Rating List:
Story 5/10: This is were Deadman Wonderland gets things a little wrong. The first episode drew me in with its interesting hook almost immediately, and I was extremely excited to watch the next episode afterwards. However after the first episode...everything started to go downhill. The story is quite honestly a bit of a mess, with enough plot holes to fit into a cruise liner. It's good when your watching it because there is action and awesome fight scenes. But when you sit down and think about it, things don't always add up. Now one thing that the story does gain a few points in would be originality. It was the original presentation of the situation as a whole that was so riveting and interesting.
Characters 8/10: The characters in Deadman Wonderland were actually rather impressive. Many of the characters were rather original and had interesting backgrounds and personalities. That is of course, with the exception of the main character Ganta Igarashi. Ganta is...well, a huge coward. There were many times during the series where he lacked any form of courage at all. Now, I will admit that the situation that Ganta is put into would probably terrify many people and drive many to the point of insanity. Perhaps I’m being a little harsh here, but there has to be some sort of limit to cowardice. Even though its understandable why Ganta turns out the way he does, it’s just not fun to watch a main lead that it always complains and crys. The other main character is Shiro, is rather peculiar. She really lightens up the mood when she is on screen because of her wacky personality, and she was quite fun to watch. She also has an air of mystery around her because of this. The side characters are the real stars of the show, and this is because many of them original and interesting.They all have their own motives and powers, many of the side characters are just completely insane, as well. One of the things that I really liked about the show were the interactions of a large group of the completely insane inmates trapped together in the completely insane prison. My main complaint about the shows side characters are that we really don't get enough of them. What I mean by that statement is that even though we are given many of the character’s backgrounds and many of the backstories and personalities are rather interesting; It feel as though my time with them is always cut too short. This is probably due to the fact that it's a 12 episode show, so it does not have enough time to flesh out all of its side characters. But it made is rather disappointed when the show introduces a new character with a really interesting personality and background, just to move on with the show.
Art 7/10: This is another one of the areas were Deadman Wonderland did a good job. One of the things that Deadman Wonderland does right is atmosphere. The art style itself is very dark and creepy, it really fits the mood of the show well. There is also a good amount of detail put into the backgrounds, which really got a good feeling for the insanity of the prison itself. Also the fight scenes are animated rather impressively. The animation flowed well, and there are some scenes that looked visually stunning. The show as a whole is very bloody and violent, and the art does not fail to represent the horrific things going on.
Sound 7/10: As I stated before, probably the best thing about Deadman Wonderland is the atmosphere of the show as a whole. The music at some points really does help set that eerie mood. The soundtrack has a lot of creepy, bass heavy music that can really add to the feeling and aspects of the show. In almost all instances the music only enhanced the show, and really did a good job fitting the show’s mood. Add to that the openings and endings that are simply incredible, and the soundtrack is very impressive overall.
Enjoyment 7/10: I have very mixed feelings when it comes to my enjoyment of the show. If you just turn off the inner critic within you and sit back and enjoy the show, then you will be pleased with the show. However, if you cannot simply sit back and experience the show, then the amount of plot holes will probably drive you insane. As for my personal enjoyment, I would have to say that it was decent. I could—for the most part—ignore the problems in the show. This is due to the fact that I loved the feeling that I had while I was watching the show, and would probably watch it again if given the chance.
