Story 7/10
Akudama Drive can be best described as a Holywood blockbuster turned anime. A rag-tag group of criminals is forced into a job that pits the entire justice system against them. You have your typical lineup (The rider, the fighter, the scoundrel, the medic, the hacker, and the psycho) joined up by a woman who they call Swindler, an innocent pretending to be someone else to survive. The pace remains constant from episode to episode as they move on to completing the next part of their job, leading to action-heavy setpieces and some interpersonal drama sprinkled here and there. Like I said Holywood blockbuster. I wouldn't recommend expecting much else out of the story. You get what you pay for so to speak and there is little to no pretensions of being anything more than a fast-paced often dumb action series, which is why I think I love this so much. It takes itself just seriously enough so that high stake moments feel heavy, but is also self-aware of the kind of show it is and makes the best of it.
Art 8/10
The character designs here need a little introduction if you're familiar with Kodaka's popular Danganronpa series with Rui Komatasuzaki once again collaborating with him on this project. Everyone looks memorable with a lot of the classic flair we know and love but still feels distinct from any of the other works he's been a part of. The world design I would argue is the strongest aspect of the art here with some memorable cyberpunk setpieces and gorgeous backdrops. It all feels so familiar yet also fresh, making this alternate Japan a character in itself. The animation ranges from passable to great, stepping it up just at the right moments, and the editing/directing here just has this energy that I don't think I've seen in a lot of series.
Sound 8/10
The sound design is really solid some pretty unique SFX that again adds a lot of personality to the world. Everyone's voice performance (in JP at least) was fantastic, Megumi Ogata does an amazing job as Doctor, and Tomoyo Kurosawa kills it as Swindler, capturing the many changes she goes through as a character. The soundtrack is decent enough, nothing that I particularly come back to, however, both the Opening and Ending are honestly really great. I was not a fan of the opening at first but considering I've listened to it so many times on Spotify, I think it's safe to say it really grew on me.
Character 8/10
This is the strongest part of the series. (honestly the case for any Kodaka work) We have at the start some very tropey by the numbers characters that turn out to be so much more. Hoodlum for instance was the typical scoundrel type of character. Just kind of a very slimy guy but as he becomes close to certain characters we start to see a very genuine side to him that comes through at the end of his character arc. I won't say much more but I was surprised to say that he became one of my favorite characters in anime. Swindler, I mentioned, goes through many changes throughout the show and it was amazing to see such a blank slate character go through so many different phases that flesh her out as a person. I can happily say the character really peaks at the end of her arc and it was such a satisfying scene to see. Not to say every character was great of course. Hacker felt kind of one-dimensional and you can tell how badly they wanted us to like Courier but honestly, I just could not bring myself to care for him. To be fair he is meant to be a sort of faux protagonist, but considering he sticks around for as long as he does, I would have liked a little bit more to him than just being the brooding hero type.
Enjoyment 9/10
I am honestly really bad about keeping up with seasonal shows unless of course if I am watching them with friends, but usually, I forget about a show until it's over if I'm trying to watch it by myself... I did not miss a single week of this show. It was probably the thing I looked forward to the most every week during its run, it was just such an engaging show. It's a show that as soon as it starts it does not stop and some people might not like that. I recall trying to show it to a friend and him being sick of it after the first episode but it was just so refreshing to me for a show to have this kind of energy.
Overall 8/10
Akudama Drive is a satisfying watch. If you're cool with turning off your brain for a bit then you'll be in for a very fun ride that takes little to no breaks. I would only recommend avoiding it if you're not a fan of a million things being thrown in your face at once (which honestly that is completely understandable) Myself I found the show to be an insanely good time and I recommend at least giving the show a chance if you're looking for something fun to put on.
