Before delving deeper into the review, I just want to preface this and say that I am only going to review Part 2. I have zero intention of doing a full-on review of Part 1 and that’s mainly due to how poorly put together that half of the anime was. Part 1 felt so directionless and that can pretty much be attributed to having so many plotlines trying to intersect with one another, but there was no clear focus on what the first twelve episodes of the anime wanted to hone in on. The former half honestly just felt like the writers were just throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks, which in that case was the dynamic between 2B and 9S, along with introducing A2. On top of the very shoddy writing present in Part 1, those episodes were marred with production issues, which led to many delays in 2023. Although I wouldn’t bring up production issues in a review, I will here and that’s because whatever was going on behind the scenes was absolutely felt here. The Nier:Automata anime used many assets that were directly ripped from the game and did nothing to polish up on the 3D models used for many of the Flight Units, mechs, and other elements that employed the use of CGI for the show. Because these assets were directly imported from the game to the anime, they all looked really weird when mixed with the overall 2D environment of the show. It’s kind of awkward to see 2D 2B and 9S and then see poorly rendered 3D models of their game counterparts in their Flight Units while in a poorly rendered CGI fight scene with other mechs on-screen.
The reason why I went on that tangent about Part 1 is to set the stage as to why Part 2 works. Everything that made Part 1 a snooze to sit through was pretty much fixed here in the latter half of the anime; there’s finally a riveting narrative to keep me engaged, the CGI doesn’t look like bad PS3 graphics, the fights are really good, and the characters are actually interesting (for the most part). I was genuinely invested in what Part 2 had to offer, from the very well composed fight sequences to some interesting character development that really hammers home the bleak atmosphere of Nier:Automata.
First off, the writing in Part 2 is an astronomical improvement over Part 1. Not only is there real tension present in these episodes, but the stakes help form a narrative that is unforgiving to its core, which is how it should be. I don’t understand why both writers and audiences want their post-apocalyptic stories to play it safe with the plotlines when stories set in this type of narrative should be bleak and unpredictable. Nier:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 plays off of the very few narrative strengths of Part 1 and doubles down on it by showing us the full scale of the war on the machines and just how shitty the overall conflict is for both sides as well as how they affect our characters. Despite the main cast primarily consisting of androids, this series has shown us that they have personalities that can be expanded on, giving way for potentially good character arcs, and these sets of episodes do exactly that. Although 2B is a fan favorite, I honestly was captivated by A2 and her journey throughout these twelve episodes as she actually goes through a very interesting arc that expands both her character as well as 2B’s. It’s really weird how Part 1 lacked a lot of characterization for the characters we were to follow while saving all of that for Part 2 because I actually believe that if the earlier episodes did more to flesh out 2B and 9S, this anime would have been just a little bit better than it currently is. I would have preferred if 2B’s backstory was sporadically sprinkled throughout the entirety of the series as it would have, at least in my opinion, perfectly lined up with the current storyline thematically, almost in the same fashion that the Arrow TV show did for its earlier seasons.
Like I said, the characterization in Part 2 is a massive improvement on pretty much all aspects. I really like how some set pieces introduced in Part 1, like Pascal and their village, contributed a ton to the character development that A2 would go through, while still fleshing out 2B, despite her being long dead at this point in the story. The overall dire state that the main characters find themselves in further serves to flesh out and enrich the setting of Nier:Automata while delivering some fitting conclusions to any subplots left from Part 1. Both the Resistance and Pascal’s village are fleshed out and made into real characters instead of cardboard cutouts like in Part 1. These groups of side characters are given more than sufficient screen time to feel like actual characters which is important in the case of this show since giving these seemingly insignificant background characters room to be fleshed out does help with the various character dynamics between A2 and the many people she comes across in these episodes. When we first meet A2, she’s your typical stoic and socially removed character who on the surface probably only cracks badass one-liners and nothing else. However, once the show slows down a bit, we spend a lot of time with A2 learning about 2B’s past while interacting with the non-violent machines that populate Pascal’s village. What I really appreciate about these scenes has to be how subtle A2’s development is throughout these episodes. This show could have played it safe like most anime these days and just verbally spoon feed what A2 is thinking and feeling, but the interactions she has with Pascal, the villagers, and the Resistance all contribute to her growth, going from an honestly over-the-top typical stoic and moody character who hates all machines to someone who has quite a bit of nuance to their characterization.
The character writing is what really makes Part 2 a massive improvement over Part 1. In this heavily character-driven story, focusing on the characters themselves to progress the plot along forward is key to making a narrative like this work. Nothing in this half of the anime can progress further without the characters pushing the story forward, which makes sense since this is an adaptation of a game. On top of the improved writing, the overall visuals are a big step up. Although still not perfect, the CGI in Part 2 doesn’t look out of place when inserted in the 2D-dominated environment of this anime. There are a few fight sequences that are almost entirely made up of 3D models, and they actually don’t look like shit for once. I know that this anime was worked on by A-1 Pictures, but apparently the same production team that worked on 86 also worked on this anime, which at first seemed fitting, however I honestly couldn’t believe that going off of Part 1 alone. However, Part 2 does bring out some of that animation that made 86 criminally underrated with some beautiful cinematography and a competent blend between 2D and 3D animation. Although not as visually stunning as 86, Nier:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 is definitely very pleasing to look at.
Now, despite Nier:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 being an actual competent piece of TV, it’s still far from perfect. First off, 9S really drags this show quite a bit. I didn’t mind his character in Part 1 and I honestly prefer him in those episodes compared to here since he had an interesting dynamic with 2B, however 9S in Part 2 is just annoying. I get that he saw 2B die right in front of him, but his whole revenge-fueled plotline felt a bit too contrived at times since this comes in stark contrast to the 9S that we’ve been following so far up until that point. It honestly felt like A2 and 9S swapped character writing quality in that A2 started receiving a lot of depth to her while 9S just loses any and all nuance left to this character. The ending also felt just a tiny bit too rushed as well. I do like how bleak the last few episodes felt leading up to the finale as I thought all of the plot points were handled really well. I’m not a fan of every character being killed off because sometimes writers use that only as a form of shock value instead of a contributing factor for the narratives, however all of the deaths in this anime felt natural and properly paced. That said, all of that led to a somewhat anticlimactic ending. The final fight between A2 and 9S ended a bit abruptly and the epilogue felt a little too contrived due to how weirdly paced it was.
Overall, Nier:Automata Ver1.1a Part 2 really shocked me as to how good it was after a very boring and directionless Part 1. I honestly didn’t really have that strong of an intention to continue watching the anime and just do a playthrough of the game (which I will still do), but I’m glad I decided to pick it back up and catch myself up in time for Part 2 to air. Out of all the anime that aired during Summer 2024, this was one of the very few that I really enjoyed from this season and easily belongs on my Top 10 Anime of the Season list, which is really saying something because I honestly hated most of the anime that was being hyped up for this seasonal slate. Now, with that said, does this mean that Nier:Automata Ver1.1a is fully saved? Does this serve as a fitting alternative for the game? No and no. In order to experience Part 2, you need to sit through Part 1, and I wouldn’t blame you if you dropped this anime 3-5 episodes into the first half. The anime adaptation also lacks the insane depth and complexity that the game offers as well. If anything, I feel like this anime serves as a gateway for those who want to experience a miniscule fraction that the game offers; an appetizer before you get to the main dish. If you liked this anime, play the game. If you didn’t like this anime, I’d still say try the game out. The game is a real masterpiece and nothing this show has done will ever come close to that.
