Reviews

With a show like this, comparisons to Attack on Titan are inevitable... and to be honest, it's hard to say they are unwarranted. There're certainly a lot of similarities here. There's the premise of the last bastions of humanity facing off against zombies with a twist (less of a twist here), there's the human-inhuman hybrids who are key to it all, there's the politics and squabbles amongst the humans, and there are steampunk aesthetics (though where AoT leans in a more European Renaissance direction, Kabaneri leans more late Tokugawa/early Meiji). They even come from the same studio, Wit, and Kabaneri similarly features a rousing soundtrack from Hiroyuki Sawano.

I say all this by way of confirming that the comparisons to Attack on Titan are well-earned and entirely reasonable. So how does it stack up?

Poorly.

Which isn't to say there isn't some good stuff in here. There certainly is. But sadly the narrative structure and pacing of the show is way off. There's easily enough material here for a 24-26 episode season, and whilst I have often defended shows from accusations of being too short at 12 or 13 episodes, that defence only applies when the show knows how much plot a 12 or 13 episode series needs. Kabaneri does not. The final two episodes cover an absurd amount of ground. I mean, from FMA:B's longest day, we know capital city finale arcs can be entertaining for quite a considerable episode count, but to see so many twists and turns play out in such a short time robs it all of its gravity. We've barely had just to process one state of affairs before an entirely new set have replaced them.

The characters are also a tad lacklustre and while Ikoma, our protagonist, certainly changes over the course of the show, his arc largely happens on autopilot and because the story demands it. It seldom feels authentic. A moment of self-doubt and self-pity in one episode is perfunctorily dismissed in the following seen with that character development box ticked.

The supporting cast aren't much better. Mumei, the secondary protagonist is there. She does things, nothing much changes for her character. She's good at killing things, but she's also incredibly naive. That said, she is a child so, I suppose naivety is par for the course. Lady Ayame is possibly the most subtly realised character with a reserved and understated but undeniable strength combined with an impressive well of decency. She doesn't get a whole lot to do, but at least she provides some contrast.

The main villain, whose name I won't mention as that is probably a spoiler given his late entry, is entirely unremarkable, but like with much of the show, I think given more time he could have been more deftly built up. His motivations and plans always seem a tad muddled and the transition he goes through happens entirely too suddenly. I think had he been made more sympathetic the whole affair would have been a great deal more engaging.

Overall I think this is a show that simply failed to live up to its potential. It wasn't bad as such, it just could have been a lot better. As it stands it doesn't really offer anything that Attack on Titan hasn't done much better.