Akudama Drive

01:

This was so fucking over the top crazy, edgy and stupid, I love it. The cyberpunk blade runner aesthetic does things for me with flashy neon lights. I can't tell you how many times over, I am such a sucker for cyberpunk. You also have explosions and action out the ass with a guy actually using a motorcycle to swing around buildings like he's spiderman with grappling hooks. This is the kind of amazing ludicrous nonsense I live for. Very stylish comic book style intros too with psychopaths that have specific quirks. It is self-indulgent edge to the max and I can't help but respect it going all in compared to so many other anime that play it safe. That might turn people off, but this sure stands out to me the most than everything else I watched this season so far. The only thing I could nitpick is the awkward crowd CGI at times, but other than that it looks pretty great visually for a Studio Pierrot show and those scene transitions man.

Whether it can sustain this momentum remains to be seen, but I had a ton of fun with this and I'm buckling up for the ride. There was basically next to no info-dumping either which is something I can appreciate too. If you're even remotely familiar with the Danganronpa franchise, this has Kodaka's trademarks all over it.
 
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I went into episode 1 with the lowest expectations possible, and honestly, I was very presently surprised.
Heck, a single episode felt like a movie/full season (in a good way). It pulled me in a LOT quicker than most shows can, so you know what? wow ok I was not expecting to say that I think i might end up liking this show, but honestly, as long as they keep up what they're going, I think I'm going to end up really liking this show.
 
akudama drive is the anime i have been the most hyped for this fall and oh my god, the first episode seriously does not disappoint. there is an interesting mix of characters, the plot is fresh and exhilarating and the animation is gorgeous, so i am looking forward to the future episodes
 
Episode 1:
I'm definitely feeling the cyberpunk vibes from just the first episode alone, and I can say that I like that a lot. Just the amount of action crammed into this one episode is enough to get anyone's attention. Though personally I'm a fan of Courier and his motorcycle that can do just about anything. They pretty much introduced all of the characters within the first episode, stylishly I might add. There is the CGI, but it wasn't too much of a mood killer.

Its still early to see where the story is going to go, but knowing this is by the writer for the Danganronpa games, I'm hooked for now.
 
Episode 1:

I can always count on a recommendation from @Gens to deliver, on at least some level. That was a wild ride and I want more. What more can you ask of a first episode than to make you want to watch more?

Please please please tell me it was actually legit the cat talking at the end. I'll also happily accept a speaker planted on its collar by the secret mastermind. Just please don't let it actually be someone standing behind her or some dumb fakeout like that.
 
I - So that's it? We some kinda Akudama Squad?

While watching, there was a strange feeling welling up deep inside of me that I just couldn't shake. I was enjoying all of the world-building, the cyberpunk stuff, the story of it, and all the personality it has and all. But still there was this nagging in the back of my head... it wasn't until "doctor" showed up that I finally realized what it was.

This anime

REALLY, really reminds me

of High School Prodigies Have it Easy Even In Another World.

A bunch of traditionally hot, hyper-talented overpowered quirky weirdos coming together to destroy everything in their path and face nary a challenge they can't overcome with ease.

I'll have to keep watching to see if I actually like this show or if it's just a more stylish version of that anime. At least the protagonist makes it seem like it might not be just that. Maybe. But we'll see.

Also I hate cutthroat already.
 
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RascaI said:
1

While watching, there was a strange feeling welling up deep inside of me that I just couldn't shake. I was enjoying all of the world-building, the cyberpunk stuff, the story of it, and all the personality it has and all. But still there was this nagging in the back of my head... it wasn't until "doctor" showed up that I finally realized what it was.

This anime

REALLY, really reminds me

of High School Prodigies Have it Easy Even In Another World.

A bunch of traditionally hot, hyper-talented overpowered quirky weirdos coming together to destroy everything in their path and face nary a challenge they can't overcome with ease.

I'll have to keep watching to see if I actually like this show or if it's just a more stylish version of that anime. At least the protagonist makes it seem like it might not be just that. Maybe. But we'll see.
Click to expand...

I think knowing Kodaka for me, I'm pretty sure a few of them are doing to die honestly and they won't all just be perfectly fine the entire way. He kind of has a way of taking quirky characters for me and subversively grounding them a bit. But that's just my opinion, generally about his work. It's probably going to be anything but predictable.
 
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Gens said:
I think knowing Kodaka for me, I'm pretty sure a few of them are doing to die honestly and they won't all just be perfectly fine the entire way. He kind of has a way of taking quirky characters for me and subversively grounding them a bit. But that's just my opinion, generally about his work. It's probably going to be anything but predictable.
Click to expand...
I did get the feeling they might be just introduced as quirky and then grounded later but it could go either way. I never had any interest in danganronpa so I'm not familiar with the writer.
 
02:

I thought this was going to be a death game or something with the collars but noooooooope, it's a bank heist basically.

It's pretty nice the show introduces a counter balance force to the Akudama with the executioners showing they can actually get their asses kicked and aren't invincible. I can't stress enough how fucking AWESOME the fight choreography was and the use of moody colorful lighting. There are really no shortcuts here. Executioner girl just whips out a damn light saber in the fight, holy shit. They made one hell of an entrance.

Also, *checks off hot short haired tomboy list*

I liked that world building through a puppet show too, it was just so random.
 
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Episode 2:
Oh thank goodness, it is actually the cat talking. It can be a robot cat, that's perfectly fine. I'm just glad it is in-fact the cat.

That fight sequence on the holo-floor thing was awesome :o Please, give me more shit like that!

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and say I don't think Doctor *actually* has a medical license...

This Hoodlum guy... man, he really needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut, poor Ordinary Person XD
 
II - The Not-So-Great Escape

They shoulda let cutthroat get executed. But I guess licking girls and being annoying about a color enough to sabotage everyone is ok if you're qUiRkY!!!

Hoodlum is the best, I'm already into his dynamic with the rest of the group, and how they're all interacting. It's great. Also, my fears of them being too overpowered haven't been the reality. They're absolutely getting their asses beat by the executioners. Not to mention their quirkiness is a huge detriment to their effectiveness. Even though the doctor being able to sew up her own neck was kind of bullshit.

Also, can we talk about the hanafuda cards in the background of the execution squad's entrance?! Those two are the coolest characters so far.
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If we're going based off what these cards represent it's actually really cool because this pair of cards here, the august moon light card and the september sake cup seed card are typically considered to be the "moon viewing" combo. A trump combo created with a wild card and one of the most valuable light cards.

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Poetry slips, red and blue, from october and november looks like. nice nice

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You got the december light and then the cherry blossom light... awesome.

I mean I'm a sucker for hanafuda so these two are my favorite for that alone, but the red eyed girl is cool enough on her own tbh. I love her already.
 
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