Darwin's Game

--The review contains spoilers-- Ahh, the edgy seasonal anime of Winter 2020. I can't help but feel this has a story structure that made Tokyo Ghoul such a success in season 1. 1. MC is oblivious and joins a game 2. His life is threatened so he naturally adapts 3. He is in danger every episode 4. His friend dies and he turns into an edge-lord with no mercy 5. rinse and repeat for season 2 but with a different 'stage' Story: In the beginning I felt this series was very promising since I've watched King's Game and can see how bloody the story can get. However, Darwin's game involves a soft-hearted high school boy who randomly sees an invite from a friend who dies the morning the invite was sent; next-thing-you-know you've signed away your soul to a sketchy serpent site and news of your existence is a danger. Luckily though, you have friends with experience who can help you beat a costumed bear... nvm you got your friend killed- Darwin's Game is exactly what it is, a game where survival of the fittest (Darwin's evolution theory) is almost emphasized every episode; it determines whether you have the necessary strength to rough it out with other D-Game participants. I must admit though, the more entertaining segments are in episode 11 so you'll most likely have to bear MC getting his allies killed off and making terrible decisions that somehow work according to his plan despite always having big gambles... 4/10 (I like trash opmc anime but this tops the cake off) Art & Sound: As expected for an Aniplex production, well articulated visually and audibly. 7/10 Character: probably the weakest aspect of the series is character development, we wouldn't have known MC had an idea of making a clan within the first 4 episodes since he focuses on beating sonic the hedgehog trying to amass rings. Overall 6/10 character development since he wins over new characters including the #1 D-Game player. Enjoyment: null - I don't want to put too much effort into a garbage survival game series but it was pretty entertaining

Ok, so let's start talking about the synopsis of Darwin's Game. In a few words, Darwin's Game is about a boy called Kaname Sudou which enters in a kind of "hunger games" game which has the same name of the anime. Until now it's everything fine, and the anime goes on as the plot suggests of a main character of a shounen. Now starts my review: *STORY*: The story was really interesting at the beginning, like, in the first four episodes. That was the reason which I was still watching this. But the plot was getting more and more obvious and cliche as the story was going on to make the MC turn his moral compass because of something that would happen in the last episodes. The feeling that I get at the end, was it's like "oh, my buddies died and I don't give a shit at the beginning but now they kill the last one so I'm gonna make them pass through hell". So the development was to rushed or too slow, there was no in between to escalate properly and get in the final episodes with a big hype and climax. I hate making comparissions, but comparing with Kanata no Astra (which was from last year and having the same amount of episodes), it's such a shame that in 11 episodes they didn't evolve the plot properly. *ART*: The should be a consensus by everyone that the animation was so bad and lazy, so disproportional that should be treated like a disrespect to the manga. The fights wasn't fluid enough and the characters was changing the style of their faces constantly among the anime, which made me dislike alot the studio Nexus, never wanting to see their future works. *SOUND*: Now the best part of the anime for me. The sound was very perfect for every scene. The soundtrack was giving what the story or the animation couldn't give. The sound of shots, the chains clinking, the water and ice changing, was propely correct to every scene. Waiting for the OST release. *CHARACTER*: As I said before, the plot over the character's wish was bad written. Kaname is curious character when it comes to morality and he got suspicious skills (like the agility and mastery with diverse types of weapon), but this was tossed in the trash subtly in the end. BUT THIS WAS NOT WELL WRITTEN, because he already saw that happen several times, and he didn't give a damn, so it's like a develpment hole which made him previsible and cliche, even with his evolution at the game, skills and strategy along the anime. All the characters was like that, in a certain cliche, giving one step to the front to give three steps back. But remember, this ISN'T BAD, but it not well written *ENJOYMENT*: In the end, the anime most pissed me off by the potential he had, but they choose to throw away just to make like all the existent shounen and pleasure the kids who like shitty written stories (just like SAO). Just to understand my point: the name of the anime isn't correlated to the game itself, only with the habilities, so you toss in the trash all development that the game and character would be if they were applying this to everything in this story (remembering Dr. Stone which has the name part of plot in whole anime/manga). So I just waited for the end expecting to not get worse but man, I tried to see got things on this Overall: 4/10, just another shitty anime promising be good by the media but not giving anything different or good enough to be classified as a good cliche, like BNHA. They should do like Ufotable did to Kimetsu No Yaiba: changing a shitty arc in someway to everyone finding it beautiful with a good story, which the manga hasn't.

My first thought was that this was a Mirai Nikki type anime... I was wrong. Very, very, very wrong. Darwin's Game is about a 'not so normal' highschool student who gets dragged into a deadly 'mobile game' that soon turns out to be a life and death affair. His friends died, he didn't understand his power, neither did he understand the game, so things weren't looking good. But bit by bit, he got his bearing and became a formidable force. So, what did i like about Darwin's game? Well, for one, I quite like the storyline and while the plot felt a little slow at first, it picked up along the way and continued at breakneck speed to the end. I also really liked the characters in this show, and the development of the main character, Kaname Sudo, was a joy to behold. Similarly, the show did a great job with the supporting cast who were all well fleshed out in my opinion and were all useful in their own way. The music, animation, dialogue, and so on was tight. And that final episode! Christ! That was intense. It has a second season and it left off at a good point while still making us yearn for a continuation. Oh, and the show didn't shy away from the killings and death. Also, the fights were pretty dope. If there was a downer, it was would be the world building which I still find difficult to understand and the pacing that wasn't quite tight at the beginning. With all that said, this is an anime I'll recommend to anyone.

I enjoyed this. A lot. Surprisingly so, in fact. My enjoyment of this series is probably why I rate it highly and because I can’t wait for a second season (if it gets a thumbs up). Moving on. The goal is clear: bash the guy behind Darwin’s Game. That’s exactly what the MC Kaname is going to do. At least that is what he is meant to do. The goal is unrealized at first, but by the end, the goal is set in stone. This first season’s story is like an opening or prologue to the real story; it sets up the goal and introduces the game and characters. The events that occur during the season make sense: noob hunting? Check, there are assholes out there. Hunting popular people? Check, people ARE assholes (and suicidal). In-game special events? Check, just like a normal game. Clan wars? Check, I’m not explaining this. So the mechanics make sense. The mechanics and details are explained, sometimes quickly or at easily missed scenes so that can make things confusing. So in the end, the story is pretty solid I believe. The art is pretty good. The setting is well drawn and the battles are great. The character expressions can be truly intense at times. The art is very good. The sound is simply good. The music helps enhance battles. Although, as the series progressed, I started to stop noticing the music and more on the story. Not sure if it’s lack of music, good story writing, or bad music. The characters are very good. The MC changed a lot during this season, though I can’t say that for the side characters. The introductions of characters mostly made sense. I enjoy the entire cast’s personalities. The interactions were interesting rather than comedic, which is harder to pull off, so props to that. Most of the main cast’s story is explored but some are still left in the dark, and if I were to guess, the second season would explore that aspect a bit more. Special mention to the Florist: great episode, good backstory, felt movement in my cold frozen heart. I really enjoyed this. Yes, I said that already, and I’m going to say this again. I really enjoyed this. In my honest opinion, which I am free to express, I believe that Darwin’s Game is better than Mirrai Nikki. When I first entered this anime, I expected something similar to Future Diary but I got something much more: better characters, a better death game system, interesting battles, more people to know about. Darwin’s Game simply had more. I entered with low expectations but I got a lot out of this. Conclusion: watch this. Think a bit. Understand what’s going on. Most of all, have fun.

A decent show from beginning to end. The last episode is really awesome, like 9. In the last episode, there is very good change in the character motivations, and a better insight into characters psyche. Till that last episode, the characterization lacks, but the action and continous battles make up for it. Don't expect anything great. But if you are bored, do give it a try. Story - Our main character gets drawn into a game, called Darwin's game. The game actually happens in the real world. The players have their mobile, through which they can initiate battles with other players. When one player dies, match ends. Or when one player surrenders, match ends. Surrendering also loses points, and when points are zero, player again dies. Death means actual death from real world. Kaname thinks people are fighting each other through game because they have no choice, as they were dragged in the game. They just want to not die. But slowly he realizes that many people enjoy killing others, and the game is boon for them. Such people were not dragged, but willingly joined the game. The girls are just generic, all growling over the main character. I did like the La Place power that one character has. The story does seem to have potential. Waiting for future seasons.

This anime was such a waste. It had an interesting plot going for it, but that all went down the drain. Words are failing me at the moment, as I have no motivation to review such a mess. Darwin's Game is basically a mobile game that highlights one of Charles Darwin’s famous theories: survival of the fittest. Players are pitted against each other till one gives up or dies. Again, the anime could have been great. The storyline and writing were just so incomplete, inconsistent, had many loopholes, lacked proper build-up, that it became frustrating to watch. For example, there is a difference between a character being stubborn or making stupid choices and just plain bad writing. Characters are people and people make mistakes. However, for a character to do something inexplicably or without basis, just so there is dialogue or movement in the plot is faulty writing. In one instance (only semi-spoiler you’ll find in this review), our main character wanted to know something about a certain function of the game, but there was nothing on it. He even texted another character asking about it; she replied that there was no such function. When he meets up with her, she says he can ask her just one question about the game. The MC even has an internal dialogue along the lines of “I’d better choose the question wisely,” then he proceeds to ASK THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT THE SPECIFIC GAME FUNCTION. *sigh* This goes beyond stubbornness and being blockheaded. It was an unnecessary exchange. The many unique setting elements and personalities could have been utilized. Yes, back stories are great and all, especially when proving the motivation and strength of a character. Then again, when writing is unsound, this goes all for naught. One thing I can agree with the script about the show, and was quite witty, actually is "did god crap you out and forget to flush?"

This anime is the type of anime that people have completely opposing opinions on. One side will say that the anime is pretty good, not the best, but good. The other will say that the entire anime was crap. I, unfortunately, fall into the latter. I won't lie, I did enjoy this anime, but I enjoy a lot of crappy things. Mainly because I never am picky of the anime I watch and can enjoy almost everything. But I can see why people disliked it. Story: 5/10 In summary, the story follows a boy named Sudo Kaname who found himself stuck in a mobile game called Darwin's game. The game grants its players special powers upon registration, because, well, why the hell not? It'd be boring to watch a bunch of kids murder each other without powers. He ends up getting himself in an event, and ends up making a clan which he leads. Call me picky, but the fact that no one questioned the important stuff pissed me off. Like, how did they make the civilians of an entire town leave for three days for a game, without any outsider noticing? I get that the characters were more focused on survival, but this wasn't even brought up. It was like the writers wanted to avoid the entire topic in general. All in all, the story was plot generic. The execution of the plot was pretty generic too. The intro and outro pretty much spoiled who was going to die. Most of it was predictable. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that. Art: 4/10 I'll say for a record: I loved the unique shading of colours in this show. But the rest was in the bottom of tolerable. The characters' faces continuously change with every shot. The body proportions were off in many scenes. They were so noticeable that they ruined the enjoyment of the show. Sound: 7/10 ASCA strikes again with her talent, this time showing it off through Chain. Chain, the intro of Darwin's game was amazing. The ending, Alive by Ayano Mashiro, was an awesome song too. It definitely did its best to reflect the intended aesthetic and theme of Darwin's Game, which the anime failed to reach. The soundtracks were good, but they weren't memorable. Meanwhile, the voice actors and actresses did a wonderful job. Wang's voice actor was amazing, and Kaname's and Sui's also did great. Character: 2/10 Character personalities were stereotypical and bland. Their actions were extremely predictable. First, we had our edgy Gary Stu Kaname, our main character who found himself in the middle of Darwin's Game and somehow became the best player on it. Then, we have this blonde girl I can never memorize the name of. The blonde girl was obviously meant for fanservice. She was our typical yandere. Nothing more, nothing less. Then is the supporting characters. We had a Florist guy, who, thankfully, was a tolerable character at first then changed his outlook on everything for absolutely no reason. We have a guy with anger issues. That's literally it, all he did in this season was shoot and scream at people and accompany Kaname. We had an Info Broker, who was the brains of the team. She was your typical quiet and stoic girl. We have a shy girl named Sui who you could've replaced with a brick that had the power to control water and it wouldn't have made a difference, and her brother, Sota, who you could've replaced with a brick that had the power to control ice and it wouldn't have made a difference. We weren't given the backstories or goals of characters rather than "survive Darwin's Game". For characters that had backstories, it didn't really describe them. It was like the characters were slapped together with something that contained death just for the sake of it. Enjoyment: 7/10 Like I mentioned, I tend to enjoy watching a lot of anime, and that contains crappy anime as well. The plot was okay, the art was okay, the music was pretty good, the characters were pretty bad, but oh well. It's not like this show was a nightmare. I never did physically recoil out of cringe. I was actually looking forward to the next episode. Not as much as other shows this season, but I did genuinely enjoy it. Overall: 5/10 This show isn't the best show, but it's far from the worst. I suggest that if you want to watch this, then go ahead. If you don't want to, you won't be missing out.

I quite enjoyed this one to be fair, not the best thing I've ever seen but quite enjoyable. The best parts no doubt are the art and sound, the music is great and the character designs are great, a bit of fan service here and there, a lot of blood, some really cool fights, no complain about anything in this department. I really loved the way that Shuka butchered the leader of the eight clan. The characters are quite plain... yes probably that's the best world I can say, the story very predictable, I really would love to see more about the characters sotries on the real world or before they came to the d-game, and all that stuff, just a bit like they did with the guy that can control plants, he had a daughter that needed money for the illness, I really liked the character because of that kind of details. That's probably the worst part, the lack on details for most part of the main characters. Overall I enjoyed the show and I really would like it gets a second season.

Have you heard of raid shadow legends? No but for reals. This anime is a fucking mobile game ad, the enemys are like fucking npcs that cant aim to save their life. The action is very stiff and clanky. The dialogs are very akward and cringe, and the main characters are just so cliche, heck the whole anime is cliche. And the story doesn't make sense at some times. This review is very quick since theres not much to say about this anime without spoiling it. I dont recommend it tbh, i understand how people enjoy it, but its just so cliche, that its boring. 5/10

Not sure why I decided to write this (it's my first review here), but oh well :p I'll try to be short and to the point, as I don't think most people care for long reviews: This anime is NOT a masterpiece. It's also not garbage. It's pretty good popcorn entertainment, and should be consumed/watched as such. The animations and art are pretty good, the battles engaging with the way the different powers (here called "sigils", one per player of this killer game) interact and are used in every confrontation. It follows the tradition/example of jojo's stands: one specific ability per character, none of them useless if you can apply them in the right/smart way Of course not all of those abilities are suited for fighting. Seeing Auras (whatever that means...the anime never really made it clear beyond making the user capable of seeing an invisible enemy..) or understanding if someone else is lying or not are certainly not as good as advanced pyrokinesis, but I like to remember something said in One Piece: there are no weak powers/devil fruits, only weak users. In this case maybe weak is not the right term though. It's more like there are no "useless" powers. After all even support abilities are important, as any MMO player should know. The characters are, in all honesty, pretty one dimensional, and this was probably unavoidable for an anime this short, just 11 episodes. Still, EVEN if most characters are not examined in much depth, their motivation ARE at least understandable, and they feel realistic enough to me. If you want a masterpiece, go watch something else. The last few years have been filled with them, from jojo to demon slayer to the promised neverland, and many less known ones of any genre. If you want to simply spend one or two afternoons watching a nice but not exceptional show, this is good enough. CONCLUSION: I'd give it an High 7 or Low 8, depending on one's preferences and mental approach to it. I'll be nice it and go with an 8, but it's admittedly not an entirely deserved one. It's more like I'm rounding up a 7.5

Please be aware that this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Darwins Game and while care has been taken to minimise story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. Based off a popular manga of the same name Darwins Game is an action and mystery genre anime that allows us to see what will happen if one day a seemingly average high school student would after being contacted by one of his best friends and be sent a seemingly normal game invitation that while sounding mysterious was one that promised mouthwatering rewards that will improve his life substantially. What will happen if this mysterious game that promised a surprisingly large payout turned out to be anything but a simple game but rather a fierce fight to the death between its participants where every day its participants put their very lives to the test as they try to outwit and eliminate the other in a quest to stay alive within the game world. The concept of being drawn into a game world that becomes one's new reality has at this point seen many new derivatives after being introduced by the vaunted SAO series. However, unlike the majority of these ideas, the concept that was made use off by Darwin's game is rather unique in that rather than being drawn inside another world in this case rather the opposite is true. Rather than the former players of Darwin's game often abbreviated as D game by its players actually takes place within the real world that subdivides out the general population when players enter the game to both limit collateral damage while also keeping the game hidden from the attention of the public. This approach of superimposing the game on to the modern world while keeping it hidden from the public I felt was an interesting concept as while keeping things grounded in reality it also allowed the game to make effective use of a ready-made world that served to make the series’ battles more relatable as they take place in locations that we would often visit or pass by in our lives. This combination of a battle royal style game that takes place within a modern world that pits random strangers from all walks of life battle against each other using not just modern arms but also supernatural sigils that are unique to each user can be said to be the main themes that drew me to the series and watch it to the very end. The first ep of the series I felt was an interesting one that combined well the shock value of seeing the brutal reality of the game of D Game with the introduction of our rather innocent protagonist as he is forced to realize that the tragic death of his friend was only the starting point that will force him to enter the brutal world of D game. Kaname Sudou Kaname Sudou portrayed by veteran voice actor Yuusuke Kobayashi of Fire Force and Fuuka fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. A 17-year-old sophomore Kaname in his initial appearances was shown to be a calm, friendly and quiet person by nature that was shown to care deeply about his friends and was someone that always put the needs of others before his own if needed. While preferring to stay away from issues that will cause attention to be drawn to him Kaname was shown to be someone that was intelligent, quick-witted and perceptive qualities that will soon prove to be useful once Kaname entered the world of D Game. In the beginning of the series during his first experiences within D game, Kaname was shown to be a rather reluctant fighter due largely to the unique and tragic way in which he was introduced to the game. However, while the death of his friend was a painful one it also served to form within Kaname a strong sense of motivation to not only survive in this brutal game but also aspire to meet the game developer and determine the reason for creating such a crazy game. As a result of his first encounters with the players within the game, Kaname at first was shown to be rather wary of others and tried hard to remain in the shadows and try to deal with situations swiftly. In this regard, this was helped greatly by two of Kaname’s personality traits that will soon become a byword for his methodology within the game which were perceptive and adaptability that allowed him to take on many difficult opponents and emerge victorious despite the odds being stacked against him. This aspect is shown well in the battle that he had with Shuka who despite being a veteran player with several notable wins under her belt was easily beaten by Kaname due to his ability to both read the battle’s flow as well as his ability to think outside of the box. While his ability to both read a given situation and adapt to it via thinking outside of the box allows Kaname to deal with most encounter battles on a reasonable level the same can also be said for encounters with other players. Though at first hesitant and perhaps afraid of interacting with other players Kaname was not someone that viewed others as hostile by default and indeed was quite capable of forging alliances with others when the opportunity presents itself. While initially shown to be someone that was determined to go about the game alone as the series went on this began to change as a result of not only meeting Shuka and Rein but also coming to realize that by working together with like-minded people not only will they be able to reach their goal at a much faster rate but also be able to help other players who may be in similar positions as they are goals that served to further develop Kaname’s personality and gradually change him into a reluctant fighter to one that was determined to not only ensure his own survival but also the survival of his comrades as well while keeping their morals intact. This last part is shown well in how he handled the aftermath of the florist's death during the treasure hunt arc and was an aspect that I felt both suited Kaname’s personality as well as reflecting on the changes that he has been forced to adapt as a result of entering the world of D game. In terms of overall development as a character, Kaname I felt was an interesting one that despite being unwillingly drawn into the game managed to not only adapt his personality to compensate in both social qualities and critical thinking but more importantly do so on his terms for while Kaname as the series went on becoming not just a skilled fighter and a shrewd tactician he had never forgotten to hold to his core values of wanting to ensure that while victory is achieved as much as possible that both participants must survive till the very end. While certainly idealistic to a degree I felt that this aspect complemented Kaname’s nature quite well for while he had become a veteran fighter whose skills and quick wit allowed him to take on even the top players his heart and his desire to help as many as he can still beat strongly within him and ensured that he will always take the step that was most moral an aspect that stands to set him apart from the majority of players that hunt within the game. Shuka Karino Shuka Karino portrayed by veteran seiyuu Reina Ueda of Re Life and Grancrest Senki fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main female lead of the series. A 17-year-old teenager from what appears to be a rich family Shuka in her initial appearances was shown to be despite her young age a veteran player of D game with the richly deserved title of the undefeated queen on account of both her battle record and her tactical preference in which she strikes fluidly and relentlessly. On the surface Shuka was seen to be a confident, playful and cheerful person by nature attributes that were more benefiting of a girl her age than her title would. While her playful nature often gives the impression that she isn’t taking things seriously it can be said that rather the opposite is true for Shuka while playful was also perceptive, i…

Darwin's Game: I have always been a fan of Death Game Anime, as there is a certain amount of tension by the pure construction of it's premise. However, in recent years, we unfortunately got quite a few lackluster adaptations of great survival game manga, like Alice in Borderland or Magical Girl Raising Project. So when I heard Darwin's Game is getting an actual promising adaptation, I got instantly hooked. That said, Deathgame Anime will possibly always have a bad reputation with the mainstream audiences, since seeing people die for entertainment is(somewhat understandable) horrible and for many almost unwatchable. That said, Darwin's Game still is an anime like every other one, with it's own flaws and strength I want to get a big deeper into: Story:6 Darwin's Plot is very straight forward and simple. Imagine writing your own story about a deathgame. You decide on the heros, the villains, the setting, the goal ... Now think about how to connect all these different dots in a straight line. That is basicly how Darwin's Game feels. There are no roads that would take longer than needed to get to the endgoal. There are certain checkpoints you want to get to, but instead of trying out something unexpected and unpredictable, it doesn't take risks and only focuses on the most basic aspects. This kind of storytelling has a huge downside, but also a huge upside I want to point out: The big downside about this plotform is there is nothing extra. No emotional exploration, no deeper theme exploration, no world building, no ongoing and bigger situation the viewer might want to figure out themself, no mini arc or pause from the action. The main drawback is that what we see is everything that happens. Nothing feels truly surprising or out of view, as everything is connected to what is going on right now. Don't get me wrong, it's not necessarily bad, but there should be a certain amount of mystery surrounding the world to keep the viewer interested. If everything that exists is what we see in this world, then everything new will feel unfitting and out of place. The big upside Darwin's Game has with this kind of storytelling is that the story always makes logical sense. If I think about the current situation, the most obvious road is taken and I feel like I understand what's going on. Moreover, I feel like what is going on is real, and that draws the viewer more into the world. If characters suddenly make stupid decisions, it will be nothing but unsatisfying as well as it breaks the atmosphere. The way the story is written this season, it worked out fine as a closed up story, since we follow kaname's eyes who just suddenly got into this world and doesn't understand it yet. So despite it's negatives, the story still is really well written. Characters:5 The most important thing about almost any kind of story are the characters. If we don't care about the characters and feel nothing for them, we won't feel a thing for anything else in the anime either. And Darwin's Game features a small amount of characters with a basic amount of build-up that's needed to care about them. Similar to the way the story is written, we don't get more that what is absolutely needed for the characters to work. Which is often a problem mmost apparent featured in our protagonist. Kaname is your typical survial main character. He starts off very afraid and weak, but quickly adapts to his surroundings and grows within it. However, he adapts too fast which it makes him feel inhuman. To be fair, Darwin's Game is not a story about how his surroundings change kaname, but how kaname changes his surroundings. It still doesn't make his personality better, but you at least may like the kind of story the show is going for. Suzuka on the other hand is your typical "queen", she's strong, skilled and independent. Unfortunately, she quickly falls in love with kaname after she was beated by him(which doesn't make sense as he was a newcomer and she was the "undefeated queen") and there isn't much to her besides that. The other main characters are more interesting and deeper. They react more human, are more often overwhelmed with situatuions and do way more relatable mistakes. And with the time comtinuing, I mostly cared about them rather than our 2 protagonists. Animation/Soundtrack: 5 & 5 The animation and art style are really good. In many chases, it highlights the power and forces involved in the fights very well and draws you in into it's insane high-pressure athmosphere. However, outside of these scenes the animation sometimes looks cheap and lazy, and very generic and not outstanding. The music and sounds within the show itself is also good and memorable. Both of those areas are covered really well and won't keep you either mindblown nor disappointed. Enjoyment: 7 The final aspect of this anime is the enjoyment it's constantly able to create. Maybe it's just because I'm a huge fan of a genre to begin with, but I was constantly entertained troughout it's whole run and even after this, I was looking for more. A huge reason this anime is so entertaining are the high stakes fights, which are made interesting using multiple different methods: On the one hand, the fights have a supernatural element to them, the so called "Sigils". They are basicly special abilities given one each to every player who enters the game. They spice the fights up, making every fight different from the last while keeping other weapons like guns still in focus. That makes the fights more grounded and any enemy even with useless sigils dangerous. That said, the powersystem of the "Sigil" is not perfect in every way: Since the Sigil are randomly given to every player, some have absolutely broken abilities like looking into the future or teleportation, whereas others have almost useless abilities like realising a lie. It may be great in the hands of a talker going through peaceful talkings, but because they are given at random, it could also land in the hands of someone who doesn't think or talk too much, which makes it almost useless. To be fair, this might force the user to actually get creative with their ability, but at the same time it completely breaks the powerlevels of some characters. Another Problem is that the abilities are "just there". There is no characteristic bond between the ability and the users personality, so link or anything that makes the "Sigil" more than just a plotdevice for more entertaining fights. That's so unfortunate, as a well thought out powersysftem might lift the anime on it's shoulders all alone, something darwin's game didn't realise. On the other hand, the fights also feature a consistent level of strategic importance: It's never just the one with the better Sigil who wins, but the one who uses it better. Or the one who get's more creative and adapts better to his/her surroundings. Or the one who prepared better for the fight. Either way, it makes the fights more interesting and you more invested. I mean, if the character uses ways that where already hinted at to defeat their enemy, then we as a viewer might also be able to figure out the best way to survive. And if it truely is the way we expected, we feel proud of ourselfes. And if it isn't what we expected, we still don't feel cheated and want to rewatch the episode to exactly see all the hints given. After all, isn't that what truly counts? Being invested and interested in the anime. Overall: 6 Darwin's Game is a really good anime while being anything but special. For that exact reason, anyone who thinks he/she might like it will most likely end up liking it. And the ones who think they won't like it before watching it will most likely end up that way too. So if you're interested in this, you should really give it a try.

Interesting premise only made better by a smaller but very talented studio. The biggest issue being how short it is. Rushing a show who's entire niche is being more psychological than anything else, into 11 episodes can only really end in a rushed product. And it's very apparent with how little the characters are built, how small the world feels, and how confusing the conflict is. When you sacrifice outstanding visuals for a plot line that attempts to make you think instead, and then fall on your face with conflict a 12 year-old could solve, you end up with a nothing burger that relies solely on being different. And unfortunately, the fast-paced nature that 11 episodes brings does nothing to bolster that. The only redeeming aspect is the overall animation quality by Nexus. With more episodes to build out the world and overarching conflict the main cast is even fighting against, this show would be significantly better.

Darwin's Game, is a high-stakes game in which players kill other players for points (rewards). In other words, it's a survival-killing fest or battle royale. I can also say it's a cheap Fate/Stay Night or Fate/Zero... Instead of using magic, they use just martial arts, swords, handguns, grenades, etc. So it's more raw and gore here... Instead of summoning servants, players are granted a unique skill that is largely unbalanced, some are too OP, and some are way useless... The story is nothing special. They kill players in an open city, kill police officers, people are missing every day, and nobody thinks it's weird? The game is large-scale, 200+ players die in one event. There are clan wars and mafia gangs... It is also easy to invite anyone using a smartphone, people can accidentally click and join the game... Nobody (except MC's party) can think that they can buy a war machine gun, sniper rifle, rocket launcher, or tank where the game has no limits or rules. Many silly things going on here. If they want battle royale, they should set the stage on a deserted island, a closed city, a VR game (where you die for real), or an Isekai world with more concrete settings and rules. So it makes more sense. On the good side, MC and his party members have brains and personalities. The story has some back-and-forth strategy. MC's skill has limitless possibilities (this dude is just like Emiya Shirou from Fate/Stay Night lol). Shuka (FMC) also borrows a big page from Kurumi Tokisaki (Date a Live). The quality is actually good, there are real fight scenes and good animation sequences here. Reina Ueda's voice in Shuka is really-really hot. Overall is 6/10 show If you throw all silly logic out, it's a decent action show (if you like survival-killing) at least. I finished the show, but I didn't enjoy it as much. It's not a bad show but I don't recommend Darwin's Game in general.

Darwin's Game As everyone knows, every anime season has its misfits who wouldn't even be loved by their mothers. And Darwin's Game has proven a lot of things with the first 3 episodes, especially how low you can fall and have no idea what you're doing. But I wouldn't call this anime bad, even though the first episodes were just a disaster. Darwin's Game, despite everything, has a relatively average plot, a somewhat detailed game concept, and especially a protagonist which is more rational than you would think. To my surprise, this grit went from being a bad show to a weak show, and in the end, even a slightly below-average show. It is rare to see how a bad series gets better bit by bit. In the beginning, I could hardly imagine watching this garbage to the end and wishing there would be no sequel. Ironically, in the end, I even thought "well, it wasn't that bad, they could make a second season". What you have to keep in mind, especially with Darwin's Game, is that it is an extremely amateur work. Not only the scenery, but especially the flow of the plot is immensely weak, forced, and without any real build-up. Not to mention my favorite, the disastrously bad dialogue, and character reactions. One could almost think that the author was trying to do something "better". That he was inspired by too many but didn't know what to do with the inspiration. You can see it, especially in the protagonist, who is a typical Weak to Strong character. With a great variation he can be very rational and in the later course destroys many clichés. It's as if one tried desperately to create a protagonist who is "different" from the others. It partially worked, but what was the price? [Story 3] Darwin's Game is a Survival-Concept that has been only partially explained so far and still has a lot of unexplained logic in store. This game forces everyone who used its app to participate and fight against others. A point system or simple survival decides the winner and death. The idea is simple and nothing worth mentioning. The only good thing here is the power system, which was explained relatively subtly after all. All Stigma users can control their new "superpowers" as if it were normal for them, like breathing and walking. This creates a certain balance between all participants and no one has to adapt to their abilities. Of course, our "protagonist" is once again special for various inexplicable reasons and has a very interesting ability, besides his infinite plot armor. I'm still puzzled how everyone in the series dies from strong attacks but the protagonist himself takes wall-level attacks without broken ribs or shredded organs. In shounen this is normal, but here everyone should be "human" except for their abilities. [Characters 3] The protagonist has been the only blessing here. In the beginning, he is a naive fool who acts like a bit of a brat but turns out to be a very nice person. Armed with some of the dumbest dialogue and monologues in human history, he struggles through the game hoping to survive. Even though it feels like his character spontaneously changed 2-3x in the anime, at least he had been given different character traits. And to my surprise, he was relatively rational. That a protagonist brings so many actions that are actually understandable or even "good" is rare. But that was also the only thing worth mentioning. Shuka is a boring content-less yandere whose entire personality is just sad. Even her background was incorporated into the plot as if it were a bad joke. The others aren't even worth mentioning as they barely have personalities nor are they greatly relevant except for the hacker kid. The two siblings are the definition of cringe and have NO reason to exist. They contributed nothing to the plot and were merely dead weight. The antagonist of season 1, Wang was at least relatively decent. While he was the typical Darkforce villain with no motivations or depth, this did give him a certain level of menace. Especially his final action against the protagonist and his ending were relatively interesting. [Animations 5/ Music 5] Regarding the music, there is nothing to say, it is average. The intro, outro, and osts offer nothing worth mentioning. The animations are also pure average with no dynamics and very spongy fights. Only episode 9 had a fight scene where 500% of the budget was used. [Conclusion 4] Darwin's Game is an anime that could hardly have gotten a worse start. Combine it with its relatively average storyline and poor dialogue. However, the anime still managed to stand its ground with a reasonably decent concept and some interesting choices. If it hadn't gotten better from episode 6 on, I don't know what positive I could say. [Enjoyment 5]

This is the first anime I've watched in completion, and it's awesome. It wasn't good, but I laughed enough. I'm not elaborating. Why do I have to fill in more space? I've said my peace. Please stop telling me to write a longer review, it's not worth it. Please I'm begging this website to stop trying to get me to leave a proper review. I'm begging this place to let me post my garbage review. It's my view anime I've ever watched, and I want everyone to know about it. I refuse to elaborate any further. I'm begging this place to let me post my garbage review. It's my view anime I've ever watched, and I want everyone to know about it. I refuse to elaborate any further.

The anime is very similar mirai nikki, only here the protagonist is not a cagon. The protagonist is very good that I like but it does not innovate much, the anime is interesting up to there and entertaining. If a second season comes out, I'll see it because if it's like the first, I'm going to have a lot of fun. I recommend it if you don't have to see it separately, it only has 11 chapters. En español: El anime es muy parecido mirai nikki solo que acá el protagonista no es un cagon. Es muy bueno el protagonista eso me gusta pero no innova mucho el anime es interesante hasta ahí y entretenido. Si sale una segunda temporada lo veré porque si es como la ´primera me voy a entretener bastante. Lo recomiendo sino tenes que ver aparte solo tiene 11 capítulos.

gonna be some spoilers here sorry okay the show is pretty good for what it is the action is actually dope and doesnt repeat itself the mc is godly op but also isnt that op since he isnt strong. What does confuse me is that the mc is told he has a god like power inside him that is yet to awaken and it never does. also love blooms in 1 episode i forgot which but i really wanted to see that go far and yet it just dies out imedatley which is really sad/annoying anyway this anime is great easy 9/10 the animation isnt choppy and the story is actually pretty good i do wish they would go in depth about the lore some more though that would be nice. season 2?

Overall, I like the storyline of this anime. The story focuses on the main character Kaname who gets an invitation to play a game called "Darwin's Game". he accidentally played and got involved in it. from here the story of adventure and games begins. After some time, Kaname created a clan with his friends which he got while playing in this game. they defeated the Eight clan and its leader, One. Kaname is getting stronger and stronger. I like the storyline that is accompanied by the power and effect of that power which is called 'Sigil'. backsound is also no problem. the opening and ending songs are also good, no problem. For me, graphics and animation are a 'bit' of trouble. graphics are still not good, like a bit 'blurry'. the part that I love about the animation is Kaname and company fight against Xuelan (I kind of forgot the name) while walking on the streets, in a car. I hope the studio improves the quality of the graphics and animation. I am also waiting for the continuation of season 1 if there is one.

As a concept, a death-game has wonderful potential for great story telling. Imagine the incredible tension, high stakes and character building that could be experienced in a series of back-to-back life or death situations. The fear, anxiety and adrenaline knowing your life was on the line. The guilt, horror and exhilaration of taking another life. Perhaps characters could meet and connect under a strained encounter and deign to overcome their circumstance in the face a common enemy. Well, Darwin's Game ultimately decides to leave out all that good stuff and instead of getting a tense, thrilling, survival game we get safe, slow Darwin's Game brought to you by Hasbro. Ultimately the plot and story doesn't amount to much. The show pulls its punches so much that most of the episodes are uneventful filler. There are indeed deaths in this death game, but for much of the series these are things happening off screen or when we do see some kind of killing it's happening to nameless fodder, while the main characters run about achieving not much of anything with no goal, or direction in sight. There is no build up or tension here, any time there are fights or action scenes, none of it feels like it matters. The particularly bland animation and music do nothing to uplift any of the scenes either. The characters themselves are blank, cardboard cut-outs. They have zero personality for me to even dissect. They barely react to the world around them, and when they do it's not helped by weak dialogue that is almost always expository. No one here has a sense of humor, no one struggles with the morale ambiguity of their situation. When characters are explaining their sad story they're telling it like they're reading from a cereal box. There's even a scene where someone loses actual limbs, and there is no blood, they're not in pain, they don't despair at being one more slice away from being a quadriplegic. That is Darwin's Game in a nutshell - A show of bland, boring, uninteresting vegetable people aimlessly lumbering around not reacting to anything or having interesting interaction with anyone they meet or anything they do, lead by a spineless personality-void of a MC. Darwins Game overall is an especially dull affair. The story is weak and uneventful. the characters are bland and uninteresting. Absolutely nothing about the art-style, animation, music or voice performances stand out. There's nothing here to enjoy or to sink my teeth into. There's no plot twists, intelligence or character arcs in its writing and the death game premise is wasted on a limp, watered-down mess of a show.