World Trigger

ThatAnimeSnob Apr 13, 2016

3.5

This show was considered sort of controversial in its first dozen episodes, since there were a lot of polarizing opinions about it. There were those who liked it because they were addicted to watching it, so of course and they liked it, and those who dropped it because of the subpar plot and budget. It’s as typical as typical can get, making it very hard to give a damn if it’s not even well animated. Which isn’t because it’s made by Toei after they stopped giving a damn because their shit are going to sell regardless of how shit they are.Those who like the show insist that it isn’t that bad and in fact it gives it its own unique identity. Think of Jojo, it stands out from everything else coming out today but many like it. It’s different, so it’s good. Only thing, people do not like Jojo simply because of the uncommon artstyle but because it’s well animated. Something you cannot say for World Trigger, which can be summed up as lazy and cheap.Those who like it also insist that the story is very good because it’s full of terminology and a world that is slowly explored. What they usually neglect to mention is how it’s a 73 episode series, with a very slow pacing, dozens of fillers, and an incomplete ending. It’s like you are being punished for watching it with expectations higher than sea level. Even if you filter out the enormous amounts of dead time and stick to the terminology, you are just going to be getting a lot of pseudo science that is constantly trying to make sense of a very straightforward shonen plot, concerning teenagers with superpowers fighting monsters from another dimension and going against bureocratic adults. It’s overcomplicating something that does not need it, and only makes it convoluted by presenting adults as wrong because they are adults.With a simple plot, come simple characters which in the tradition of perpetual on-going shonen means there are hundreds of them and they are defined by a single trait. Shonentards are watching them doing stuff and imagining possible character developments which never happen. They like them simply because they get attached after spending several dozens of episodes watching them and not because there is actual depth somewhere in there. They are all the usual archetypes you can find everywhere.Of course if you keep your expectation really low there is a high chance you will like it. All you have to do is disregard the awful pacing, don’t mind the subpar animation, overthink the simplistic plot with pseudo science, and keep telling yourself that it will get better just like Fairy Tail did. Even if it never did.

MonkeyDLuffyZ Apr 2, 2015

8.5

This anime is worth watching. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't have good taste. I have watched 100's of anime, of all genres, and I know there are many animes better than this one, but regardless, I still personally fell for this anime.

apoc9 Jul 24, 2015

7

World trigger is simply shounen done right in old school way. It reminds me lot of Dragon Ball and other older shounen shows. It is quite surprising it went quite under the radar. At least I didn't hear anime reviewers I follow to talk about it much if at all. Btw those recommendations for Kekkai sensen and AOT are nonsense this anime is superior to them in almost every aspect. First there are no cheap ecchi gimicks like usually in modern anime. There is no useless shock factor and no unnecessary killing of characters. It is purely adventure, action, sci-fi shounen. While the start is not as exciting as the Aftokrator arc (so far the best in the series IMO). The pacing slow downs in between arcs, but during arcs it is pretty neat. Especially cliffhangers are sometimes pretty intense. If I found this show after airing I would probably watch it in straight line. Characters are shounen-ish with main protagonist hard working and rather weak especially in comparison with his OP friends.There are many secondary characters with various significance. However as in Aftokrator arc is shown being strong does not ensure neither victory nor safety. Weaker trigger users can win against stronger if they use good strategy and adapt their tactics according to situation. The show is mostly bloodless as in every fight people use syntetic trigger bodies. Still stakes can be pretty high as the prospect of being abducted by aliens from other worlds as raw material or other worst-than-death purpose. Scope of the anime is quite extensive and it is clearly aimed for long running show if not the endless-ongoing-shounen. While some criticize the show for slow pacing and fillers. It has one painstakingly obvious filler arc, but honestly Dragon Ball, Sailormoon all those classic anime had fillers. Same as for pacing - battle with Freeza on Namek anyone? I do not find it to be deal breaker. What does the show different from other similar shounen shows it does not relies on nakama power and cheap asspulls. The main protagonist is weak and he stays as such. His strong motivation by itself does not improves his skill. After all he trained only for while during the series so he doesn't get stronger with single training montage. This is even stated openly in the last episode (73) by one of his senpai, that his expectations of getting on top in such short time is unrealistic and he should get real. It would take him several years to get there at best. As for critique of the animation. I do not find it bad. It is not like in Dragon Ball Super, where it is a problem. The art style is different from what we can see nowdays. The biggest issue I have is it ends incomplete. My verdict is this is fun to watch shounen and I praise the show for knowing what it is about and sticking to it.