3 more reviews

1. ›Review: Akudama Drive | The Cyberpunk Dystopia Where Chaos and Justice Merge [ENG-ESP]@jessuses1381522d

   Greetings, and welcome to all, anime lovers! 💗

   Saludos, y bienvenidos a todos, amantes del anime! 💗

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   Hello to all anime fans... dear community of The Anime Realm, I hope you are doing great today, this time, I want to share with you all a new review, this time I want to talk about the anime Akudama Drive! A series that I feel deserves much more recognition than it has... it's that kind of story that fills you with adrenaline, and although at first I didn't expect much about this story, but I ended up loving it... this anime is brought to us by Pierrot studio, and let's be honest, its story is a bit uneven, to say the least, plus the anime connoisseurs will know that this studio is known for its unpolished works... let's say it's not the best studio, nor one of the ones that provide the best animations... but wow, this anime came in with a bang, and it left me completely impressed.
   I think it has the ability to make many viewers connect with its characters and its setting... let me tell you a little about the premise: we get into a futuristic and utopian Japan, divided between Kansai and Kanto, after a devastating war, Kansai tries to maintain its appearance as a supposed utopia, but deep down, this city is the center of crime, thanks to these crazy criminals, called Akudama, they are basically the walking chaos.. with abilities that would make any action hero come up short, the story begins with an ordinary girl, just another ordinary citizen, who finds herself trapped in a strange group full of Akudama. What begins as a desperate attempt to survive, turns into a series of increasingly intense missions, which redefine the concept of explosive situations... no doubt, it may surprise more than one.

   Hola a todos fanáticos del anime.. querida comunidad de The Anime Realm, espero que estén súper bien el día de hoy, en esta ocasión, quiero compartir con todos ustedes una nueva reseña, esta vez habla del anime Akudama Drive! Una serie que siento que merece mucho más reconocimiento del que tiene.. es ese tipo de historia que te llenan de adrenalina, y aunque al principio no esperaba mucho al respecto de esta historia, pero terminó encantándome.. este anime es traído a nosotros por el estudio Pierrot, y seamos sinceros, su historia es algo irregular, por decirlo suavemente, además los conocedores del anime sabrán que esté estudio es conocido por sus trabajos sin mucho pulir.. digamos que no es el mejor estudio, ni uno de los que brindan las mejores animaciones.. pero vaya, este anime llegó pisando muy fuerte, y me dejó completamente impresionado.
   Creo que tiene la capacidad de hacer que muchos de los espectadores conecten con sus personajes y con su ambientación.. les voy a contar un poco sobre la premisa: nos adentramos en un Japón futurista y utópico, dividido entre Kansai y Kanto, después de una guerra sumamente devastadora, Kansai intenta mantener su apariencia como una supuesta utopía, pero en el fondo, esta ciudad es el centro del crimen, gracias a estos criminales locos, llamados Akudama, son básicamente el caos andante.. cuentan con habilidades que harían que cualquier héroe de acción se quede corto, la historia comienza con una chica común y corriente, simplemente una ciudadana más del montón, que se ve atrapada en un grupo extraño lleno de Akudama. Lo que empieza como un intento desesperado por sobrevivir, se convierte en una serie de misiones cada vez más intensas, que redefinen el concepto de situaciones explosivas.. sin duda, podrá sorprender a más de uno.

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   I personally when I heard that the guy behind Danganronpa was behind this series I was intrigued and it was one of the reasons why I decided to watch it... even when later Pierrot's name appeared and my enthusiasm plummeted a little, as I was saying, it's a studio that has had questionable productions, but from the first episode it's clear that they brought their best version here. The animation on this occasion seems extremely elegant to me, the character designs are stunning and the cyberpunk aesthetics are perfect.. the streets are full of neon lights, many dark alleys, and everything is within a gloomy atmosphere that makes Kansai feel alive and oppressive at the same time.. it's like entering a mix of Blade Runner and Pulp Fiction, but with the distinctive touch that characterizes anime productions.
   One of the things that can really hook many people is how the show mixes different genres, this is a series that presents you with action, sci-fi, with cyberpunk touches, drama, gore and even a very good comedy... it's all there mixed together and somehow it works very well. One minute you can be laughing at a very ridiculous joke and the next I was on the edge of my seat during a very intense fight or even shedding a tear or two during an emotional moment... that mix of tones keeps you on your toes and makes the whole experience feel fresh and above all unpredictable.
   And wow, the plot twists are not only surprising, but they are the kind that make you rethink everything, it's very interesting because it's a world that has a lot of potential and somehow I feel they explored it the best they could. Sure, the story may seem simple at first... a heist here, a betrayal there, a gang brawl on the other side... but even though it may not seem like it, there is some depth hidden under all the surface territorial action, it's a series that has to question morality, loyalty and what it means to really be a human... in the end you'll be asking yourself, who are the real villains here?

   Yo personalmente cuando escuché que el tipo detrás de Danganronpa estaba detrás de esta serie me intrigó y fue una de las razones por las cuales decidí verla.. incluso cuando luego apareció el nombre de Pierrot y mi entusiasmo se desplomó un poco, como les decía, es un estudio que ha tenido producciones cuestionables, pero desde el primer episodio deja claro que trajeron su mejor versión aquí. La animación en esta ocasión me parece sumamente elegante, los diseños de los personajes son impactantes y la estética cyberpunk es perfecta.. las calles están llenas de luces de neón, muchos callejones oscuros, y todo está dentro de una atmósfera sombría que hace que Kansai se sienta vivo y opresivo al mismo tiempo.. es como entrar en una mezcla de Blade Runner y Pulp Fiction, pero con el toque distintivo que caracteriza a las producciones de anime.
   Una de las cosas que realmente pueden enganchar a muchas personas es como el programa mezcla distintos géneros, esta es una serie que te presenta acción, ciencia ficción, con toques cyberpunk, drama, gore e incluso una muy buena comedia.. todo está ahí mezclado y de alguna manera funciona muy bien. Un minuto puedes estar riéndote con un chiste muy ridículo y el siguiente yo estaba al borde del asiento durante una pelea muy intensa o incluso derramando una que otra lágrima en un momento emotivo.. esa mezcla de tonos te mantiene alerta y hace que toda la experiencia se sienta fresca y sobre todo impredecible.
   Y wow, los giros de trama no son solo sorprendentes, sino que son del tipo que te hace replantearte todo, es muy interesante porque es un mundo que tiene mucho potencial y de alguna manera siento que lo exploraron lo mejor que pudieron. Claro, la historia puede parecer sencilla al principio.. un atraco aquí, una traición allá, una riña entre pandillas por el otro lado.. pero aunque no lo parezca, hay cierta profundidad oculta bajo toda la superficie de acción territorial, es una serie que tiene que cuestionar la moralidad, la lealtad y qué significa el ser realmente un humano.. sl final te estarás preguntando, ¿quiénes son los verdaderos villanos aquí?

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   Now, I will admit that logic is not the strongest point of this anime.. there are moments where you think: Wait, what? How does this make sense? Some situations are downright ridiculous and ironic, and the villains, while intimidating, don't have much depth.. they're more like obstacles than fully developed characters, but.. honestly I didn't mind too much, the sheer entertainment value and emotional weight of the story make up for some of the aforementioned flaws. And just talking about emotions, this anime hits you very directly in the heart.. there are scenes that will make you cheer, cry, and maybe even scream at the screen, without revealing too much to avoid spoilers, let's just say it's that kind of series that doesn't shy away from tough decisions and sacrifices...
   The ending, well, it's one of those that can divide many opinions.. I found it visually stunning, no doubt, but I feel it might leave you a bit unsatisfied, for me personally it was bittersweet.. It's a strange mix of awe and frustration, but hey, isn't that what great art is supposed to do? Make you feel a lot of things... I must admit it really does. Another thing I loved was how the series provokes some important reflections on our society and above all presents us with a lot of things related to the human condition.. and it does so in a way that doesn't feel preachy at all. But at the same time it raises questions about control, freedom and the cost that has to be paid to maintain order.. the Kansai dystopia raises a lot of questions and feels disturbingly righteous, I feel like it's something that if we get too careless as a society could come to pass.. on the other hand, I found the Akudama's rebellion against the system extremely exciting.. it has that characteristic dystopian rebellion against the more powerful feel that I always quite like.

   Ahora, admitiré que la lógica no es el punto más fuerte de este anime.. hay momentos en los que piensas: Espera, ¿qué? ¿Cómo tiene sentido esto? Algunas situaciones son francamente ridículas e irónicas, y los villanos, aunque intimidantes, no tienen mucha profundidad.. son más como obstáculos que personajes completamente desarrollados, pero.. honestamente no me importó mucho, el puro valor de entretenimiento y el peso emocional de la historia compensan algunos de los fallos antes mencionados. Y justamente hablando de emociones, este anime te golpea muy directamente en el corazón.. hay escenas que te harán animar, llorar, y tal vez incluso gritarle a la pantalla, sin revelar demasiado para evitar spoilers, digamos que es de ese tipo de series que no evitan las decisiones difíciles y los sacrificios..
   El final, bueno, es uno de esos que puede dividir muchas opiniones.. me pareció visualmente impresionante, sin duda, pero siento que a ustedes podría dejarlos un poco insatisfechos, para mí personalmente fue agridulce.. Es una mezcla extraña de asombro y frustración, pero oye, ¿no es eso lo que el gran arte se supone que debe hacer? Hacerte sentir muchas cosas.. debo admitir que realmente lo hace. Otra cosa que amé fue como la serie provoca algunas reflexiones importantes sobre nuestra sociedad y sobre todo nos presenta muchas cosas relacionadas a la condición humana.. y lo hace de una manera que no se siente para nada sermoneante. Pero a la vez plantea preguntas sobre el control, la libertad y el costo que hay que pagar para mantener el orden.. la distopía de Kansai plantea muchas preguntas y se siente inquietantemente justa, siento que es algo que si nos descuidamos mucho como sociedad podría llegar a ocurrir.. por otro lado, la rebelión de los Akudama contra el sistema me pareció sumamente emocionante.. tiene esa característica sensación de rebelión distópica contra los más poderosos que siempre me gusta bastante.

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   Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you about the characters... each Akudama seemed interesting to me, they are exaggerated in the best possible way... we have from the cold and calculating messenger to the unhinged doctor... they are all memorable in their own way, even the main character, who at the beginning seems somewhat random and boring, ends up winning your affection as the story progresses... her evolution is one of the highlights this series has, and at the end you can't help but root for her and want her to achieve her goals. The soundtrack also seemed excellent to me, and I think it deserves a special mention... the opening, is a resounding success that sets the tone perfectly, and the ending has a cheerful atmosphere that contrasts surprisingly with the much darker moments of this whole series, it's good when they put love to the soundtrack as it shows that they are offering a quality product. This is very noticeable at the time of the action scenes and battles, because the music greatly enhances the tension and drama... I never felt it excessive, as I have on some other occasions, here, every song, every sound effect, is perfectly accompanied by a good dose of emotion, which contributes a lot to make the experience much more enjoyable. I give Akudama Drive! a rating of 8.5/10.
   It's clearly not a perfect series... the logical gaps and underdeveloped villains hold it back a bit, but it's one of the most entertaining and visually interesting anime I've seen... it's a roller coaster of emotions and action that I consider to be totally worth your time, I highly recommend it. I think many people might like it, especially those who are fans of action and cyberpunk... and well, I'll leave you the opening here below, in case you want to take a look at it. See you in another show tomorrow. Take care. Bye bye.

   Ah, y casi se me olvidó hablarles de los personajes.. cada Akudama me pareció interesante, son exagerados de la mejor manera posible.. tenemos desde el frío y calculador mensajero hasta la desquiciada doctora.. todos son memorables a su manera, incluso la protagonista, que al principio parece un tanto aleatoria y aburrida, termina ganándose tu cariño a medida que avanza la historia.. su evolución es uno de los puntos destacados que tiene esta serie, y al final no puedes evitar apoyarla y querer que logre sus objetivos. La banda sonora también me pareció excelente, y considero que merece una mención especial.. el opening, es un éxito rotundo que establece perfectamente el tono, y el ending tiene un ambiente alegre que contrasta de manera sorprendente con los momentos mucho más oscuros de toda esta serie, es bueno cuando le ponen cariño a la banda sonora ya que demuestra que sí están ofreciendo un producto de calidad. Esto se nota mucho al momento de las escenas de acción y las batallas, porque la música mejora mucho la tensión y el drama.. nunca la sentí excesiva, como lo he hecho en algunas otras ocasiones, aquí, cada canción, cada efecto de sonido, va perfectamente acompañada de una buena dosis de emoción, lo que contribuye mucho a que la experiencia sea mucho más agradable. Yo le doy a Akudama Drive! una calificación de 8.5/10.
   Claramente no es una serie perfecta.. los huecos lógicos y los villanos poco desarrollados lo frenan un poco, pero es uno de los animes más entretenidos y visualmente interesantes que he visto.. es una montaña rusa de emociones y acción que considero que vale totalmente tu tiempo, ño recomiendo bastante. Creo que puede gustar a muchas personas, sobre todo a aquellas fanáticas de la acción y los cyberpunk.. y bueno, les dejaré el opening aquí abajo, por si quieren echarle un pestazo. Nos vemos en otro programa mañana. Cuídense mucho. Bye bye.

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   Tell me... have you seen this anime? Has it caught your attention? Tell me what you thought of this review with my opinion, and tell me if it has made you want to watch this anime. You can leave me in the comments your recommendations for future publications! 😊

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   Cuéntame.. ¿Has visto este anime? Te ha llamado un poquito la atención? Dime que te pareció esta reseña con mi opinión, y dime si te han dado ganas de ver este anime. Puedes dejarme en los comentarios tus recomendaciones para las próximas publicaciones!! 😊
   

   
   

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2. ›Akudama Drive Anime Review@adamada1779d

   

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   It’s a cyberpunk and heist anime that gives you intensity right from the pilot episode and up to the memorable conclusion. It’s a 12 episode watch where there are a lot of plot and subplots squeezed into but somehow manages to get the story tied together.

   I read more about the production behind the show and found it supporting my initial impressions. The show was tailored to trying to hook overseas audiences hence the subtle changes in story telling I am most familiar with anime.

   The reception I read about Akudama Drive being a hit somehow didn’t coincide with the global reception I would expect. It earned a lot of good attention but it wasn’t popular enough to spread widely. It was released during the Fall where a lot of competing titles were still lingering so I’m looking at Jujutsu Kaisen being a strong contender. You can find a better write up here as the post is just a review from my own impressions of the show. It's also full of violence.

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   The Plot:

   Set in the post Kanto-Kansai war, Kansai state lost the war and was later rebuilt with the aid of Kanto that was now revered as the higher status state. The Akudama serves as a label for criminals and are ranked based on the gravity of their crimes with S-class being the highest. After leaving the Kansai Seal Office one day, Swindler comes by near a Takoyaki stand and happens to meet Courier. The Akudama known as Courier drops a 500 yen on the ground to which Swindler tries to give the money back but refuses claiming dropped money is bad luck.

   Upon being asked to pay for the takoyaki by the store owner, Swindler is unable to pay due to the store refusing to accept electronic payments. She opted not to use the 500 yen on hand and this caused the store owner to phone the police. During this time, Cutthroat, the serial killer that killed 999 victims was about to be executed. Several Akudama from the S-class list have received a mysterious job request to rescue Cutthroat from his sentence.

   This led to several Akudama raiding the police station in search of Cutthroat. Swindler finds herself in the station explaining her circumstances right before the raid started. In the chaos happening in the station, she finds herself in the center of the Akudama convinced of killing which made her claim to be an Akudama herself despite not being on the list. She claims to have fooled the system and thus go by the nickname Swindler. The story further proceeds with each Akudama acting on their own accord rescuing Cutthroat then revealing the rescue was all but a test for a greater heist.

   I used the name Swindler instead of ordinary person as there are no formal names attached to each character. They are known by their titles and refer to each other by titles.

   Impressions:

   The first few episodes where as intense as the last with each new revelation makes the stakes higher. The show does a good job with the pacing without revealing too much of the plot twists that comes ahead. While it’s obvious there is going to be a plot twist and foreshadowing, the show doesn’t rely on expositions or heavy spoon feeding for the audience to get behind. It relies on showing the story through action and dialogue. The dull moments are used as exposition time to explain the world building behind through interludes that aren’t directly affecting the story.

   

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   The show has it’s dull moments when the dialogues were dragged out in the middle but I found this a necessary evil as these dialogues played a role to some major character and world building. This further adds more depth to how each individual behaves the way they are because of their own individual goals without the story overly smothering the viewers with exposition.

   It also doesn’t shy away from the use of death of characters foreshadowing the later episodes to be not a happy ending Indeed, this story doesn’t have any happily ever after as each episode progresses but it manages to somehow kept me binge watching. One thing I noticed a lot was the emphases on character growth to the characters which is something difficult to pull off in most shows without leaving a flat impression.

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   The Characters:

   There’s no specific names on the show. The cast refer to each other by the titles they are known for, like Courier, Doctor, Brawler, and our protagonist Swindler (from Ordinary Person). This approach to character naming puts emphasis on what these characters will be symbolically known for based on their role in the story. Being called by what society and peers identify you with solidifies that identity into the story. True to their names, the cast does behave as consistent as possible with their symbolic titles.

   This isn’t to say they behave like their stereotyped role, there are some mannerisms added into the mix that spins some personality into them and not just some cardboard archetype. The show makes it a point to showcase as much personality as they can for each character with the limited screen time they have. Because of the limited screen time, whenever the scene focuses on each character on the spotlight, the audience can get some chunks of depth to the character. Yes, the cast behaves in a familiar archetype we often see in the anime, it’s a given for any story to do that but the difference is the stakes each character has relative to the plot.

   What does their circumstances mean for them and how they react to those circumstances presented. IA thought experiment I often do when viewing a show is whether the story can still move if X character is absent? Is it a story that is driven by the plot or is it a story driven by the character? When it comes to Japanese based story telling, the circumstances the characters find themselves bring about the story as they react to their surroundings. This is opposite to what the Western form of story telling is where the characters take charge of their fates and move the story on their own.

   

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   While Akudama Drive was initially plot driven, the later episodes became showed a shift in dynamic as Swindler, our protagonist, takes in charge of her own fate and actively decides for herself what course of action she must take. This change of pace is something that is difficult to execute from the laid back approach of circumstances dictate story. This transition gives more depth to the character and gives more weight to the growth Swindler went through after being around with criminals. Her sense of justice and purpose was validated through their own active participation.

   Some characters are just far out there to be sympathized with. I mean, I get Cutthroat being a serial killer and having fun taking lives but it takes a different wiring to be fully immersed with his perspective. Some casts just have different outlier views about society that makes their spot as outcasts int he story well deserved. And these are the bits of details that can make an audience deter some empathy towards these characters. If you’re so badass about fighting and murder, the sight of violence wouldn’t faze you but you know most of us aren’t like that or get to experience that often. Let me tell you the difference between seeing violence on TV and the actual thing, the latter will triggers a body reaction that signals you some sense of danger.

   We hardly see that from the Akudama because they are used to this sort of thing. That wall of fascination is what makes the lives of the characters we watch as just that, a story. The show paints decent depth to its character building without giving too much exposition about it’s story telling. It shows rather than tells you the passively how things work except during moments where some interlude scenes are thrown in the mix for its world building.

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   Do I Recommend Watching?

   Yes. It’s a 12 episode one shot anime you can binge watch, feel and think about afterwards. While I find the show running some deep themes here and there, it throws around concepts on several different areas without going in depth for the exposition. It tried to accomplish several things at once and this made it difficult to achieve in a 12 episode story. I don’t think it deserves a season 2 as the story wraps itself neatly as is. But if it does have a season 2, I’d still watch it because it’s interesting to know what becomes of the surviving characters.

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   If you made it this far reading, thank you for your time

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3. ›Akudama Drive Review@osakaghoul2013d

   # Akudama Drive Anime Series Review The bustling metropolis of Kansai, where cybernetic screens litter the neon landscape, may seem like a technological utopia at first glance. But in the dark alleys around the brightly-lit buildings, an unforgiving criminal underbelly still exists in the form of fugitives known as Akudama. #Anime #AkumaDrive

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   No stranger to these individuals, Kansai police begin the countdown to the public execution of an infamous Akudama "Cutthroat," guilty of killing 999 people. However, a mysterious message is sent to several elite Akudama, enlisting them to free Cutthroat for a substantial amount of money. An invisible hand seeks to gather these dangerous personas in one place, ensuring that the execution is well underway to becoming a full-blown bloodbath.

   Now for an Anime original, the series is not half bad. It's quite grim In some aspects and it offers solid action, as for the story it ain't half bad but worldbuilding elements were inherently weak. I think paying attention too much into the story or characters may not be that fruitful but the constant action and great visuals offer a good ride for 12 episodes however.

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