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ANIME REVIEW:
With
86
Episodes 22 and 23 concluded last March 2022 due to an airing delay, 86 is one of those tearjerking and emotional anime. The anime is adapted from a light novel with a similar name written by Asato Asato and illustrations by Shirabii. Its publication was spearheaded by ASCII Media Works in February 2017. The novel is of the science fiction genre, specifically mecha with a combination of politics. The anime adaptation was made by A-1 pictures which was split into two anime seasons with 11 and 12 episodes during Spring 2021 and Fall 2021, respectively. The anime has also two recap episodes for the viewer’s convenience. [Synopsis; with minor spoilers] The Republic of San Magnolia is undergoing a war against the Giadian Empire. However, its reports that no casualties were recorded were just propaganda as San Magnolia’s 85 sectors are living safely behind walls, while the secret 86th faction continues to engage on the battlefield. The secret faction is known as Eighty-Six which is forced to fight against the autonomous Legion of the Empire, under the command of the “Handlers” of the Republic. Vladilena Milizé was tasked to be the handler of the Spearhead Squadron in replacement of their previous handler. She aims to fight against the eighty-sixer’s condition and human discrimination. Shinei Nouzen, the captain of the Spearhead squadron, is known for being the lone survivor of every squadron he was in. What would fate do to these individuals? Will it be a happy ending with sparks igniting? Or will the flames of despair and pain only succumb to them? [End of spoilers] I only watched the complete 23 episodes just recently, due to my demanding schedule and my watchlist priorities, given
RENZ BAUTISTA
that many sequels and new titles will air during the Spring 2022 season and anime that I cannot watch during the airing season due to my hectic schedule while it was airing. I binged the first part on one day and the second part on another day. The anime maintained consistency as episodes were not rushed. The story depicts the sad and brutal reality of war, discrimination, racism, and oppression given first-hand to the viewer. It presents the situation, of being in a frontline war from all angles, not just the surface. I am not fond of the mecha genre as compared to other anime genres, but 86 was a very exceptional one. I haven’t read the original light novel, so I cannot give a full review of the adaptation, but as I have said, there was no indication of the story presented being rushed. In my opinion, the story was exceptionally written. Parts were animated just right to the point that you are truly immersed in the story. The anime is pretty sad in nature, so just get a box of tissues ready in case. Character design was at the top of my charts. To be honest, I cannot find a comparison of anime with this kind of character design and development. The animation was overly great. I have heard from my friends that A-1 pictures are not used in CGI animation. Surprisingly, the action scenes and CGI was done right. The soundtrack makes a huge difference, especially when it is played during emotional moments. Sawano’s Avid still pierces viewer's feelings whenever it is played. The overall enjoyment, despite the many emotional scenes, is very high, given that I binged 1 part in one day (Although I could go for the full 23 episodes, cough cough). I was shocked that episodes 22 and 23 made it to the top anime of the week despite the delay, according to many anime voting pages. To conclude, I give a rating of 9.5/10 (10/10 under my MyAnimeList) and consider 86 as one which tops my list that has no personal biases imposed. Honestly, it is very difficult to find the perfect anime that could give the perfect 10/10. All the components, beautiful storytelling, character design, music, experience, and animation were of high marks for me. Although the language may be a bit strong, I highly recommend this for watchers that want the tearjerking experience and those finding a high-quality anime for a while. [R]
PHOTO SOURCE | ASCII MEDIA WORKS
