No dream is too big for Appare Sorrano, a socially-awkward inventor living in a small rural town in Japan in the late 19th century. Fascinated since childhood by the creation of steamships that can connect people across great distances, he's learned to make machines of all kinds from various scientific texts. His goal is to sail across the sea, beyond the sky, and ultimately, to the other side of the moon.
Unfortunately, through a string of events, Appare finds himself stranded in the middle of the sea on his mini steamship. Floating alongside him is a skilled but cowardly samurai, Kosame Ishikki, who was tasked to keep his eccentric behavior in check. Just when all hope seems lost, a large steamship saves them and takes them to Los Angeles. With no money or plans, they decide to participate in the "Trans-America Wild Race," which gives Appare the chance to build his own automobile, and Kosame the opportunity to use the cash prize to return home. However, against rival racers and unknown challenges residing in the wilderness, just how far will this adventure take Appare and Kosame?
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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KANLen09
Jojo's Steam Ball Run: the Animation, that is yet unfortunately another COVID-delayed show. It's hard to believe that this one show that's full of experimental creativeness and perceived notion is all conceived by one man alone: Masakazu Hashimoto. From the story to the series composition that's tons of wacked insanity, it's more than enough to stand out in its originality, yet also be a callback to his career days of starting out as a director over at P.A. Works circa. 2011 (after flailing around from different anime projects in the 2000s with varying degrees of success). His first directorial and series composition work being Tari Tariway back in 2012 wasn't game-changing, but the way that it was done certainly had the early otakus take notice of his idea of a unique storytelling that's totally Hashimoto's: a fairly simple tried-and-true story plot, but with a pinch of inspiration to carve out its own identity and stand out as so. But as is with HaruChika's somewhat odd approach and consequence of people attacking him (as the director) vs. the novelist that has somewhat of a mish-mash of ideas that are not put well together, it's sad to say that it was kinda a defining moment of unnecessary hate strewn from that.
But now, after some time, Hashimoto is back with a story setting about a cross-country race that spans cities and people from the East to the West within a 19th century modernized Wild Wild West take, and it's honestly a thrill to follow the many characters who have defied dangers whilst participating in unforeseen deathmatches, fighting to save theirs and others' precious lives from time to time. "It's a strange world" as the quotes say, with the bombastic bizarreness of a plot and setting that only complete once they are joined together.
"Who says death-defying races are just for the Americans, both locally and natively?" This is a question that always pops up in my mind about people from different cultures entering into another culture, and totally getting that "culture shock" factor, and that is exactly what the 2 main characters are here for: the "Alexander Graham-Bell" of big-ass inventions of a dreamer that is Sorano Appare, and the skilled coward of a samurai who needs to pluck his courage, Kosame Isshiki. The idea of steamships in the 19th Century was a thing when transportation was getting ready to ship the masses across vast distances, and with Appare enamored at the idea of it, he so desperately wanted to create one for himself. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the playful strings of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" landed both Kosame and Appare in another continent (that is the U.S. of Los Angeles) and a particular race (of which the prize money won will be used back to Japan) sets the both of them on a course that will teach each other about camaraderie, and the dependence that will prove to be both MC's biggest character tonal shifts from time to time.
A "Trans-America Wild (car) Race" that's sponsored by organizers of big coporations who call themselves B.I.G. Boss (that you can see where the inspiration when it comes to automobiles), and within it, an assassination plot of the most mind-numbing kind that only weaves its unwelcoming stance the more is revealed...that suddenly isn't so much of a race anymore against rivals, but a fight to the death with a group of bandits wreaking havoc all around. Simple and overly cliche, but it works as a final product altogether.
To properly understand this show in general, there are many characters that play a part in this expedition:
- The Appare-Kosame team of an unusual steam-powered car, along with Hototo, a "Red Indian"-ish native American of a child, whose gain is to seek revenge for a gang that killed his tribe and family after being rescued from thugs.
- Jing Xialian, an assistant for a racing team that is constantly being accused and judged by her gender in an all-male society, and her #MeToo statement being a forthcoming judgment to see her in a totally different light, that women can also be like men and race wild.
- Al Lyon and Sofia Taylor, potential family heir and the heir's chaperone of one of the B.I.G. Boss corporations (BNW), with a desire to win to prove his solidarity and firmness of being his family's next in-line to the corporation.
- Race organizer Seth Rich Carter (you can call him Mr. Carter), whom has been ridiculed in the past as an engineer for another B.I.G. Boss corporation (G.M.), but like Kosame, holed up due to cowardice and not being able to stand up for himself.
- The Bad Brothers Tristan and Chase, whom like native Hototo, are burly Americans but whom first came under the wrong impressions, and are some of the kindest characters in the series.
- Last but not least, the "Thousand Three" outlaws which form the basis of B.I.G. Boss: skilled gunmen Dylan G. Oldin (racing for G.M), "Crazy" TJ (racing for Iron Motor Company) and the leader of the bandits Richard "Gil (the Snake) T. Cigar" Reeseman (lone driver).
All characters get their lone times of character development, which is to say that for 13 episodes of a shit-ton of concurrent events happening at different times, every character has their definite background moments to shine their light and shoot over the moon. Take Appare and Kosame for example: Appare is like a gifted bookworm, very focused on what he needs to do and forgets about the outside world instantly, while Kosame is loud and obnoxious, with a clear reason for his vengeance and redemption as the series progresses, both characters shrug each other off at the very beginning, but the apparent figures of simultaneous events that force them to double-team up and understand each other's motivation is always nice, and it only gets better from there on. Needless to say, the character department will be one of Appare-Ranman!'s stronger aspects when considering about the final product (which is the show itself in full glory).
P.A. Works is NO stranger to original shows in the past few years, but the records have been few and far in-between if there is any level of hype to back it up. Of course, this show had it in the Spring season, but the COVID push-back of a seasonal delay definitely hurt the enjoyment more (of people forgetting that it exists, DUH). It was a constant treat to see the art and animation show its legs, and even with some CGI (on the race), it will not win any awards, but at least it'll get the race done and dealt with. Overall, I'd never think to see 19th Century America so well-thought out, even resembling with the Wild Wild West of olden days past with a good sprinkle of animation to accompany it.
The OST, well oh well, it had a very nostalgic feel to it...that's if you feel inclined about 19th Century worldly standards. A good job on taking what is already well known and putting a nostalgic spin on it, kudos for setting the appropriate atmosphere for what it is. Good pairing of the OP and ED, and YES, finally a good song from Mia REGINA that screams "I don't give a F***" at how balls-off-the-wall the series has been flexing its personality. Long-time veteran Shoutarou Morikubo with his ED is also a good way to finish each episode, and anticipating what's to come, step-by-step. Truly the "I've got it!"A-HA moment.
The above-average spectrum of P.A. Works's catalogue of original shows, and watching people do what they love is a nice gesture, on top of just going bonkers and sticking lackluster endings of the shows gone by. At most this was a passion project done pretty good (not great, but passable), but at least I enjoyed my run with this show.
Now if you'd excuse me, I must now muster my creativity to make my own dream automobile and enter the race of a "lifetime".
Marinate1016
Another season. Another good original work anime by P.A works. This time it comes in the form of a racing anime. Appare-Ranman is different from anything I've ever seen. From the character designs to the actual plot of the show, nobody can say it's generic at all. The closest comparison I could think of for Appare-Ranman is around the world in 30 days. It's a wild, wacky and entertaining journey with Appare and co. as they race from LA to NY for prize money to return home to Japan. Unfortunately, things aren't as smooth sailing as they'd like. Unlike Fairy Gone, which I love, Appare-Ranman hassome solid CG. One of the biggest complaints about P.A works last show was the subpar CGI, convoluted plot, direction, etc. All of those were improved upon massively here. While I didn't enjoy Appare as much as FG, objectively it has better quality production.
It's rather sad that the show was postponed due to COVID a few months ago, it took a lot of wind out of its sails and led to it being criminally slept on as people forgot it really existed. That said, I'm glad I was one of the few to watch this show, it really is unique and entertaining. I know those phrases get thrown around a lot, but I'm confident you'll find enjoyment from this one.
Appare-Ranman gets 8(insert something catchy from the show) out of 10 from me.
Manoha007
What I didn't like about this anime, I will start with the major con I have with this anime. There are many anime with the over-powered main character, viewer watches those anime for How the MC defeats or overcomes the hurdle? rather than does he actually able to overcome it. There can be many ways to show the characters are intelligent. Minor spoiler:The Main character(Appare) within a split second can calculate the objects trajectories and able to escape, in one scene. If it is limited to the MC (Appare) itself it would have been okay. The other main character (Kosame) able to split the bullet into half with a sword with no logic is certainly a big plot hole for me.If they wanted to keep it close to natural,they should haven't shown those scenes, my experience could have been a much better, it was too hard to ignore. They didn't even try to cover it with some power (I can understand,if they did it would have been even worse). Kosame backstory became so cliche (used in almost 5-6 episodes) and I absolutely hated the way it is presented. The ending could have been better.I didn't even realized that this has a comedy tag.I what-so-ever didnt even get a giggle out of my face while watching this anime
What I liked about this anime is,
The Art its so refreshing to see the characters shown this way. The sound Jass is good, the character development is good with no fan service(Thank you). The way it tackles the gender equality and the equality between people of different location and social status (which is subtle but still) is very good. I enjoyed the starting 7-8 episodes wholeheartedly
TL;DR
Story:7
Art:7
Sound:7
Character :7
Enjoyment : 5 (ruined by last 5 episodes)
Overall : 6.5 /10
baxa
"APPARE-RANMAN!" Genre- Comedy, Sports, Historical, Cars, Action. 'This is not logical.' We humans aren't machines and therefore, cannot subdue our feelings or emotions like one. But for Appare Sorrano, things are different as he is built in a way where he can only care and think about the next new invention and things that will make the world advance towards the new evolution. Devoting his time and everything to his scientific studies and engineering, Appare gets in trouble and ends up leaving Japan in a self-made steamboat. Only to get carried away to America and participate in a Trans-America Wild Race, where many racers will now take partin a race from Los Angeles to New York, and the winner shall receive the prize money of $1,510,000. During his journey, Appare goes on to change his way of thinking and feeling like a human and along with his friends and comrades takes on an adventure of his lifetime, an adventure that includes guns, swords, deaths, explosives, cars, and most of all, a lot of steam and rebirths. Here we get a backstory of almost all the characters and seeing how the anime ends, we can get a surety that there might very well be a second season.
The animation and post-production of the anime are just too good and the 3D effect that highlights the cars and other machinery in the anime helps to give it that extra glow. The story is on point as it doesn't waste our time with extra scenes and twists and keeps the main plot on point, making the anime all that better and subtle.
This anime is absolutely a 'MUST WATCH."
Blue_Maroon
A pretty average anime, through and through. I can’t say that this anime does anything new, but it does most of it decently well. The premise of a cross-country race will bring to mind Steel Ball Run or Death Race, but believe me, it is much more toothless than any of those stories. That is probably my biggest gripe with this anime. I don’t care too much if an anime is not supper original, as long as it is well-executed and enjoyable I’m a happy camper. But when you make an anime about a cross-country race in early 1900s America with ruthless outlaws, there needs to besome stakes.
If this anime just wanted to be a fun time, then just make have the entire plot being about the actual race. Don’t half commit to an outlaw plot just so you can do a poor Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven immitation for a sense of conflict.
Add on top of that the swift conclusion to an outlaw group that was hyped up the entire season and you have an anime that does not know what its stengths and weaknesses are.
So what are Appare-Ranman’s strengths?
Well, one thing that the anime does pretty well is creating a fun atmosphere between the characters. Some of the best parts of this anime are when the characters are just interacting with each other. The characters are a melting pot of different cultures and personalities so there are limitless possibilities for how they can interact.
If the anime would have just focused on the race and the character’s motivations, this anime would have been a lot more focused and enjoyable.
Nothing else really stands out in this anime. The art is solid except for the occasional bad CGI. The music did not stand out at all. I can’t remember any of its music aside from the OP. The voice acting was pretty standard, the villian overacted a bit on occasion but in general it was fine.
There really isn’t much special about this anime. I was surprised that I was even able to write as much as I did about it. If you watch it, you won’t hate it, but you may not remember it.
It’s closer to a 6 than a 4.
Horn_dawg_2019
Steam punk modified to a 20th century era themed, not bad at all. So: Story: Pros: As an original work of studio "PA Works" it wasn't bad at all when it has a combination of the following: the setting of "Wild Wild West," The comedy of "Wacky Races" and a couple of "Fast and Furious" action, all rolled into one. Cons: IMAO, nothing bad about this original anime's story plot.Verdict (8 over 10)
Art:
Pros: None of that Xialian and Sofia's fanservice.....
Cons: Ok , there was that Sofia's underwear service , but it's of 1910's era, so not hot in a sense.
Verdict (4 over 10)
Sound:
Pros: Good Opening theme "I got it!" by Mia REGINA and ending theme "I'm Nobody" by Shoutarou Morikubo....
Cons: Nothing to mentioned.
Verdict (7 over 10)
Character
Pros: The Kosame and Appare relationship where at first they started off on the wrong side of the bed , cu'z Appare is a free thinker who often does a lotta trouble in the name of science and Kosame who is suppose to put hi behind bars but gets out witted. In the end by some freak accident the 2 found themselves in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where they were rescued by a ship bound to the USA, from there they have to find a way to live in that new place and yes it entering that race that would serve as their ticket for the two to go their separate ways since the two don't want to have to do with each other , that's it as soon as Appare comes up with some ways to make a something they can use to race and win. Hototo, comes in and he basically serves as a binder of the two given that he knows the back country's of the USA ......Xialan , serves as this anime's gender equality character where she is presented as not just a girl who not only can race but also can kick ass as well, TBFH, I only mentioned them since they're the ones who made an impact to this anime's overall enjoyment....
Cons: Gil T Cigar was just too much of an overrated antagonist that he has to be the BIG BAD GUY that has to be super good that it has to take 7 to tire him out and 2 to take him out.
Verdict (8 over 10)
Enjoyment:
Pros: Not a chore to watch.
Cons: ________________
Verdict (8 over 10)
Overall:
Verdict (9 over 10)
Kudos to studio "PA Works" and Original Anime Director, Hashimoto Masakazu.....Well worth it.
HenriqueNeves
Appare-Ranma! it is an anime very difficult to describe because he does not go to an exact destination, the anime does not want to do just one thing. It is a crazy running anime, a thematically inclusive anime and an anime that develops very interesting internal dramas, but nothing said connects very well, there is not a 100% well-connected connection to work on all these amazing themes, however, that doesn’t is a problem, put anime decides to work all this in a very peculiar and fun way. Perhaps that is the word that defines this anime so well, its peculiarity. It's in everything: in cars; inthe characters; in the city; in the historical context and also in the plot. He doesn't follow a line that goes linearly throughout the anime, he doesn't go from point A to B like a Mad Max; Fury Road for example, he has his stops, he brakes and moves the pace in a very confused way, the characters should be doing one thing, when they are doing something completely out of the curve and it is still good. Perhaps the great reason for this lack of discomfort with elements that should be treated as problems in other animes gains a lot of strength here put the anime ties it all up in a very new and inventive way. But yes, does he have any facilities or generic choices to keep the story going? it certainly has, but the way it is staged does not. The choices, even if they are made and pointed to a path that will obviously conclude, are executed in a way that always seeks novelty. The anime does not let the viewer try to anticipate what will happen because it is presented to us in a very thought-provoking way, it is really concerned with trying to establish a link between this peculiar construction with all elements of the work directly with the viewer.
Appare-Ranman! is an anime that will use several conventions already seen in other anime in an always renewed and unique way within its own construction.
O_T_T
Just like the vehicles it depicts - fast, powerful and fancy. I find that Appare-Ranman! embodies, in both content and intention, that of surpassing boundaries. It's not just that the show is set on the cusp of technological revolution, nor that the expansive cast hails from all nations and backgrounds, but also that the work itself is able to refute traditional genre constraints, free to present something altogether new, a rarity in this age. And it's not just a thoroughly unique story, but one that becomes its own themes manifest; innovation and refinement being both watchwords and destinations. ---- At first glance, the story doesn't appear quite sospecial. A lawless race with a huge cash prize and the impetus of being stranded across the ocean are both strong ideas, but both have been explored. Where Appare-Ranman! adds intrigue to the mix is with its cast, and the approach they take to the goal. A test ordinarily of speed and determination instead becomes one of creativity and research. This is most evident in the downtime allocated both prior to and alongside the race, where careful planning and constant improvement are what pull the protagonists through. These points also provide an excellent stage for each of the many subplots, though I have to note something of an imbalance amongst those focusing on side characters, with some particularly endearing ones robbed of more exploration.
On the subject of characters, I must commend the way Appare-Ranman! handles its roster. Rather than the opponents being a simple gallery of faces to strike down one by one, each and every other participant gets to spend plenty of time with the protagonists. As a result, the interactions between the group are fluid, believable, and quite entertaining. Their attitudes toward each other make for some ratehr good moments of comedy - the "Who's a thinker and who's a fighter?" scene toward the end is a great example. Again, thought, there is a single gripe to be had, and that's that giving each and every cast member focus leaves the eponymous Appare somewhat less than the protagonist should be allocated, even compared to his companions Kosame and Hototo.
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It's animated well, but there's little I can say to dwell on that. Instead, it would be more germane to praise the design work on display. Appare-Ranman! has a brilliant eye for colour, and uses it to full effect to create one of the more visually unique, and I presume intentionally anachronistic, settings in recent productions. The music is likewise more important, and thankfully brilliant across the board, with the OP, ED and OST all top-notch. Each uses an interesting blend of instrumentation that matches the meting pot nature of the rest of the show, and thus fits exactly.
The direction front is, alas, a mixed bag. Though there are dozens of nice touches, from believable gun and swordplay, to effective visual characterisation, they're let down by the framing. Without explaining the last act too much, a moment tense and sombre is shattered just by recalling the first scene. I do however have to give credit to the niche act of race direction, which has been given surprising attention. It is easy to understand the relative positions of the competitors, the sequences surrounding them are thought out, and there's even at times a live-updating leaderboard, a feature entirely superfluous, yet exhibiting an endearing sort of dedication.
----
Were I to polish it up, I would do away with the framing and give a few more spots dedicated to Appare. Little else needs to be done, which rather succinctly demonstrates the show's quality.
With that all assessed, Appare-Ranman! was a marvellous outing with a whole crowd of talent at the reigns. I certainly and unquestionably recommend it to anyone seeking out creativity.
And I would, finally, like to make a note, in part to myself, to follow Ahndongshik's future work, as what has been presented here has been exquisite.
PyraXadon
I’m just gonna assume someone at P.A. Works decided to throw caution to the wind and suggested something stupid for their next project. Which, if this is really how this thing came about, I’m all for it. I know darts on the wall don’t always work, but when they do, they do. Story: At the height of the roaring 20’s, an eccentric inventor by the name of Appare causes trouble in his little town in Japan before deciding that instead of staying in a place that doesn’t appreciate his push of progress, he will take his invention and his tools across the Pacific Ocean and go toAmerica where stuff like that is both commonplace and encouraged given the technological advancements in the country. Dragging alongside a poor man named Kosame who only wanted to keep the poor boy safe, the two of them enter that grand trans-continental race starting for a shot at the prize money. And for Kosame, a chance to get back home.
So that’s the framing device for the anime, and what we have here is definitely a trans-continental race that takes up a greater majority of the series once the setup’s out of the way. So there’s no funny business, is there? Well… Appare-Ranman has something of a mixed identity. It definitely feels like the creators wanted to do a racing/car anime. But at the same time, it also seems like they really wanted to do a western with gunslingers, shootouts, gun-fu, and the like. As a result, the story bounces back and forth between both of these storylines, crossing over a couple times only to transition the racing parts to the western parts and vice versa. While it’s not bad, it’s definitely not what I expected in this show, although given what our cast list is, this was almost assuredly the expected result.
Despite that, the execution of this mixed identity was surprisingly well-made, especially given the fact that the show managed to also provide decent character arcs for most if not all of our main cast members, and managed to keep the tempo of the series going till the very end. An energy that gives the series a satisfying result due to the tension and escalating moments that keep ramping up as the western half of the show starts to encroach more and more onto the series. A big part of this as well comes from the historical aspect of the show, as 1920’s America is at the heart of the show’s story. The ugly side of this developed country from the misogyny (which isn’t an America-exclusive thing, mind you), to the treatment of its natives and other races adds another bit of spice to this already volatile mix of a show, which again, is an aspect I neither expected, yet is something I greatly appreciate.
My only qualm with all of this comes with the show’s ending because the show kinda feels like it forgot to give a proper ending to the whole thing. Things just kind of end, and it’s a stain on an otherwise really fun and surprisingly well-executed show. I’m not really gonna hold it over the show’s head, but it’s kind of a shame considering the sheer amount of cheese, energy, excitement, tension, and just overall fun the series exudes. Only for the series to drop the ball at the very, very end of the series as an anticlimactic tick to the whole thing.
Characters:
You ever seen Wacky Races? Think that but with stereotypes as the racers instead of goofy characters.
Appare is our kabuki actor-looking protagonist that’s both equal parts eccentric and aloof. Focusing pretty much only on his machines and whatever goal he has a the current time, Appare is interesting if only because he feels more like a robot than a human. His qualities make him less of a protagonist to latch onto, but instead more of an interesting case study to watch as the audience is treated to watching a robot discover feelings for the first time. Personally I think he’s interesting, but gets treated like too much of the Messiah to everything, especially since his only expertise is machines. He’s certainly a good engineer, being able to do literal ‘quick maths’ on the spot, but in the rest of the cast list, there’re definitely other contenders for the spot of ‘main character’ in this show.
Kosame is the opposite of Appare, being more grounded and more of a realist who worries about their situation since they’re in a new country who by all sense of the word, are folk that they really shouldn’t be able to communicate with. Semantics aside, Kosame comes into the series as a character who has his own personal struggles and has a fairly satisfying character arc that, though kind of by the numbers, helps add to the series’s overall energy. Which is something that I can’t really complain about because his chemistry with Appare is fun, and he definitely pulls his weight around to become his own character instead of just the dude to reel Appare in.
All that being said the cast for the Appare-Ranman is a bunch that each hit different points of stereotypes and have similar character arcs that ‘make sense’ for who they are. Al is the fancy French boy who wants to prove something to Daddy, Jing is the Chinese woman who wants to prove that a woman can do what a man can do, you have the Hispanic brothers who fit the small smart one and the big gentle one tropes respectively, Hototo the Native who wants revenge on a white man, literal Jazz Funk personified, and the brooding white outlaw loner who does things his way and has a dark past. They’re all pretty simple characters with simple character arcs and motivations, but seeing how they mix with each other is where the real fun comes in. Their interactions with each other were way more entertaining than they had any right to be, and after a while, I kind of cared less that they were all stereotypes that served the purpose of easy character writing. Especially as the story pushed them to talk to each other more and more and face similar issues.
Aesthetics:
P.A. Works seems to have fallen in a bit of a ‘less spendy’ mood lately, as the quality here with Appare-Ranman is about the same as what we got with Irozuku and Fairy Gone, with a few resources allocated elsewhere depending on the project. With Appare-Ranman, the budget seems to have gone towards the backgrounds and animation. The setpieces depicting 1920’s America are honestly really nice, and it’s clear that for the times the cast are in cities, there was effort to show off the kind of modern living that was available at the time. And by contrast, what the midwest looked like as a result of Manifest Destiny, showing off a lot of western-inspired towns that really makes me think that there were people involved that really wanted to make a Western show instead of a racing one.
And that shows with the animation as there are a lot, and I mean a surprising amount of gunfight scenes that show off a lot of dynamic action and CQC combat among the combatants. It’s something I never expected in the series, and I’m pleasantly surprised that they went that route considering this was supposed to be a RACING anime. Speaking of the racing side, the show exclusively uses 3-D modelling in order to show off the various vehicles in the series, which honestly works for the show if only because the models flush well into the overall look of the series, and it’s not a glaringly obvious thing that looks out of place.
Mia REGINA’s “I got it!” is a high energy, big brass song that is way more memorable than it has any right to be. The song just screams ‘fun’ to me, which coupled with the images of gunslinging and car repairs, shows off the series in a spectacular light by being this excitable, big band number that portrays what Appare-Ranman is in a nutshell.
By contrast, Shoutarou Morikubo’s “I’m Nobody” is a more acoustic song that plays during the literal movie credits that show up at the end of every episode. It’s literally country music, and well, it’s fitting. It’s not my style personally, but it only adds to the sheer amount of ‘America’ that P.A. Works wanted to go for this show when they made it. Which is an effort I appreciate, even if some of that effort went in ways I don’t really agree with.
Final Thoughts:
I was supposed to finish this one last season, but COVID happened, so unfortunately this show got pushed back a season. (Which ofc a P.A. Works show of all things got pushed back for me, ugh.) That being said, honestly…I really like this one. My history of shitting on P.A. Works shows is nothing new, but honestly, this show was really, really fun. And I’m glad I can put away my distaste for the company’s storytelling directions for one show. (Though I can’t guarantee it for the next one.)
That being said, there’re a few notes I can’t fully agree with, and that’s mainly on some of the character designs and the coding that goes along with it. Things like having the only Chinese character know Kung Fu and the Native American wear feathers in their hair make for easy nods to representation, but kind of turn the ‘diversity’ instead into either design or character quirks for each of the racers. Though this is just a minor point of criticism just based on my personal bias. Overall, the cast is still one that I had a blast watching, and Sofia is undoubtedly the best of the bunch. And I lament the treatment of her character the longer the series went on.
Honestly, there really isn’t much I can say that’s bad about the series aside from a few minor points, a mixed identity, and a sort of anticlimactic ending. The story is kind of by the numbers, but I can’t really dispute how much enjoyment that I got out of this story, especially with how much I like history, and this really scratches my itch at something that’s not wholly Japanese set in a not Japanese place. I’d recommend this show to anyone who wants to have a fun time, since this show has the correct amount of dumb and serious to make the viewing experience satisfying and fun as a result.
Now if only P.A. Works could keep up a streak past one…
ggultra2764
Appare Ranman is set in the late 19th century where the eccentric Japanese mechanic Appare Sorano and swordsman Kosame Isshiki find themselves in America after the former made a small steamship he intended to use to go on a journey, before Kosame's meddling led them both to be stranded in the ocean before being saved by a large American steamship. Seeking money to return to Japan, the two enter a race crossing the country from Los Angeles to New York City, with Appare converting the steamship he made into a steam-powered car to compete in it. From the looks of things, Appare Ranman appeared to begoing more for spectacle than any kind of depth with exploring the Trans-America Wild Race that Appare, Kosame, and several other racers wind up participating in. All the characters have their standard character types they follow with a sprinkling of backstory to have reason for them participating in the race, which the first several episodes are focused on dabbling into before the start of the race. Plus, the series seemed to have plenty of anachronisms in accurately depicting the supposed late-19th century setting it has with a number of the cars in the race having more modern designs from the 1920s to 1940s, mention of the Panama Canal which wasn't completed until 1914, the American flag having 50 stars when much of the Western part of the country were still regarded as territories, and one of the racers appearing to listen to modern rap music in his car radio in spite of said radio not coming around until the 1950s.
While it may seem like I'm criticizing these points of the series, the spectacle that Appare Ranman has to offer actually works pretty well to its strengths in spite of its obvious hiccups with depth. Appare's eccentric character is an entertaining one to see with the heavy devotion he has toward building things with his mechanical aptitude and the character chemistry that unfolds between the racers can be entertaining to see at points such as Kosame playing "straight man" to Appare's behavior and some of the antics that unfold during the show's breather episode later in the series. Plus being animated by PA Works, the artwork for Appare-Ranman is nice to see in action with some pretty elaborate character designs with some of the racers and fluid animation coming from the racing and action scenes within the series.
While I could be forgiving toward the anime's lack of depth as it wasn't Appare-Ranman's intended focus, I did take issue with the show's abrupt addition of an antagonist toward the final four episodes of the series. While the show did foreshadow his presence in earlier episodes, said antagonist only exists to add in a needless conflict into the series that gets in the way of the Trans-Atlantic Wild Race due to his presence in the series and is pretty flat as a character compared to the other colorful personalities seen with the racers.
In short, Appare-Ranman largely gets by with the spectacle it offers up with its race with its disregard for historical accuracy and its colorful cast of characters. While I'll admit I was engaged to its racing premise in spite of its issues with depth, the addition of a needless conflict with an antagonist in its final episodes did derail some of the enjoyment I was getting out of the series. As long as you don't question the particulars of things with Appare-Ranman that it blatantly disregards, it still makes for decent entertainment due to it embracing its spectacle and colorful characters.
jujubbeee
Appare Ranman is probably one of the greatest anime, ever!! This anime was not what I expected at first, and it's greatness blew my mind! Every single character is so loveable (except that Gil the Butcher), and the art and animation is purely amazing!!! The story itself is great, and the Intro's definitely the part of this series that's gonna be stuck in my head for a loooong time. Some of the parts of the story don't really stick together though, and there are some flaws in each character's personalities, which annoyed me from time to time. I'm really gonna miss this anime though, andcan't wait for the next season (if there'll be one, which there definitely should)!!!!!
nate_iskm
Story: The story starts inducing curiosity and attention over the aesthetic of cars and race and stuff like that. The major problem for me, was in the end when the subplot becomes a major one and the race was left aside for no reason at all. It is a good story, well written, but has problems with what do they want to focus, becoming something more related to action than the race itself (7/10) Art: The aesthetic of the characters and the world inserted into the story is very unique and pleasant. They surely take much time on this to be something to be memorable. Iremember when I was studying Creative Writing in college and one of the assets was how giving a visual style that were unique, could drag more attention to your story even if your story wasn't so good, and the anime follows that rule (8/10)
Sound: Don't have much to say about it, because it very generic and doesn't add to much to determinate scene that maybe should be more emphatic with a proper sound design and editing. It was fair because the visual were the part that they attached to (6/10)
Character: The protagonists of the story had a very good design but not so much of a good background to follow it. Kosame fails to this rule because he was the best written character and his arc of understanding what is the most important thing for him and his path of the warrior had a good piece of write, but it was also generic and cliché. The major problem with the characters was that had no difference between them and the extras, beside the visual: they could be part on that history as well, but doesn't fit because they weren't aesthetic enough (7/10)
Enjoyment: The enjoyment of the anime was good in the first half when they focused the action on the races and the competition itself but as soon they started to follow the subplot of Gil, started to turn into a piece of generic situation and action. I mean, do they really needed an antagonist in this series, besides all the situation they been through? Who knows (6/10)
Overall: This is a good piece of anime to see expecting nothing about it. They had the chance to make a japanese version of Wacky Races but couldn't because of that subplot involving Gil. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless they want to see something different or visual pleasant. It's good to watch in binge watching or drinking with friends
atarashi-cchi
I wasn't actually that interested in this anime since it has the tag "cars" which i'm not into. But it only took 2 eps to get me hooked. The good parts about this anime is: 1st people actually die xD not only knocked out like in all other shounen animes. 2nd: the main character isn't the one who changes everyone around, it's the opposite, which makes it so good ;-; 3rd and the most important thing is: they don't take half of the episodes explaining difficult stuff about cars and engines and whatever like in ehm all science-fiction or mecha, which why most mecha areboring, and appare ranman isn't boring at ALL.
It even got me interested in engineering even though i hate those subjects. It just makes even stuff you' aren't into look fun and interesting!
Aside from that, characters are all reaal good and lovable. I had a hard time choosing a fave.
I'm 100% sure this anime deserves more than its current rate.
aueft
Appare Ranman centers around a cross country car race, and it generally relishes in its own over-the-top silliness. The characters and the cars that they drive are all presented in day-glow colors, and their antics are overwhelmingly absurd. This is not a realistic series at all. The working relationship between the three lead main characters is a bit contrived, especially in the early episodes. I honestly found it hard to believe that they would stick together long enough to eventually race together. I also found the tech savant to be difficult to warm up to, but this is balanced by how likeable the samurai character was. Withthe short run time, the biggest problem was the villian. They only start antagonizing the cast directly in the last four episodes, and their scheming is slightly orthogonal to the thrust of the cross country car race. This means that that they felt more like a random obstacle rather than something that would bring the story together at a climax.
The biggest strength of Appare-Ranman is the strong supporting cast of characters (these characters wear flamboyant outfits that run the gamut from "cool" to "what?" to "oh no"). Each of the racers is decently well developed given the constraints of a single cour series. They played off of each other surprisingly well and helped invigorate the proportionally high number of breather episodes.
Animation and production values are extremely appealing. There was clearly a decent budget here.
BabysavageFace
i enjoyed appare ranman a lot you can say that it isn't the most perfect anime or the most relatable,but if you watch it in the way you are supposed to watch then it is a great show in my opinion the characters are probably the best aspect of the show,each character has a vibrant and unique design but what stands out the most is their personalities.each character felt like a potential MC for me. tbh this show was a solid 8.5 with me,but due to the lack of an actual score like that,im gonna rate it a 9 cause the word great sounds closer to what ithink this anime is
the story isn't as solid as the shows we have now and it may be short.but i can understand,i mean after all a race anime doesn't have many possible arcs if its bound to the laws of reality.but this show makes you forget about the race and you just cant take your eyes off of the characters.tho this show was able to show a lot of emotions in the span of just 13 eps . which in my perspective is a pretty big thing to pull off
it gave of a lot of various vibes from several anime
the american setting gave me the jojo[stellballrun] vibes
appare gave me a lot of senku vibes
and probably a lot more
the opening is also a great op.it was able to show what type of show it was just by the jumpy music and animation
the character i really liked were tj and gil.even if they were given like almost non existent backstories,just their interactions,designs and personality do the job perfectly
once again.this isn't an anime with a specific message towards the watchers and its a really enjoyable show
kk4everfighting
Wow! Appare-Ranman is something totally different than anything I've watched. The art style is lovely, and I LOVE the character designs. Appare is probably one of the coolest designs I've seen. The story is fun and action packed, even though it's not exactly realistic (especially for a "historical" anime lol). My only issue is that some moments were a bit lack luster, and some characters seemed very weak compared to others. Appare, TJ, Dylan, and even Kosame were so fleshed out and unique and had some badass moments, but then the females (Xialian and Sophia) just seemed bland and kinda just there to have somefemale characters...
The voice acting was great and the cast all did an amazing job! I put a 7 for sound because I honestly can't remember anything else about the sound design, but at least the voice acting was awesome.
I highly recommend this show to anyone looking to try something new or if you're just looking for a cool story with great characters!
Tuppie
"Appare Ranman!" might very well be one of the most insane anime I've ever seen. I'll be the first to admit that I've always had a soft spot for anime taking place during the late 19th to early 20th century and since those don't often come around I was immediately intrigued by this one. Although historical accuracy isn't precisely a strong point of the series the setting does contrast well with the vibrant characters and over-the-top premise. With it's striking character designs, incredible fight choreography and soundtrack by none other than Evan Call himself this show is a wild ride to say the least. The storyis very much driven forward by the characters and the show spends the first 4 episodes setting up stakes for several major characters showing us why they want to win the race. Appare wants to win to prove to everyone that he can build a faster car than anyone else, Jing wants to prove to the world that she can be a racer despite being a woman and Kosame wants the money so he can go home to Japan and so on. Overall those episodes do a good job of introducing the characters and setting up the stakes but they are undeniably slow and not the most entertaining. However when the show starts to pick up it REALLY picks up. Kosame and Hototo's backstories constantly being retold to us in the form of the same flashbacks gets old after a while and the plot itself never comes across as spectacularly creative in itself unlike the characters and setting. I am also aware some people were unhappy with the direction the plot didn't stay centered around the race but I have to disagree with that and say that I really liked the turn it took.
I believe the ending was satisfying enough, most of the major characters in the rather large cast had their arcs resolved during the final fight which was an incredible showdown and one of the best fights in anime that I've seen in a long time. Personally I enjoy seeing what actually happens to all the characters in a show after the story has concluded and since most of them really didn't get anything in that regard I was mildly disappointed but it was still better than what P.A did in Angel Beats! so I really shouldn't complain.
The character designs are all vibrant and unique from the poshness of Sofia and Al to the pure crazy that is TJ to whatever the hell Appare's design is. Despite many of them being out of place and ridiculous it still works very well. The characters are one thing but what about the vehicles? Considering how big a role the cars play in this show you would expect them to be well designed and they absolutely are. Each of them radiates character and you could easily tell which vehicle belongs to which character without any previous knowledge just by looking at it. Overall the art of the show is truly outstanding which is just what I've come to expect from a P.A works anime original
Evan Call stands at the very peak of soundtrack composition and he has once again outdone himself with the music in "Appare Ranman!". Everything from lovely strings to high tension standoff music straight out of a western movie to jazz-rap somehow all fit together perfectly in this spectacular OST.
"Appare Ranman!" overall is a good anime with great music, fights, designs and setting. As for the lack of realism... well it is what it is. Why can Kosame slice bullets with his katana? Why can TJ dodge a bullet fired at point-blank range? How does Appare manage to fly by simply adding more power to his engine? Because it's fucking cool that's why and that's very much the attitude of the show. Like I said "Appare Ranman!" is a wild ride, or dare I even say wild race.
Caeruleus_CCXVI
6.25/10 ~ Fun ride This one was a weird one, but I enjoyed it enough to watch it all the way through. If I had to describe it, would be as such: Dr.Stone enters Deathrace 2000 in the American industrial period. My biggest gripe with the show is it was far to short and it felt like there should have been an entire mini arc at the end and it just skips a month ahead and ends... uh okay then. Pros: - MC is enjoyable even if they are a Mary Sue - I really enjoyed the attempt at brining anime logic into the American Industrial age - weirdto say but it had a Beginning, middle and end, So many decent shows out there with no ending
- English dub was decent
-as mothers basement would say, this was some hot trash
- I honestly did not know where the story was going which was nice that it wasn't too predictable
- the history jokes were fantastic
- Supporting cast was decent
- great attempt at recreating "Death Race" (2000) especially the 70's version but make it Anime, the time period felt right too
Cons:
- CGI cars made me want to puke
- so uh... how does everyone know English and or Japanese lol
- MC felt over the top in a very Dr. Stone way, this is not a compliment
- show couldn't make up its mind of how it wanted to depict violence and death
- needed atleast 2-3 more episodes at the end
- much of the exposition was so boring
Over all this is a bit hard to recommend, but if you love either the time period of 1800's industrial age America, Dr. Stone or Akudama Drive you will probably be at home, other wise this is an easy skip.
ktulu007
Appare-Ranman is an original PA Works anime from last year. Yes, the studio behind Canaan, Another, Charlotte and some less impressive works like Fairy Gone. Still, they're a studio that generally does pretty well as far as I'm concerned. I mean, the weakest anime I've seen them produce was still average. Story: Our tale is set in a fictitious version of the Meiji era, so around 1870s since it seems to be pretty early on. In this time, there's an eccentric young inventor named Appare. He gets into some trouble at home and sets sail in a steam boat where he's pursued by the youngsamurai, Kosame. This results in the pair being propelled forward and going all the way to the United States where they eventually decide to take place in a cross continent race called the Trans-America Wild race because Kosame wants the prize money to return to Japan and Appare just wants to tinker with cars.
The whole narrative is a balancing act since it's largely more light-hearted and comedic but it does bring up some pretty serious things. And it's one that's actually executed pretty well. They basically take the route of letting the darker elements be very subtle and mainly conveyed through insinuation in order to maintain the light-hearted aesthetic. It also helps that nothing too bad happens to any of the major characters. It is refreshing to see a work that can manage to maintain its light-hearted aesthetic while also having some content that delves into more serious territory. Especially given how many things I've seen fail at it.
The biggest issue with the series has to be that they try to do a bit too much with the time they have. There are a lot of plot elements and flashback that aren't really taken advantage of and are generally under-developed. Like, the stuff with the Thousand Three is barely touched on given how much of the plot it helps drive. It's also a bit bizarre that the series starts around the end of episode five and then goes back to the beginning. It's one of those "Yes, that's me. Wanna know how I got into this situation?" openings but with no apparent reason for it.
With that said, the series is charming and entertaining. The whole idea of the eccentric genius and his more grounded companion isn't anything new, but this series does put its own spin on it and it uses the concept very well. I also do think the comedic elements are well done. Particularly the jokes based off of major cultural differences.
Characters:
The major characters in this have a surprising amount of complexity. They have various motivations for what they're doing. They have little bits of back story flavour. Which does make them more relatable and likeable. The big exception is the antagonist who has this vague "might makes right" philosophy and is just kind of evil for the evils. There are a lot of good interactions and dynamics as well. The dynamic with TJ and Dylan is really good, for example. So is the relationship with Appare, Kosame & Hototo. Nice of them to use an actual Native American name for their Native character. Although I admittedly don't know enough about the Hopi to know if he's portrayed accurately in other ways.
Art:
The biggest issue with the art is that it has the shounen style character designs with bizarre hair styles and other design elements that just look odd. Appare's hair, the thing TJ wears over his eyes, also his hair. There are quite a few. And, when it comes to certain characters, these over the top design elements could be seen as mildly racist. I actually wouldn't go that far in this case, but I can sort of see why some other people might.
Sound:
The acting is well done. Hanae Natsuki, Yamashita Seiichirou, Yuuki Aoi, Amamiya Sora and the other actors all give strong performances. I'm not completely sold on Evan Call's music for the series but it works fine, I guess. I think my big issue with it is that it's very modern but the anime is set over a hundred years ago and I kind of prefer for historical works, like this one, to base their music around the time period.
Ho-yay:
There is some stuff that comes across as a bit gay. Like, towards the end Kosame and Appare develop a dynamic that comes across the same way Holmes and Watson do in their more ho-yay moments.
Areas of Improvement:
1. The music should be more suited to the time period. Modern day hip hop is just weird in that context.
2. The series could benefit from a little more time on the background of the Thousand Three and some of the other under-developed elements. Maybe this should have been fifteen episodes. Maybe it should have spent less time recapping the previous episodes. Either way, it could have managed its time a bit better.
3. Just start at the beginning. You don't need to show where the series is going right from the start especially in a short series like this that moves fairly quickly.
Final Thoughts:
I actually enjoyed this series quite a bit. Its strong sense of fun, solid comedy, surprisingly complex characters and fast but well paced narrative made for a satisfying viewing experience. I'm going to give it a solid 8/10.
