The production here is truly next level, easily the best produced trigger anime overall. you can tell they really came into their form here with how everything functions. from the CG implemented backgrounds, visual effects and newer CG composites, it all feels well balanced and properly placed (the animation isn't their peak, but the production is). The voice acting is great, both sub and dub, plus they got Giancarlo Esposito to voice a character for the dub, which is why I decided to watch that over the sub this time. the music is amazing, pulling straight from the cyberpunk soundtrack, which makes it feel substantially different compared to other anime in that respect. and the fact that the intro is a Franz Ferdinand song. The character design is amazing as always with trigger, but I feel like they really stepped it up with the harsh lighting this time. The R+ rating with trigger just works wonders for their imagination. Watching the action scenes be as gory as possible was just a breath of fresh air for me, in terms of anime. I really hope they get more leeway to do this kind of stuff again. And lastly, the backgrounds are amazing, As always.
So, even though the production on every front is phenomenal, where does it falter?
The writing. for a good chunk of time, you (or at least I) have no clue what the fuck is happening. things just wiz by and you are just supposed to roll with it, and this is especially hard because they use 30 different made up slang words every sentence that you just have to pick up on, eventually. characters are introduced, and are elaborated upon for an entire episode until their death. how am I supposed to care about a character that died when I knew them for a full 3 episodes? most of the characters are shallow and serve virtually no purpose other than for David to care that they died, and for him to use that as a motivator. Lucy is...weird. I don't really know what I'm supposed to think? She's introduced as this mystery chick who David ultimately falls for, but the second he shows up at her house she just manipulates him so they can get his tech? and the only reason he lived is because he just happens to be able to use said tech better than anyone? Like, am I even supposed to like her? eventually she falls so madly in love with David for virtually no reason other than he said he would take her to the moon with him. Like, I expected a bit more to their relationship than a simple shared conversation, considering they are just so in love with each other. I mean, they literally become insuperable in ONE EPISODE. And I know the show is supposed to be fast, but can I at least be given enough time to give a shit? or at least make sense of it? and I wish Lucy's obsession with David was elaborated upon at all. because everything I just listed is everything the show gives you. and then, to add to the "am I even supposed to like her?" pile, we find out that she expunged his data from the registry so a, and kills every single person who tries to get close to it. And apparently (at least according to faraday), she intended for maim to die? just because? so she's so obsessed to the point that she becomes a psychopathic murderer just to have him all to herself. so much so that her actions inadvertently become a point of his anguish (which she never even considers, despite David saying "I'm doing this for maim" over and over again). and I wouldn't have a problem with any of this if she was seen as a bad person for it. like, actually facing repercussions for her actions. But no, she is the only one who lives and David sees her as the pinnacle of his life forever, into the afterlife. I guess she is facing repercussion by by being sad that she's the only one left alive, though. And David follows a similar path in terms of his character progression, too. Such as the fact that anything he did wrong was completely expunged and ignored in the last 2 episodes. Even the “Cyber psycho” thing that was supposed to kill him, instead just doesn't happen. Rebecca is fine because she doesn't really do anything wrong, she just kinda shoots stuff and that's her whole character. but its fun and the show knows it supposed to be stupid fun and doesn't take it seriously, so its fine. On that note, all of the action scenes are awesome, and I love when the story feels like it's just building them up sometimes. Especially the car chase in the last episode.
All in all it was a fun watch. if the story was more of a focal point more often i would have disliked it more, but it wasn't so I didn't. So I'll keep it at a 7 for now just because I enjoyed it pretty thoroughly (until I fully reflect and drop it to a 6, or something). And, lastly, I have to say that Hiroyuki Imaishi is easily the horniest director out of any anime directors. And I knew this, but it was just reinforced by the fact that there were boobs on screen at any possible chance. I mean, even David and Lucy were just permanently naked in their home, just because Imashi needed more boob screen time (not that I'm complaining, just observing).
