Many years have passed since humanity was driven to the brink of extinction by the sudden emergence of
the unknown life forms Gadoll. Those humans that survived now dwell in a 3000 meter-high mobile
fortress Deca-dence built to protect themselves from the Gadoll threat.
Denizens of Deca-dence fall into two categories: Gears, warriors who fight the Gadoll daily, and
Tankers, those without the skills to fight. One day, Natsume, a Tanker girl who dreams of becoming a
Gear meets surly Kaburagi, an armor repairman of Deca-dence.
This chance meeting between the seemingly two opposites, the girl with a positive attitude who never
gives up on her dreams and the realist who has given up on his, will eventually shake the future
course of this world.
(Source: Funimation)
# ~~~ *Deca-Dence* is like a house of cards. ~~~ ~~~ img100%(https://i.ibb.co/8DJL0hF/Horrible-Subs-Deca-Dence-05-1080p-mkv-2020-09-23-23-15-09-755.jpg) ~~~ There are fascinating ideas at play and a strong core storyline, but blink for a second and the whole piece falls on its face. It took me an unusually long time to firmly ground my takes on *Deca-Dence* (DD.) Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, I was constantly flip-flapping between my thoughts on the series and whether or not it was meeting its objectives. Was this a muddled mess of a plot? Or the best-written show of Summer? After (much) deliberation I’d now answer with: “a little bit of both.” As promising as this premise is, there are key details that one could easily miss, ruining the entire experience. And even when interpreted as intended, DD fails to see through its fullest potential. I hope you’ll join me as I attempt to inspect the puzzling case that is DD: the strengths, the weak spots, the twist in Episode 2, and more. On that note, there’s no way I can hold a meaningful talk about DD without spoiling that major left-turn, so I advise you to have at least **caught up with the first three eps before reading further**. *** ~~~ img100%(https://media2.giphy.com/media/s4ujqFSkED1upbg14Z/giphy.gif) ~~~ # ~~~ There aren’t many recent prospects in anime ~~~ # ~~~ that left me as excited as *Deca-Dence.* ~~~ That’s coming from a guy who mostly watches his Japanese cartoons seasonally, so make of that what you will. The last time Mob Psycho director Yuzuru Tachikawa got involved with an original work, the small OVA got picked up by none other than Madhouse for a 12-ep series nowadays known as “Death Parade.” Learning that one of the brightest industry talents was attaching himself to another original script^ sent my expectations through the roof. I openly shared my hype in discussions and gave this series my backing. This had the potential of becoming the dark horse of Summer and I was thrilled. DD’s pilot did little to keep me hopeful. The episode had your standard post-apocalyptic setting, a dystopian class system, a by-the-books arc about our MC proving herself, and a CGI battle with a horde of indistinguishable alien blobs. I was just about ready to lower my expectations significantly when they brought out a giant mecha transformation sequence while Konomi Suzuki belts the (admittedly banger) OP. None of this was bad by any stretch, but we’ve seen it all before. For a Tachikawa production there seemed to be a copious lack of ambition and intrigue. Something to really knock my socks off. ~~~ img100%(https://media2.giphy.com/media/IWi2V04M8NAFGiCXJ6/giphy.gif) ~~~ # ~~~ And blow me away it did, with a huge heel-turn that changed everything. ~~~ The reveal that the Deca-Dence fortress was in fact an entertainment facility controlled by a space corporation won me over. Shifts in context challenged me to question everything taking place in the surface world and what that meant to the *chibi* cyborgs participating in the simulation. The newfound setting opened up room for worldbuilding, which the show does rather well at times. It occasionally drip-fed information about how the grand illusion was held together by staging scenes in control rooms, factories that manufacture the Gadoll aliens for the company, and the storage facility for our robots’ in-game avatars. A dichotomy presented between the remaining humans and their descendent cyborgs was fertile ground for social commentary to go along with some sick action scenes. Ideas behind the ranged aerial combat feel distinct and something out of a video game, and cool concepts pop up wherever you look. Now you might think that I had a good time with DD. But I didn’t. For most of its run, anyway. See, my dumb ass didn’t quite pay attention to the second episode, as I was still reeling from its amazing twist. This was probably the worst possible mistake I could have made while watching the show, because for several weeks it was the only episode that defines who Rankers and Tankers are. To make matters worse my brain went on overdrive from that episode on, and my frustration grew as time went by. When a supposedly important character death occurred mid-season I had no idea what to feel, since I failed to catch the context behind that moment. Was that character a human or a cyborg? There are different implications for each interpretation, so which should I take? What the hell is a “bug” anyway? I kept running into those same issues with each plot point, running into brick walls as I regressed and reassessed the story. I never realized the answers to those questions until late in the season, and even then it took a series re-watch for me to comprehend what was happening. I’m all for sheepishly admitting that I ruined the experience for myself, and in retrospect I enjoyed a lot of the narrative presented. However, that isn’t the only reason I’m sharing this anecdote. ~~~ img100%(https://i.ibb.co/3YBX9pW/Horrible-Subs-Deca-Dence-04-1080p-mkv-2020-09-23-23-14-29-683.jpg) ~~~ # ~~~ Other viewers I’ve talked to have had equally confusing experiences, indicative of greater problems with DD’s storytelling. ~~~ In an interview conducted midway through DD’s airing (one I highly recommend you check out+,) Tachikawa admits that him and his team made the setting “somewhat complicated.” There’s certainly credence to his statement, but I don’t think that fully describes what’s happening here. A pattern crops up where select scenes pack exposition in dense chunks, separated with slower story segments. This stop-start pace runs about as well as a truck low on oxyone and robs DD of its momentum. Normally I wouldn’t find this approach problematic, but certain episodes don’t give me a lot of faith that the writers are using its single-cour length wisely. A notable example came hot off the heels of a big cliffhanger, where we follow characters in a factory processing… feces. These lulls in the narrative are all that harder to get through when those moments of plot progression leave holes unfilled. Earlier I mentioned my misunderstandings with the show’s terminology, but even the parts that I could make out yielded unanswered questions of their own. A bulk of those gaps lay with the relatively-unexplored secondary characters. Human survivors in Deca-Dence don’t come across as, well, humans (adding to the confusion with Rankers & Tankers.) These background roles aren’t given a ton of complexity, which is a huge shame. The aforementioned potential for social commentary and ideological reflection got relegated along with characters like Fei, Mikey and Kurenai. The apparent caste divide between “upper-class” Rankers and the “lower-class” Tankers goes unmentioned, which I found really strange. The episodes I enjoyed most were ones that were better able to tap into that potential, namely Episode 7 and its long-overdue return to the community Natsume was fighting to protect. Most of the writing behind its cast contrasts and betrays the intricacies presented by the premise, making me question if the series could be improved on given a higher episode count. ~~~ img100%(https://i.ibb.co/7rR3LgR/Horrible-Subs-Deca-Dence-02-1080p-mkv-2020-09-23-23-19-13-898.jpg) ~~~ # ~~~ Then again, judging from the kind of story DD wanted to be, perhaps my expectations were too high to begin with. ~~~ In the interview I brought up earlier, Tachikawa claims that while the setting was complicated, the plot was “more straightforward.” It’s an observation I agree with 100%. To better describe what we’re referring to, let’s briefly compare DD with the other script by this director. *Death Parade* was a story revolving around arbiters charged with deciding the fate of the dead. Episodes were mostly self-contained but came in a variety of tones and themes. Some nifty worldbuilding was done in the background, while not being necessarily integral to the plot. Instead, the show dedicated its focus to challenging the viewer’s understanding of morality and ethics. *Death Parade* chose to present a fully-fledged question and left the viewer to derive their own answers. On the other hand, DD’s conclusion was all but set-in-stone the moment it revealed its twist. You know what they *never* say: >"Nothing like a good ol’ battle against a ‘Big Brother’ AI to convey your anti- (space) corporation sentiments.” Joke aside, this predictability was a series mainstay even amidst some incredible surprises, as opposed to the ambiguity of Death Parade. One show held all the cards, the other laid them all out on the table as early as Episode 6. This resulted in the story feeling needlessly demanding at times, setting up a hard-to-follow plot but paying it off with a less-ambitious message. With such a fascinating backdrop which arguably surpasses that of Tachikawa’s previous script, one can only wonder if this mostly-predictable journey and its half-explored ideas could have spent more time developing in the *Pipe*line. Now, none of this is to disparage what the show does well; “straightforward” doesn’t mean “bad.” So enough of me bemoaning what the show could have been, and let’s get into what makes DD work. ~~~ img100%(https://i.ibb.co/tLqkChw/Horrible-Subs-Deca-Dence-05-1080p-mkv-2020-09-23-23-15-41-891.jpg) ~~~ # ~~~ At DD’s core is an affecting bond between its central characters. ~~~ Amidst my countless conflicted thoughts on the series, one constant remained clear: Natsume carries the show on her back. She may not clock in the most screentime but is always a joy to watch. A lot of these narratives about protecting important, “helpless” characters struggle to make an emotional connection with the viewer. Natsume could have easily fallen into that trap by being written as annoying, overly-childish or a cheap plot device for instigating conflict that feels illogical and unnatural. Thankfully, DD never runs into this issue; Natsume is charming and entertaining to watch. In a reversal of the Damsel-in-Distress, she is fully capable of fending for herself in dangerous situations. Giving her character resilience and strength in spite of her physical handicap made her an empowering figure. She shares plenty of chemistry with “*Kumicho!*” Kaburagi. While the stoic protagonist may not feel as endearing, he’s still a welcome presence on-screen. Instrumental to DD’s success is their bond when they’re together and their development whenever they’re apart. Utilizing their vastly different backgrounds and perspectives to good use, the series is able to convince us that this formidable duo have what it takes to conquer the system. # ~~~ Fun, kinetic action is another of the show’s strengths. ~~~ Hordes of Gadoll getting mowed down every week made for an entertaining spectacle. Sound and visuals are serviceable, no problems there. I appreciated the design contrast between the Space Colony and Earth. The *chibi* robot designs may have put some people off, and it admittedly takes some time getting used to. Use of CGI was inevitable but far from nauseating. Overall this presentation was a good effort from relative newbies Studio Nut, and I wouldn’t mind checking out their future projects. ~~~ img100%(https://media0.giphy.com/media/EHw5AHLRjzlg3XVTAT/giphy.gif) ~~~ # ~~~ **Tl;Dr**: ~~~ My experience with Deca-Dence was one of misunderstandings. DD fell short of the lofty expectations I had for an original script penned by Director Yuzuru Tachikawa. Failure to keep up with the show’s fascinating setting and missed thematic opportunities hampered my time with the show further. Nevertheless the series still stands out amongst its peers with its strong central character dynamic and distinct action scenes. The world presented, while incomplete in some aspects, is a complex dystopia that occasionally makes for thought-provoking TV. There is a good story and kernels of good ideas hidden in this massive show, making it one of the more interesting highlights in this year’s anime lineup. Just pay attention, don’t make the same mistakes I did. **6/10~** # ~~~ STRAY RAMBLINGS (**SPOILERS**): ~~~ -- +Reference: https://sea.ign.com/feature/163759/deca-dence-director-yuzuru-tachikawa-on-the-origins-behind-his-sci-fi-anime-epic Highly recommend you give this a read :) I also found another good one worth checking out: https://mipon.org/interview-yuzuru-tachikawa-deca-dence/ Really insightful, this director knows his stuff. Shoutout to @AnimeSavant for sharing the interview! -- ^While he’s listed as series director, Tachikawa stated in an interview that he had worked on the foundations of the script. Credits for series composition go to Hiroshi Seko, who for the most part has a good resume and partnership with Tachikawa. Although this begs the question of who has greater influence between the director and the writer, one which I’m ill-equipped to tackle. In this instance it seems that a healthy balance was struck between the two, and that’s a relief to hear. -- I’m having trouble wondering how bug elimination and chip retrieval makes sense. You can infer that this system control is meant to quell potential uprisings before they occur, but what are the bounds that make up an “Error Code?” Is it like a *Minority Report* situation where the A.I. detects the behaviour and stops it at the source? We never see this in the show; in both instances where Kaburagi takes a chip, the people they belonged to just dropped dead. Furthermore, how plausible is this concept anyway? If someone prominent in the small community like Kurenai dropped dead from these unnatural causes, surely people would pick up on that trend? It’s kinda unsettling how the populace never bring up such obvious topics, they really fell two-dimensional in that sense. -- Kept thinking about *Toy Story 2’s* airport scene when watching Kaburagi find his avatar in Ep 8. -- Random brain fart but how does currency work? All we know about the world of the cyborgs is their lives in relation to the Deca-Dence game. What happens outside of that? Perhaps they pay with oxyone? But the game is an arcade feature, and I assume most of the populace earn their money running errands. So the Rankers are sponsored and get living accommodations? In short, their economy promotes being an epic gamer and clocking in e-sports money. Now THAT is what I call forward thinking. Amazon, take notes. -- If the game has a 90% satisfaction rate (whatever that means,) I assume there are more games? That could be interesting. I imagine there are some dudes chilling on the moon playing the future’s equivalent of Animal Crossing while all this madness is taking place. -- Strange how the all-controlling system seems liberal when it comes to using drugs ~~~ img100%(https://media2.giphy.com/media/qb3rogRRwKaMVa75Qm/giphy.gif) ~~~ -- “Decadence” is defined as “self-indulgence.” This alludes to the leisurely activities of the cyborgs, as opposed to the poverty and near-death subsistence that humans undergo. Again, those parallels would hit so much harder if you actually USED them (keep calm Dweeb, you actually like this show…) -- IN A NUTSHELL: *Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Season One* meets *WALL-E.* -- **BEST GIRL**: Natsume. Her facial expressions in most episodes are peak meme-material, so that's a huge plus. ~~~ img100%(https://media4.giphy.com/media/gkM1HQN1AGr42Ywtlm/giphy.gif) ~~~ *** Apologies if I went off weirder tangents than what I normally tackle. I had a totally different review in mind until I gave the show a rewatch, so this piece morphed into a weird exercise in coming to terms with my personal experience. In any case I hope I at least provided adequate coverage for the show. If you happen to like my verbose rants, feel free to check out my other [ reviews ](https://anilist.co/user/An1meDweeb/reviews) for seasons past and present, peace~
So, this starts off beautifully, a really touching anime that looks at and examines the father-daughter bond, or more-so the step-father/daughter, bond. Usually anime loves to overdo the "we must force love stories onto the main characters at all costs", here we have a familial tie, and a unique one at that, with it being a step-father and daughter. You just don't see that touched on a lot in anime, and when you do the step-parent is some evil monster that hates the child, and their biological parent can't see it! I really enjoyed this aspect of the anime. I loved seeing their relationship build to the point that they genuinely cared for one another. If the anime were to continue on this route, with the emphasis on these two characters and their relationship, I would have rated it at least an 8. You can see that they aren't perfect either, this isn't some shiny, bubbly, everyone is perfect style of characters, they do have their flaws which makes them even more likeable. Even the side characters come across as more human than the usual absurdity you can get in anime's with characters maniacally laughing out loud as everyone just stares at them. BUT. The genre changes around the 4th/5th episode, and it becomes a very typical run of the mill action anime. I also hated this whole idea that the robots became the focus of Deca-Dence, and I personally found it very jarring to go from a very complex, touching, sensitive anime. To one that was basically 'the whole world is lying to you, and there's a villain who's holding us back, now we've gotta fight lots and ignore any sorts of below the surface emotions'. Ignoring all the inconsistencies in legitimate human logic/emotion, when they all basically find out that their lives are a lie. The potential they had for this anime in the first 2/3 eps, and the fantastic start it had was something I wish they expanded on. Instead we got just another post-apocalyptic action anime. The audio and visual of Deca-Dence is decent, although in 2021 are the visuals something that we should be praising so much? Almost all top anime's and even slightly lower budget ones have done great jobs in their presentation. I'd say that there are quite a few anime riding on the back of exactly that, (looking at you Demon Slayer). The characters and story should always be the main focuses in my own opinion. You could compare this to movies that lack logic, sustenance, and good characters, but are rated highly because of their cinemaphotography (1917). Even with music, if the video is shot really well and entertaining, should that have a huge impact on the quality of the song? I am writing this last sentence just to hit the 2200 characters, ty.
After countless seasons of anime and watching 100s of shows it’s hard to find something fresh and original, every show starts feeling like a rehash of another show that’s been already done and referenced to death. At first glance, Deca-Dence may seem just like the type of show that was described above, as in another generic Attack on Titan rip off action show with a forgettable main character with blind shonen character motivations. This review will cover why Deca-Dence is not another repetitive series, can stand on its own merits, and how it is genuinely an original and new take on survival action anime. Story: 8 Many people recognized that studio NUT, the studio behind Youjo Senki was involved in making Deca-Dence and rightfully expected top tier visuals, what they might have forgotten though was studio NUT’s penchant for episode 2 twists. Similarly, how to other shows they have made, Deca-Dence has a huge curveball twist 2 episodes in, it stops seeming like a generic survival in a post-apocalyptic world anime immediately and becomes much more interesting. The story takes place in a world where monsters known as Gadoll happen to have destroyed society and all the remaining humans are living in a large mobile fortress known as the Deca-Dence. The main characters consist of the idealistic Natsume and the hardened Kaburagi, both at first seem like coworkers and regular humans working on the Deca-Dence. However we later find out that Kaburagi is actually just an avatar for an AI that is playing a game, in fact the entire scenario in episode 1 is flipped on its head as we learn the world is no more than an amusement park for cyborgs and humans are an endangered species. As an anime original series, with this many plot points thrown in in the first few episodes, there was concern that the show would not be paced properly with the limited episodes. In hindsight the concerns were not necessary, the show was paced very quick but it did not feel rush, time on screen was never wasted, and overall the series came to a satisfactory ending. Art: 9 The one comparison with Attack on Titan that I find fair is in regard to the art and animation of this series. Visuals in Deca-Dence are spectacular, from the amazing 3dCGI integration, to the excellent character and monster designs, and the overall perfectly choreographed fights. At first I was not expecting to much, even if its Studio NUT the pandemic has hit the production values of most shows, but rest assured, if there is one thing this series is not lacking, it is great visuals. The Alpha Gadoll fight specifically was one of the best fights that have been animated in 2020, the Alpha Gadoll was a monster that was hyped up but seemed like a letdown during its appearance do to its small size. When the fight started though, the visuals quickly demonstrated why the Alpha Gadoll was such a threat, its combat intelligence and speed made it very hard to deal with and it had heat vision and the ability to generate fog. Most of this was visually communicated perfectly, enough that we did not even need the dialogue, this sort of visual narration is lacking in many anime today and it is a treat to finally witness it after so long. Background art in this show was top tier, there were so many interesting landscapes, both in the regular world and in the world of the cyborgs. The amount of varied landscapes, the passive Gadoll in the backgrounds, the careful use of monster corpses and the Deca-Dence in all its glory on the horizon greatly helps with immersion into the story. Character designs for the cyborgs in this series are quite fresh, they do appear somewhat cartoonish however the clash and contrast in atmosphere between the saturated and gritty human side and the cartoonish game world cyborg side actually improved the series. The cyborg character designs helped communicate the general difference in danger and weight for the respective sides in the series, it also helped differentiate the huge difference in world view between the human characters and the cyborgs. There was also a nice touch added by the character designs in expressing character personality, with Kubaragi being the outlier, most characters acted exactly like their designs would expect the audience to view them as. The big guy was tough, the girl was smart and well spoken, and that evil looking guy was the traitor. The sound: 7 The OP was pretty solid, although its not super memorable it isn’t bad either. The sound effects in general excellent, from the fights, to the robot and game effects, and everything in between. Background sound in Deca-Dence is quite immersive, and though the OST and OP are not exceptional enough to put in a playlist, they perform their role adequately in the show itself. Characters: 9 Kaburagi and Natsume certainly RISE UP to the challenge of being this season’s top duo, and although they face stiff competition from other popular sequel series, I would say these 2 are definitely among the best this season. The absolute chemistry between Kaburagi and Natsume, the amount of times he shuts her down and the amount of times Natsume defies his expectations and shocks him has been great. Natsume eventually has to come to the realization that her world is manufactured, and this leads to a huge change in perspective that can normally ruin a show, however it was handled with tact and her perspective change felt natural. Natsume specifically realizing that her journey towards wiping out the Gadoll wasn’t a means to an end, but that she really just wanted to become stronger and more confident through her journey was a great revelation that was foreshadowed throughout the series. Kaburagi eventually betraying the system was also built up well, cameos of him working with Natsume over a long period of time, his prior friend who was deemed a bug like Natsume being scrapped and him living with the guilt, his keeping of a pet Gadoll despite the rules. Overall both characters have a lot of growth in this series, and it’s hard to claim the show has a primary protagonist, both characters are excellently developed and their motivations and changes in perspective were well written, enough that it never felt like their decisions were sudden impulsive out of character moments. The other members of the cast also integrate into the story pretty well. The popular school acquaintance eventually comes along to helping Natsume, her old friend although worried about her at first, eventually comes to terms with Natsume taking on dangerous work. The cyborgs themselves have a very lively cast, and they contrast heavily with the humans with their carefree attitude, the named cyborgs who were in prison with Kaburagi were definitely the best ones. Overall the characters in this show are some of the best this season, and despite only having 12 episodes, they are some of the most fleshed out characters across any anime. Overall this show gets an 8, for being both a pleasant surprise, and maintaining its quality throughout the show. Normally anime originals are unable to stick the ending, maintain a proper pace, or fall apart in production quality, however Deca Dence lives up to the standard set in episode one and keeps delivering.
Deca Dence was an anime I prior had never heard about until I was recommended it recently. The overall story revolves around natsume, a "bug" who never gives up and kaburagi, a mentor figure for natsume who wants to destroy the system of the world to ensue peace. It's a nice premise and the chemistry between the two is a definite highlight of this show. Natsume encourages Kaburagi to keep on living, while Kaburagi teaches Natsume that her mechanical arm is not a weakness but is rather her weapon that she should be proud of. The tankers and the gears are the humans and avatars that take on monsters called gadoll. These are originally the big bads of the series and the fights are choreographed well enough. The tankers and gears themselves however were largely forgettable with the exceptions of the natsume, kaburagi, and kurenai. And....thats basically it. Almost nothing happens for at least 5 of the 12 episodes and are painfully dragged out. That was what in my opinion was the biggest weakness for this anime. It just did not have enough ideas to justify the 12 episode runtime so instead ir was bloated with boring and forgettable characters and scenes to make it to the ending. It's a bummer because I honestly think this show could have scored a lot higher if it were half the length and focussed more on the main narrative moving forward. The ending is the best part in the story and is a great conclusion for the characters I will not spoil in case you plan on watching Deca Dence. Another big problem with Deca Dence was its lack of focus and direction. It felt as though the staff did not have a clear vision mapped out ahead of time and that lead to multiple episodes feeling out of place or extremely stale, not important, or even entirely skippable which really hurts a short 12 episode anime. Narrative and pacing aside, the music and score is okay. There were a few tracks that I noticed and thought were cool and set the mood well and thw opening and ending songs are pretty good. Nothing bad to say there. Definitely has that adventure video game vibe they were going for. The animation and cgi was charming but not outstanding. Whenever deca dence was activated there was a cool transformation and attack sequence where I am sure a fair bit of the budget went into. I was surprised to hear that the youtuber dong cheng had actually worked on this, seeing his tutorials come to live in an actual anime was very pleasant on the eyes. Overall, I think that Deca Dence is a fine anime that tries to be different and accomplishes some of its goals. It has a great duo dynamic, a fun story, a great ending, and some cool animation sequences. However, it fails in a couple fronts such as its pacing, lack of new ideas, and forgettable characters. Not a must watch but you might enjoy it.