Launch of AnimeBuff & Drifters: A Dark, Fantasy Anime for your next watch
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What’s Up in Anime?
Netflix has started streaming all 74 episodes of Monster (up from just the first 30 episodes). One of the greatest anime to stick around for the past 19 years, Monster tells the story of a neurosurgeon(Dr. Tenma) who is drawn into investigating a series of murders after he saves the life of a patient who wasn’t quite what he expected. I highly recommend watching it, though I have to warn you, it is a slower anime to watch. The plot does take some time to progress but the character development is quite unlike anything I’ve seen. You might see a post from me on Monster later :).
One Piece Red film has surpassed Howl’s Moving Castle (Hauru no Ugoku) which previously held the title of 5th highest grossing anime film in Japan and #4 globally. Shoutout to Goro Tanguichi (director), Eiichiro Oda (One Piece manga creator) and Toei animation. Usurping the throne of an anime cult classic like HMC is no easy feat. After watching the One Piece Red in theaters, I can attest to the incredible musicality of Ado (who sings for the main character, Uta & first rocketed to fame in 2020 at the age of 17 with her crushing vocals). The soundtrack covers a vast array of songs from k-pop-like bops to soul-crushing vibes down to sheer rage w/ Ado bringing the lyrics to life. Listen to what millions of anime fans are raving about here (especially Tot Musica :) ):
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)’s creator Hajime Isayama won the Fauve Special de la 50e edition award at Europe’s second largest comics festival, Angouleme International Comics festival. Kudos! 🫡I found Hajime Isayama’s initial Attack on Titan art from 2012(translated to French) to be fascinating especially when looking at how far AOT art/design has come in the past 11 years.
A reminder that Attack on Titan’s soundtrack is straight fire and that I will never witness this concert irl. This Youtube comment(below) summarized my feelings perfectly. Also I think the final cut editor went hard on the edit and made the video experience look 10x better but I guess I’ll never find out.
Why Drifters should be your next watch.
The realm of anime has long been a haven for the adventurous, where the boundaries of imagination are tested and the limits of possibility pushed. And so it was with delight that I, a seasoned traveler in this realm, discovered the isekai anime series, Drifters.
From the very beginning, I’m struck by the story of Toyohisa Shimazu, a samurai of the Shimazu clan, transported to a world abundant with various races and ideologies (read about the actual Toyohisa Shimazu here). This new world, is a place where real people from various times in history had been transported to before, and where others continue to arrive. Each person's ideologies determines which side they gravitate towards, and in time, two main sides emerge: the Drifters and the Enders. The Drifters are on the side of the human-like races, seeking to preserve the existing civilization, while the Enders, on the other hand, are on the side of the monsters seeking to raze and raise a new civilization under different races.
Drifters, I soon realize, is different from other anime in the Isekai genre, where the main character is transported to another world. Unlike these anime, Drifters takes a unique approach, flipping the trope of the hardheaded, noble main character on its head. Toyohisa is no hero. He’s a raw and brutal character, unencumbered by noble intentions, fame, or romantic pursuits. He is, in essence, a man who dreams not of saving the world, but of ruling it, and who is willing to risk everything to achieve that goal. He demonstrates his resolve in the first episode by killing an enemy samurai.(No spoilers :) ).
But it isn’t just Toyohisa that makes Drifters so captivating. Nasu no Yoichi and Oda Nobunaga join him, creating a fun trio of personalities that adds depth to the story. And as much as the serious plot is compelling, it is often punctuated by silly squabbles that made the characters feel more three-dimensional. This can be a tough balance; sometimes, watching anime characters fight over small things makes me roll my eyes. Why are they fighting over such stupid stuff & taking up so much screen time? As a anime fan, it can feel that these frivolous arguments are filler for the studio & an excuse not to animate. But these squabbles are not defined by silly, one-off tropes, but rather by the characters' unique personalities and behaviors, and it is through these scenes that the animation studio, Hoods Entertainment, is able to accomplish both character development and a tangent to the main plot.
Contributing to the character development is the breathtaking animation of Drifters. The almost sepia-like coloring, the spirited character design, and the crisp action scenes make it a visual feast. The fight scenes are well choreographed, with each movement of Toyohisa's blade leaving a lasting impact. And not only is the sheer ferocity of the character felt, but also the moments where he wrestles against his opponents' blades, before ultimately cutting through them.
This sense of suspense, where the main character is not simply overpowering his opponents, but rather interacting with them, makes the anime all the more real and immersive.
True to world-building, Drifters also spends time creating depth in other races(something that is often overlooked in other animes & relegated to simplistic animations). Races such as dwarves, elves and orcs come to life with fair precision & even given distinct languages. Making the effort to create and capture different languages for when elves, Drifters, Enders & monsters speak stand as a testament to the care and attention to detail that went into making Drifters such a captivating experience.
Furthermore, Drifters puts a unique spin on the whole notion of good vs. evil. The entire thing is actually a proxy war between two godlike beings who are fighting for control via the Drifters & Enders. In isekai, this is nothing new. The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat (Sekai Saikō no Ansatsusha Isekai Kizoku ni Tensei suru), Journey in an Alternate World Guided by the Moon (Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Dōchū) and others follow similar themes. While all otherworldly characters are aware of these godlike beings, they each have their own motivations for doing things their way. While Toyohisa wants to save humanity & humanity’s allies, it’s so that he can rule over humanity. To top this off, not all of the characters even think or know or believe that they are on the same team. They didn’t unite on one side or become lifelong friends in the span of a few episodes; that would be weird & feel artificial. Rather, the interactions between the characters and the plot progression leads to some shaky alliances that are bound through self-interest and conflict with mutual enemies. They are not this perfectly contained, idealized, romanticized version of humanity; they are human. They are self-interested, flawed and that makes them real. More than just real, it is what makes it exciting. No one told them to hate the other side or fight them.
All told, kudos to Hoods Entertainment. Drifters is certainly among the better isekais; if you are into dark, fantasy animes, Drifters should be your next watch.
- Anime Buff
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