Terrorism is a difficult subject to talk about. There are a lot of factors in play that normal civilians don't understand. Besides these behind-the-scenes secrets, there are ulterior motives, dangerous decisions, and mass suffering. On top of all this, terrorism is universally associated with evil. However, Zankyou no Terror attempts to break this axiom by presenting a thrilling story that is just not properly executed.
STORY
Zankyou no Terror starts off seemingly typical, with our two leads, Nine and Twelve, transferring into a new school. However, what they begin to do is anything but ordinary.
ZnT is a thriller. As such, the story and journey are paramount to how well the show is perceived. Early on, Nine and Twelve's motives are shrouded in mystery and intrigue. There's a wonderful dynamic at play between them and the veteran detective Shibizaki that is commonly seen in many thriller shows. But what ZnT does different is that it portrays the Nine and Twelve as anti-heroes. You know what they are doing is wrong, but you know what they intend to accomplish is right. Most of the thrills come not from the actual terrorist acts themselves but rather in the way that Shibizaki attempts to figure out what Nine and Twelve have planned.
Shibizaki's epiphanies may come from fellow detectives or historical insight, but this is something that the show does nice as well. The riddles and connections that Nine and Twelve create are mostly factual. Meaning, the characters are not just making things up to move the story along. There is a line that connects the dots between their various acts. Shibizaki begins to realize this, in typical thriller fashion, but that is part of the fun, learning alongside him.
Along with the factual basis for their riddles, I found the explanations behind their terrorist acts to be nicely done as well. The show presents proper ideas and realism behind the things Nine and Twelve do, such as using TOR for online purchases or chemistry analysis on the type of bomb they used on a building. By being this realistic, the show makes itself even more "relatable." Or in other words, what they do could happen in real life.
The show maintains this high quality for the first half or so. However, it begins to lose its sense of realism with the introduction of a new character, called Five. Her actions and general power deviate the show from being this back and forth between Nine/Twelve and Shibizaki to all three of them going up against Five. This change in perspective shifts the focus away from Nine and Twelve achieving their goals towards this conflict with Five.
It isn't until the end of the series that the focus shifts back to what it originally was all about. The ending itself is both bittersweet and slightly underwhelming. The former comes from what actually happens in the shows final moments. I found it to fit narratively; I don't think it could have gone any other way. The latter is a problem that stems from Five's introduction and conflict. The shift in focus causes a shift in character importance as well. Since the show began to focus less on Nine and Twelve, the ending doesn't have as much of an impact on me as it should have.
ANIMATION
Frankly speaking, Zankyou no Terror's art and animation is spot on.
The art style heavily reminds me of a movie. The way everything is drawn, from the characters to the environments, seemed to look as if they were done by multiple studios, not just one. The show does a nice job of making you feel as if the characters are living within a city, with its bustling people, hard-at-work police stations, and detailed buildings.
Going back to its movie-like qualities, this is one of the first shows to make me feel as if it had camera choreography heavily looked at. A lot of the shots are either taken at interesting angles or are done in unique ways. One of the most prominent examples is when Lisa is running down the stairs in the building. The "camera" follows her from the front as she makes here way down. It gives not only a sense of urgency but also this great sense of creativity. The show does this a lot throughout the series, giving us beautiful shots, and I thank them for that.
The character designs are also nice. They remind me a lot of Samurai Champloo with their detailed looks and fluid movements. And while Five may not be the best character, her design as well is nicely done.
CHARACTERS
Zankyou no Terror is somewhat split down the middle when it comes to how good and bad its characters really are.
Let's start with the good. Nine and Twelve, as mentioned previously, are not truly bad guys, but are instead "anti-heroes." They aren't looking to kill but rather send a message. They have an interesting background that is explored slightly but in terms of actual characterization there isn't much to be had. Again, for a thriller, the characters don't necessarily have to be complex. So I think the show did a nice job of making us at least understand where they are coming from. While we may not deeply and truly care for them, as a viewer, I want to see them succeed.
The strongest character is by far Shibizaki. Acting as the "smart" detective, he knows that what the boys and the Americans are doing isn't what it fully seems from a first glance. He has his own problems that he deals with on a personal level, and is never afraid to ask others for help. That's the sign of a good detective; gathering intel from any and all sources. His fight against (and with) Nine/Twelve was interesting and provided him with his own sense of fulfillment.
On the weak side, we'll start with Five. Part of her problem was the way in which she acted. In the same vein as Nine and Twelve, we weren't really sure as to why she was doing the things she was doing. Was it some sort of revenge? Was she being controlled by somebody else? While the mystery behind Nine/Twelve drives the narrative, her background seemed to put on the brakes. Beyond her general mystique, her overwhelming sense of power, which I briefly mentioned, suspends belief too much in comparison to the rest of the show. She has mass control over cameras and can seemingly blow up anything she wishes. While she is warned periodically throughout the series, it never feels as if she doesn't have complete control over the situation. In hindsight, her character was probably an unnecessary addition that distracted the audience too much from the story the show was trying to tell.
Lastly, I would argue that it is not Five but Lisa who is the weakest character in the show. While she initially may seem to be undergoing change by interacting with Nine and Twelve, she was used simply as a plot device for the majority of the second half. We don't learn much about her other than her oppressive feelings both at home and at school. I would have liked to have seen her grow out of her shy shell but she was never really given such an opportunity. By the end, she was just a cute girl caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
SOUND
The OP is quite good. It has a whimsical nature about it that makes you feel as if you are floating on clouds. Its sense of mysteriousness also fits well with the backgrounds surrounding Five, Nine, and Twelve. The ED is very good. I am a big fan of melancholy, depressing, or dark pieces (my favorite being PMMM's ED). The ED helps to convey Lisa's sense of oppressiveness previously stated and her wish to break free or fly away from her current predicament.
The rest of the soundtrack is nicely done. It has tense pieces and beautiful ones that go nicely with the situations at hand.
For voice acting, Shunsuke Sakuya's performance of Shibizaki was well done. His voice fit the character very nicely.
ENJOYMENT
Zankyou no Terror is special because of its take on terrorism. Not many people would have the balls to use it as a vessel for good. But the show does just that.
One of the best parts from the show is its great use of symbolism. A memorable scene from the show is Lisa and Twelves escape on his motorcycle, demonstrating their escape not only from society but from the worries that trouble them so. Another pertinent example is the ferris wheel scene and everything it represents. There is also Nine and Twelves final act which allows Lisa to finally start over from scratch, or more simply it is "the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next." (credit to my friend /u/shibbitydobop, a reddit user, for this example and quote!)
The first half of the show is beautiful. The story telling, the music, and the art all come together to create this unique package that was destined to go down as an anime classic. But while Zankyou no Terror didn't reach that level, it is still a must watch for those who enjoy the medium.
SUMMARY
Story: Fine, starts strong, dips for a bit, and ends okay
Animation: Great, movie-like with great "camera work"
Characters: Fine, Nine, Twelve, and Shibizaki are good but Five and Lisa are bad
Sound: Great, fantastic OP, ED, and soundtrack
Enjoyment: Good, interesting concept with deeper meanings
Final Score: 7/10
