86

The word masterpiece gets thrown around so much these days, it’s nearly lost its meaning. The literal meaning being the defining work of an individual’s career. I’m here to tell you now, Eighty-Six:86 is a masterpiece in the truest sense of the word and is one of the best stories in the modern history of the medium. 86 depicts the brutal nature of war, racism and oppression in such a way that you can’t help but to be absorbed into the story, characters and fall in love with the series. From the time it was announced that my favourite LN series would be getting an anime adaptation, I was filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing my fave scenes and characters adapted. Unfortunately, I could not help feeling a sense of dread as well given the studio that would be adapting it. A-1 have had a pretty inconsistent track record over the past decade or so. They’ve given us some amazing works like Anohana and Bokumachi, but also some…. less than stellar works like SAO season 2 or War of Underworld PT.2. A-1, and the anime industry as a whole’s main issue is that LN adaptations are usually just cash grabs and glorified promo material to get people to go out and buy the books. Usually large swathes of stories are left out or butchered. As a result, I was worried that A-1 may rush through the story and omit key aspects of 86. Thankfully, I could not have been more wrong. Not only did A-1 remain faithful to the source material, they even enhanced it in many instances. With arguably their best LN adaptation ever, A-1 gave us the anime of the season. 86 is a very character driven story. Volume 1, which the first cour of the anime covers, is quite slow at time just because of all the detail that goes into the world-building. Asato sensei does a great job of humanising characters and creating a connection between you and them. There may be times during the anime where you feel it drags on or it’s going a bit slow, but I can guarantee you there’s a pay-off coming around the corner. Every second you spend in this world and with these characters matters. The cruel nature of war and child soldiers is on full display, and unfortunately death is always only a moment away. At the core of 86 is the theme of racism. The light novel and anime by extension, do an amazing job of showing how easy it is to fall into the cycle of hatred. On one hand, you have the Alba living peaceful lives within their cities, on the other you have the 86 being forced into a war they didn’t start and left to die. The psychological trauma that both the kids and their commanding officer, Lena go through is conveyed masterfully and really drives home the toll these things can take on humans. If it sounds like this is a dense story, it’s because it is. There is a LOT to unpack in 86, which is why I am so happy A-1 took their time and only adapted one volume for the first cour. This is something that’s nearly unprecedented in today’s era of profit over fidelity. From a cinematic perspective, A-1 eloquently employ the use of split perspectives in 86. The story is told through the eyes of Lena and Shin and is usually split halfway each episode. It’s a great way to flesh out the world and the characters and I’m glad they went this route. I also loved the use of camera angles, particularly as it relates to facial expressions in the show. During tense moments and conversations, I found that the cuts and angles used added to the moment and helped drive home the significance of the scene. I mentioned it briefly earlier, but I can’t help but reiterate how much I LOVED the pacing of the show. Usually with these types of adaptations we would get 1-3 volumes for 12 episodes. For a series like 86 which is quite frankly extremely dense, this would have been a disaster. Doing the first volume, at a rate of one chapter per episode and with the quality we got artistically with amazing character designs, the best CGI I’ve ever seen, etc etc., perfection. Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been pushing the 86 agenda on Twitter and facebook for years. Part of that agenda was an OST by Sawano Hiroyuki. I could not imagine the world of 86 being animated without an OST from the GOAT himself. Sawano has done the OST for several aniplex mech series so it’s not really a shock that he hopped on 86, but bringing his kouhai Yamamoto Kohta onboard was a pleasant surprise. As you’d expect, the two of them SNAPPED on every track featured in the anime. Both EDs are amazing and several inserts like “The Answer” are on repeat on my phone daily. Could not ask for more. In closing, 86 has been my favourite Light Novel series for years, and at this point it’s probably safe to say the anime is now my favourite anime series. A-1 put together an all star team of talent to work on this show, took their time and gave us something really special. Even if you don’t normally like mech or science-fiction anime, 86 is well worth a viewing due to the amazing handling of real life themes. In today’s hyper-political and tense times, a story on the dangers of racism and hate couldn’t be more relevant. Eighty-six gets 10 Para-Raids out of 10.

The number 86 doesn't sound very special at first glance, until you realize the dark story behind it. Plagued by an ongoing war for 9 years, you can imagine how both Republic of San Magnolia and Empire of Giad's lives have been shattered. War itself lays the foundation of this show and with it, characters comes to understand what it means to live, survive, and fight. Yet, the story of 86 runs far deeper than just a frontline war. Behind the closed doors of their society has unimaginable secrets. Advertised as a military science fiction, I first want to mention that above all else, the anime manages to maintain a stellar force of animated quality. A-1 Pictures can sometimes be a missed bag but make no mistake, this show doesn't step over its toes and overestimate itself. It manages to capture the essence of a military sci-fi by the high quality animation. From the machines, battle sequences, to the character design themselves, every bit of production makes a strong impression. Producer Nobuhiro Nakayama has previously worked on other sci-fi projects such as Heavy Object, A Certain Magical Index, and Accel World, among others. Let's of course not forget about the director, Toshimasa Ishii. He managed to put together a storyboard to compensate with the artistic talents of the staff and make this show into a reality. However, I do want to distress not to think too hard into this show. While 86 may be somewhat more complicated than the average sci-fi anime you see these days, it's also fairly watchable for new viewers. You don't need a rocket science degree to understand the technological advancements of their world. However, it make take a bit of time to understand what our characters are capable of and why they exist. Off the bat, we have Major Vladilena 'Lena' Milize, who serves as a Handler in the Republic forces. Coming off as one of the most human characters in the show, she treats others like humans than tools. It seperates herself from her superiors and above all, she fights for equality rather than winning the war. Lena's character is portrayed as human by her actions. She often speaks out and challenges morality issues with her superiors. Within her squadron, she tries to forge a bond together even during their toughest times. As such, Lena represents much more than just the average Handler. She's a beacon of hope for the 86 Squadron. Speaking of which, what exactly is the 86? In general definition, they are pilots representing the Republic of San Magnolia. However, these members are not treated equally as other sectors as result of many complicated events. The show follows a group of elite 86ers (as part of the Spearhard Squad) with Shinei Nouzen as their leader. Taken for granted, Shinei carries a burden of responsibilty for his squad members. This is seen through his actions, when he disregard his own life to fight in what he believes in. Throughout the show, Shinei faces death straight on without fear even when taking inconceivable risks. His actions are not gone without notice as characters have come to respect him as a capable leader such as Kurena. I'm not here to convince you whether Shinei is a likable character or not. His actions can sometimes be questionable but the sheer bravery he shows on the battlefield is undeniably respectable. With that in mind, 86 deals with war drama elements by showing and telling, a combination that is achieved with its historical background storytelling. From the very start, we learn about the state of their world and how characters are shaped by what they are. Most prominently, Lena and Shinei explifies their leadership role, and they must make important decisions even if they have to do it themselves. It's also important to realize that Shinei's squadron has character bonds within the group. When we see its members outside the battlefield, most of them behave like normal people despite knowing what future may lie ahead of them. It's because of their bond, there seems to also be a glimmer of hope for the 86ers. It's a 1-cour show, at least for the first half and not only that, this falls short on one episode compared to the standard 12-episode formula. By no doubt, there's content omitted in this adaptation such as the death of a certain important character on-screen. And also, if you came expecting this show to tell some romance, then look elsewhere. Sure, there are some hints dropped from Lena's point of view and her growing affection towards Shinei. However, this doesn't bloom into a relationship. After all, Shinei is the last type of guy who wants a girlfriend in this series. He's a fighter, not a lover. Looking back though and among the Spearhead squadron, their relationship is perhaps one of the most important in the series. I've already mentioned about the high quality production of 86. But who can forget the music? Hiroyuki Sawano is well known for his previous involvement in sci-i projects such as Aldnoah Zero and Guilty Crown. Here is no different as we see the sheer amount of talent poured into the soundtrack. Every episode is able to synchronize the soundtrack to make scenes impactful. It accomplishes this to make viewers feel what the characters feel, especially during the more emotional scenes. That's important too, because war itself can have emotional impactful on anyone. It feels like the author and producers wanted us to experience what war is like hence the soundtrack enhances that experience. Science fiction military anime isn't an uncommon trend in today's industry. Darling in the Frankxx, Aldnoah Zero, and the infamous Code Geass are just a few examples. What 86 manages to do is capture the feeling and reality of war, in a way that makes us realize what lives really is like for the characters. From day one, you can see grim reality of how war can change a world and people. Let's just hope the second half of 86 will be as memorable as the first, because this anime is just getting started.

Life, land, legacy: all reduced to a number. Discrimination, privilege, pride and unlikely bonds form the basis of Eighty-Six. The story revolves around the French-coded nation of San Magnolia, a state which, cornered in its war effort, turns on its own minority citizens in a dehumanizing way similar to WWII era Germany. In the first three episodes especially, no punches are pulled to show the extent of the dehumanization of those minorities now branded as “86”, and the depravity of those stationed above letting it happen. It’s a deeply unsettling premise showcasing how easy it is for humans to justify cruelty once backed in a corner, and avert their eyes from it. Slapping a label or number on the oppressed makes it all the more simple to distance oneself from atrocities committed onto fellow human beings. Writing a story about discrimination is easy: sympathy is easily gained when you depict one side as the oppressor, mercilessly beating down on the poor oppressed. It’s a formula that worked for most of Code Geass. However, Eighty-Six takes it a step further, delving into the dynamics of oppression and privilege, in a nuanced manner rarely seen in these types of anime. Eighty-Six mainly follows the story of Vladilena Milizé, an idealistic officer within a rotten system that forces the “86” into internment camps and out on the battlefield to fight for their sake. She constantly apologizes to the “86” that she commands from behind the safety of her country’s walls, talks nicely to them, and overall seems like an angel among the Alba (San Magnolia’s majority race) oppressors. My first pleasant surprise was Eighty-Six’s treatment of this kind of character. The narrative acknowledges that no amount of niceties on her part make up for the fact that she is partaking in the system that actively oppresses people. It doesn’t validate her or put her on a pedestal for merely being nice. Lena’s attitude, similar to the “white savior” phenomenon, is called out – the story aims to deliver the message that acting nice and setting oneself apart from the oppressors, like “one of the good ones”, isn’t enough: if one is in a position of privilege, they must rather take action using said privilege. Anything less would be fulfilling one’s own ego, and not much else. This more nuanced treatment is also seen in other Alba characters like commander Karlstahl or Annette Penrose, representing the privileged people who acknowledge the injustices in a system but simply deem themselves too powerless to do something against it, or fear the repercussions on their own privilege should they try speaking up or taking action. Sadly enough, Karlstahls and Annettes in fact form the majority of the public in such cases of blatant societal injustice within the real world. On their end, a fair amount of characterization is devoted to the “86”, with a particular focus on Shin. They live in a completely different world compared to the Alba cast (one much less artificial), and the story doesn’t fail to make that clear with its visuals or directing. Eighty-Six takes care not to represent the oppressed minority as “victims” ; the focus is rather on the pride that keeps them going, their individual bonds, and their conflicts not wholly related to the situation of oppression at hand (Shin’s goal comes to mind). Similarly to how the narrative doesn’t treat every Alba as racist devils, the Eighty-Six aren’t angels – though rare, implications of conflicts and evil within the Eighty-Six are present, though difficultly spotted. I recommend paying close attention to Anju’s character in that regard. That being said, if the average named Alba character is grey, the average “86” character is presented a lot more positively, save for one or two instances. Part of me wishes that conflicts and evils within the “86” weren’t only left in implication (and just one direct scene), as humans are complex creatures – but I also perfectly understand that showing too many negatives in regards to the oppressed would be counterintuitive. What opposes these human characters is the mechanized Legion. Tying into the Bible in ways I can’t explain without delving into spoilers, these foes are terrifying, and I must applaud A-1 Pictures’ competent CGI for bringing these mechanized monsters to life seamlessly. They exist to set up the overarching conflict of the story, but also tie into the more personal arcs of some characters. The directing is often spot-on when it comes to Legion scenes. I’ve been very pleased with the sound design of the show, although sometimes an ED playing in the back may not fit with the scene at hand, and the J-Rock OP song hardly matches the visuals (nor, in my opinion, the quality of the story). Storyboards and directing are consistently good, with some kinks here and there. I have no reservations regarding the animation or voice acting. There are a couple of scenes that I will criticize (both of which are anime changes or anime original moments): the very first minute of the anime, and a later lecture hall scene, do more harm than good to the messages the story tries to convey by being rather caricaturized. I should also say that at times, also owing to the source being a novel, where information is delivered through prose rather than dialogue, the dialogue in the anime feels inorganic and expositional. These aren’t deal breakers, but I felt them worth pointing out. All in all, though, my experience with Eighty-Six was a very positive one – and emotional, too, at certain points. Characters like Lena, Annette, and Shin, aside from the themes I mentioned above, all possessed endearing traits that made me invested in them. In such a seemingly depressing premise, Eighty-Six doesn’t fail to provide moments of levity at the right instances, and I even found myself stupidly attached to a robot dog thanks to such moments. I will also praise A-1 for setting a great example in regards to novel adaptations; adapting only one volume within 11 episodes allowed not only some much needed breathing room for the story, but also space for extended or additional scenes. In an industry where publishers would rather squeeze 3 or 4 volumes into one cour, at the cost of major cuts, this sets a very good example. I am grateful for the extra foreshadowing and characterization these extensions provided.

Oh, 86. What can I tell about it? An anime that, judging by its first two episodes, was sure to be a solid 4 out of 10, and that now makes part of my top 20 anime and a good candidate for anime of the year (at least until the release of WEP finale). How did an anime that started with such a negative impression become my undisputed best of the season? First of all, I want to talk about two names: Jin Akategawa and Ishii Toshimasa. Jin Akategawa, as you may know, is one of the greatest sound directors of the industry; on the other hand, Toshimasa is a rookie director that was making its debut with 86. So when I was almost deafened by the first minute of the anime, I was sure to blame Toshimasa. Moreover, after 3 transitions between scenes that were made with food falling in the floor and making the sound of a f*cking atomic bomb while falling, my only thought was ‘there we go again, another project from studio A-1 Pictures that is left in the hands of an incompetent director. What isn’t my surprise then, when, by the end of the season, I’m considering Toshimasa for one of the best directors of the year (together with another rookie, Shin Wakabayashi)? That symbolisms hurt…god if they hurt. And yeah, on the bad side of things, I might say that 86 sound effects, despite being good, are quite too loud, and they even ruin some OSTs from Hiroyuki Sawano. And that’s the next thing I have to talk about: the OST compositor by excellence, the one that dismisses any presentation. As I said, 86 has some problems with its OST; the sound effects are too loud and the inserts often aren’t fitted in the ideal moments, starting and ending in the wrong parts. But Sawano doesn’t need to be at his best to be unquestionably excellent, and 86 is the living proof of that sentence. Not to mention that the ending song, written by Sawano itself, is straight up beautiful. Now concerning the narrative… I might confess that 86 isn’t compelling at all in it’s first episodes. It sounded like the story of the princess of justice that lived among a country of maniqueistic pigs and was the only one with a good enough soul to care for the poor edgy teenagers called 86 that were fated to die. The only good point at the beginning was the interactions between the 86; even though the context was cruel, all of them (or at least, all of them that were not Shin) were acting like normal adolescents, having fun, teasing one another and jovially hating the alba processors that were in charge of them. This atmosphere was immensely aided by the good character animation involving them, making each one quite unique, even if there were too many characters to give focus to each of them. Nevertheless, this convoluted start showed itself to be really necessary soon after, in order to break all expectations. I won’t go in further details on 86 plot, in order to not spoil anything, but the anime manages to overcome and positively utilize its bad introduction to make a great discussion about discrimination and acceptance of difference (which for me, a white privileged guy that lives in the notably unequal society of Brazil, hits astonishingly close and sincerely puts me in a bad position), and a hell of a great worldbuilding, which, far from being unpredictable, manages to be still hugely impacting and rock-solid. My 9 out of ten for the anime might sound too much, and I’m still not sure that I will be able to keep it, but judging by the way the context is escalating, I trust that the second season, that is announced for this year, will validate my score. Now about the characters: some may say they are the weakest point of the anime, and, though it’s difficult to state otherwise, I will try to do so. For me, Lena is one of the best characters of the year due to its evolution, which is special by the fact that there are almost no introspective dialogues to show her emotions; just the visual narrative and the context she’s in are enough factors to build her progression. About the others, the only one that really shows any development is Shin; I don’t really like his character arc, but I really appreciate to see such and edgy stereotype being deconstructed in order to make the character relatable and likeable. Finally, I want to highlight the great work of CGI on the fighting scenes. Since many people dislike the use of CGI- and have they’re solid reasons to do so-, it’s good to see such a solid work being done. In conclusion, 86 in one of the animes with greater potential I’ve recently watched. I suggest that, instead of the 3 episodes rule, you give it some more time, maybe 5 episodes, to really engage in it’s world, and from there on it will be a great experience, with plenty of good messages and impacting scenes potentialized by a hands down great direction and astounding OST. Maybe not a 9 out of 10, or at least not until Season 2 airs, but still a worthwhile experience that stands above the other seasonal animes.

At first glance, 86 appears to be your standard war drama that tackles the concept of a government using propaganda in an effort to suppress the voices of a marginalized group. While it does succeed in handling that topic very well, what elevates this series as a whole is the fact that this may be A-1 Pictures best work yet. Not only is it an outstanding adaptation, but it is perhaps the best adaptation of a source material that I’ve ever seen. With an already great light novel series to base itself on, A-1 Pictures could’ve just adapted it normally and it still would’ve been a solid anime. I say “normally” here because this isn’t your standard production quality, but rather a production quality that just screams both confidence and passion. A-1 Pictures truly gave it their all when it came to almost every aspect of this adaptation. In terms of staying true to the source material, they went beyond that and dedicated this entire season to just one volume. While that appears risky at first as that usually entails either poor pacing or filler, it actually ended up benefiting both the characters and the story for the better. With the addition of anime original scenes that allowed us to spend more time with certain characters and provide foreshadowing for future events, it makes the anime feel more cohesive as a whole. I mean seriously, the fact that they adapted a single paragraph into an entire episode in a way that doesn’t feel like filler deserves to be praised. This is definitely an anime that warrants a second watch as the overall viewing experience significantly improves when you notice all the foreshadowing that was left in the smallest of details. It definitely feels like they had more than enough time on their hands when animating this, which is most likely due to some superb directing and planning by the staff. Besides being a perfect adaptation though, what does this anime actually do that is so praiseworthy? Well as you most likely can already tell, this anime primarily focuses on two characters that exist in two very different locations. It’s pretty much almost impossible to tell who the true protagonist and deuteragonist is. (Which isn’t a bad thing by the way, it actually makes this series much more enjoyable to watch). To avoid leaving either one of the two feeling left out and to also avoid pacing issues, what this anime does is essentially split every episode into two halves. With one half focusing on our protagonist, Vladilena Milizé, and the other half focusing on our other protagonist, Shinei Nouzen. Though while these two share very different circumstances and overall objectives with each other, their separate perspectives come together to add another layer to the experience. Without experiencing Lena’s side of the story, Shin’s side of the story feels incomplete and vice versa. It should honestly be the standard for how stories that deal with multiple perspectives should be moving forward. It’s clear that they took their time with each and every scene, from the way that they are animated to even the way they are framed. I don’t think I ever noticed a dip in animation quality, and for an anime that deals with such depressing themes it certainly has some vibrant colors at times. (Which isn’t a bad thing either, as they clearly know how to handle lighting and how to set the tone right). Some scenes go from 0 to 100 real quick, but it never feels jarring as a major theme in this show is exploring the dichotomy between hope and despair in the face of an oppressive government. I know CGI has become a major talking point within anime discussions as of late, and it can very easily turn into something that is visually unappealing. (This isn’t a jab at CGI artists though, as it can be quite difficult to perfectly blend 2D and 3D). With that being said, I think 86 has the best usage of CGI that I’ve seen in a long time when it comes to anime. I think a common mistake that is made in a lot of anime is when they try to make a 3D model appear 2D in another scene. While 2D is usually more visually appealing, it always feels jarring seeing a model flip between 3D and 2D. 86 knows this and sticks to having their 3D models remain in 3D. The CGI adds a certain rhythm to the battle sequences and without the usage of it, this anime would lose some of the unique identity that it has. Speaking of identity, this anime wouldn’t be what it is without the masterful OST being done by Hiroyuki Sawano and Kohta Yamamoto. It’s honestly right up there alongside the Attack on Titan OST, which is no surprise at all since both Sawano and Yamamoto worked together on that as well. The score just elevates every scene even further and it definitely helps deliver that thrilling excitement or emotional punch that is needed. If you aren’t interested in this anime, then at least give the OST a shot as it is just that good. From “Avid” to “Hands Up to the Sky”, to even “Voices of the Chord” from the recap episode, I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen an anime with this many ending songs within just the first cour. They could’ve just stuck with one and I would’ve been happy, but along with everything else in this show they obviously had to go the extra mile. Each one gives off a different impression and I’m really a fan of how they decide which ending song to play at the end of each episode. They could’ve just alternated between each of them, but instead they always chose the one that best fits the mood of the final scene. Another thing I want to point out is that each ending song gives a sense of finality to each episode as it timed perfectly. It never feels poorly timed and it doesn’t even give off a “to be continued” vibe. This anime isn’t episodic, but I think each episode stands strong enough on its own as they all have a different message to tell. But perhaps my favorite aspect of this anime is the social commentary it provides, particularly on racism. I remember seeing a lot of anime viewers say that racism is an overdone topic at this point and that they are tried of it being shoved down their throats. I wholeheartedly disagree, and I think the reason many feel that way is because they are privileged themselves. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an anime, or any show in general for that matter, deal with this concept in such an engaging way. (It also reflects a lot of what happens in our society today, despite what others may think). It’s not often where you see an anime like this try to explore such complex topics, and I feel as if many of the topics it does delve into will remain prevalent in our society for as long as we exist. These topics include, but are not limited to: the ignorance of the masses, the oppression of marginalized groups, the stripping of cultural identities, racial discrimination, and how ideals such as equality may never truly be achieved. Hell, even one of the other topics they explore can be seen as a metaphor for white privilege. Though my favorite quote from this series would probably have to be this: “No country would ever consider it an act of evil to deny a pig human rights. Therefore, if you were to define someone speaking a different tongue, someone of a different color, someone of a different heritage as a pig in human form, any oppression, persecution, or atrocity you might inflict upon them would never be regarded as cruel or inhumane.” - Vladilena Milizé For those of you reading, I highly suggest you give this series a shot as it means a whole lot to me. As far as criticisms go? I don’t really have that many, especially since this series is only just getting started. I feel as if nitpicking the details of the plot or critiquing the character development wouldn’t really be fair as the groundwork for all that has just been laid. I also wanted to say thank you to the staff at A-1 Pictures for doing such a phenomenal job, and I can’t wait to see how the second cour goes from here.

The first season of 86 is a scathing critique of ethnic nationalism and its connotations, those being that it lends itself to the mistreatment and othering of groups of people that do not fall under the main (or dominant) ethnicity of the state. It shows the incredible ease at which people not only accept racism against another group, but also are willing to neglect doing the right thing (even when such a thing is readily obvious for huge segments of society) for the sake of wider conformity. This multilayered approach to how racism, discrimination and war is portrayed - complimented by excellent writing, phenomenal direction and fantastic sound design - makes 86 especially compelling. Perhaps more than anything, 86 keeps war drama tropes on the characters it focuses on to a minimum, with characters that possess a more black-and-white perspective on the world portrayed negatively and nuance being something the narrative promotes above all else...but I'm getting ahead of myself. 86 is many things, its nuanced discussions on racism notwithstanding. It's a story that discusses what exactly makes up a nation, whether it's its populace or the values it adheres to, and discusses how the very soul of what a state may stand for may be stripped bare even with the aesthetics of that remaining. The Republic of San Magnolia is the example provided by the narrative in the first season, with everything from its foundation to its flag celebrating its diverse heritage, yet throughout the fridge horror experience that is episode 1, it becomes readily apparent that this is a façade kept alive by a government that was willing to collectively punish a group of its citizens for belonging to the wrong ethnic background, with this disgustingly racialized notion of what it means to belong to the Republic having been normalized and accepted throughout the state - with the persecuted non-Alba citizens, the 86, being regularly dehumanized in all of the Republic's institutions. This extends so far as to have said 86 have their citizenships stripped from them and serving forced conscription in the military with the promise of gaining citizenship back for themselves and their families should they serve their full terms. Like many an oppressive dictatorship, this is a lie propagated with the intent on sending the 86 near the end of their service - all while intentionally undermining their military capacity and underfunding them - on a death march that bears more than a passing resemblance to infamous instances of genocide, ranging from the Trail of Tears to the Armenian Genocide to the Nakba. And yet, 86's nuanced enough to neither portray Alba citizens of the Republic as full monsters nor innocent bystanders, instead showing the painful complicity through which ordinary people might be in the persecution of their fellow man. More than anything, 86 possesses the nuance to show just how easily can the tables turn on the opposite direction - what with 86 themselves often treating the Alba or half-Alba within their ranks (who were often themselves political dissidents of the new order in the Republic) with the same contempt that was showered on them. This understanding of racism as being conditioned rather than simply something people do because they're evil helps paint the series in a more mature light, whereas the author has a clear understanding of the subject matter that she is tackling. There's more to 86 than merely what it has to say about racism. Perhaps just as important is on the sentimentality the series portrays about life in the midst of chaos, and how being conditioned that you might drop dead on any day so radically alters one's life to the point of being unable to imagine much in the way of well, living, beyond what is temporary. Many conversations are had - usually between both main characters Shin and Lena, but also among other members of the cast - on what exactly purpose even means in such a radical situation, and what comes after the fighting ends, if it even ends. That last point is key, because the cast are so used to fighting tooth and nail to survive that they can't visibly imagine a world where the end to their journeys don't come with their brutal deaths on the battlefield. Shin himself is an exemplary example of this, being someone whose purpose in life had become his role as a death reaper carrying his comrades' reminders to whatever final destination he finds as well as his own grudge against his brother, trapped in a Legion who he seeks to both liberate from his suffering as well as take revenge on for his own scars. Perhaps a more symbolic analysis of the Legion in this context - and one complimented by later events in the light novels - is that they are walking, symbolic reminders of trauma and how they can haunt the suffering of those alive now, that the past isn't simply something you can tow away to be forgotten once you're no longer part of it. Much of Shin's purpose in such a context - one that's also complimented by Raiden, Theo, Anju and naturally Lena - is how exactly to take meaning out of people who simply are no longer around, what with someone existing here and now. It's difficult to describe where this goes without spoiling events in future seasons and volumes, but needless to say that many of 86's finest moments are when it rubs home that it's perfectly fine to pursue happiness for its own sake, without perceiving the past as a burden but rather something that can compliment and empower a person, even through all the pain someone had previously undergone. Both the underlying themes exploring racism and sentimentality tie insanely well into what it has to say about memory and what that means to its cast of characters but also its setting at large. Historic revisionism is at the core of why the Republic does what it does, and yet characters struggle with how their own perception of history clashes heavily with that of the state, where instead of the 86 being monsters whose country of origin brought forth the Legion to ransack and torment the world, they're...otherwise ordinary humans who are not responsible for what the Glad government that existed at the time had done. The 86 remember having fellow Alba serve alongside them who similarly are not the xenophobic ghouls that they consider them as, serving heroically in battle alongside their fellow 86 kin against the Legion and in spite of their atrocious government. And more than anything, memories of people who had died, irrespective of who they were in life, are frequently shown via photos contrasting them with the people they are now (or were when they died), in one amazing instance with video footage summarizing the entire journey these characters took together until the end. Shin's own self-perception is also explored, what with him perceiving himself as a dead man walking yet having that thrown into question, and the same applies to Lena's own memories of being saved by an 86 when younger. Memory - both memory politics and insofar as deeply subjective perception of events present and past goes - is at the core of everything in 86's story, and it's this hauntingly fascinating yet human understanding of how perception is flexible to change that makes 86 such an amazing story. The cast of characters are wildly varied in both the screentime they receive and their characterization, but the characters that the narrative focuses on the most are incredibly multilayered and complex. The Spearhead Squadron as a whole are a fun cast whose chemistry is just always a joy whenever they're on screen, Shin being the character who receives the most focus over the course of the series. Raiden, Anju, Kurena and Theo all also receive a lot of characterization, with Lena also receiving a lot of characterization (her internalized racism and self-righteous attitude being viciously criticized by the narrative, with her growing increasingly attached to the Spearhead Squadron heralding in her being outri…

This show is really boring Plot: 86 tries to be deep and profound but is actually as shallow as a puddle. Its not entertaining and captivating at all. Theres also too much talking and exposition which are completely irrelevant to the plot Characters: Honestly speaking, i do not care for any of the characters in the show except lena and anju. Lena is cute and i like anju because of her va. Shin is too edgy and stoic for my liking. The author tried too hard to make him cool and badass but he is just cringe. The side characters are very generic and forgettable. I didnt feel anything at their death and backstory Animation: The animation of this show is great. The fight scenes are great in terms of animation but lack depth and emotion. Shin fights some robots called legion and its really boring. Theres no strategy involved and we are not shown villian perspectives. It fails to captivate the audience Music: Great music Overall: Great show to watch it you want to fall asleep

(TLDR Review at the bottom, as usual, thanks for reading) 86 is literally Girls' Last Tour meets military anime, all directed by Dhar Mann. As much as I'd like to say that this is not some sort of figure of speech, as well as being a 100% factual statement. It may get my review removed, which would render my efforts futile... Anyways, in seriousness, my earlier statement actually holds some water, maybe not to that extreme length, but that is what this review is for, explaining why. 86 was ultimately a major disappointment in my eyes, being incredibly ambitious in telling what it must, but missed out on the very basics to make itself work. It would have been so good in my eyes if it didn't act so pompous. I mean, with the themes that are in this story, you can only really praise the idea, but the execution leads to an untimely downfall, as for why? Let's have a look. Narrative: I would be a liar if I said I remember the beginning of 86. I don't really want to check Wikipedia or some other place too as well. But there isn't a need to worry, I don't have to explain the beginning since the synopsis does it for you. All I will say is that 86's beginning (from what I remember) seemed really good, a bunch of things are thrown at you and you have to make do as the anime progresses, you are not really given enough time to make do, however, with a full-blown world already in your face not even halfway past the first episode, it makes for some unnecessary struggle in understanding exactly what is happening. Once you do understand though, there are many fundamental problems that make for this anime to be more flawed than meets the eyes. Now, I don't want to sound like some kind of astute intelligent oh so great myanimelist.net reviewer. But usually, when I see stories that do not work on the most basic levels, there has to be a shout for problems. Usually, I brush off any kind of side plot superficial illogical mess as something literally no one will care about, because no one will care about it. But when the fundamentals are broken, there is an easy problem to say something about. Which is what I see in 86. The first problem is representations of themes, like racism and the "hell of the outside world". Starting with the "racism". There is barely any that made it liable to a theme I even cared about, seriously. The racism here is also used slightly ambiguous words like "pig" which is used by both parties, so it makes it seem like kids screaming racial slurs after losing a game on Rocket League, in other words, something to not take seriously. I don't remember too much on racism in this story, though, it isn't like it doesn't exist, it does show up, but with 86 being ambitious as it was, it didn't really dive into it and it became a side topic to not care about. This also leads me to the "oppression" that kinda stems off. It's honestly a joke. Hence why I said it is like Girls Last Tour. One moment the Eighty-Sixers are reincarnating scenes from beach episode #41457, then next they want to shame the Alba for oppressing them and dehumanising them. Are these people joking? Because it makes it seem like some deranged mess that doesn't even take itself seriously. I am quite lost with how anything in the presentation of "racism" was anything good for its kind. Maybe that is me being too harsh, but I didn't think it was anything to actively tell people is good. With "hell of the outside world", basically what I just said just before, though I need to talk about the Legion and death in this anime. The Legion is a good idea, I will give the anime that, however it isn't as hellish as meets the eyes, I won't complain about plot armour of some characters, hell, if there is any, but the Legion and death work hand in hand for this idea that they are some kind of demonic force only made to enforce to the tragic life of the Eighty-Sixers. Well, that is true to some extent. However, death is an important factor. Considering how most character deaths are irrelevant people who have little development, it suddenly becomes harder to take the Legion as seriously as you should. They are a very harsh force, yet the damage doesn't really hit the viewer, I suppose it does for the actual characters, but they aren't real-life people. At the end of it, it's just these mad robots killing, well, the wrong people. It is like if Attack On Titan or Akame Ga Kill went and annihilated every undeveloped character, it suddenly becomes harder to take titans or the empire seriously, as you know what to expect. Now, I talked too much about the themes, the story in itself is quite interesting, there isn't a lot to glorify with it, especially with a lacking world-building, but for the most part, the writing was decent, and the story carried itself with sufficient pacing. If they had just stopped with the random people coming and going, it would have made for a more fun anime to watch. As for characters, the only one to praise is Lena. She is someone I can't take seriously though, because one moment she is waifu bait #104039 the other she is a serious general I can actually respect. Not sure why 86 loves these on and off switches, but they do I guess. I do think that her development was pretty good on the whole, but considering how at the end of this season, this is nowhere near finished, it does seem like she has ways to go. Being the only person with a high position actively going against her own country's values can make for some interesting battles and development to invest into. As of now, she is probably the best character this show has to offer. Looking past some of her melodramatic moments I quite like her and I would imagine most people watching would be the same. Now Shin, at first, this dude is like the star of the show, something about him screams secrets and "that man to change everything". I legit thought he would pull a Tombstone Piledriver or a Death Blossom at one point. Man did I get my hopes too high up. I won't complain and dislike him for not being what I would have liked, but this man doesn't really hold himself up too high and ends up being a little mid. Having a somewhat dramatic background to his name and a very simple inside job. There isn't too much to go on with him, kinda wasted potential. But this is just the beginning and maybe something big will happen. Who knows. Overall, he is fine as he is, but more would be nice. Other characters here are generally something I don't find myself caring about, and I don't have a vivid memory of some of the actions they have committed, though from what I remember, I will give them the praise that they do have a human feel to them, they aren't completely generic and I do also believe that a few have their own individual backgrounds to show off. Overall, could be way better for sure, though nothing shocking or awful. Audiovisuals: For A-1, this is fine stuff really, not as best as other works they have produced, but fine. I must say, this could be better, especially with the years being 2021 as of this review, this looked like something out of 2015-ish times. I suppose we just need to wait for the generation change in average style thought, but the CGI was really good, I will give it that. Maybe not as good as something out of Trigger or Shaft or some S-tier studio like those. But it isn't anything that would make you dread the action. So good stuff basically. As for audio. Very good, probably the best thing in this series. Quite a bit of great OSTs to remember from though none really stuck to me. As for OP and ED, OP was really good, not so much ED though, it varied as well so ended up not caring. Voice acting was really good here and the characters were conveyed well in that fashion. Nothing more to report. Enjoyment: I tend to enjoy most things, but 86 was hard to take seriously, I mean, I was told this is a mecha, but why is there only like 3 episodes with actual mecha moments. The balance doesn't check out here. There…

Please note while care has been taken to minimize story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. Based on a popular light novel of the same name 86 is a military sci-fi, mecha and drama based anime that gives us the unique opportunity to see what will happen if one day the central government of one’s homeland was to experience a shared sense of madness that planted in their minds a belief that while one that was totally irrational and downright inhumane was one that they all willingly not only subscribed too but also spread it to every person within their population the belief that apart from the genetically enhanced Alba that make up the majority of the population every other minority race within the republic was from henceforth an alien that was to be stripped of their entitled rights and shipped to the containment camps where they will reside until death. But alas when the forces of the Empire of Giad began their march the same government that had willingly exiled half of their population to certain death in their quest to maintain genetic purity was forced to modify these orders and conscript the minorities now labelled as 86 that were able-bodied and have them serve on the frontlines as their guardians against the legions of the empire. In a curious twist of fate, the people that they had exiled in their quest to maintain genetic purity had become the only things standing between the republic’s people and a bloody death an irony that Shinn and his squadron take grim pride in as day after day they by surviving against both the legion and the republic’s attempts to kill them they are not only living a good life free from the scorn of the Alba but do so in the company of their brothers and sisters that will last until death claims them. The overall story of the series follows the lives of Vladilena Lena Milze a major within the Republic of San Magnolian’s military and her counterpart within the darkly famed Spearhead unit field commander Shinei Nouzen who commands that unit as they both fight to not only stop the plans of the legion but also to for the first time in their life try to overcome the sense of discrimination and racism that the Alba in their quest to maintain genetic purity had created by not only labelling them as monsters but exiling them from their homes and try and find a sense of common ground where genuine trust and friendship can once again flourish between them and the bonds and trust between them long-strained can be reforged once more. But as Shinn and Lena were to discover on the battlefield the truth about the legion and their prophesized time limit was far darker than even they had suspected the bonds that both sides are trying to reforge may well be the very last thing that they will have if the Alba and the 86 are unable to put their differences aside and realize the true threat that the legion represents. For when death comes it will not care what colours your skin are only that as a human you deserve only annihilation. Shinei Shinei Nouzen better known as Shinn to his comrades and friends and as the reaper to his Alba overseers within high command is one of the main characters of the series and serves as the representative of the common soldier’s perspective of the war by allowing us to see what it was like fighting tooth and nail against the forces of the legions on the frontlines. The combat commander and the acknowledged leader of the 86th spearhead squadron of the Republic of San Magnolian’s military Shinn from his initial appearances was shown to be a quiet, calm, and taciturn person by nature who while having no problems in socialising and befriending others was shown to be one that preferred to spend his time in solitude. While this can be seen to be a result of his quiet nature this instead was a means to allow Shinn to rationally determine the best way forward for he and his team that will allow them to accomplish their objectives while minimising the number of casualties that they can potentially incur while doing it. However, while doing his best to ensure that his friends and comrades have the highest chances of surviving their missions the unique nature of battlefields meant that the chances of there being a fatality were exceptionally high and it is in these sorrowful circumstances that Shinn would have to assume a role than not many would envy which is that of an undertaker whose role was to ensure that those that are too heavily wounded to survive are given a merciful end and their lives and deeds are recorded and engraved within his mind until the day when their time as soldiers comes to an end and only then would Shinn be able to relinquish the box of makeshift dog tags that represented the deeds and lives of every one of his comrades that had been lost since they joined the squadron. Though nominally shown to be loyal to the republic and obeying their orders Shinn and the members of his squadron after years of abuse and belittling at the hands of their superiors were seen to have little respect for them and indeed was all too willing to demean them based on what they believe they are like in their worlds and ensuring that their relationship with command while professional on the surface was in reality a turbulent one that had until the coming of Lena been one that drove their assigned handlers crazy. However, with the coming of their new Handler Lena this curious relationship that Shinn and his team had with their overseers soon changed to something that neither side expected to encounter in their lifetime which was a relationship where trust between the two sides actually existed. As the series progresses and Shinn’s personality is expanded upon it can be seen that beneath his steely exterior Shinn was someone that had been profoundly changed by the experiences that he had experienced as a result of being forced upon the role of a soldier. As a result of always being treated by their overseers as beings other than human Shinn and his squadron had until meeting Lena been saddled with perhaps the worst members of the military as their Handlers people who not only advocated the most costly of strategy when confronted by complex objectives but at the same time ignored their recommendations for alternatives as well which when combined with the minimum amounts of resupply of ammo, fire support and critical components for their juggernauts ensured that Shinn’s attitude toward their overseers was not only cynical but also one where he not only expected them to backstab him and his team but also abandon them to the legion if given the opportunity aspects that served to ensure that to Shinn any new Handler that’s assigned to the unit needed to prove themselves first before they can be trusted to assist them. While the long years of being a soldier had allowed him to become an effective field commander that was not only able to make effective usage of Spearhead’s strengths but also pair them with effective usage of strategy and effective reading of the flow of battle that had served to humble many a legion attack it can be seen that the mental cost that came from not being able to protect everyone had served to create a heavy emotional burden that weighed heavily on his mind. This burden while a heavy one but itself was also complicated by the fact that in his desire to not diminish the overall morale of the unit and place more burdens on his friends meant that Shinn while perfectly capable of delegating tasks to his friends preferred to take upon the lion’s share of the work and responsibilities that if not for his strong will would have broken many a man. However, with the coming of Lena and the renewed bonds that came from learning to trust his closest allies this burden while never completely gone was instead lightened as his friends and the one Handler that he trusted stepped in to support him. As a character Shinn I felt was an excellent c…

One of the best adaptations that I've seen! Finally arrived the time to comment on the anime and the experience that the adaptation of 86 gave me. When I finished reading volume 1 of the novel I was wondering if the "story" could go beyond that, in this case an anime adaptation .. When they announced the anime I was very euphoric and extremely happy with the announcement, but after some doubts in my mind and if it would be something as incredible as Light Novel. As everyone knows, adaptations on the same level or even better than the original material is a very rare case of whether currently in the industry, I may be mistaken to say that 86 is the best adaptation of recent times. A lot of adaptations usually have between 11-13 episodes and some end up adapting an absurd amount of volumes in just a few episodes. As an example: Re:Zero that suffered some cuts in relation to the novel, but it is still a very good adaptation. Nowadays people have come to be quite critical of Manga/Novel adaptations. Imagine you seeing your favorite work being adapted in a way that does not follow the same tracks as the original material this is sad to see. But everyone dumb knows that the changes always made will be in relation to a Novel/ Manga, the changes that can sometimes be ruined or pleasant. But in the case of 86 it is something that deserves all the praise and I am not saying this just because I am a long-time fan of the work, I say this because we are blessed with a studio that took all possible care for the adaptation from 86 would become what we are seeing this season. The scenarios presented in this first part were a little different from what I imagined when I read the novel, but I think they hit the nail on virtually everything. In the novel, the base of the Eighty-Six was something that looked like a place totally similar to a concentration camp, but here in the anime it was something totally different. The CGI was one of my big concerns and not to mention that A-1 pictures had never done anything like that and it turned out they got the CGI and the action parts right. It's amazing how a soundtrack makes such a difference in an anime. I think the only composer who could work on the part of the soundtrack this guy was Sawano. I confess that I was a little worried when they announced that A-1 Pictures would adapt 86 and I think everyone was left with the receipt that a novel would not be so well adapted, when it changed the first promotional image of the anime it was worrying and thankfully that they adjusted it like things like character designs. When I read that the author of [86] supervised all the storyboards for each episode, I was even more relieved and that may have been one of the great factors of the anime being incredible. I wonder if another studio had taken 86 to adapt and I wonder if it would be something at that same level, well .. although I had some doubts when it was announced that A1- Pictures would adapt, but I didn't think it would be something at that absurd level. I saw a lot of people complaining about the original partrs that were implemented in the anime and that they didn't have in the novel. Sometimes implementing new things in works can be good or bad, but as volume 1 of the novel leaves something to be desired, the anime corrected and not to mention that it was really good. It's really amazing how the anime made me have a greater appreciation for the secondary characters and that's one of the things I don't like very much about the novel, we have Daya's death which in the novel is only mentioned in a few volumes farther ahead. It was fantastic to see that even the very important characters had a bit of prominence and that's something that added a lot to the plot.

This review covers both parts of 86. The gist of the anime is given to you in the first episode. Children are sent to war while the rest of the republic is treating them like objects that don’t count as fatalities when they die. Themes such as propaganda and racism are strong, but their execution leaves a lot to be desired. The main reasons are summed up as followed. 1) Crappy CGI for the mechas. Far from the worst specimen and it’s mostly the silver enemy units that look dreadful, but still enough to drive away most people accustomed to pretty animation and good choreography. The fights are not interesting in general, since it’s just spider robots shooting at each other, effectively nothing more than tanks with legs. They lack the flare of more popular mecha, such as fluent movement, special attacks, and over the top particle effects. Yes, those are all super robot territory, but that is what makes them engaging. In 86 you are just multitasking as you wait for the fights to be over. 2) Completely forgettable stock characters. There is close to nothing worth remembering about them and there is no impact when some of them die. Even the diehard fans of the show like them in the most superficial way. Lena is cute, Shin is cool, Frederica is annoying but adorable. That’s as far as it goes, because they are otherwise generic. 3) Very simple and slow plot progression. Most episodes are slice of life or stand alone skirmishes, and even the big battles at the end don’t feel that important or even conclusive. 4) Immersion-breaking erotic comedy. Although fairly tame compared to your average romcom, beach and bath scenes are still out of place in a supposed serious war drama. It doesn’t add anything to the plot and it’s too simple to make the neckbeards huff and puff like happy dogs. Also it’s puzzling to see people in the 2020s being fine with minors getting thrown at compromising situations for the sake of comedy. Not even Frederica was spared. Porn is now everywhere and it’ mostly free, you know? You don’t need watered down fan service about Frederica for fulfilling your needs. In conclusion, the show would be a bit better without those lukewarm and eventually worthless scenes. 5) Childish treatment of the themes. This is by far the worst one and deserves further elaboration. 86 plays out like a soap opera written by and aimed at teenagers who don’t really know anything about real war. Despite the battles waging constantly for many years, the teen soldiers are still acting like typical high school students with none of the grumpy attitude and cynicism that comes along with the territory. Sure, you can’t expect all soldiers to act like Rambo, but you can at least assume they would act somewhat differently compared to a silly anime high school romcom. It’s hard to care when one of them dies and all you are thinking is ‘oh, no, there goes the out-of-place romcom stock character’. That aside, the republic keeps treating them like subhumans when they have the firepower and battle experience to wipe out entire battalions. Not much reasoning is provided for why the Spearheads are fighting for the republic when they are treated like dirt and are eventually sent to suicide missions. At some point they even mention they are doing it for honor, which doesn’t make any sense. They are literally sent to die and nobody will give a shit or bother to remember their contribution. At the same time they have the firepower and vital position to refuse to fight if they are not treated better, or if they are preferably not murdered by their own people at the end for the lolz. It’s as if the whole thing was written that way so the main characters can be victimized and super powerful at the same time. You know, just for the sake of making the audience feel sorry for them while at the same time finding them to be cool or something. Too bad they are stock characters so it doesn’t work. Also the solution to their drama is as easy as a walk to the local supermarket. Don’t fight and see the Magnolias sweating as the enemy machines wipe out their border towns. They will have no other choice besides fulfilling the 86 demands. Yet all we see is the Spearheads fighting even when they know they will be killed off at the end. I mean, they eventually decide to run away to some other country at the last moment, but that is something they could have done since day 1. But didn’t. This part was shrugged off as pathological altruism, aka they did it because they are boyscouts and don’t care if they get killed without getting some recognition or at least respect at the end. It makes them come off as idealists for no other reason than being written as such. It’s childish. 6) Wait, what, there is more? Yes, and I placed this reason after the biggest problem with the show, simply because it’s something that pops up in the second cour. The core drama is just not there anymore, automatically making the second part even duller than the first. For you see, the 86 escape to a different country where they are no longer discriminated. In fact, they are treated nicely and even gain everyone’s respect in battle. The theme lost the racism angle and became about PTSD where the soldiers can’t stay away from the fighting even when they are given the chance. It could be something interesting to explore, but because they are stock characters from some romcom it doesn’t work at all. Even Lena, the surrogate for the racists, no longer has much screentime. Her chemistry with the second team she controls is also non-existent and it’s like she ran out of things to offer to the show. In conclusion, it’s not a good show. Watching the fans’ reaction to it feels like they haven’t seen another war drama in anime. Most 80s sci-fi were essentially doing the same thing. Heck, most mecha were doing the same thing. Heck, most Gundam series have the same themes, with far better visuals and action to boot. What’s that, people don’t bother watching 80s anime to know that? Okay then, Iron Blooded Orphans came out a couple of years before this anime, yet nobody amongst the fans of 86 seems to have heard of it. What they surely had heard of, were the dozens of trashy fantasy isekai that come out every year to which 86 stands out because it’s not fantasy. Or isekai. Or a harem with videogame terminology. And that is somehow enough to make 86 a standout in the landscape of the time it came out. Fancy that. With that said, the show is not super popular either. Some of those who praise it tend to be vocal, while the vast majority of anime fans don’t give a damn about it. Which is to be expected, since mecha are not in fashion anymore and do not draw the casuals the same way fighting shonen, isekai, and romcoms do. So yeah, it never stood a chance at being popular, even if it didn’t have the issues I described above. Chances are nobody will even remember it by next year.

I cannot understand that underrated gimmick around it. People say it was one of the best pieces of fiction, but they end up getting so disappointed. Don’t fall for the hype unless you love mecha anime so much and can handle second-hand embarrassment from the FMC throughout the whole show. The FMC’s personality is the personality I hate the most in an MC and an FMC. Just to be clear, I haven’t touched the light novels, and I don’t plan to. I’m judging the anime on its own terms, without any attachment to the source material. Story: 3/10 The society portrayed in Magnolia is supposedly obsessed with “pure-blooded” citizens, to the extent that they send people of the main ethnic group into mental breakdowns or death without consequences. But the show never addresses how such extreme actions aren’t investigated, punished, or even talked about. And it expects me to believe that not a single handler before Lena ever questioned what was happening? This entire secret system somehow stayed hidden from the public for years without a leak, whistleblower, or scandal? Meanwhile Lena openly speaks her mind and nothing ever happens to her. Art: 7/10 Sound: 7/10 Character: 2/10 Yeah… this is where the show loses me the most. There are way too many characters dumped on you at the start, and almost none of them leave an impression. I can barely remember more than a handful of names, and two of those are just call signs. When characters die, it doesn’t hit emotionally because the show never gave me time to connect with them. Their designs are also too similar—like background NPCs. Even the main cast looks a bit copy-paste with slightly different hair. Enjoyment: 1/10

I can't understand what people finds great about the show, it isn't even a good mecha anime let alone a good show. Anyone who says it isn't mecha because "characters are more important than the robots!" I have a list of shows that you can thrust in your ass to find actual good series: Getter Robo, Mazinger Z, Linebarrels of Iron, Mobile Suit Gundam IBO/WfM/Turn A/00/Wing/G, Code Geass, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, Majestic Prince, SSSS Gridman/Dynazenon, Gun X Sword, Star Driver, Aim to the Top Gunbuster/Diebuster, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Promare, Break Blade, Overman King Gainer, Space Runaway Ideon, Eureka Seven, Dai-Guard, Patlabor, Super Beast Machine God Dancouga, Armored Trooper VOTOMS.

I had some thoughts on whether I should watch 86 or not, but I decided to watch it, and I'm glad I did. 86 was a suspenseful ride, and it brings up the concept of war which has been a recurring thing since season four-part one of Attack on Titan. However, it's its series, and the ideas behind it can be somewhat similar as well. The story of 86 can be portrayed as prejudice or racism, in terms that one type of people are the ones living a good life, while those who are different in appearance are risking their lives fighting, known as the Eighty-six. In terms of that, it features those people who are teens fighting in automated scorpion-like battle bots, while the protagonist leads them to victory. The characters are well designed; while some were memorable among the teens fighting, most of them can be a bit forgettable, not to mention that they only appear for a short time. They're gone as the episodes go on, barely giving them a chance to be memorable. For the ones still there, such as Shin, they have well-written backstories portrayed, such as dark pasts and the pain of losing their comrades as the series goes on, it makes them diverse and roots for them to find their comrades happiness. Lena's main protagonist, I like how she's the good one who cares among her people who look down on the Eighty-six. While her naivety can be a problem in war, she cares and respects the Eighty-six as equals, leading up to a foreshadow that they will eventually meet up in the future. Oh, and Lena can be considered a candidate for the best girl of 2021. The animation is polished, while the CGI is good, it blends in with the background during the parts when the Eighty-six fights, and it feels natural, while the opposing forces that are CGI can be terrifying when looking upon them. Out of battle, the animation is pretty decent. The soundtrack is very catchy, definitely fits in the tone of 86, intense yet prepared for what outcome will be made. The sound effects were outstanding, fit in with the machines, making them feel real, and could come to life as actual robots. Another aspect that I'd like is the development of the setting itself. It starts with the city Lena works in and focuses on the initial area of the Eighty-six and the battlefield. But as the series goes on, it starts off its worldbuilding towards the end, but it'll continue to show various areas that had an impact throughout the war that's occurring. Finally, the way they end each episode was incredible, from the cliffhangers to how dark the series can be at times. That fascinated me, seeing how it influences the characters that made it through and how they will continue going forward. 86 uses the concept of war, character arcs, and the relationship between two sides to create a great story. It makes us wish that everyone can be treated socially equally. The little bits of romance were very wholesome and tragic at the same time but felt too soon to be a part of the romance genre. The animation and soundtrack matched the tone of the series as well, and it was enjoyable to watch. I highly recommend 86 for those that want to watch another good mecha anime of this decade. However, this series is not over yet, the second part will leave off how it ended, and I look forward to seeing what will happen next.

A masterpiece, if: - This is your first time seeing media of any kind - You fell on your head as a baby - Your brain is completely turned off, i.e. heavily intoxicated I've watched both seasons. This anime is absolutely overrated and it's filled with overused tropes. First, the world doesn't make any sense whatsoever. We are introduced to a supposed "war" between mecha-robots and mecha-pilots. The pilots are sent to battle to defend the homeland of the "superior" race. This is literally their only line of defense against the scary robits. So you'd think that the pilots would have at least some quality equipment or weapons of some kind, right? Nope. They use mechas that are rusting, falling apart, and poorly built and equipped. Every supposed battle incurs numerous causalities. Yes, they are cannon fodder, but the army of the robots essentially respawn infinitely. Based on this, the pilots would have been decimated within a few battles. There's simply not enough of them and unlike the robots, it takes time to produce a human, educate it, and finally train it to become a pilot. Despite this gaping plot hole, we are supposed to believe that the city of the "superior" race has been able to withstand wave after wave of attacks. Moreover, the main character of the show is supposed to be the lead pilot, the equivalent of an "insane" gamer in terms of skill. We are shown he can maneuver and attack like no one else. This would be fine, except the mecha he pilots literally cannot withstand his rapid moves. And we are even told this in one of the episodes where a mechanic scolds him for always being rough with his mecha and that it cannot handle it. This is a major plot hole. No amount of skill can override mechanical wear and tear, especially not on mechas that are literally poorly built and fragile. The battlefield is unforgiving and ANY mistake, issue, problem, etc can result in death. For instance, if his mecha where to stop because a part came loose or something, he should be dead within seconds. And yet this somehow has never happened to this particular pilot, because he's "skilled". What's more is there was a scene where he landed on top of a robot mecha and blew it up pointblank without his fragile mecha taking any damage, lol, lmao even. Second, the characters have no unique qualities to them, not to mention there's essentially no character development. Also, the main character is the typical trope of being emotionless, cool-headed, and calm. He's just not interesting in any way. There's really not much to say about the characters other than they are generic, predictable, and stale. They are abused and enslaved by the "superior" race and have ample opportunity to revolt and yet they choose not to. Why? Because something something honor. All the pilots seem to have the same core and moral values. Honestly, this is the most overrated anime/show I have seen. It's extremely cringe that people call it a "masterpiece". I reckon it's due to the shallow parallels between this and WW2, with the "superior" race being the Aryans, and those pilots being the imprisoned people in the camps, who are akin to the soviets. Except it's completely different in every regard and can't be compared at all. So I have no idea what any of these "people" praising this unfounded trope are talking about, they're forcing a connection that does not exist. It's likely this anime has been brigaded and positively review bombed. Literally nothing about this anime is any way even remotely close to being a "masterpiece". Lastly, the: - Music is awful - Animation can be good at times but is otherwise average and even terrible sometimes - Story is essentially non-existent - World building is terrible - Dialogue is mostly generic, not interesting, and adds almost nothing to the story Overall a 4/10 and that's being generous.

86, If you are reading this review then that at least means you have heard of this series. A lot of people certainly haven't heard of the series but you are one of the lucky people who do have. Let me first give you some general information though about the series so we all start with the same information and have a brief understanding of it. 86 is originally a Light Novel series written by Asato Asato starting around 2017. The light novel itself is already really far and has won multiple awards but we are gonna talk about the anime in this review (Because I haven't read the Light Novels). The anime itself is being animated by A-1 pictures under the direction of Toshimassa Ishii. The anime is part of the spring 2021 anime and has its first episode aired on April 11. 86 itself is classified under the categories: Action, Drama, Mecha, Military and Sci-fi. Since then it has aired an episode once a week and has a total of 11 episodes with one special episode after that. The series is far from over though and it is already confirmed that the next season will be aired in October 2021. In the meantime, I will write this review for you though and let you find out what the series is about and if it is worth watching. (This review doesn't contain any spoilers but I will be talking about some events so if you want to start to blank about the whole series and world then I would suggest stopping here) Before we will talk about what makes this series so special and what I think makes it so great we first have to know what it is about: The world of 86 can be mostly divided into two territories: The Republic of San Magnolia and the Legion. The legion is an advanced war mech created by the Giadan Empire which is unarmed and made to fight. These Legion mechs are made to fight against the Republic. In an effort to counter these Legion mech's, the republic made their own mech's. These mechs are also better known as "Juggernauts" and are also made to be operated unarmed just like the Legion. This is only what is said to the public though since in reality they are operated by people of the 86th district. The republic has divided itself into 86 districts of which only 85 are defended by the juggernauts and all sorts of defence mechanisms. People from the 86th district are seen as less than human and are born to fight in the juggernauts and offer their life in order to protect the other 85 districts. Most people of these districts don't know the truth and only highly ranked people in the military which are also known as "handlers" and everyone above them know this truth. These handlers are people who help support the 86 in their battles and give advice, orders and help to those who fight on the battlefield. One of these handlers is Vladilena Milizé. She is one of the highest-ranked in the military and one of the youngest handlers there is. What makes her different though from the rest is that she cares about the 86 and wants to do everything to make sure they survive and are seen as humans instead of the pigs as they are seen now. She will be assigned to one of the strongest squadrons there is also known as: "The spearhead squadron". This squadron is special not because it is one of the strongest but because of their leader is known as "The Undertaker" or by his real name "Shin". It is said that every handler that has operated for this squadron has suddenly stopped or started to act weird. Because of this, Lena was assigned as their handler because the last one has committed suicide. One of the best handlers and one of the most feared 86-ers now fight together to end this war but how they will do this and what will happen on their quest to do this is something you have to find out yourself. Now we all know what the series is about. Let me allow myself to talk about what I think makes this series so beautiful: The world: The world itself in 86 looks small. You only have the Republic of San Magnolia and the 86th district with the 86-ers and Legion Mechs. Even though this is the only thing the series shows us it still is really interesting and complex. First of all the world itself is set into the future. This makes it so many things that we see in the series are really advanced compared to the technology we have these days. What the series is mostly focused on though is their advanced war machines. From things like Spider looking mechs to mortars that have projectiles that can shoot down with a huge impact. All the technology shown in the series is really complex and makes us really believe that this series is set into the future and far more advanced than our own. The writer really thought about how the world would look like in the future and made sure that all the technology shown would really be advancements from our current technology. The mech's themselves are already really complex and have functions/mechanics that are far better than anything we got these days and not only this but their way of fighting and tactics are also improved compared to what we got these days. It looks like the writing itself is a scientist herself and has a great understanding of how a future society would look like and how it would operate. Not only the war technology is far more advanced but also their day-to-day technology is an improvement. Things like: Hologram food and para-raids which allow you to talk just like a phone but even allow you to get a look from someone else's eyes and take over their vision. These are all things that could really be invented in the future and would actually work so most of the sci-fi show in the series could really work and the writer did give a lot of thought into how everything works. Aside from everything we do know about the technology, there is a lot we don't know and which give us a lot of questions. Questions like: How does the Legion work?, Why isn't the republic able to produce their own unmanned mech's and maybe not about technology but why do the Legion and the Republic fight against each other? All of these questions make it so the watcher wants to watch even more to find the answer to these questions and know how the world really works. The world doesn't only consist of technology of course but I feel like that is the thing the writer has thought the most about and has made sure that is as advanced as possible. We only get to see the world from two perspectives: Lena, A handler who lives inside of the walls of protection and Shin, an 86-er which give us even more questions about the series. But because of their difference of living, we actually get to see the whole world because Lena explains to us everything that happens inside of the walls and helps us understand what the people inside of the walls think about the 86 and how their world is different from those who live outside of the walls. Shin shows us what it is like to live as a person who is seen as less than human and has to fight almost every day in order to survive and protect the people who hate them the most. Their difference of living was only chosen by where they were born and even though they have a lot of similarities they are still really different because of the effects of war. This makes the world even more complex but I like complex things and try to understand them so I actually like what the writer has done and I feel like the world itself is one of the best things in the series and I especially love the technologies in the series which are interesting in itself and actually deserve their own review to talk about how they really world and what makes them so effective. So yeah, The world is really complex but beautiful in its own way and has a lot more to offer than what you think it does. The music: The music itself is the thing that can give already good scenes that final thing to make them hit that much harder and is actually a way of talking or telling us how we should interpret a scene without telling us anything. 86 really does implement music in this way and the…

Mecha + Good & Complex Story + Sawano Hiroyuki => Definitely goes brrrrrrrrrr There's no one that drop so bad All is being organized so well, the music absolutely Master piece Animation as expected from A-1 studio's, always good but i think this is not good for all people Dark story, contrast situation are pictured explicitly in this series This is not kinda Happy Ending series that you can watch for stress relief but in the otherside, this series give us a reflection about politics, racist and social problem that occur from a long way history untill now personally, i can give 10/10 for this enjoyment, but i'm kinda a little dissapointed for the Opening IDK, maybe it's not suit to my taste, or it's just weird why not Sawano Hiroyuki handle the OP too, like other previous A-1 & Sawano Hiroyuki Project Overall 9 / 10

Recommendation: Essential viewing. Drop everything and watch it immediately if you have to. 86 is a masterpiece by any standard. For the record, I am an anime-only viewer and I have virtually zero knowledge of the light novels. 86 is a tremendous work of fiction. The plot is excellent and engaging, the message and themes are very strong if a bit on the nose, the action is intense, and it is incredibly emotionally affecting. The characters are strong and their struggle against their hopeless fate is heartbreaking. It's a show where a lot of characters die, but their deaths aren't cheap. You feel the weight of each loss hanging over the Spearhead Squadron. Where this series really shines though is in the direction. Smarter people than me have written extensively about the direction, in particular how 86 uses many different directors but has them iterate within a certain style so each episode has a unique flair to it while retaining a cohesive feel. It's very impressive what they managed to do with this project that's gone above and beyond a simple adaptation, including adding an entire anime original episode that was one of the highlights of the series. To pick one example, the unique framing of showing the story primarily by splitting the narrative between Lena's perspective and Spearhead's perspective and devoting half of most episodes to each reinforces the feelings of isolation and alienation that the series is trying to convey, and that's typical of how the excellent direction enhances everything else about this series. It's genuinely difficult to find anything negative to say at all about the series. If I had to nitpick, one negative is that the CGI doesn't always look amazing. Smoke in particular doesn't always look great, but again, this is really a nitpick because the mechs look quite good and it's one of the better uses of CGI you'll see. It can also be a bit confusing on a first watch, but this isn't even necessarily a bad thing since this is the kind of show that strongly rewards multiple viewings to pick up on all the small details and is only confusing because you probably aren't paying close enough attention or don't know what to look for yet. Overall, this is a truly excellent series that I cannot recommend highly enough. 86 isn't just a great anime, it's better than much of what you see in American prestige TV. It deserves the widest possible audience.

Short review: (minor spoiler in the "cons" section) 86 effortlessly mixes tragedy, social commentary, character drama and mecha/sci-fi action, cementing its place as one of the best new anime in any genre. The show is quite an accomplishment, honestly. For someone as jaded as me, this anime worked far better than I thought it would do. I expected it to be a "death of the week" kind of show that blatantly manipulates your emotions by killing off characters, but I am so glad it isn't something like that. Pros: + Very effective multi-perspective narrative. The emotions flew naturally between these characters and allow them to grow on you. + overall stellar production value and art. Mechas are shaded with chrome-shiny 3d effects but it does not bother me. 2d and 3d elements blend quite well. The art/animation allowed the contrast between hellish battlefields and aristocratic privilege to be fleshed out. + Overall character design. + the main characters' respective arcs are very touching yet not overtly corny. Very respectful. Shin's journey could easily be A) a power fantasy in which he goes super saiyan and gets the girl; B) a hopeless tragedy. I am so glad the story did not go those paths. + Deals with dark and realistic subject matters quite maturely. Cons: - A few unnecessarily cutesy moments/characters. This anime, in my opinion, should have been more confident in its seriousness (I mean if you want fan service or cutesy stuff you can get plenty elsewhere, but it's as if the investors demanded these elements in 86 in order to even out the dark elements). - This is a minor spoiler, but considering the overall realistic tone of the show, the fate of the main characters in the end of Season 1/beginning of Season 2 feels a bit too convenient. If the show ends for good at S1E11, it could be more powerful in certain ways. Again, the aforementioned flaws are minor ones. If you are remotely touched by social commentary/character struggles in Attack on Titan, or if you like shows that deal with tragedy with respect, give 86 a try. Oh, and it's also a great action/sci-fi/mecha show.

This anime has been passing my timeline for quite a while now. I am not a big fan of sci-fi animes. I've watched and finished some, like Aldnoah, but it takes a lot of consideration before I spend time watching and investing in a new anime of this genre. And I can definitely say that 86 was worth the shot. Heck, I can say that it would be my greatest regret had I skipped this one. Part of the reason why I watched it is because of Sawano Hiroyuki. I had the 86 opening song in my playlist but never watched the anime (not until recently). The OST is good, well it's Sawano Hiroyuki so that's a given. And as for the story, well I just finished reading all the 8 vol. LN after the first season. It's so amazing that they were able to give justice to the story. It has not been rushed just to cover so many volumes for a single season. The anime portrayed the unspoken thoughts of the LN which is so amazing. One of the reasons why I am very skeptical of watching LN turned animes is because they skip a lot of the LN story and some studios animate a scene where they think that "an explanation is not needed or it's okay to skip a dialogue because the one who's gonna watch it has probably read the novel, so let's skip this part". I really appreciate how the story has been narrated, the sequence and how they have captured the feelings and the atmosphere of the LN. I cried so much in season 1 but the book had me bawling my eyes out. I suggest that you read it too guys. It's a good anime. Definitely worth your time.