Firstly, I just wanna say, this show reminded me a lot of Cowboy Bebop. This may sound like a back-handed compliment but considering that’s arguably one of, if not my favorite anime, that’s one of the highest praises I can give it.
I sound like a broken record at this point but yet again, the world this anime has created is so immersive. This is more akin to Cowboy Bebop rather than Hell’s Paradise where it feels more real and tangible than fantastical (I don’t prefer one over the other, both can be good or bad). It feels like an eastern adaptation of Orwellian novels like Animal Farm and 1984 and similar to those novels the world portrayed is both captivating as it is horrifying. It’s ironic to see that world that claims to be perfect and just we see some of the most horrific crimes committed. This show does a really good job handling the crimes presented there, thankfully they aren’t just pure shock value there’s just the right level of nuance, horror, and empathy in each of the crimes. I genuinely was disgusted and shocked by the crimes that took place and I found myself feeling empathy for the victims and in some cases the murderers such as the victim of bullying becomes the monster his coworkers labeled him as.
As the series went on, ideas of morality and justice hooked me in. How should criminals be treated? Are they redeemable? What is a fair world? Is order more important than justice? All of these questions have so much nuance and complexity to them and just every time you think you have an idea of what’s right, the show will throw a criminal at you that breaks that perception. Maybe the world needs a system like Sibyl to keep in order or maybe the free will is what makes life worth living. I mean a system designed to protect people let a woman get beaten to death in the street while calling her crazy but yet again once given the ability to bypass the scans, the whole world went to shit with riots and crime everywhere. There’s so many more interesting plot points that I would love to list as an example but there’s just too many. I love stories like this, stories that really make you think about what you’re watching.
Can’t forget the amazing characters. Each one of these characters all have their own perspectives and motivations behind what they’re doing. Their dynamic as a team was so good because they are all so different on their viewpoints on the world. Really my only complaint is I wish we just got more development from the side characters (particularly Kagari and Kunizuka). On the surface all of them are so interesting and I felt like would’ve added more to the show with their presence. Still I’m glad with what we did get. Still for what it may lack with those two it more than makes up for with Akane, Kougami, Ginoza, and Masaoka. I know for a fact these characters will be engrained into my memory as some of the best characters in anime. They feel real, tangible and change from beginning to end and are sympathetic too, even if I find myself disagreeing with their methods.
Similarly, Makishima is one of the best villains I’ve seen in anime. His dynamic with Kougami reminds me of some of the best dynamics in comic books such as Spider-Man and The Green Goblin, Batman and The Joker, The Flash and The Reverse Flash. These two are on two opposing forces yet have a deep intimate understanding of one another. Just because a villain is irredeemable or evil, doesn’t mean they can’t be complex. Like the main cast he has his own unique view of justice and morality and wants to make the world a better place for all, just not in the way everyone else wants to.
I honestly wish I could put into words more things I like about this show but all I can really say is just go watch yourself. Sometimes the best media just speaks to you.
Right now I have this marked as a 9 but with time I see myself marking this as a 10. Really, really good show.
