Far in the future, the lifeforms known as Gadoll suddenly arose as a threat to humanity. The last surviving humans on Earth confine themselves to the Tank, a lower district in the giant mobile fortress Deca-Dence. While the Gears who live on the upper floors are warriors who go out to fight as part of the Power, most Tankers are content to provide support from the backlines, butchering Gadoll meat and reinforcing defenses. Natsume is among those who would rather go to the front lines; undeterred by her prosthetic right arm, she seeks to join the small number of Tanker soldiers who join the Gears in combat.
But despite her peers at the orphanage each receiving their work assignments, Natsume’s enlistment to the Power remains unapproved. In the meantime, she begins a job as a cleaner in an armor repair team led by the hard-nosed and apathetic Kaburagi, who seems to be more than he lets on. Though initially cold to his idealistic subordinate, he soon recognizes in her the potential to upset the status quo of the world. As Natsume’s new mentor, Kaburagi prepares her for the special and unique role as a game-changing bug in the system.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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KANLen09
"The world must be rid of bugs." Sorry, let me rephrase that: "The world NEEDS bugs." With all that: Login/Logout of the Deca-Dence. "It is for me to decide which WORLD to live in!" Never have I been THIS pumped-up and excited for original anime, because unique shows are a dime a dozen of few hits and many misses. But in the case of Deca-Dence, I can confidently say that it was a constant harbinger of expectations running wild and subverting them all at the same time of questioning me: "What comes next? What should I (not) anticipate?" And I was blown away each and everytime with what Deca-Dence has offered in its more-than-enough perfect 12-episode storyline about a decayed world that is then occupied by cyborg-like avatars from an in-game perspective.
First off, I have to just commend the all-star production team of Deca-Dence, which comprises of talented director Yuzuru Tachikawa, scriptwriter Hiroshi Seko, character designer Shinichi Kurita, and many of the staff behind this colossal project. Fans of Tachikawa and (especially) Kurita will be delighted to hear that their works on Death Billiards, Death Parade have made them a household name, while Tachikawa and Seko have been in even bigger shows like Attack on Titan and Mob Psycho 100. (Kabaneri in Seko's perspective is shitty, NGL) Needless to say that these 3 are the big names in this show, and what a way to celebrate the living and breathing of anime by collaborating altogether to make something that is a trope, yet still make something special and different that I definitely won't be forgetting anytime soon.
Secondly, let's tackle the elephant in the room: Hiroshi Seko's scriptwriting as a whole (including that PARTICULAR plot twist that thankfully doesn't betray the entire source and inspiration of the show). The meaning of Decadence (one word) is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as: "The moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury." And back to Deca-Dence (the same one word, split into two parts), shows a world that is once habited by humans, but excessive decay have rendered them out of extinction by the manufactured creatures known as Gadolls, and cyborgs have taken over as humanity's last bastion of life. See, the feeling of Deca-Dence is like playing RPGs: you have your own avatar to resemble your traits, and the in-game humans are just NPCs that serve their roles to fight against evil (the Gadolls) and die mercilessly at the behest of the corporation in control. And that company is the Solid Quake Corporation, which houses these cyborg denizens in the Deca-Dence and controls them like any administrator or Game Master would to have a stabilized, all-governing system. Before I get too far ahead though, let's bring in the central characters.
Natsume is a cheerful, bubbly young girl whose father (and his colleagues) have been all but decimated by a Gadoll attack, leaving her behind with a lost right arm and the dream to be a "Gear" when she grows up. See, the class system in Deca-Dence is split into two: Gears, the strongest of humans that are able to fend themselves from Gadoll attacks and eliminate these respawning creatures, and Tankers, which are primarily support characters in the background that serve to keep Deca-Dence afloat with the Gadoll's "blood" called Oxyone, which coincidentally is the lifeblood of the mobile fortress to unleash big-scale attacks. Growing up with a prosthetic right arm and joining as a Tanker is too boring for her, but meeting up with a burly guy named Kaburagi, he is more than meets the eye.
Kaburagi was once a veteran for the Deca-Dence (when it was free roaming), and he was considered the highest class of Rankers for doing the same role that the Gears are doing now. But due to a mishap of his former teammates rebelling against the system, he was questioned by Hugin, the overall commander for Deca-Dence and subsequently demoted to eliminating the rebels a.k.a "Bugs" secretly in the background a.k.a doing the dirty work for them. The thing is, anyone who is registered as an avatar is tracked in the Solid Quake system, but Natsume is a special case: she is a "bug", and in the special case of hide-and-seek, Kaburagi as one of the previous "administrators" decides to keep her under wraps away from the system tapping her presence, and in the way, nurture her growth from a Tanker to a Gear.
With the other characters in toll, the hide-and-seek game officially starts with Kaburagi making pivotal decisions every step of the way to keep her away from Hugin, and have her participate in the missions for Gears to keep the Deca-Dence safe. From that moment on till the eventual reveal of the overall setting (which baffles Natsume with destroying her expectations when she comes to find out the REAL truth), with Hugin chasing Kaburagi down after seeing the fire in Natsume's eyes to depict the world as how she sees it, he begins a change that would define his character back to his original Ranker status as a fighter who would fight for the better of mankind, for Deca-Dence. Even with the "bugs" of Solid Quake which are a constant nuisance, they also do serve a part to play in part to rebel against the status quo and fight for what they believe is right. And what a profound statement all this is.
Studio NUT, coming after "Saga of Tanya the Evil", and subsequently coming off from former Madhouse members, with Deca-Dence, they're a studio that I can firmly accept that they're not to be rifled with. Even with the less-than-impressive CGI that thankfully isn't a chore to watch, it has been consistent throughout this series, and it's a blast to see the art and animation get its flexing of the vibrant world and with it, the lore of science fiction.
Even better is the sound department, under yet another talent that is Fumiyuki Goh. Having worked with big names like Overlord, it's of no surprise that his talent have worked wonders for this show, adding onto the atmospheric worldbuilding with every inch of consideration. Great pairing of the OST with Konomi Suzuki's OP (to which her songs are getting better repertoires) and Kashitarou Itou's ED. Never have asked for great songs in yet another paltry season, but I'm glad that it exists.
Overall, this was a buffet of a treat from start to finish, and while I don't ever think that this will get a Season 2, pretty much what is said can be translated into this phenomenal show that I still can't stop trembling in fear and excitement over the past 3 months. Am quite sad that after the plot twist of Episode 2, haters just kinda shrugged it off and leaving this to dust, because greatness awaits in every step of the way.
One of the few original anime that I can wholeheartedly recommend, but it'd be best to binge all the way through. Quite satisfied at what we got, and there won't be anime like this to grace the small screens in a very long time that sparks creativity and lavishness.
Omegeria
Alright this is my favourite anime of all time, obviously a big statement to start a review with. I obviously don't expect anyone else to think so highly of the series, but I genuinely do think it is a masterpiece. I also don't like breaking anime down by how MAL does reviews numerically, but eh I'll give it a go. Story: 10 This is a fast-paced anime, it's a 12 episode original. Keep that in mind, personally I think the pacing is well done. Every episode has its own direction in terms of what it wants to do if that makes sense, but it's still under onestory. The story itself looks simple during the first episode, but all I'll say is that there's A LOT more to it. Many philosophical concepts explored in the story, which I won't get into but if you go into the story with a philosophical lens you'll find a surprisingly high amount of stuff for 12 episodes. There are some central themes that are well-focused and explored throughout the run of the anime, and we get good conclusions to them when needed and others are left more open-ended when that is appropriate.
Art: 8
I'm not gonna act like it's some Ufotable or Bones stuff because it's not, but the art is still well-done. There are basically two main distinct art styles in Deca-Dence, and it throws some people off, think of Mob Psycho 100 or Masaaki Yuasa works. But the animation itself is pretty damn well done, has really great aerial combat(this is from the same studio who made Tanya the Evil for context), and transitions between the two styles damn well. The directing is also fantastic; episode 5, 8, and 10 stand out a ton in this regard.
Sound: 10
I don't like talking about something as obviously subjective as music/sound in an analytical sense, but I'll say that the soundtrack was awesome and used very well, with many memorable tracks(especially the ED wowie). Voice acting was on point, and sound effects were well done. I don't have any flaws with it, fantastic job. Also Koyasu Takehito has a big role doing what he does best, sounding evil. Can't go wrong with that.
Character: 10
Our two main characters of Natsume and Kaburagi are FANTASTIC, and definitely carry in this department. They have a wonderful relationship that I can best describe as a shared inspiration. Both of our characters develop tons both due to each other and their general environment, and it feels very genuine. Natsume in particular has some moments that absolutely blew me away. The rest of our cast are obviously not as explored since this is a short anime, but some such as Minato and Fei bring interesting perspectives and make for some great dialogue. Our antagonistic force is also very well done with reason to their actions, and we come to a quite fitting resolution.
Enjoyment: 11
I seriously still can't believe how much this anime appealed to me. Obviously the enjoyment rating can vary person by person, as can honestly any of the other ratings. I've literally cried just from thinking of how much I love this anime, on more occasions than I can count. Episode 5, 7, and 10 are literally my three favourite anime episodes of all time. The anime also made me laugh a bunch of times, it's certainly good at being goofy when it wants to be. So yeah, I enjoyed it a ton. If you're super stuck up about me rating enjoyment as a 11, then just think of it as a 10 doesn't make a difference for me. Fantastic anime regardless :)
Stark700
You know what I need these days? An original sci-fi adventure. I honestly can’t remember the last original sci-fi anime that gave me a lasting impression. But luckily in the Summer Season of 2020, we have this show called Deca-Dence, an original science fiction animated by studio NUT. But did it leave a solid impression? Judging by the synopsis alone tells me exactly what to expect initially. We have the post-apocalyptic setting with humanity on the brink of distinction. Humanity fights to survive in this dark age and we follow the journey of two characters – Natsume and Kaburagi, with very distinctive backgrounds. Coming into thisshow, I had one main goal in mind and that’s to embrace the creative story in a sci-fi world.
Let’s get business out of the way first. Prior to even watching the first few episodes, I realized that director Yuzuru Tachikawa is involved with this project. He’s worked on previous titles such as Death Parade, Mob Psycho 100, and even parts of Steins;Gate. Those are among some of my favorite titles in recent years so I had my expectations set high. But looking back at that roster, Deca-Dence stands out very differently. Among the first things I came to notice in this show is the theme of survival. We have to realize the timeline takes place since hundreds of years ago and in reality, humanity itself is in danger of extinction. This is caused by the presence of the mysterious lifeform known as Gadolls. The first few episodes shows us the life style of two types of people, the Gears and the Tankers. Natsume has a dream of becoming a Gear fighter but to her disappointment, she ends up becoming a maintenance worker. Serving under the wings of Kaburagi, she soon realizes what he’s really capable of and in a twist of fate, he offers to train her as a warrior. Talk about a change at luck, right?
Well, it turns out, that's not the only element of surprise. This isn’t your typical survival sci-fiction adventure as we quickly find out about the existence of a mega corporation known as Solid Quake. The second episode also reveals the plot twist for the purpose of Gears, simulated characters built to fight the Gadolls in the way of video games. Don’t make a mistake though. This isn’t some isekai show where the protagonists are thrown into some virtual reality world. Humanity is truly in danger. However, the plot twist will caught most viewers off guard as it shifts from the typical science fiction tropes you see so often. It may sound outlandishly risky and indeed, Deca-Dence’s antagonists is actually an evil organization. After the second episode, Deca-Dence almost feels like a different show.
That’s the beauty of original anime. You’ll never see it coming. From episode two and beyond, we are shown more details about the inner workings of Solid Snake and why characters behave the way they do, especially Kaburagi. One of the elements of the show also involves capitalism at its extreme nature. Natsume and Kaburagi aren’t just living in a world dominated by mysterious lifeforms but they are controlled by capitalism. The war they’re fighting isn’t just about survival anymore because in reality, there’s no limit at how many Gadolls can exist. It’s like a live service video game with admins adding whatever amount of content as they please. Picturing it in your head right now and you’ll realize how hopeless this will be for humanity.
Still, humanity does have hope thanks to the efforts of Natsume and Kaburagi. One of the key selling points of the show is their character chemistry. At first, they just seemed like a pair that were forced to work together but overtime, the two bonded and become more than just fellow comrades. Natsume in particular shows she is adamant to achieve her dream. Kaburagi realizes her potential and trains her to be a Gear fighter, even in some of the most ridiculous ways possible. What’s more important than ever is they represent the hope for humanity. When everything seems hopeless, they fight for the greater good. This applies more to Kaburagi’s case including one episode where he becomes a prisoner. Watching Kaburagi’s actions in such an episode shows that he is more than a fighter. He’s a believer in that one day, humanity will be in a world where capitalism isn’t a dominant force and humans will no longer have to live in fear.
Studio NUT hasn’t been in the animation business industry for long. Their most noticeable work was Youjo Senki back in 2017. Deca-Dence artwork style didn’t seem appealing at first based on the trailers and promotional material. It had a decent production quality but nothing in particular stand out at first. With the fictional fortress made of 3D art, it actually symbolizes as an icon in their world, a place of salvation. Character designs of the human cast is more intact with modern animation style while the cyborgs were drawn by hands. To make the art look more distinctive, we have the cartoony look for the simulated virtual characters. From the second episode and onwards, you’d be surprised to see how different the show looks when scenes shift between one settings to other. Finally, the Gadolls resemble monsters you’d can picture from sci-fi fictional stories – monsters with Godzilla-like intimidation and a whole lot of otherworldly characteristics.
Deca-Dence took the sci-fi genre by storm. What started out as a generic opening of the first episode quickly turned itself around after the big revelation. Such a reveal gave Deca-Dence more of an identity, an IT factor that defines this show’s story and characters. This isn’t a typical sci-fi show that you may get used to and over time, you’ll come to appreciate what Deca-Dence really is. And truth to be told, I welcome our alien overlords.
Marinate1016
It's rare to get a good original anime these days. Most of what gets made are Light Novel and manga adaptations. Yet, Deca-Dence managed to arrive out of nowhere and give us 12 weeks of greatness. Unfortunately, it was always going to be difficult to compete with Re:Zero airing at the same time and on the same day, but for those of us who did get a chance to view the show, we saw something special. From the same studio that brought us Youjo Senki, Deca-Dence is unlike anything I've personally ever seen, and the closest I could compare it to plot-wise would be GurenLagann mixed with Mortal Engines, Shingeki no Kyojin and MMORPG elements. It's a world where humanity must overcome impossible odds to survive and is an enjoyable watch that blends unique characters with a rich and lively sci-fi world. As you'd expect from studio NUT, the animation, art and quality are all top notch. My only complaint in that department would be the CG at the end of the series, particularly the final fight, I found to be pretty bad. Other than that, actions sequences, OST's and character models are consistently good.
Lastly, the show also manages to break the anime original curse by having a solid ending that is consistent with themes presented throughout. So often anime original shows will have a great start and fall off at the end. Not this time.
Deca-Dence has definitely been one of the best shows of the year and it's a shame it was overshadowed due to its release time and date, but I can assure you it is worth a watch and will probably not disappoint you. Deca-Dence gets 8 gears out of 10 from me.
An1meDweeb
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR EPISODE 2 OF DECA-DENCE Deca-Dence is like a house of cards. 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.
There aren’t many recent prospects in anime that left me as excited as Deca-Dence (DD.) 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.
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 Deca-Dence. 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; 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. 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.
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 was a good effort from relative newbies Studio Nut, and I wouldn’t mind checking out their future projects.
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. 7/10~
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 :)
-- ^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.
-- “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.
-- 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 for seasons past and present, peace~
SanaeK10
Anime original shows are a gamble to undertake. Unlike adaptations, you only have a few trailers and some sentences to derive your expectations from and I feel the key to any good anime original show is to make use of that unknown factor and surprise the audience every now and then with new twists to the series keeping the experience fresh. Deca-dence doesn't quite manage that, but the transition from the first episode to the second had me hooked like no other as what started out as a Shingeki-no-Kyojin-meets-Monster-Hunter show undergoes a complete 180 change into an MMO-esque show with cutesy robots. This total dichotomyis the core gimmick to the show and to its credit the vast disparity in artstyles do make for many fun moments as the show alternates back and forth between the two environments. However beyond that the show doesn't have much to offer in terms of originality or unique setpieces, less than halfway into the show it becomes a fight-the-power type show as Kabu and Natsume rise up against the System. The show does become more formulaic and predictable in its latter half, and the appeal of the contrasting artstyles would have worn out their initial welcome at this point. Part of this can be attributed to its short 12 episode length, meaning it can't really introduce any new original elements without radically changing the structure of the whole show, but it's still wasted potential.
Now onto the actual show, there is a surprising amount of slapstick in this. Natsume being the brunt of many of these definitely led to several memorable moments with her very animated and lively expressions making for great reaction images. The tone is generally lighthearted as well and doesn't get nearly as dark as the first few minutes of the show may lead you to believe. There is no real clash in tone surprisingly considering the dual narrative the show employs and it all flows nicely together. The action scenes are fine, but none of them ever reach the same hype levels as the first and final major setpiece involving the deca-dence. Playing the OP in action scenes is practically cheating.
Overall Deca-dence is a fine show, so long as you don't expect the show to continuously up itself with progressively insane twists every episode. It's a fun adventure type show that's over before you know it and regrettably not that memorable in the long run, but at least that ending sure was worth the journey.
6/10
Krunchyman
Attack on Titan meets Gurren Lagann with a side of Nausicaä-styled monster-bugs in an MMORPG format to produce a… mediocre-to-bad anime. Actually, it’s more awful than anything else. The post-apocalyptic motif is the flavor of the year, given all the calamitous events of 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic; crap anime; raging, uncontrollable fires; more crap anime; locust swarms in Africa and India; and then there’s Gibiate, which is too horrifying to put words to). But in the universe of Deca-Dence, the dystopian society in which the characters find themselves in is not frightful or nightmarish; rather, it’s just bland and sweepingly devoid of any essence of‘life.’ The problem derives from the characters’ cliched personalities that serve as superficial representations of how humans respond to these situations. Frankly speaking, the hollowness of Deca-Dence’s characters was reminiscent of the mechanical, unthinking first-person protagonist in any video game; someone who spouts humdrum dialogue and is controlled to act in a formulaic manner. In essence, I couldn’t empathize with them; which becomes a hindrance when certain death (cop-outs) occur.
Natsume’s aspiration of becoming a ‘Gear’ falls in line with every disenchanted Shōnen protagonist who gets told, “no,” at first, but continues nonetheless because they’ve got unsurpassed determination (and special “blah, blah, blah” that makes them… well, special). Kaburagi, Natsume’s reluctant teacher, offers no interesting nuances to the mentor archetype in the hero’s journey. Even Kaburagi’s Vegeta-esque, rage outburst was a cheap mimicry that did nothing to add to the story or his growth as a character; he is as straightforward as a ruler, which makes him all to predictable and beyond boring.
Now, while the plot did throw the viewer for an early loop — via concealing its true intention — it wasn’t the type of surprise that instilled optimism or a state of shock; on the contrary, it lacked the necessary impact that its predecessor (AoT) pulled off with style and conviction. This disappointment was compounded further with the pedestrian animation that offered no signs of splendor, making it a tepid affair from beginning to end. Additionally, the omega type Gadoll in episode 11 — i.e., the armored (Red) Lobster of doom — was far from ‘buttery-smooth’… i-in aesthetics (could you imagine the seafood cracker you’d need to eat this behemoth!). Furthermore, the fortress city of Deca-dence, itself, was just a mishmash of mundane protuberances that left little-to-no impression in this viewer’s mind.
All in all, the passionless messaging and vacuous thematic elements, made Deca-dence the perfect symbol of the declining state of anime in the modern age — making its name, ‘decadence’ (i.e. a state of decline), quite appropriate.
Frassati
As soon as I saw the trailer for Deca-Dence I knew I was going to watch it; However, I did not expect it to be one of the most unique anime I have experienced recently. Over all this show was extremely enjoyable. While I don't think it is quite worthy of a perfect score, it was a one of a kind experience to watch. The interaction between the lead characters, the way the story is told, the art, and the world are some of the best I have seen in anime. Deca-Dence transports the viewer into a new world, the likes of whichhave not been seen before. The way it handles the world building and translates that information to the viewer is masterful. The viewer accompanies the lead character Natsume as she learns more about the world she was born into, never truly understanding reality until late in the show. Just like Natsume, I was surprised with new information about the world every episode, massive plot twists occurring throughout the show, even in the first episode. It was fun to speculate on the implications of every new idea and mechanic introduced, I wound up calling and talking to friends who haven't even seen it about the world.
The art is spectacular. The animation is fluid and clean. There were only a couple of times were I noticed a downgrade in quality, but that would amount to maybe a minute of the entire runtime. The show uses bright colors that make every scene interesting.
The sound did its job, but it was nothing out of the ordinary, but the voice actors were stupendous. The opening and endings were both bangers though.
The characters provide the perfect avenue to grow with and understand the world. The lead characters do not follow typical anime tropes, having a few quirks that make them stand out, and come across as real people that you get to know through dialogue and time. It helps that the show doesn't take itself too seriously and is full of humor. Natsume and Kabu have some crazy good growth and development and have one of the best relationships in anime. The side characters do not have much development but are easily recognizable by their different quirks. Of them my favorite was definitely Donatello.
Deca-Dence is awesome! Watch it, you won't regret it.
Kureiss
One of the best works of dystopian fiction I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Title has a neat dual meaning. The beginning is incredibly well-done. While many write off the ending as "convenient", the commitment to the final decision involving one of the main trope characters arguably denies that. Fumiyuki did an awesome job with the OST as well. My only rationale for not rating this 10/10 is due to the ending being on the weaker side, as well as the characters beginning to make less-believable decisions that I feel were not objectively cohesive with their originally defined predispositions. Kurita's characters usually appeal to mein this way, but this time around I felt a lot of inconsistencies.
Aryale
Never have a watched a greater anime original. I just finished deca-dence and let me just say I was blown away. First off, the art is stunning. They did a really good job of showing both aspects of the deca-dence world in a way that was similar but had their own solid differentiation's. The characters are all so wonderful. Obviously there are some generic ones, but other than that they are all pretty unique. The story is quite complex, so if you don't wanna use your brain to try and understand what's happening then I don't recommend. I'm probably in the middle. I understand thegist of what's going on and a little more. Some things don't make sense whether plot wise or I just couldn't grasp what was going on.... but yk that's the fun part about it ^^
The plot is very unique. I'm not going to explain since that is what the synopsis is for, don't wanna spoil cause i'll go overboard and once you start it'll make sense. (if you plan on watching)
I initially was getting major attack on titan vibes, as were many other people. This changed as I went on and realized how different the two are.
In all there are 12 episodes in season 1. There was also a whole ass plot in those few episodes. Tbh, I felt like I watched three seasons..... which isn't a bad thing.
Deca-dence is solidly paced. No show is perfect and this show is no exception. There are some little bumps throughout . They fit a lot of info, and yes, at some times I felt overwhelmed, but that was mostly because I was confused. But i'm stupid so that probably won't apply to most people.
Overall, I have no regrets for picking deca-dence as one of the few summer 2020 airing shows to watch. Highly recommend if this is something that you might like. And if not, you should give it a try.... even I was a lil sus when I started, but I got hooked when my mans kaburagi came in ;)
anaizzzen
I just finished watching the last episode and oh boy, this anime will be in my top 5 of all time. I really loved the story and I cried a few times ngl. In love with the characters, I love the OP and ED, not my favorites but up there somewhere. The change of art styles probably would give other people mixed feelings but I absolutely adore it. It gives it a little twist to the overall show. This anime is amazing, people should really just give it a go and just try something different for a change. Edit: I recently just watched it withmy father and it still holds dear to my heart. It's as great as I remember it.
ahrahkui
Deca-dence was a surprise. It kind of came out of nowhere and I spotted it, thinking it was another AOT which studios tend to pull off quite well, and watched it out of effective boredom. I wasn't expecting what I got but I sure am grateful for it. Story- 8/10 The EP2 twist tends to put a lot of people off the anime, from what I've seen online, but really in my opinion the plot twist is what makes this anime. It's been a while since I've seen a seasonal anime do something original and new with its story that it's a huge breath of freshair from the sodden monotony of the industry as it is right now. It wraps up its story incredibly in the last episode and generally, the anime flows quite well. There are a few things I would change, such as maybe a more delayed twist, e.g. in episode 4 with hints leading up to it, but overall the story holds up on its own and works well.
Art- 10/10
The art of this show is genuinely outstanding. The animation flows incredibly and every character is exceptionally well designed. Everything from the wise-landscape shots to the close in character shots looks gorgeous, and the CGI is used to great effect and blended very well. The show sports a marginally unique art style that plays to its advantage and makes it look all the more beautiful, with character designs being reflective of their personality not only on the surface but also subtly.
Sound- 7/10
Personally I found the sound choice somewhat generic, but then again I ain't a sound guy so what do i know. The sound effects did blend quite well and the use of music is very well done, but again I don't claim to know anything of this process so I'm not really one to comment on anything other than the op and ed, which both fit the show perfectly and also sound stunning.
Character- 8/10
The characters are all very well done, their motivations are clear and they all work in each other's favor. There are some more generic characters like typical rat-man who betrays the main group or the typical scary intimidating corporate bad guy but the main characters and their interactions more than make up for this flaw.
Enjoyment- 10/10
It's not an understatement to say I've enjoyed this more than any other anime I've watched in at least the past 6 months. It struck a chord that I didn't even know could be stricken.
Overall- 9/10
Deca-dence sits at an extremely comfortable 9 in my eyes. Not only is it thoroughly enjoyable, but it also takes a twist and experiments with its story in a way I didn't expect, although it definitely worked to it's an advantage in the long run.
XXXelim
Some light spoilers ahead!What to say about this one man, after that 2nd episode I thought it was going to be another gibiate but glad i stayed. Ended loving almost everything about this anime except how it doesn't Natsume that character growth that she really needed and instead foccused on Kaburagi the last half of it. On the other side we have the amazing artstyle, desing, and colors, man I was looking in awe every time when I saw all those flashy avatars with weird skin and hair color. Also the ost, amazing and even more on that last episode, it was so fitting. It's really really really worth to watch. 9/10.
ThatAnimeSnobRE
Deca-dence is a show that on one hand has many good ideas and on the other hand has a very lukewarm presentation. Many dropped it in the first episode because they weren’t interested in a post apocalyptic dieselpunk setting, and many more dropped it in the second episode because they didn’t like the sci-fi twist. It’s hard for the average viewer to get into what it’s about, in the same way shows like Brigadoon, and Shinsekai Yori are hard to get into. It’s also what makes them stand out and in case you manage to get used to their unorthodox presentation, you will get someof the most ambitious series of the years they came out. But that mostly means they are trying to be different far more than they are trying to be entertaining, thus they are not shows for the casuals and they don’t stand a chance next to whatever is made for mass consumption. This means Deca-dence is worth watching mostly for its ideas and ambition, rather than its presentation and execution.
As someone who feels nothing when he watches something that was made for mass consumption, such anime are far more captivating than by the numbers fighting shonen ala Black Clover and My Hero Academia. The setting is partly a post apocalyptic wasteland where people have to constantly fend off monster attacks and get their fuel and food from the corpses of said monsters, and partly an advanced sci-fi society where everyone’s consciousness has been placed inside a robot and works for keeping the system free of bugs. There is tension and there are stakes, since people are constantly killed on both sides, and initially the situation appears to be hopeless and quite depressing. Despite all that, the tone is light. The characters are not behaving in a grumpy and shroud manner as a result of a world where most of them are dead and they are being constantly attacked by monsters. The heroine in specific is one step away from a silly comic relief. She makes a joke out of almost everything and tends to ridicule the grim situations. It’s like you are watching Attack on Titan, but the main character is Potato Girl.
The male robot mentor is by far the best character, as he serious in his line of work and questions the system he is part of without coming off as a clown. Up to the point he befriends a bug, refuses to obey his superiors, and gets punished for not following the program, he brings a very pragmatic side to a show that is full of silly looking robots inside human avatars that are playing a game. Once he gets to the prison and he has to do some hacking shenanigans, the realism is mostly lost, because of how easily it happens. And basically, once the prison arc begins, the show is also revealing its weaknesses, since it constantly finds excuses to plot armor him in situations anyone else would have died, as well as to give him hax abilities that can overrun the safety measures of the system despite being within the confines of a gulag. In essence, he got more powerful than ever before by being suppressed by the very system that doesn’t want him to do more. That was so immersion-breaking.
The concept remains cool and it kinda explores themes regarding reality, existentialism, and free will. But, it’s hard to take it seriously when the heroine is a comic relief, the robots are silly looking, and most of what is going on gets infodumped to the viewer. There are a lot of forced explanations coming from chibi robots that are plugging liquid shit in their ass, which leave you thinking ‘What am I watching?’ So yeah, as intriguing as it was with its cool ideas, it presents them in such a silly way to the point of becoming a detractor for most. It eventually manages to tell a full story, but the tone remains light and despite the global threat both civilizations are facing, the problems are solved way too easily and the finale leaves you with an almost fairy tale ending. I had fun with how it stood out from everything else at the time it came out, but it is definitely not for everyone and the levity surrounding the conflict doesn’t let it be more than just okay as a whole.
And by the way, just being okay, is still more than being bad. Deca-dence is still one of the very few shows I liked in 2020, which was supposed to be a new era for anime thanks to Korean webcomic adaptations. I have far more respect for a show that tried to do things differently and which nobody was hyping, than for cashgrabs that Crunchyroll was constantly promoting as a new era for anime, when they were rushjobs based on overrated trash, made solely for selling subscriptions.
Chiefmiest
No idea why people are saying this anime is good. The plot is mediocre and the execution made it extremely boring, they would have been better off making this an attack of titan ripoff. I feel like they needed to go more in depth when talking about the gear's world but that didnt happen all they talked about were bugs. The characters are bland. The MC is just your stereotypical child MC. Kaburagi is a decent character, but his development is predictable and almost all of the side characters are easily forgettable. The animation is fine nothing to be proud of. The sound is decent, the endingwould probably be the best track in the show imo.
amf85
This show really only has one flaw: it's short. Not in a way that hurts the story, but rather that I wanted to keep watching more episodes. In every other way this is a masterpiece. Visually excellent and creative, I don't even mind that it combines realistic visuals and chibi visuals. I love that Decadence isn't just another Gundam, and the gear system is fairly creative. The plot could have been more complex, but it's fine for 12 episodes, and the secret that you learn is a pretty creative spin on the normal plot, without being batshiat insane the way a lot of sci-fianime seems to end up.
12 episodes isn't a lot of time to develop a cast, but you meet a handful of main characters that are well written and voice acted. The show lacks a real villain, because the true villain is "society," but the villain-type character it has works for the story.
A lot of anime start strong, but then don't deliver, or have an unsatisfying ending, or one that makes no sense, or one that feels like a betrayal of the story and the characters so that the writer can make some sort of ridiculous philosophical point about society or something stupid. Half the time it makes me regret the time I spent watching the show. Not Deca-Dence. You'll enjoy the ending. You'll feel good about it.
This is a good show. Watch it. You'll be glad you did.
ktulu007
Deca-Dence is a 2020 original anime from Nut. That's right, the Youjo Senki studio. I've only reviewed the one anime from them and it was decent. So, let's jump in and hope they maintained at least that level of quality. Story: Our tale is set in a dystopian future where humanity is stuck in a mobile fortress called deca-dence and fending off attacks from monstrous abominations called Gadoll. We swiftly learn that the whole deca-dence scenario is a game for cyborgs in a world run by an amoral mega corporation and interacting with the endangered humans is one of the features, though they don't knowthe truth. And that's not really a spoiler since you learn all that in the second episode. We follow a cyborg, Kaburagi, who works as a recovery agent to deal with those the system deems bugs and a human girl, Natsume, who wants to exterminate the Gadoll and save humanity.
The biggest problem with the series is the pacing. There are a lot of elements to the series and none of them are very well expounded upon and the world building relies heavily on exposition due to it simply being too short to naturally expand on it within the narrative. Another issue is the ending. This series has the same issue as the Fate franchise in that everything builds up for a bitter-sweet ending but then the writers can't woman up and follow through so in comes some complete bullshit to save the day.
There are a couple areas where I really give the writing credit. First of all, the series takes a lot of familiar dystopian elements but uses them in a unique way that keeps them compelling and fresh. I also give the series credit for being consistently interesting. There's never a point where it gets dull either from dragging or by delving too deeply into formulaic territory.
Characters:
The characters are semi-interesting. The major ones have some layers. The secondary ones are a bit dull. They tend to follow very common archetypes. The series really needed more time to develop their relationships and needed to do more to showcase how the corporate structure of their world impacted them. Honestly, the character dynamics are a weakness in the series as a whole. We know, for example, that Natsume is good friends with one of the girls she grew up around and has some issues with another but those relationships are very stagnant and rely on the friend/ rival archetypes rather than any actual writing effort.
Art:
The artwork is pretty nice. The cyborg and monster designs are fairly creative and interesting. The technology they use for Deca-dence and the world in general looks interesting enough. The regular human characters look a bit boring but they're decent enough. The action sequences are pretty nice with the floating tech, harpooning and such. It almost looks like something out of Shingeki no Kyojin when the characters are getting really floaty but it definitely also has a lot of cyberpunk qualities that give it its own distinct feel.
Sound:
The actors do a fine job. Kusunoki Tomori, Konishi Katsuyuki, Murase Michiyo and more deliver strong performances. I like the way the cyborgs have a quality to their voices that's slightly off, sounding almost auto-tuned while regular humans and the in-game avatars just sound normal. The music is fine.
Ho-yay:
There are some moments where Natsume seems to have a bit of a crush on Kurenai but not many. Though, in all fairness, there's not much romance in this series in general.
Areas of Improvement:
1. This series needs more natural world-building. Not exposition but some actual, legitimate world building.
2. If you set yourself up for a bitter-sweet ending, you need the ovarian fortitude to follow through. Don't give me a contrived happy ending pulled straight from your ass.
3. Give me some compelling side characters. You can get by with having fewer important side characters if you actually give some depth to the ones you have.
Final Thoughts:
I wanted to like this anime more. It has some compelling ideas and some legitimately different aesthetics and execution. But then you get the rubbish ending, largely bland characterisation and a shit tonne of exposition to replace actual world building. As such, I have to give it a 6/10. It's decent but that's it.
ParaSwordFish
Wow, the first few episodes confused me and the strange premise and idea really threw me off. However as the show went on it all became clearer and more interesting not being held down by other tropes of the genre that tend to swamp down other anime, I really liked the characters in this as they seemed to actually grow despite there only being 12 episodes. While I think the art and animation is some what lacking, it is carried by everything else which makes it stand out. The story doesn't want to pull punches either, while there are some less important deaths they feelimpactful and bring a slightly more mature feel to the anime.
In summary if you want a quick anime to watch with a good story, good characters with a good ending look not further than Deca-Dence.
A_R_M_A_A_N
Deca dence as an anime, is quite different especially when it comes to the aspect of art . Sometimes while watching this I wondered if it’s anime anymore. Now now don’t think of me as someone who hates an anime if it’s art style or animation is not good,I’m not like that and to my own surprise I liked this new change, But that depend on the individual watcher. btw deca dence is not like AOT, sorry to let you down:( Story-9 Great story, amazing and original, you will most probably enjoy it and the end was good too, sometime it’s predictable what’s gonna happen next,but otherwise it’s good. You feel happy and sad and when you feel it you feel it hard.
Art-6
Now when it comes to art I personally Think it Could be presented way better if the art style was different, tbh I think the art style make it look like a cartoon And especially when they show cyborgs and their world. Whenever domething dramatic happens, sometimes the art let you down.
Sound-7
The sound was good, it was not amazing nor it was bad. The voice acting was good and so was the ost, but a few scenes didn’t fit with sound, but that can be tolerated
Character-8
The characters were memorable, especially the male protagonist, the female protagonist is good but sometimes you forget about her, other characters also make a good combination to increase your enjoyment of the show.
Enjoyment-7
I enjoyed this show a lot, but sometimes I had to force myself to watch it, but pretty much it gets better and better with each episode.
Overall rating-7
This show is fantastic but the animation kinda let me down, so sometimes I didn’t feel like watching but sometime I was over the top excited for the next episode. I would also recommend this anime for its nice world building.
PS: this would most probably get a second season, better watch it before that!
