May 12, 2016
FULL DISCLOSURE: Dropped at Episode 6 of 12.
Joker Game starts with great promise. It's first and second episode sets the stage for a season of a psychological thriller with spy action. However, we quickly jump into the story of another member... then another... and I stopped there for I fear that another will be after, and I fear that the enitire season will be devoted to introducing characters and having no "real" overarching story (other than they all belong to a spy organization).
Should any of this change, I will finish the season and update this review.
STORY: 5 of 10
As of episode 6, it seems as if
...
there will be no overarching story. Instead, Joker Game will explore each character in sequence and be more episodic. These individual stories are good, but it's not what the first two episodes promise.
ANIMATION: 5 of 10
The character designs begin to get a little weird around episode 4, and the action sequences don't seem to flow so well.
SOUND: 8 of 10
Solid soundtrack and VAs. No complaints here.
CHARACTERS: 6 of 10
We get to know each character individually (if what has occurred continues to occur). So why the low score? The opening episodes show these characters as a group… I'd rather they fulfill that promise and show us development in terms of group dynamics with flashbacks.
OVERALL: 6 of 10
Joker Game is fine and even enjoyable. It's substantive, and as an episodic series, it could work. However, that's not what it promises, and I just couldn't get over that. Baccano, a similar series, does a much better job of introducing individual characters and tying them into a larger picture.
If I had a guarantee that Joker Game was a 24 episode series and that it would attempt the same thing, I'd recommend it. As it stands, I'll pass.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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