The world of Lingalind is surrounded by a mystical wall with seemingly nothing beyond its confines. Worshipped as the mother of the land, the wall delivers celestial gift capsules called "Rakuho'' to locations across the continent. Arriving once a month, the capsules contain metallic armbands that allow the wearer to transform into a mechanical being known as a "Briheight." As a result, Lingalind is thrown into constant turmoil by its warring nations, all hoping to strengthen their military prowess by procuring the offerings for themselves.
One day, a Rakuho crash-lands in the countryside with an unexpected inhabitant—a mysterious black-haired man. All eyes are set on this strange newcomer, who calls himself "Back Arrow," when he claims to have hailed from a place beyond the wall—a revelation that can potentially unravel Lingalind's entire dogmatic foundation.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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SingleH
A naked idiot who doesn’t even remember his own name falls out of the sky, gets called a dumb bastard (a “baka yarou”), mishears the insult, and decides, yup, that’s my name: Back Arrow. And if that didn’t at least make you smile, then you don’t know how to have fun. Back Arrow feels like it stepped out of a time capsule from the early 2000s, certainly not made with today’s audiences in mind, and it so boldly, delightfully embodies all that makes writer Kazuki Nakashima and director Taniguchi Goro stand out, it’s hard to even tell where one of them ends and the other begins.But this isn’t even criticism. Back Arrow holds in its heart all the influences which its old and storied creators carry, but it’s not trying to outdo any of them. It’s not trying to be their newest, greatest masterpiece, and if anything it seems instead to want to refine its predecessors down to their most essential elements and walk away with a simpler, more laid-back, innocent experience. There’s Gurren Lagann in the dialogue, bits of s.CRY.ed in the action, tons of Gun x Sword weaved throughout the entire presentation, and even an energy similar to Goro’s episodes of G Gundam all wrapped up in one creative package, and the result will certainly be a rare treat to any other boomers like me longing for the good old days where anime was more about reckless creativity than it was about chasing trends and optimizing algorithms.
The comedy, the simplicity, the straightforwardness, and the lack of any particularly pretentious elements make this show feel so genuine. So many shows nowadays seem to allocate what little thought and effort was actually put into them toward crafting an attention-grabbing premise to hook the audience, but one which, nevertheless, simultaneously panders to them with all the same recycled tropes which the producers behind the show know the masses will love and pay for, but Back Arrow doesn’t care about having a mind-blowing premise it’ll never deliver on, because it can simply endear the audience naturally with genuinely likable characters and actually funny dialogue, or interest them in its original setting. It doesn’t need to open with that one crazy cut of animation to serve as a promise for the action to come or that one cute waifu who’s merch is available now, because unlike its contemporaries, it isn’t built to go on forever, print as many volumes as it can, or set-up for next season. It’s just a traditional story which gets to have actual character development because the entire story has been thought out from beginning to end.
And I know you didn’t ask for my appraisal of the current anime landscape and are here to read about the naked idiot, first name Back, last name Arrow, but I’d argue the creators feel the same way I do, and they’re way less apologetic about it than I am. The name “Studio VOLN” is an acronym for the phrase, “Visiting Old, Learn New.” Sure, the English is a bit broken, but the intention is clear. This studio is comprised of individuals who either lament the current direction of anime and who wish to return it to its classic roots which they find more favorable, or perhaps individuals who just love retro shit THAT much, and this becomes crystal clear looking through their catalog. After MAPPA devolved into a nightmarish corporate hellscape shortly after its founding, Masao Maruyama and others like him fled the studio they just worked so hard to create to try again, and these individuals went on to make Studio VOLN and Studio M2, where they’re adapting decades old manga like Onihei and Karakuri Circus whilst also helping other equally old men make their own original oddities like Back Arrow, and the last thing they care about is profit.
Much like VOLN’s other projects, this show isn’t exactly gorgeous, but it’s overflowing with artistic soul no matter which way you slice it. Back Arrow is set in a world surrounded by impassably high, impenetrably thick walls whom those living inside revere as godly structures, and to even think about climbing over them is a grievous sacrilege. So when our naked baka yarou falls from the sky claiming to be from the world beyond, tension and conflict begins to stir around him between the two major nation states occupying the world and waging war against one another with Briheights, mechas which manifest from the pilot’s conviction. As if you needed me to tell you, this style of conceptual storytelling is so Kazuki Nakashima it hurts, and considering the fact the different factions are delineated entirely via their costume design, with the Kingdom of Lutoh dressing in Nineteenth Century English, the Empire of Rekka dressing in Classical Chinese, and our main characters from Edger Village dressing in Western Cowboy, Taniguchi Goro’s influence is just as pervasive, but the whole point of this was to talk about the production.
Back Arrow looks fine. The Briheights are 3D, and there’s a ton of ‘em, but the creators really show their experience on this front, as they made all the right decisions regarding CG animation which so many other studios and staffers refuse to learn despite Production IG teaching the world back in 2002 and Studio Orange reminding everyone again in 2017. They didn’t cap the frame rate, the compositing is perfect, and the models aren’t over-detailed, so if you were to take a still image, its simplicity may even make it appear hand-drawn to the undiscerning eye. The 2D animation isn’t mind-blowing, but given the sheer amount of detail in the character designs, the modest fluidity they maintain is honestly impressive. Back Arrow has a beautiful art style, with memorable mechanical design and eye-catching colors, and while the backgrounds can fluctuate drastically in their detail, they always keep the aesthetic in mind and never look as egregiously digital as your average anime’s. Overall, the lack of money and manpower is always apparent, but its visuals nonetheless remain consistently engaging through raw personality & passion.
Nakashima’s beginnings as a playwright really shine through every moment of Back Arrow. Every character is someone you actually want to see and who’s time on screen, just like an actor’s time on stage, never feels wasted. Nakashima has always wielded Chekhov's Gun with grace, and if the conviction-powered Briheights didn’t remind you of Gurren Lagann’s will-powered Gunmans or Kill la Kill’s authenticity-powered Goku Uniforms, then let me assure you he still likes his themes to permeate every element of his stories. Despite Goro’s energetic, Saturday Morning Cartoon, all-ages accessibility, Back Arrow is still far better written than a great deal of anime out there, no matter how old or allegedly mature their target audience, because it actually feels like it was written by a writer, not an otaku who has never left their room and who can only create their hackneyed manga or light novel because real artists such as Goro and Nakashima inspired them to with the legendary works they made all those years ago, many of which aforementioned. While juvenile and increasingly ridiculous, Back Arrow is yet another inspiration I’m truly thankful for.
Nyron wrote an excellent preliminary review for this series which I highly recommend everyone go read. In fact, this review was so good and said everything I wanted to say so comprehensively, I debated even writing my own review. He concluded by describing Back Arrow as an “epitaph written on the grave of better times,” and I couldn’t possibly have said it better myself. The average modern anime fan doesn’t want to watch something smart or heady, but they also can’t just watch a shounen anime with their brain turned off without feeling insecure, and they have to be able to tell themselves it’s somehow above the common masses. They have to be able to say, no, My Hero Academia, Dr. Stone, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen doesn’t just come off the WSJ assembly line, it has an admirable main character who totally worked for his power and wasn’t just handed his teenage male power fantasy, a real and educational understanding of science which totally isn’t the single most embarrassing and sophomoric display of pseudo-intellect in the anime medium, beautiful artwork which isn’t just Ufotable layering CG and digital effects with enough bloom and post-production filters to give a blind man epileptic seizures, heavy amounts of awesome fight sequences who’s blatant lack of sakuga in-betweens and consistent key animation check is totally just an artistic choice by the animation staff and not a side effect of MAPPA’s well-known crunch time scheduling. Back Arrow doesn’t have any of that vanity, and while I could hardly fault anyone who is simply looking for something more serious, the overwhelmingly negative reception of this show is nothing if not a sign of the times.
Thank you for reading.
GolbeztheGreat
If this show deserves any credit, it's probably for being the most underrated anime of 2021 thus far. Back Arrow is a quirky series that may be a hard sell for audiences only interested in following the hottest modern anime trends, but its craziness can become quite charming and enjoyable for those with a more old-school sensibility and openeness for the mecha genre in particular. Which, to be sure, is exactly what you should expect from the combination of Kazuki Nakashima and Goro Taniguchi, since they are creators whose styles and tastes are reflected in the kind of low-intensity madness that Back Arrow has embraced. At itscore, this was a Super Robot action/adventure show with a frequently whimsical bent. Unsurprisingly, there is a rather high amount of suspension of disbelief that necessarily comes with this specific category of Japanese media. Do you believe that guts, belief and emotion can be more important than pure logic and reason? If so, then there's a good chance you'll appreciate this anime.
That approach describes me perfectly, so I was consistently entertained by Back Arrow on a weekly basis.
Admittedly, I would say a part of me still wonders what would have happened if a more talented animation production studio such as Trigger, Sunrise or Bones had been in charge. While the series can provide some exciting sequences when required, it is undeniable that relative newcomer Studio VOLN was the weakest link and this, more than anything else, kept Back Arrow from achieving the recognition and appreciation it would arguably deserve on paper.
But enough talk. Let's dig in and get to the other side of the wall of text.
STORY: 7/10
The fictional world of Lingalind, where an individual's conviction can manifest in the shape of giant robots known as Briheights, was thrown into chaos by the sudden appearance of a person named Back Arrow: a strange man from beyond the world wall that surrounds and protects the land.
Without any memories, Arrow wishes to return to the other side. As the narrative develops, our protagonist encounters a very colorful cast of characters who will react to him in different ways, becoming either friends or foes. Conflicts will inevitably break out and various mysteries about his own nature and the world itself will be gradually revealed.
That's it, this is the story. Not too complicated, at least on a purely structural level, when you take a step back and look at it with the benefit of hindsight.
All in all, you could say it's something of a road trip setup. Naturally enough, most of the fun is in the ongoing journey and the anticipation for whatever comes next.
The first half of the series does have a somewhat laidback and uneven pacing, to be sure, and the initial couple of episodes may seem especially awkward, but everything does build up over time. Once we're done with the various character introductions, the second half manages to raise the stakes and quickly escalates the action in several unexpected ways.
In the end, the twists and turns of the storyline can provide plenty of room for excitement and entertainment, which may turn out to be more important than the ultimate destination.
That isn't to say the scriptwriter doesn't care about the details. It may be difficult to believe at a glance, yet the writing has enough internal logic to hold itself together. Realism will remain absent, of course, although there's a considerable amount of early foreshadowing. That may be easy to miss or forget in the heat of the moment, but in retrospect seems almost too obvious at times. Even so, I was actually quite happy upon realizing just how well the big picture stands up. Again, you will not find any super profound meaning in this story, aside from some thematic commentary, and convenient power-ups are entirely fair game in a world fueled by conviction itself, in both the meta and the in-universe sense.
Having said that, another essential element found within Nakashima's script is the comedic touch. Back Arrow is not a dark, heavy and pondering anime, but a rather lighthearted one that may slip into drama on occasion yet doesn't take itself too seriously overall. Not every joke will be equally funny for every viewer, especially given the fragmentation of audience tastes, yet I would say it was a key ingredient during my personal experience. If you can assume a similar stance, you'll likely get the most out of this series.
CHARACTERS: 7/10
Surprisingly enough, Back Arrow himself turns out to be more of a catalyst or source of support for the rest of the cast than a typical anime protagonist at the end of the day.
To be fair, Arrow does undergo a certain amount of characterization and changes, but it is correct to say his initial portrayal as the powerful hero who is an ignorant yet well-meaning person will remain relatively static until the second half. I believe that approach works for this type of story setup, personally speaking, yet it's not really a central focus point for the most part.
As mentioned above, there is a sizable cast. Many of them have silly names that will make you smile.
Predictably enough, not everyone in the series will get the same amount of attention in terms of development. I think most of the villagers never really progressed, with Elsha and Atlee being the honorable exceptions. Still, I would say several of the characters can be quite appealing in their own right, whether they're playing secondary or tertiary roles. I won't bring up every single one, but will mention a couple of them in more detail.
For example, there's Shu. He is literally the smartest person in the show and that makes Shu a lot of fun to watch. You could call him a mastermind, on paper. Truthfully, I'd argue that he's more of a clever trickster. Or, if you will, you could call him an outright troll, in the best possible meaning of the term.
Although there are opportunities for dramatic tension when it comes to his shaky relationship with the warriors Kai and Ren, perhaps Shu's most important role is as a vessel for comedy. His voice actor knows exactly how to play the part and it does wonders for the feel of the show.
On a slightly more serious note, Shu's mentorship of Bit is simultaneously amusing on an extremely superficial level and yet also leads to some interesting places late into the story. Shu also has a pretty decent dynamic with Back Arrow, given his endless curiousity and desire to obtain knowledge of the unknown, but I ended up wishing to see more scenes between the two of them.
Speaking of Bit, he's a good example of how you can take a foolish jerk mostly used for comedic relief and then make him into a better person by going through a character arc of his own. I wouldn't have cared for him at the start of the anime, but by the end he became quite likeable.
If we had to name a rival character for Arrow, particularly when it comes to the many action scenes, then that would be Kai, the strongest warrior of Rekka....well, he would be the strongest with one notable exception. I'll get to that shortly.
Let's be honest. Kai isn't very deep as an individual. He's usually angry at Arrow for obvious reasons and eventually also becomes angry at Shu, which is an occasional source of drama. Nonetheless, it's not an irrational type of anger. Kai does gradually develop as a character and, while the total change may not be great, you can come around to sympathize with him.
It's hard to write an emotionally sincere review of Back Arrow without bringing up the Emperor of Rekka, Zetsu Daidan.
If you're a fan of old-school martial arts action movies, or if you ever saw Mobile Fighter G Gundam, then you'll understand exactly why he's the coolest character in the show. I will not listen to any arguments to the contrary.
Now, it's quite easy to initially dismiss Zetsu Daidan as just another dictator who is hungry for power, yet there is a thematically valid reason behind his actions and that makes him not only fun to watch on a visceral level but also more interesting than you'd think at first glance. And again, you can see him interact with the likes of Arrow and Kai, particularly during the second half of the storyline, in a way that elevates him as a character above his stereotypical archetype.
Fine and Prax have the sort of relationship that is natural to see between a knight and her princess in anime. I'd say that duo was the most relevant around the mid-season point due to all the court intrigue involved, thus I can easily imagine some viewers may not enjoy the so-called Lutoh arc, but for me that was still an early highlight since they were more dynamic and represented a change of pace from the initial village setting.
Specifically, Fine herself receives more characterization than you'd expect after looking at her character design. It's hard to address that without spoilers. For me, there were multiple surprises, even after the most obvious one was revealed to the viewer, and it was a very effective way to use the range of her voice actress.
Finally, I would point out the series does take quite some time to properly establish a real antagonist for our heroes. Sure, we get to see a number of different enemies, rivals and foes, corresponding to each individual faction of this world, but there doesn't seem to be a true villain at first.
This, like many other aspects of the story, changes for the better during the second half. The process of consolidating the cast into different sides gets going and, by the last arc, a particular character serves quite well as exactly the type of villain you simply love to hate.
ART AND ANIMATION: 6/10
If there is one thing that makes Back Arrow look like an anime from about ten or twenty years ago, it's the visual design work involved.
I would say my feelings towards this aspect of the series are going to lean positive, since I find the character designs to be quite distinctive for the most part and easy to identify from a distance, but they don't reflect what is normally considered to be "cool" in the year 2021. Stylistically, this is not what current anime fandom eats up.
The mecha designs are quite wild and wacky in a manner that isn't orthodox yet, in a way, turned out to be refreshing. Not every one is a winner, surely, and I may not rush out to buy any of the merchandise. Yet once again, I think Muga and Gigan, among others including a few Briheights that show up later in the story, did their job well enough and they can look impressive during the best action sequences.
To be clear, Studio VOLN doesn't have a lot of experience with making original anime and this may be their most ambitious project yet. I think they did a reasonable job, considering the circumstances and, in particular, I believe it is a very good thing for studios to grow and learn over time. You can't get better without even trying, can you?
Even so, a more talented or at least more experienced crew of animators would have made the excitement come across in a more powerful way, visually speaking, and certain episodes make heavy use of stills and other animation tricks to hide their limited resources.
This doesn't bother me too much, as someone who grew up watching many older TV anime from the 1980s that also resorted to cost-cutting measures, but it is a weak point that shows a clear area for improvement.
SOUND: 8/10
This was an understated yet highly effective musical score.
Yes, I think the two opening sequences will be the most memorable pieces of music from this anime even long after the fact, but I found several of the background tracks as well as the occasional insert songs to be pretty good.
Not to mention that the sound director was fully aware that music shouldn't be constantly used every single moment. Certain scenes benefit from taking a step back and allowing silence to be used to great effect. I realize not every individual viewer feels this way, yet for me this is something that deserves praise.
More importantly, the Japanese voice cast is absolutely stellar and brings the characters to life very well.
ENJOYMENT: 9/10
Did I have a fun time every week? Hell yes, and this is what matters the most to me.
Of course, every single opinion ever written, whether positive or negative, is going to be inherently subjective. Entertainment value cannot be measured objectively. I know all of that and so do you, kind reader.
That is why I will be frank and say it: Back Arrow made me feel nostalgic for another era of anime and reminded me that there is more to this medium than simply following the most popular trends.
If you've read this review, you should already know whether this series is for you.
I do not criticize audiences for jumping on the bandwagons of the big and popular shows every season, but a part of me still wishes the anime community as a whole would be kinder and more open-minded to Back Arrow. Perhaps that's asking for too much, at the end of the day? Oh well.
For me, it's the little show that struggled against all odds and, in a sense, that's enough to merit consideration. I felt that my personal expectations for Back Arrow were either met or surpassed in almost every area...except animation quality.
This may not have been a successful experiment from a purely commercial and financial perspective, sadly, yet there is more to fictional media than sheer profit. Sometimes you just want to join a cast of characters on a crazy adventure and enjoy yourself. After everything is said and done, life, just like the journey, will continue to move on.
KANLen09
I wanna believe in you, the people who brought us the mecha clasic that is Gurren Lagann and other Trigger-style productions that have spanned the last 2 decades. But if I have to absolutely rage-quit with a hot take of this show, it's that Back Arrow serves nothing new to the mecha genre, playing "safe" by the tried-and-true clichés and tropes that anyone who's watched either Gurren Lagann (written by Kazuki Nakashima) or Code Geass (directed by Goro Taniguchi) can appreciate a whole lot, that times have changed, and it absolutely has no right to exist. It's only because of the working business relationship withAniplex that allowed these 2 thriving and prolific people to commit to what they do best, and Back Arrow is the latest in the row of collaboration projects that more than just an exchange in studio (going from Trigger to Studio VOLN, the ones who handled the abject adaptation mess that is Karakuri Circus). If there's any correlating consolation to go by, it's a modern-day Gurren Lagann for the 2020s, made for hardcore fans who still think that they're mentally between the ages of 12 to 18, but without all that finesse of the former. YES, you're not mistaking what I've just said, Sosumi if you will.
The premise of Back Arrow actually started out decently, not just because of the Gurren Lagann-like feeling, but also creating an envisioning of what lies for the 6-month long series ahead. I mean, just take a look at the opening narration (that constantly builds up overtime as the series progresses): "Lingalind, a world surrounded by a wall. The wall enshrouds the land, protecting, nurturing, sustaining. The wall is God, that is the basis of Lingalind. It is worshipped as God." Now tell me that doesn't sound epic enough, even if knowing that this is the familiar laissez-faire progression that both Kazuki Nakashima and Goro Taniguchi likes to set their series best. Lingalind consists of 2 nations: the Supremacy of Lutoh whch prides in intelligence and diplomacy (which is certainly an accurate depiction of the West, US or European), and the Republic of Rekka, honoring valour above all (which as a Chinese myself, the references are also quite accurate to China's long history). Include the ominous figure of the MC: an amnesiac young man arriving buck-naked in a Rakuho capsule, and with his only mission to go "beyond the wall" from the place that he came according to his memory, the stage is set for the current conflict between Lutoh and Rekka to be amplified with this young man's introduction, who calls himself "Back Arrow".
If you're wondering about where the mecha influence came from (since this is a Nakashima-Taniguchi duo project), look no further than the Rakuho capsules, which are sent from an unknown location once per month and land in pre-determined regions of Lingalind, containing provisions and weapons that the people of Lingalind consider gifts from the wall. Some of these capsules contain devices known as Bind Warpers, metallic armbands that allow one to summon and control a giant mechanical armor known as a Briheight. A Briheight's appearance and abilities are tied to one's "Conviction": the thing they believe in above all else. Conviction is also recognized as an energy that flows throughout the world, powering various forms of advanced technology found within Lingalind and granting some people special abilities outside of operating a Briheight. Being defeated in battle while controlling a Briheight causes the user to disappear. This should be bee's knees easy to understand.
As stupid as it sounds though, the characters are meant to be as trepidatiously idiotic as possible, meaning that while character development is absolutely confined to Gurren Lagann standards (but updated for the modern day), at least there's the innocuous feeling that it doesn't stray away from the familiarity that's strikingly similar, yet different, all at the same time. Back Arrow himself is a wishy-washy guy who's meant to be lugged around in the entire conflict of character "lobotomy", streaming from rivals to even his own "kin" of Edger Village. Speaking of Edger Village though, I like how the citizens there are a mix of both traditional and Western culture. The main aides to Back Arrow (Atlee Ariel, Eisha Lean, Bit Namital) donning their different cultural clothing (Atlee in the usual Japanese traditional Kimono, while Eisha and Bit in the Wild Wild West-like cowboy-centric clothing), which shows that Edger Village is a standalone "nation", one that doesn't seek to be ruled by governmental interventions, that's some creative touch right there. Going back to both Lutoh and Rekka, I also mentioned that they are literal anime doppelgangers to real life, with Lutoh pretty much having an European-like government with Princess Fine Forte, the arbiter of love and diplomacy, right down to her "Council of Europe" with right-hand woman Prax Conrad, the Armor Supreme of Lutoh and the various advisors. Rekka on the other hand, looks exactly like China's Forbidden City, right down to its own myriad of characters which resemble the iconic references: Emperor Zetsu Daidan (Qin Shi Huang), Prime Minister Kyo Meiketsu (Cao Cao), Chancellor Tae Howa (Li Si), strategist Shu Bi (Zhuge Liang), generals Bai Toatsu, Goh Zanga and Kai Rhodan (which are the famous brothers of the "Oath of the Peach Garden" Zhang Fei, Liu Bei and Guan Yu respectively), Kai's subordinate Ren Sin (the closest being Diao Chan), and the Four Fiends (which that one is a total "comedic relief" misfire attempt of creating Power Rangers in a Chinese context). Sadly as much as these little touches go, the characters themselves are a whole other story, as they're mainly quite the annoyance to sit through for most of the series, someones begging the question that "Is too much characters a good thing if going by plot alone?". For realism sake, you have two external parties: the Iki Territory (which acts like a catalyst for the Lutoh Supremacy to capture Back Arrow for divulge at the beginning), and the Pretty Boys, which if I'm not mistaking it right, gives an almost sensible and eerie feeling of being LGBT. Man, talk about a culture clash of this magnitude. I can get why the Iki Territory and its nowhere-near-evil "villains" exist, but the Pretty Boys just seem like an afterthought to keep things "fresh" (for about an episode or 2). Even mentioning God's "chosen" servant to destroy the world: Lutoh's Supreme Elect Rudolph Conductore with his assistant Dissonanza, both beings being God-like figures in the Lingalind world, welcome the hedonistic Roman Empire faction to disrupt the course of events in the show. What a mess of a large character cast though, I always see myself gasping at why shows need THAT many characters just to tell easy, linear stories. In the case of Back Arrow, that is honestly, albeit brings some nostalgia, quite average at best. Combine that with the various silly, nonsensical hijinks of the cast of characters, and the interest starts to wane before the good parts can even come. Easily the weakest link of the show overall.
On the side of animation, it's sub-standardly clear that Studio VOLN still has a long way to go with their visual flare, if comparing this to the longer-produced Karakuri Circus and the sole film that is the Pancreas movie, both made 3 years ago. That said, I always gleam on the thought that well-acclaimed directors and producers go out of their way to try something new, and Back Arrow is no different, so props for the experimental features I guess. Just don't expect Trigger levels of animation to boot when watching this one, and you'll be fine.
Everyone loves OSTs yeah? For long-running series like Back Arrow, we're treated to 2 sets of OP/EDs for both the 1st and 2nd Cour, and normally in the typical situation where proceeding OP/ED sets are generally better, IMO my favourite is the set for the 1st Cour with LiSA and Shuka Saito. Even without withholding, knowing that Aniplex (or Sony Music Japan for that matter) has some of the most amazing artistes like Eir Aoi and rockband FLOW that churns out some good music every so often, Back Arrow redeems itself with the one typical ad hominem aspect of the "too many anime" landscape. Huge props to Kouhei Tanaka for the OST though.
All in all, if you're ready to take mecha anime to the next level with reliving the young days of watching non-mainstream anime, then come in for the ride, because Back Arrow sympathizes with the idiocy and the fallacy of "anime fans must have logic to enjoy anime", and is not afraid to show what it can do to exact its own greatness. While I for one, can marr how bad (and sometimes boring) this show became overtime, it's your mindset to think whether this is either another show you'll enjoy and remember for the years to come (like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann), or one that is destined to just become another track record in the résumé and be left forgotten for good.
ThatAnimeSnobRE
Back Arrow is a throwback to the times when anime were mostly mecha adventures and sci-fi without much of a concern when it came to plot or sociopolitical messages. It’s made specifically for people like me who don’t relate with highschools, moe, or isekai, and we just want to see some damn giant robot action goddammit! Me and an another old-school mecha fan were watching it weekly while it was airing and we had so much fun with it as a blast from the past. It had so many things going on besides the robots action; it included adventure, war epics amongst different civilizations, mystery,and even got a bit metaphysical in the last episodes. I kept seeing it as a tribute to Xenogears, one of my favorite videogames from the late 90s.
Nostalgia and personal preferences aside though, it’s not well written at all and it rushes through every conflict and concept for the sake of having a twist in almost every episode. Despite having great variety in civilizations and sci-fi ideas, there is hardly any proper build up and you will barely see something before it’s over and something else comes along. Power ups are instant, the tone changes abruptly from comedy to drama, explanations regarding how something works are given after that something has been used, and the plot twists have close to no logical explanation. The authors were just throwing in as much as they could without bothering to give them the time to get fleshed out, or to make sense, or to last long enough for the people who are supposed to be the target audience.
But as a whole the main issue is the very fast pacing. The show could have easily been three times as long, although that would also mean the animation studio would waste three times as much money on something that very few would bother to watch. Because in case you didn’t notice, mecha have been out of favor ever since the Millennial generation was proven to be more fond of battle harems and school moeshit. Hence why Back Arrow was not given the attention it deserved. It was a tribute to the stuff generation X liked 40 years ago. Since there are very few of us left who still like mecha and not isekai nonsense there was very little incentive to bother much with a project that was doomed to be overlooked by 99.9% of the viewerbase. Also artwork and animation are just above average, thus Back Arrow couldn’t even win the sakuga audience just by being the best possible looking thing of the season.
It’s quite enjoyable if you shut off your brain and you see it as a tongue in cheek type of show that never tries to be more than crazy stuff happening all the time, but I’m not going to call it a good show when its conflicts are resolved in a hurry, most explanations for how something works are made up on the spot, and even then they are something cheap such as ‘he willed it into happening’ or ‘he was brainwashed or he forgot he could do it’. It was a cool one time diversion from the graveyard that is modern anime and that’s it.
henkuku
With the creator of Kill la Kill and the director of Code Geass among some others behind the wheel of this series, there was inevitably some expectation that Back Arrow should at least measure up to them. But I think it is important that we view and evaluate Back Arrow as a standalone instead of as a comparison to other series. And that is what I’ll be aiming to do through this review. This series has a pretty solid story and underlying concepts. Right from the start we are presented with the mysterious world of Lingalind, a world with traits similar to that of theworld we live in yet, at the same time, fundamentally different. We are thrown with questions regarding the unbreakable wall surrounding the entirety of Lingalind, the state of affairs in the world and the strange ability of humans manifesting into mechs with the aid of a weird armband. Rest assured, these questions were slowly but steadily answered by the end of the final episode. Due to the amount of content required to be covered, the pacing of the series felt relatively fast, as conversations occasionally involve rapid back-and-forth exchanges between the characters which may be hard to catch first time round. Thankfully, the fact that it was spread over two cours and 24 episodes made up for the fast pacing; it would have been near-impossible to fit everything into only one cour. In the process, there was a good flow in between episodes. Episodes early on sought to introduce us to the world and the characters, while later episodes set the stage for the unravelling of the Lingalind’s mysteries. The story took one step at a time, went steadily from micro to macro perspectives before leading up to the bigger picture. Overall, the story provided an ending which should be satisfactory to the average viewer.
The characters are, without a doubt, a significant element to this series. Due to the nature of the mechs they manifest, each and every character (apart from the common grunts and soldiers) has a different mech with different abilities which reflect their own personalities. This just goes to show that the characters are mostly unique from one another, which makes for good viewing as they all have different things they believe in and fight for. Over the course of the series, we get to see these personalities clash, make up and form meaningful bonds which proved to be significant in overcoming the various conflicts of the story. The characters definitely grew as they learnt more about each other and about the world they live in, which was pleasing to see. While the number of characters might seem overwhelming to the extent that viewers may not be able to remember all their names, individual characters are important enough such that viewers should at least be able to remember the roles they played in the story, and hence not bring about too much confusion.
As someone who is not exactly a fanatic of mechs, the design of the mechs and machines featured in the series satisfied me. The quality of the animation was fairly consistent throughout without much hiccups, and the battles were portrayed well and easy to follow. While the soundtrack did not particularly stand out for me as they re-used tracks rather regularly, it was acceptable and added flavour to the series itself. On that note, this series surprisingly had some popular artistes sing two pairs of great opening and ending themes, with familiar names LiSA, Eir Aoi and FLOW playing their parts. Fans of Love Live Sunshine would also be glad to know that one of their idols, Saitou Shuka, sang the first ED as well. Other than that, the cast was also packed with experience and the seiyuus mostly fit the characters they voiced well.
All in all, I personally enjoyed this series and had fun following it for the past half a year. While I won’t say that it was particularly memorable, the ending of the series and the various reveals were impactful enough that they will probably be staying in my mind for a while. If you’re someone who’s into shows which involve solving mysteries about the world or similar plotlines, then I’d say that Back Arrow is one for you. Mecha fans or people who enjoy watching mechanical warfare between factions should also give this series a shot. Heck, if you’re simply looking for something or anything to watch, this might be enough to get you hooked for a while.
Don’t set your expectations too high, sit back and enjoy the series, and it will probably work just fine for pretty much anyone.
Shade667
Im not really a mecha fan. Ive seen Code Geass and Knights & Magic. But if Mecha anime are like this, then I guess I am officially a mecha fan now. Also, Im not smart. I cant tell you if the art is good, or if the sound design is good or if the voice acting is good (mostly cuz I watch shows dubbed so it wouldnt matter to most of you). I can say the animation is splendid, but I know that its because I can see how much fun animating this show was for the creators. And that really comes through in the animation.What I can also say is this was the most enjoyable experience I have had in a long time. Probably since I watched One punch man for the first time, or seeing Dragon ball z as a child.
Now, the story is nonsense. Especially early on, the power systems dont make sense (though by the end they will). The show is unapologetically insane. But it is so much fun.
If you care about a story with drama and intrigue, youre probably not gonna care for Back Arrow. But if you can broaden your expectations, you'll find a decently well developed world with fun characters and over the top action that just doesnt stop one upping itself every episode. The show is fun, plain and simple. Like how shows used to be when we were kids. When anime sparked our imaginations.
I dont know how to end this, so just watch it. And enjoy yourself.
Wilkaoo
A story that starts with groups of people from different backgrounds using weapons based on their convictions in the conflict. That sounds like a story with "text" behind it, doesn't it? No, it doesn't. Back Arrow is a big pile of clichés, not only of mecha but of anime in general, this is not necessarily a bad thing but Back Arrow is a stupid story that keeps you wondering whether to take what is being said seriously or not, because although everything seems to be done automatically, the anime does take itself seriously. If there is one thing I will take for life that Igained from Back Arrow it is dislike for Fine "Love" Forté because she stands out among the worst characters I have ever seen in an anime (Of the anime I didn't drop at least). Honestly this anime seems to be a money laundering scheme, previously I was saying that as a joke but maybe that's a good justification for what this disaster was. But don't worry, although it is a collection of bad stuff, Back Arrow can be fun if you are able to embrace and enjoy how bad it is.
JiangHaoyi1979
Ok, so it took me quiet a long time to make this review, cu'z of the 14 day quarantine, that I have to undergo during my trip to Taiwan.....and it's a personal trip to my relatives there, but enough of that, since the anime has ended a few weeks ago.....so, without further blah blah and blah here are my ratings: Story- Good 7: The story maybe good but then again it ani't original, given that such plot were just plagiarize from other anime one of which was "Deca dence", and though , this anime may have high ratings , it still rely on good old copiedsetting and plot ......and I need not say it. you can just see it for yourself.
Art-Good 7: Given that this anime didn't took such risk of selling sex , with them girls like , Elsha, Atlee, Ren Prax and Fine to sell, even though this has that onsen service.
Sound-Good 7: That's for the 1st opening theme: "dawn" by LiSA (eps 1-12), the rest , given that the characters here were either in their late teens or young adults , I guess it was nice that them seiyuus don't have to force themselves to do a joshkausei tone.
Character-Good 7: I did said that this anime's plot setting wasn't original and there were parts that were seemly plagiarize, well, it was the same with characters, like Atlee and Elsha whom were damsel's in distress, Prax and Ren being the warrior type , same baddies with attitude, like Kai and Zetsu, and a very overly exaggerated opponent like Rudolf and his lacky bitch Dissonanza.....So, what's there to say?
Enjoyment-Good 7: The problem with this thing, was that it was enjoyable for quite a while, but as you get to the end, well, that's where the usual starts, cu'z they simply have to dedicate the last 4 eps on duking out with Rudolf and his lackey bitch Dissonanza.
Overall-Good 7: It was good, but just not that good, so season 2?????Ans: No way Jose.
CharlyCardGames
This is probably the most underrated anime of 2021, a fun mix of Action Adventure Mecha Sci-Fi that albeit formulaic nails all it's tropes with perfect execution. It has an interesting setting very reminiscent of Xenogears that mixes Wildwest, Medieval Europe and Ancient China aesthetics which makes for a pretty rich backdrop full of colorfull characters. Together with some TTGL esque comedy and a dash of CG over the top flare, due to sharing staff that worked in said series, you never get a dull moment. I also really liked the Mech design, specially Muga and Gigan Reppu. Overall I feel this show gets carried by 2 characters: Shuand Emperor Zetsu, since Back Arrow is mostly generic shonen mc material but the support cast is really strong as well and everyone gets a moment in the spotlight(specially Kai, Ren, Prax and Princess Fine).
A pretty great show in general, with some kickass action scenes and cool music to boot.
CaptainKenshiro
What a weird title. It combines a village pulled out of a western movie full of poor people pointing guns at someone the moment they step inside their place, an asian empire combining chinese and japanese aesthetics, another european like medieval kingdom, but all of them have advanced technology. Eventually the plot moves from yet another giant things battling each other behind a world sized wall with a dumb amnesiac protagonist voiced by Yuki Kaji and a centuries old prophecy about the end of the wolrd, to a multi layered political struggle between each country with backstabbing, alliances between former enemies, betrayals, crazy revelations, charactersthat don’t stay the same way as they began and change along the way while still retaining their basic concept and initial motives, and a main character that has to deals with his destructive powers, all of it presented with fast paced comedy and mecha action in a setting that keeps evolving adding mortal traps, a greek mythology hell like place and eventually going to space for an all out battle against demigods in a finale only akin to the 1984 OVA called “Birth”, it should be at least half as amazing as it sounds, but it isn’t.
Because it’s stupid, like, different levels of stupid. It’s like the creators were trying to make a serious show but weren’t serious about it. First of all it’s silly, it has a cringy comedy that you stop considering funny once you are over twelve, and that clashes a lot with the political struggle it’s going for. Also who the hell comes up with names like Back Arrow, Bruh and a country literally filled with pretty boys, even named after them.
Second, it has bad plot devices, an amnesiac protagonist doesn’t have a backdrop by default and although Back Arrow does get some development and internal struggle, the bad writing takes away all of that very easily. An end of the world prophecy in an advanced world like that? Really? It has some kind of twist, that gets resolved just as badly as the protagonist, well, because it concerns him as well. Mecha activated with imagination and own will like powers? Lame, and gets even worse when they try to give it a scientific explanation later on. A pink haired pacifist princess that never stops talking about the power of love uniting every country and being the explanation of everything in the world and its habitants. What other good show did I watch with a character like that? None. It’s even her own power to be a broken tank healer that takes damage and turns all that pain into healing magic. She also has a twist behind her and is as lame as it’s crazy, it has a silly background, and it doesn’t have nearly as much internal struggle as it should, which in turn is resolved very easily, or not, or does it? It keeps reappearing whenever there needs to be a conflict or an asspulled last moment save.
Third, there seems to be consequences for everything, which would be very cool, but they are resolved very easily, I can’t give proper examples with much details but let’s just say that for reasons the whole kingdom turns against the aforementioned princess, and even that is resolved very easily.
That probably has to do with another issue which is the erratic pacing, every episode has something important going on that contributes to the plot yet the first three have conflicts resolved in very stupid ways and most of them are jokes about a pantsu. Even leaving those aside, there are countries and characters that appear, seem to disappear and reappear again later on suppossedly to do something important, and they don’t, they turn out to be useless and not even do something at the end (again the fucking Pretty Boys country). Also the writing is just so bad, I can’t even count the amount of asspulls it has, the protagonist alone keeps pulling all kind of broken and convenient for the moment powers without even having the source of eenrgy used in the show, eventually there’s a semi dark explanation for that which turns into dark powers that apparently is going to be a major conflict, and it’s resolved just because in about two episodes. And don’t get me started on Bit’s, Shu’s, and above everyone else, Zetsu’s powers, my God.
Oh, also the ships and mechas, they keep pulling spaceships and mechas out of nowhere. Oh, also the characters and the political bits, imagine ending a centuries long war in about two episodes of lame speeches and broken powers, or moving from loving someone to try to kill him and love him again in like, what, 5 episodes? As for the background stories only Shu and Kai has some good ones, the rest are hilarously ridiculous, imagine having shooting your own sister and princess because someone made you think a giant bird was haunting them as your backdrop, reason for exile, and eventually sacrifice in search of redemption, that’s pathetic man.
It’s not even very good as a spectacle, aside from the mecha being absolute bullshit, they look lame, who came up with these designs? Also they are suppossed to be an individual thing product of oneself’s inner state and yet I see two whole mass produced armies of them battling against each other. Oh and there are also Zetsu and Shu’s Brightheights or whatever they are called (and more) but I won’t talk about them. These mecha are also made with fugly CGI and aside from the final battle they also move in very choppy ways, not very exciting as action isn’t it? As for the rest of the visuals, well, the setting is interesting enough and looks ok and the non cg effects look ok too, the character designs are recycled from previous works of the creators and constantly go off model on top of having a rather bad coloring, lowering the overall quality of the visual department as a whole.
I don’t have much to say about the sound, there are two openings and endings, none is particularly good, the background music is good enough, as are the sound effects, voice acting is effective albeit generic.
This was a mess, a very interesting one to follow for old timers for how crazy it is but otherwise still a mess in almost if not all aspects. During the same season of its second cour alone, Godzilla Singular Point was far more comitted in being a hard sci-fi series and SSSS.Dynazenon was a straightforward episodic tokusatsu mecha show with random power ups but far more meaningful and consistent characterization, they are far from great but even them kick the crap out of this, let alone older series such as the equally crazy Planet With and above all the modern classics such as Gurren Lagann being everything this series tries to be or Moribito handling its prophecy/fantasy/political aspects and character interactions far better.
0215MADman
Back Arrow always sounded like pure fire to me. The director of s-CRY-ed/Gun x Sword/Code Geass with the writer of Gurren Lagann/Kill la Kill/Promare. The plot description was cryptic, the character designs showed cowboys AND samurai, it had mechs because why the hell not. I was immediately excited to watch it! Was the hype deserved? Overall, I’d say it was! It’s not the director’s or the writer’s best work but I expected dumb fun and got exactly that. There was never a moment when "the hype died" for me. It lessened, for sure, but I never got sick and tired of Back Arrow. The characters are thebackbone of this series. If you hate all of the characters and think they’re annoying, you’re probably not going to like this show. Fortunately, I liked all of the characters in Back Arrow. They’re all memorable and fun to watch. From the naïve but likable MC that the show is named after, the cartoonish comic relief cowboys & cowgirls, and the always mysterious Shu Bi. Each character gave me a different reason to like and remember them. Single best part of the show: Demyne Shaft's choir. They show up like three times in total but every time they do it brings a smile to my face.
However, Back Arrow is not flawless. Goro Taniguchi hasn't really been relevant for the last 10 years and it shows here. Anyone could have directed this. Nevertheless, he did a good job. I hate to admit it, but Kazuki Nakashima's writing absolutely fits Hiroyuki Imaishi's manic style more than Goro Taniguchi's. It was dumb fun but it could have been more. The plot could have been far wilder. It's diet Nakashima, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. My biggest problem was the music. It's all forgettable, from the OPs/EDs to the actual OST.
Honestly, those are my only problems with Back Arrow. I like the story, it constantly kept my attention through a couple twists and turns to spice things up, and the world-building, albeit underdeveloped, was also pretty good. The animation isn't Trigger but I expected worse. It's clean and inoffensive, and the CGI mechs mesh pretty well with the 2D animation.
Back Arrow is fun. It is a fun 24 episode action show. It’s no masterpiece but for what it is it’s enjoyable. Very underrated and recommended from me.
Marinate1016
Given the quality of the staff that worked on Back Arrow, Code Geass, KLK, TTGL, etc, I came into the show with a lot of expectations. Obviously it’s hard to live up to those classics, but Back Arrow never came close to its predecessors. While I did enjoy watching it and it was a fun ride, I was always hoping the story would turn it up a notch and blow me away. That next gear never came. On the surface, Back Arrow has a lot in common with TTGL. Mysterious small world surrounded by a wall, a boy who comes from beyond the wall, set upsfor a bigger world, etc etc. Despite the interesting set ups in the show, Back Arrow left a lot to be desired with its story. There were a lot of concepts that I found interesting, like God, the multiverse, etc, but they were introduced so late into the show that it was hard to do much with them. A few episodes felt like they were needlessly wasted with dialogue. The finale had 23 minutes to wrap everything up, and naturally that was rushed as a result.I did like the characters in the show a lot. I think Arrow, Shu, the princess and the others each brought unique personalities to the table and I did really care for them.
Like all mech shows, Back Arrow relied heavily on CGI. I thought it was rather mediocre. The fight scenes for the large part were… ok, but nothing special. Character and mech designs were pretty cool. The OST was pretty damn good, though. Some big names with LISA and FLOW doing tracks for the show.
There’s not much else to say on Back Arrow other than it being an enjoyable ride. I could try to add more fluff, but at the end of the day, it’s just a mediocre show. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good either. As someone who watches every show every season, I don’t regret watching it, but I probably would not recommend it to anyone. There were some interesting concepts, cool characters and a few hype moments, but I don’t think they came often enough to justify the 20+ episode run. Back Arrow gets 7 linds out of 10.
LordHaagen
Back Arrow starts as a run-of-the-mill fantasy adventure with some very basic comedy sprinkled in that seems to offer nothing new, but if you keep going on, the zany stuff starts to show up. Story-wise, it starts broadening really soon, and going wackier and wackier the more it goes. It has that bit of a Gurren Lagann feel to it in that aspect, and its story beats certainly end up going "there" in the end, which is a good thing, as it feels satisfying, and not hair pulled as many other recent stories that tried to pull something similar. In short, it's a funwatch. It's not a masterpiece in any sense, but it's got pretty solid foundations and built from them in such a way that can bring quite a bit of enjoyment if you're prepared to suspend your disbelief and give in to the craziness.
OneFaintingRobin
When I first saw this show on Funimation, I wasn't sure if it was going to be any good. Original mecha anime don't come along too often, the description and artwork didn't give too much away, and with all of that, there was a good chance this show wasn't going to be all that great. I watched the first episode and was a little unconvinced. The character animation was a bit stiff, and I couldn't get a decent grip on the story. It wasn't until I looked it up and discovered that the show was directed by Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass), and, perhaps more importantlyto this show, written by Kazuki Nakashima (Gurren Lagann) that I really decided to give this show a chance. I'm a big fan of Gurren Lagann, and Nakashima didn't just write the series outline but every script. From that point, despite some early stiffness, I felt like I was in for a ride. And what a ride it was.
"Back Arrow" is a fantastically fun, well-written show, bursting with unique, loveable characters, constant excellently executed twists, and a concluding act that is every bit is ridiculous and over the top as you'd expect from Nakashima's writing. Despite it being often silly and early in the story almost bordering on parody, it has such a sense of purpose all the way through, and I think that's really what makes it stand out. Kazuki Nakashima has a bit of a thing for stories about intensely emotion-driven characters, with huge personalities, pushing back against basic rules of the world and smashing those rules to pieces, and this is very much a continuation of that. Of course, the mecha aspect helps that a lot; the designs are interesting and unique, with some really creative weapons and abilities, and their connection to their user's conviction externalises their driving personality traits perfectly. Even some of Nakashima's more questionable trends aren't as present. This certainly doesn't have the oversexualisation of its female characters that tends to crop up in shows like Gurren Lagann or, for all its plot-relevance, Kill La Kill. Even further, the majority of the important, named mecha pilots in this show are women, which is something I almost never see in mecha, which is really, really cool.
The show isn't perfect, obviously. The early episodes are a little slow, and the show definitely takes some time to really pick up. The character animation is also, as mentioned, not too fantastic; it's a show that could definitely have benefited from being produced somewhere like Trigger, where Nakashima made Kill La Kill and BNA, as opposed to the less experienced Studio VOLN.
But despite it being a little rough around the edges at points, "Back Arrow" is an exciting, surprising, and thematically fantastic show, that I had so much fun with. If you like mecha, this is one of the best we've had in years.
SevensDran
Back Arrow is such a fun and unique anime. A show sbout the power of conviction. Genuinely in awe this was a 2021 anime, because in some ways it feels like it could have come from the 2000s. And that's not surprising when you look at the director/writer combo here. And the fact it was a 2 cour show? What a treat in this age if you're not a hobbyani fan. Which is a shame cause in many ways Back Arrow is is very much hpbbyani with how mich its a playground in the best way possible. I mean come on, cowboys vs a Chinese inspiredempire and a European inspired kingdom and they fight by becoming mechs that are created by will???? MANIFEST ARMOR
Lingalind is an amazing setting.
And the show makes great use of how bonkers this setting is, made even better with the main lead, Back Arrow and his initially unwilling village who get wrapped up in his mystery. Oh, the weird naked man who fell from the sky with no undies. Elsha, Atlee and Bits journey with Arrow is so, the places it goes, it's really cool how even though it's his show, these 3 sometimes pick up his slack. It's a good dynamic.
And the mecha designs are REALLY good, it's a shame the show didn't do well cause I WISH we got everything and not only the first 2 robot figures.
Back Arrow's mech is such a unique lead mecha design, on top of its powers. Everything about this show is so well done and in some ways is comfort food while being endlessly inventive. And that's what a good adventure anime should be. That's what good mecha anime should be. Nothing overstays it's welcome, all the characters are utilized effectively. The fights are really good. This is such a great original anime. AND it has a LiSA op? SAO go home. This is real peak.
AnimeEnjoyer420
Recommendation: This show is so unbelievably wild, man. Strap in for the ride and thank me later. The first thing you should know about Back Arrow is that this show is not to be taken seriously. To call it over the top is underselling it by several orders of magnitude. The plot is unbelievably silly and keeps achieving new heights of ridiculousness long after you start to think it can't possibly top itself. The creators of Code Geass and Gurren Lagann helmed the series, to give you an idea of what you're in store for. This should probably be clear from the verystart, as the series is about the titular Back Arrow literally dropping out of the sky and being discovered by cowboys, taking on the name "Back Arrow" because people keep calling him an idiot (say it fast if you don't get it), and then finding out that the cowboys have mechs. It's almost funny to look back at how quaint and comparatively normal this all seems from the grand height of absurdity that is the finale, but it really is silly from the jump and just keeps pressing down on the accelerator from there. The plot is full of holes and doesn't always make literal sense, but it almost seems beside the point to analyze it that way. The plot exists to make this thing as entertaining as possible and throw wild ass twists at you left and right, narrative coherence is a secondary concern. If this sounds like a criticism or backhanded praise, I promise it isn't. Back Arrow knows the kind of show that it is and leans into it. It emphasizes being fun above all else.
There are a few criticisms I would make of it though. The series hits a bit of a lull between the crew of the Granedger arriving in Lutoh and when they finally make it beyond the wall. It's never really "boring" because boring is the one thing that this show never is, but it's not quite as balls-out crazy in that middle section as the beginning and ending thirds are and it loses a bit of momentum as a result. It also has a very large cast that it has a hard time juggling at first, but it ends up handling this okay and very few of the characters end up being superfluous to the plot. Some of the mechs also don't look very good and the CGI integration is a bit rough at first, though it gets much better as the series progresses and the CGI looks somewhere between "acceptable" and "good" overall.
As a whole though, this show is just so much fun. It's a "turn your brain off and enjoy the ride" type of series, so manage your expectations accordingly and you will love it. The last 6 to 8 episodes are an unforgettable ride that had me and the people I was watching it with cracking up at how it kept upping the ante and getting more ridiculous with each episode. As a final note, this isn't really a spoiler since you won't have any idea what I'm talking about until you get there, but I promise that Big Shu will have you dying laughing.
PoDak
I cant Stress enough that this is not worth your time if you are a long time anime fan. You basically have seen the whole show already. Back Arrow is one of the worst anime to come out this year. Mostly because of how good theyear has been for Anime. The story is very un-original, mirroring that of Gurren Lagann and Darling in the Franxx. Taking plot points from FLCL, Promised Neverland and AoT. So should be good right? *Possible spoilers for those who are really good at reading into things* I am extremely disappointed that I watched this. Mostly due to the fact someone said. "Look!Look at this show. Give it 24 episodes to tell this less than mediocre story. Its about living in a world where the people are born to die for a greater being. That uses us like cattle. Lets fight among ourselves until we can unify against a force that threatens to destroy our world. A a savior falls from the heavens and leads us on a path to take our futures into our own hands. Is there a little love triangle wait how about two? Boom! Now one is a Love Square thing. Ok lets just not resolve the characters feelings for each other and have them go to Space! Like all the good coming of age Mech anime!"
All in all however this anime probably should be watched by new fans of the anime medium. This could be their Gurren Lagann or Darling. So I can't give this less then 5/10
Benx2019
This show is a train wreck. That being said it's weirdly a good one. The beginning is really slow. There are a lot of poorly written plot points. The target audience is completely unknown. The soundtrack was good, as were the intro and outros. The action scenes were entertaining and enjoyable. So in the end I enjoyed it, partially because I was laughing at it the entire time, but hey I love The Room too. To sum up this atypical review, buh. Idk. I want a second season, but not because it was good just because it was bad enough to be funny while having entertainingaction scenes and also having a somewhat interesting premise. Therefore I give it and enjoyable, but not very good out of 10.
SanaeK10
Despite being an anime original from 2021, Back Arrow is incredibly nostalgic for me. A two-cour super robot show with a plot and setting straight out of a late 90s/early 00s JRPG? Sign me up. Back Arrow is a throwback to the anime from the early 00s, from a time where shows like these could co-exist with the entire landscape before being shoved out for the next big fad. Nothing from this show (apart from animation) feels like it's from the current generation, and it's great. The story is penned by Nakashima, whose stories are all woefully similar, but they do scratch that itch of wantingmindless carnage with shallow philosophical ponderings. It's the same in TTGL and KLK, and it's the same here. Especially with the part in the middle that meanders a bit and gets boring, and the part where the MC gets all emo. It isn't entirely original, but it's still a fun ride nonetheless. It's your typical JRPG plot where you start at a small town in a mysterious world and end up killing (or at least in this case trying to communicate with) God with a lot of trying to understand the meaning of the world. The climax is what you'd expect, and I do love me some hot blooded screaming. But the lousy ending just turned it all into kind of a sour note for me. Oh Nakashima, when will you pen a good ending after TTGL.
The characters apart from Arrow, Shu, Fine, Zetsu, and Rudolph all feel underused. I do think there's a point where there is oversaturation, and episodes do introduce seemingly important characters who are never seen again outside of cameo roles. The back and forth between Rekka and Lutoh lasted too long for me, I do think they really should've hastened the pacing to explore the true meaning of the world from the second cour onwards instead of continuing the war angle, which would have alleviated the incredibly rushed pacing of the endgame.
All in all, Back Arrow is a good throwback anime, if flawed in certain aspects which hasn't been fixed in the decades since anime of this type were popular, but it's still a fun watch regardless.
6/10
