain Gomez, (the blond dude with sun glasses) and the even bigger villain as well as Nechla (the space pontiff) as it can foreshadow another part and keeps the focus better to the set of character it mainly brings out.

Music- 9/10

The music is much more orchestral and helps build that engaging tension while having some more dramatic portions. At some points it reminds me of music similar to various blockbuster super-heroes movies and tragic drama. It has some cool rock music and the opening of it is a much more appealing J-pop sound. Overall it's quite well rounded in style made by Yugo Kanno (Psycho-Pass and Jojo's Bizzare Adventure Stardust Crusaders)... fitting for this anime. While I still do notice the repetition and a lack in memorability in music; however, it is much more emotionally moving and greatly captures the mood and atmosphere well when required.

Art/ Animation- 8/10

It’s either a LOVE/HATE kind of style

**By the style, I mean that of the low detail, yet hyper fluid rotoscoping it often uses. That form is outside of the cel animation and really puts off many people. I saw it very similar to the well-known Naruto vs. Pain fight animation and the fights of Noein: to your other self. Otherwise it looks similar to K-On, minus the moe elements.**

Various facial expressions may seem jarring and it appears to look like the expressionist painting, the Scream, along with the sketchy animation similar to TTGL which not everyone will appreciate. However, this shouldn’t be judged solely based on its appearance, but what it does with it.

Ep 7 and 12 are the episodes that follow this to the fullest of this aspect. Although Ep 7 has been fixed after the DVD release and cleaned it with more solid figures.

Now I should get back on track. Unfortunately, this show is starting to lose its budgeting. It was made well into the global recession of 2008 and the quality shows here (unlike the prequel.)

The fights are still very well choreographed and much more numerous than the prequel. Most fights are now bloody and don't last very long as it's usually more plot centered. Character designs are quite simple and the interactions are still very well made that provide some of the best body movements done with hand-to-hand combat. However, it's the art style that attempts to evoke the emotional aspects of catharsis.This would be a first priority and making it look badass as a second priority. In other words, you shouldn't be expecting dazzling polished spectacles, but rather, the dynamic, visceral conveyance of characters and their efforts (similar to Ping Pong the Animation.)

I wouldn’t call the art style lazy as it requires more movement and doesn’t have a lot of repeated frames (except with one scene with the walking motion in the hospital). It's quite different from other shows that have minimalistic movement, yet has some eye-candy detail, but I personally adore this animation style.

Enjoyment- 10/10

I’m quite surprised it surpassed my expectations, often maturing its story and become slowly well-rounded and well executed as each episode passed. It fixed the issues for me for a disjointed story and the violence was done with reasonable sense and defined motives (with some moral ambiguity) with never becoming too gratuitous for me.

It makes tighter use of characters and the genre-bending (not to be confused with gender-bending) that makes me appreciate the usage of children and adults to tell such a story in a fictional world with depth.

It's quite a shame not many would have seen this anime made by A-1 Pictures nor is this anime fully completed. Definitely a more underrated masterpiece that improve greatly compared to its prequel. Finishing it made me wish there were more episodes and more anime like it.

Without becoming an over-hyped fan boy, however, I can see why people may not like this show. The mix genres it has would make others have a mixed reaction towards their entertainment. Some would be really put off by the jarring art style or gruesome violence and others would not like the lack of central themes and linearity(although it is heavily nuanced) of the sequel.

Overall- a very high 8/10 (sorry I don't round up)

This is an exceptionally well-done show that I believe is much better than its prequel.

More avid fans would definitely like the more engaging story. It’s quite a shame that many would drop the prequel and not realizing the difference between the two.

I recommend it for those who prefer more on a story-focused anime with fight scenes only as a plot device (not the plot itself, unlike in most shounen anime.) Don't expect stylishly badass characters with the over the top rule-of-cool factors, as most of the time, this anime's strengths are the space opera in this setting and surprisingly human problems.

However, I still have to recommend you watch the prequel before in order to appreciate the latter, especially since the two are tied together and not a standalone 12 episode series.

Birdy the Mighty: Decode, as I’ll refer it to as, isn’t what I expected based on its cover. It’s a mixed-genre show with some fun action and entertainment. However, by no means is this a terrible show, but it is fairly above average and competently made.

* I will note that this is far from an ecchi anime. It's actually a reboot to the 90's 4 episode OVA.
* I will also note that this is based on a more objective 5 as the mean instead of 7 in standard grading.

Story- 5/10

Intergalactic criminals have opposed the Federation and snuck into the backwater planet called Earth. Now ... our bodacious female lead, the extra-terrestrial federal investigator Birdy Cephon tails down their track. However, an ordinary high school student named Tsutomu Senkawa was caught in the crossfire in the chase as Birdy smashes his body. In direct share of her fault, she loans her body for his conscious to live until they repair his body.

The idea of the body sharing of our two main characters, the male teenage student, Tsutomu Senkawa and Birdy Cephon Altera, is the main focus of the story. With their quirky interactions and squabbles, both attempt to balance their contrasting lifestyles; Birdy hunts down criminals that landed on Earth while our male protagonist continues to be a high school student in the midst of all things.

The format for the first part (first 6 episodes) initially follows a more episodic stand point in which it introduces a monster of the week and various characters to flesh out its universe. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really go anywhere nor does it well congeal together, making it seem disjointed and weirdly paced.

However, the second part (the latter part) of the story becomes a better story arc with Tsutomu and that follows more of a mystery story that slowly builds up to the show’s climax. It becomes much more focused on its characters and it has its moments, but it is fairly straight-forward and predictable with its ending. Also, the resolution to amend the problem is there, but it’s seemingly rushed with a minute worth of explanation.


Characters- 6/10

The main character definitely is Tsutomu. He is your average high school student who doesn’t act outrageously based on his adolescent mindset. However, he is a bit bland but it is certainly entertaining to see the platonic interactions between him and Birdy, making him more likable as a character and less cringe-worthy on its gender-bending premise (though I prefer it to call it an identity switching, similar to superheroes). He shines more in the second half but that would be spoiler territory.

Birdy is, however, the much better character. Despite her cheesecake appearance susceptible to loads of fan service, the nudity is toned down very much and helps complement her personality. Her Earthling persona as Shion Arita, the pin-up model, is a façade to her true self and her more serious attitude to chase the criminals. Her enjoyment in taking baths becomes an avenue for her to unwind after her job as it’s different from the regimented healing tubs she is accustomed. It’s a shame her secret identity doesn’t get further expounded or gets used.

The others are characterized quite decently such as Tuto, Hayamiya and many of Tsutomu’s friends, however, they lack proper screen time for them to be memorable. In addition, they aren't exactly relevant to the overall story which again makes them more of a hindrance at times than an asset. Unfortunately, Sayaka Nakasugi, one of Tsutomu’s friends, seems too dull and too stereotypical despite a lot of screen time. However, she isn’t as bad as the main antagonist who has more characterization from his parodied name than most of his clichéd dialogue.

Music-7/10

Overall, the music is fine and enjoyable to hear. It’s pretty well rounded with rock, piano, and sometimes with more funky and jazz sounds. It accompanies the show well, but they aren’t quite memorable and doesn't use its repertoire of music to the fullest. The biggest downside to it would be the repeated looping that I noticed within a 5 minute interval of the romantic piano music.

Animation/ Art-8/10

Either you like its style or not.

It’s one of the biggest highlights of the anime and has a great production value in 2008. The style provides thin contours and softer colors which makes it easier on the eyes and helps tone down the fan service it appears to carry.

Colors schemes of the blue moonlight and orange sunset are used a lot, often appealing landscapes and wonderfully used great lighting effects. The CG (or CGI) is implemented in the backgrounds that blend fairly well. However, the most noticeable use of CG would only be in Birdy’s ship, Lailalo, that appears on a few occasions and even then it isn't too jarring.

Character interactions rely less on the cel animation and often have characters move more dynamically than more traditional anime. However, some won’t like this style and prefer the smoother framing of animation with more vivid colors.

There are also some well-animated fights. The choreography is well done without panning elsewhere despite Birdy’s skimpy outfit. Heck, within one fight scene a female robot gets her clothes blown off for reasons to animate her easier rather than to titillate the audience. Unfortunately, the astounding kinetic motions are few and far between each other in the course of 13 episodes to really consider this a heavy action-oriented anime.

Enjoyment- 6/10 for the first six episodes, 7/10 for the latter episodes

I was fairly impressed with this series as it did entertain me for what it wasn’t. It’s definitely a light and enjoyable action anime with likable characters without the use of panty shots and groping that normally I would expect from the cover and its heavy focus on high school students. However, for what it is, it's just painfully generic for my taste and I had to slog through the first few episodes.

As I kept watching, I started to get impressed with the second part as there was a more definitive direction. It has some touching moments for me and I praise it for not gradually ruining my interest but to slowly build it up in expectations and continue improving.

Overall- a mid 6/10

It’s an anime that’s certainly well-rounded in genres and doesn’t necessarily do anything wrong. It has its fair share of comedy, romance, action, and slice-of-life and juggles it well. It, however, just doesn’t have that impressive WOW factor and plays it safe. It may even come off as fairly generic for more avid anime fans. But don't be fooled by my low score as it can still be great fun.

Fortunately, it does set up a solid premise near the end in which it helps compliment to the OVA (the Cipher) and the more engaging sequel (Birdy the Mighty: Decode 02).