Inuyashiki tried to be mature, but it's just silly fun
After Gantz, Hiroya Oku, tried again. The work with which he returned was Inuyashiki. The adaptation to the anime, despite an at least intriguing beginning, has once again been a disappointment.
You can not blame this on the mangaka, after all his work has a duration of 10 volumes, more than enough time to develop his concept. But the adaptation, of only 11 episodes, looks hasty and consequently thematically ineffective.
I mentioned in my first impressions that the idea had potential. How do two different people react to acquiring superpowers? Or to be converted into superpowerful cyborgs in any case. However, seen the 11 episodes I can not help but think that once again a work by the author confuses the trees with a forest.
Inuyashiki promises to be a profound work and analysis of human nature but never becomes in that completely. It is designed so that we feel embarrassed by the behavior of everyone, except its protagonist. This is made to make us believe that the intrinsic goodness of Ichiro Inuyashiki is enough to change the world, but in that case, why make his family so obnoxious at first?
In the end we see them as a reconciled family, but those changes of attitude are too sudden and do not feel like moments that history has earned. As for its tone, the work also suffers many problems. At times it is almost hilarious because of the circumstances of the premature old man, but then it becomes cruel and ruthless at caricature levels when it is Hiro Shishigami who appears on the screen.
On the one hand the story tries to be a story about morality, but on the other it resorts to scenes of bad taste and murders even of children, with the clear intention of causing an impact on the spectator. Even in its two protagonists the dichotomy of its characters and sense of morality is totally opposite to a point that is exaggerated. While Ichiro's life has given him the worst possible hand, Hiro has all the cards. One is older, weaker and sicker than he should be and yet he is inclined to do good. The other is young, attractive and with potential and to his new power acts as a sociopath.
I'm not saying that this is not possible, it's just that the characters lack nuances. At least credible nuances, if we consider the conclusion of one of them. I am inclined to think that the fault lies with the adaptation, for not making an adequate transition in the case of Shishigami or the Inuyashiki family. But I would not be surprised if Oku had fallen back into the vices of Gantz.
Technically it is passable
If we say the bad, we have to say the good. And it is that Inuyashiki, although it has a serious problem of tone in its history and of brazen haste, is technically passable. The anime was in charge of MAPPA, a fairly young studio that has already given us series like Yuri !!! On Ice and Zankyou no Terror. This is a step back in the technical, but it is visible. No more
Its directors, Keiichi Satou and Shuhei Yabuta, have a not inconsiderable curriculum and that experience is not noticed in this series. Hiroshi Seko, scriptwriter of the series, worked in Shingeki no Kyojin and Kill la Kill, but here, perhaps forced by the short duration of the series, it made a script with many lagoons.
As for the animation, a fusion of traditional animation and computer graphics was used, which can be a bit shocking. It's nothing new in Oku's works, since he uses computers a lot to draw superrealistic backgrounds in manga. It could be compared with what is seen in the new Berserk, but the truth is that it is better done. Although still strange.
As for the design of characters, once again, this is a work by the creator of Gantz. Consequently, it is much more realistic. No huge eyes or exaggerated expressions. His style, from Gantz, is more naturalistic than usual in the anime. The same applies to its color palette, which is much more muted than the industry norm.
The opening and ending themes are excellent. In fact My Hero by Man with a Mission was on my list of candidates for best entry theme of the year. The ending, Ai wo Oshiete Kureta Kimi e by Qaijff, focuses more on the relationship between Hiro and Shion, with a more melancholic tone that works.
Inuyashiki is decent entertainment
In conclusion, this is a series that promised much more than what it gave us. Despite the potential of the idea, the script and tone problems are so marked that they affect the experience. The technical section is acceptable and in some scenes, it comes to shine. However, with its entertaining premise and fast pace, it is hard to say that Inuyashiki is not enjoyable.
If we see the series without major aspirations, in fact it can be quite entertaining. However, I must insist that the experience is at best mediocre. We could say that it is a good bad series, if that makes sense. That is to say, it will never be a jewel and its faults are too big to give it a good grade, but as entertainment, it complies.
Personal rating:
5.5/10
