Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion

KarmicJoke Aug 29, 2018

7

Solid, Historical anime adapted from a manga. While I didn't find the art style beautiful, it works and well depicts the history of the Mongol invasion.  Being on an island and removed from the larger parts of Japan proves challenging to the small number of Samurai attempting to protect their home and fellow countrymen from the foreign invaders whose attack methods are new to them.  This anime provides an interesting window into the weapons, armor, technology and beliefs of medieval Japan around 1274. It also emcompasses many situations that the Tsushima Islanders must have encountered whilst under attack. It is a good study into human interactions and their responses under the stress of war. I can't say that the music is memorable, but it doesn't detract from the anime either. As far as characters go, there is no real stand out in the group but for this type of anime, I don't think that's a huge detraction. It is a nice solid Historical piece. There is bloodshed and war, but it is not too graphic or overly depicted. Although this is not a stand out this season, I have enjoyed each episode and the little snap shot it gives on medieval Japan. It is a nice solid, realistic portrayal of an historical event.  I would say watch this if you like historical anime, enjoy learning a bit as you watch, or just want a change of pace from the usual anime on offer.

Hojnkim97 Jul 8, 2021

8

In brief, this anime is a story about a war against overwhelming odds (the Mongols) and the struggles of the individuals involved. I found it to be an entertaining and compelling watch, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a decent war anime who doesn't mind somewhat shallower characters in exchange for a focus on strategy and the human condition. The characters are many and often not fleshed out too well, but I thought that overall the characters had realistic personalities and motivations. The warriors used interesting and seemingly realistic battle strategies, and the story progressed in a logical manner. Personally I wish certain character relationships had different endings, but this anime demonstrates remarkably well the cruelty and randomness of war. 

Franconator Sep 29, 2018

3

I guess it’s a testament to Angolmois’ quality that I can’t remember anyone from the show. Besides the Virtuous Main Character with a Dark Past, nobody else stands out immediately, and as the show goes on, you’ll only remember people for their allegiances. Japanese on one side, Mongols on the other. It’s a very clean, strict way of separating everything so conveniently, so the audience doesn’t get lost with all those names. And what names they all are, oh boy! The only introduction characters get is a quick subtitle as soon as they appear, and if they're lucky and show up in more than one episode, then they can rely on the power of repetition to make sure the audience at least remembers their faces. Watching Angolmois feels like sitting through a history lecture, and I say this in the most unflattering way possible. There isn’t any attempt to make things entertaining, as the show was obviously so concerned with making sure everything that happened in this historic war got properly translated to the screen. There’s nothing wrong with being factual, but if that’s all a series ever rides on, then it runs the risk of being… well, boring. That’s Angolmois’ biggest offense, unfortunately, that it does so much work to be as accurate as it can be, that it forgets it’s a series meant to entertain or engage the audience. Even its more technical aspects leave a lot to be desired, and most of it's to blame on the paper scroll aesthetic that's only useful for making things harder to see. Angolmois is, in a nutshell: boring, generic, uneventful, and ultimately extremely forgettable. There's a decent amount of war strategizing and a fair amount of gore, but it feels like the show's just barely going through the motions by committing them to screen. For a series set in a war, there’s not a lot in here that inspires much urgency or importance.