The year is 1931. The city is Shanghai. Ten years before America will enter World War II, the hydra's teeth planted by the first great global conflict are beginning to germinate. Hatching like spiders, they weave the complex web of plots and conspiracies destined to inevitably draw entire nations to the brink of destruction. Caught in the heart of these webs, desperately seeking to separate lies from truth, is "Sakurai Kikan," an ultra-secret intelligence agency staffed by extraordinarily talented individuals with abilities far beyond those of normal humans. Their duty: to stop the darkest plots and eliminate the greatest threats. But in a city built on intrigue, can even a team of clairvoyants, telepaths and espers stand against the ultimate forces of destiny?
(Source: Sentai Filmworks)
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Comentários
xxxholic_wing
With the series ended (but ongoing in North America), it's seems that Senkou no Night Raid (or Night Raid 1931 in English) is not just about Japanese spies with superpowers (a la Darker than Black). It's more than that since it goes deeper into pre-WWII history which also touches sensitive content (e.g.: Mukden Incident). In contrast to what most people claimed that it whitewashes history, it's not. Story: 7 The six episodes are just tasters on who are the characters and what direction will the story be, considering its episodic formula. The rest of episodes...well, let's just say that where the real story is as the episodicformula is removed. The staff made a very good connection of the fictional side with historical facts, establishing a very balanced story which doesn't offend people from both sides. Though some still considered it that the staff is touching sensitive content which should be forgotten. Since I came from SE Asia country which was under the Japanese occupation during WWII, I didn't feel offended or sense any historical revisionism as what people had claimed. In fact, there's NO historical revisionism at all.
Nonetheless, the staff did really research on the events and not including what historical revisionists had informed. So it's safe to say that this series has not (yet) drawn any angry outburst from China or Korea or any of Japan's neighbors for that matter.
Considering some controversial stuff, at least, the staff are not taking any side. They did show the bad side of the Japanese. Of course, there's a disclaimer that the series' story is fictional. By fiction, meaning that some events that occurred in the series are indeed fiction. It's common sense that people with superpowers do not exist in real-life history. From what I've seen here, the superpowers did have an important role here.
Since it's only 13 episodes, you might say there's still a lot of things which needs to be covered most especially on the characters. I wish that the series would be 25/26 episodes but due to budget cuts, well, they have no choice
Art: 7
The character design is all right and balanced except that the animation is a bit wonky. But the background is neat and detailed, in fact, the staff did research on the design and layout of Shanghai (even though the series is set in 1931). OP animation also reminded me Casino Royale's opening credits.
Sound: 8
Taro Hakase! That's right, the violinist best known internationally for the violin version on Celine Dion's song "To Love You More", contributed the music here, most especially the violin music. (If you count Aoi's skill in playing the violin, you may guess that Hakase did that on purpose just to show that Aoi is lousy in playing the violin). The OP and ED are good but the latter is better since it's a ballad. Oh, and the OST itself asides from Hakase's music is great.
The voice acting is all right but my problem is the Japanese voice actors speaking butchered Chinese, German, Russian and even English. The minor characters are native speakers which is something new. But it's very funny to hear the seiyuus to be speaking a language which is not native to them.
For the English dub, you won't hear them speak other languages except English. Plus, the English voice actors managed to express the characters well. But Aoi's English voice actor irritates me.
Character: 7
At first, you may consider the characters plain and dull. But then, you get to realize that our four agents of Sakurai Kikan have personal motives. They are not really imperialists. They're individuals who have their own sets of problems and conflicted by their personal beliefs. In fact, it turns out that the Chinese and other nationalities shown in the series played a minor role here.
But the staff really needs to develop more on the characters considering the limited time that the series have.
Enjoyment: 8
Well, honestly, there's a lot of dialogue here but the series did show some action here and there. If you're interested in Asian history or if you're well-equipped with Asian history, then you'll really know what's going on here. But if you're looking for James Bond action here, then you might be disappointed since the action is not James Bond action.
You will realize that this series will remind you of the 2006 spy film, The Good Shepherd (directed by Robert De Niro and starring Matt Damon) except that Senkou no Night Raid has characters with superpowers. So, the spy action is still there but it's not the main focus.
But those who aren't into Asian history or have no background of it will probably get bored with this. Here's a fair warning: do some research on pre-WWII events in Asia before you watch this show.
Overall: 8
For me, this series is underrated in the English-speaking fanbase. Well, I might say that the slow release of subs maybe at fault for this or that most viewers are not well acquainted with Asian history or that those who are saying that this is Japanese revisionist propaganda or that most viewers are more interested to the mainstream genres.
But judging by the series, I'm impressed that Anime no Chikara made such a risky move in making this. I'm sure that they're pretty aware that they're touching sensitive issues here. At least, they're making something unique. It's not considered to be the best but it's considered to be very good. I would imagine this to be in a novel form or they should make this into a novel. That way, it will be just like reading some of the old spy novels. If you're really interested in historical anime or spy anime (which is not so James Bond-ish) or if you're a history buff who like to read and discuss pre-WWII events, then this is the anime for you.
LightningHound
My first review of anime on MAL so here it goes. Senkou no Night Raid is about the Sakurai Agency, a fictional organizations that leads covert missions with superhuman agents to carry out the interests of Imperial Japan. Now why did I give this anime such a high rating? My reason is because I love Asian history and know a lot about it especially the late 1800 to the early 1900 era. With this in mind, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on in the story. It sounds smug and biased, but this anime does require a bit of background knowledge tofully appreciate it. Let's got down to the actual rating.
(7)Art: I also liked the fact it was historical fiction, ACCURATE historical fiction in which the creators of the anime and story did their best to portray the setting and people during the turmoil of East Asia of the 1930's. The settings portrayed in the anime of China really reflect the changing times of the 1930's, a clash between traditional and Western can clearly be seen and the producers of the anime have done a very good job producing the backdrop and the ensemble.
(9) Character: I really liked how the characters expressed the changing attitudes of the times in parallel to the setting in which their action takes place in. Kazura showing his conflicted between upholding his loyalty to Japan as an agent or taking a revolutionary stand in his romantic, utopian belief in "Asia for Asians" (which was a real philosophy back that Japan used to justify their colonization of East Asia), Aoi showing the new, relaxed European attitudes toward living in contrast to the traditional, rigid Asian customs that defined Asia at the time, and Natsume with his understanding and empathy towards the plight and exploitation of the peasant class during the rapid expansion of Imperial Japan (which was horrible: anyone poor or traditional was considered "filthy" in Japan and were expelled to countries, like Korea and China [who were considered even dirtier and did not deserve any human rights], to farm for Japan from land seized from the natives). Yukina is the only character, I believe, that sticks to the usual anime mold rather than the historical one set here, (which is a bit of a disappointment, but not a turnoff). Again I really liked the character representations, but they were indeed stiff and seemed a bit like robots at different times. Overall I give character good rating because of excessive symbolism that only a nerdy historian (me :P!) could really pick up on and enjoy.
(8) Sound: I enjoyed the sound track, especially the emotional pieces on violin and piano. I'm not an anime music aficionado (not yet at least), so I cannot give a critical review like I did with the other two sections, but I can say I did like it and it did not detract from my enjoyment of the series.
(6) Story: The story itself was not very well constructed. I don't think there was necessarily a structured plot that drove the entire series, but rather the development of character and the stress on the changing attitudes of the new world. Again, knowing the history will allow you to enjoy this anime a lot more than if you were to watch it without prior knowledge.
(9) Enjoyment: The Manchu Incident, the Chinese Civil War, the Opium Wars, all of these events during the 1930's era that were included in the anime really give it a realistic aspect that I can really sink my teeth into. It's obvious that the producers are skirting around the pond, they are avoiding heavy issues, such as the Nanking Massacre, that would spur on controversy and arguments between Japan and its neighbors and would have dirtied the name of this anime. I applaud the producers to take such daring steps (even if those steps are baby steps) to create anime that takes place in one of the most hotly debated eras in East Asia of all time. Using the "fiction" naming ploy, I believe the producers have cleverly avoided confrontation with political entities while at the same time, piquing viewers interest in Asian history.
(7) Overall: Again, to fully appreciate this anime, you should know your history. The anime is enjoyable on its own, but having the background knowledge of what's going on can enhance the entire experience of the anime being watched. I would recommend it to people who have a keen interest of the history of this era.
Minster122
Senkou Night Raid is a nice historical anime that centers on the time period between the two World Wars. The chosen time period is somewhat rare for animes since Japan did a lot of questionable stuff during this time period and actually still try to hide it today. It's definitely nice to check out since it tries to depict what happened during the time in Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War. Also adds a nice twist by adding ESPers to the time period, making them superpower spies. It's actually kind of vague as to what side they're on, but it gets a little clearer overtime. Adding psychicpowers to a spy setting just makes the tension go up. Although I think they could've done a bit more on it...
The characters have a sort of cliche back story and personality, but I guess that's okay, right? I really wish the female lead stepped up her game (like in most other anime) and I also wished she had a better voice actor. I'm not one to criticize the voice acting, but it just kind of seemed like she was literally reading off the script rather than acting the part out. I don't know, it might just be my imagination, but the heroine has a lot of lines, so it might bother some people...
Overall, it's a pretty enjoyable anime if you're into all the war tension, political issues stuff. There was one episode where none of the main characters appear and it's just plot development on the main conflict at hand that nearly lulled me to sleep, but the rest of the episodes are generally action packed with some humor in them. The opening is also not bad, but not superb. The anime is also aesthetically pleasing and really brings out the mood of the 1920s.
I recommend it to history buffs.
Lambda_Delta
Art (5/10): It’s pretty average as far as Chinese cartoons go: nothing really stands out and nothing looks that bad either. Sound (7/10): The OST fits well. The opening and ending themes are also nice. The Indian caricature who had a white voice actor and the British dude who had an American voice actor was a nice meme. Although the guy who portrayed the Indian dude was far more skilled in expressing his emotions convincingly. Plot (3/10): It’s like Darker than Black. Except in China. In the 1930s. Look, it’s pretty interesting actually. But, some of the events do feel a bit wonky. You'll know what I mean when youwatch it. It's the kind of shit that makes you say to yourself "I'm fully aware I'm watching a cartoon and it characters don't feel realistic (in terms of actions and responses)." But it’s not that bad. Read the synopsis or something.
-spoilers-
The ending was shit. If you think otherwise, think about the character's actions and the time of those actions during the last episode. It's fucking retarded.
-end spooilers-
Setting (10/10):
This anime takes place in the early 1930s – an interesting period in Japan’s history. During this time, Japan is already a world power, occupying Korea and “leasing” parts of Manchuria. However, we can witness the imperialistic mindset of the Japanese developing aggressively, leading to the autonomous Kwantung Army of Japan to stage the Mukden Incident and initiate the invasion of Manchuria. Also they add a bit of a supernatural twist in, which is kind of cool.
I find Japan’s place in this time period to be one of the greatest yet saddest ironies I can think of. By defeating the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Japan was seen a shining beacon of freedom, a liberator so to speak, by many Asian nations at the time who were devastated by Western colonization. However, Japan didn’t share such a perspective. Japan sought to gain power by emulating the West, doing so by invading, colonizing, massacring, and raping the populaces of many other Asian nations in the years following. And it’s interesting to think that the Japanese encouraged modernization out of a fear of being dominated by Western powers, but by their own efforts, they became just like the colonizers they once feared. It’s kinda like the ending to Animal Farm.
The anime doesn't go into all this detail, but you really should know this stuff before watching it.
Characterization (6/10):
A good amount of the characterization is done through flashbacks without much context, but it’s not too difficult to figure out what’s going on. It also feels a bit clumsy, as if the writers weren’t too sure of how to portray these scenes well. Also, that episode with the cat and the bag felt ridiculous and out-of-place compared to the rest of the episodes. But if you appreciate it as some form of comic relief, be my guest.
I do enjoy the conflicting ideologies between Aoi and Kazura and also the conflict between Isao and Yukina as well. In the case of Aoi and Kazura, Aoi is quite critical of his country’s imperialistic attitude while Kazura responds defensively out of his sense of nationalism. This kind of conflict gives life to these characters, as it shows that they are clearly responding to their setting in a meaningful way. As for Yukina and Isao, Yukina is torn from having to fight against her brother, who is fighting for what he believes is right, even though he is radically misguided. Who is truly morally correct in this situation (in terms of ideology)? Also, sibling fighting is cute, isn’t it? ^^
My verdict: meh
ShinyBrel2323
I am Chinese, and have some ancestral ties to the Qing dynasty, though they are thin. Senkou no Night Raid is a historical fiction anime. It respectfully portrays historical content, and does so in a fair manner, although the circumstances have been fictionalized. While character motivations from different characters range from downright imperialistic to idealistic, the series always maintains a realistic tone. There is love put in between specific character interactions, such as the bond between Natsume and Yukina and the brotherhood between Aoi and Kagura. However, the final few episodes felt lacking in budget and had a storyline, which was fine for the first half, thenunsatisfactory in the second. I felt like I was watching an entirely different series with unsatisfying payoffs at the end; additionally I feel that if more time was fleshed out for the ending, it would have been better. This could have been averted if there was not so much filler in the beginning, yet without the filler the character development would have suffered for the plot and the plot would not have suffered for the characters due to time constraints. For this reason, I am at a loss how to describe this anime. The first nine-or-so episodes has scenery that feels as though it was something out of Rao Pingru's "Our Story: A Memoir of Love and Life in China", anc character motivations that seemed logical and reasonable. The drama and suspense was reminiscent of the popular history novel "Midnight in Peking" throughout. But there are interactions in the final episodes that diminished the careful balance of idealism and realism that manifested itself prior.
It may be a pipe dream, but I would like it if this anime was remade with a continuation of the original storylin, as this was still an incredibly well-done series.
igotme0
I finished this anime recently. To be honest, I was kinda lost and try to follow the storyline but in the middle I catch up. The art and character style is good (one of the reason why I watch it). Ending was ok, so overall Senkou no Night Raid is fair.
zillion29
I had no preconceived notions going into this series. It was a random Netflix stream and I had never heard of the series. I was hooked from the beginning - a rarely explored historical setting, jaw-dropping fight choreography, high quality animation, serious plot but not overbearing - it was great. We're so jaded as otaku into expecting the usual WWII whitewash from Japanese mass media - but it reads pretty true to events (aside from psychic powers and the narrative conceit of the Japanese mysteriously inventing a protypical A-Bomb). Unfortunately, the crazy choreographyof the fights disappears quickly and true to most anime, the script loses its way and can't seal the deal in the end. But it is still a great achievement and shows much promise in terms of Japan dealing with its controversial past.
chalupahoopla
I don't usually write reviews, but I thought I would for this anime. It first caught my eye on Netflix and I'm glad it did. Like the other reviews say, if you are interested in history, especially early 20th century history, this is the anime for you. However, my only major qualm with the show is that towards the end, the characters and the plot become a little shaky. Nevertheless, I would even just watch this anime for the animation and the soundtrack alone (goodness, the soundtrack is amazing, it's kind of a mix between Legend of Korra and jazz). And if you enjoy agood hand to hand combat fight scene, this anime is chock full of them. It is certainly not an award winning anime, but I think it deserves more love than it is currently getting.
Tardivex
This was a very enjoyable watch, the China in the early 1930’s setting is interesting and unique, and while the characters do possess superpowers it still manages to feel very grounded and down to earth. This was quite a tumultuous time in history as some countries were undergoing massive changes, some were recovering from World War 1 while a select few were giving rise to what would spark World War 2. It was genuinely surprising and refreshing to see an anime actually be somewhat realistic portraying Japan back in those days, showing the dangers of their ideology and giving a fairly accurate depiction of the ManchurianIncident, despite the fantastical elements added to spice up the story.
The main characters are essentially spies with powerful abilities, Aoi has telekinesis, Yukina has telepathy, Natsume has x-ray vision and Kazura can teleport. The anime treats us with some enjoyable action scenes and plenty of intrigue in between them. Early on we see the team efficiently working together tackling the missions they’re given until they realize there’s more than meets the eye behind whatever their opponent is planning, as is often the case with these things.
Moreover, each main character is well developed as we’re given a rough outline of their backstory and can infer their leanings and motivations from how they act throughout the show’s runtime which generally makes all their actions understandable. I’m glad it displays restraint and doesn’t tell everything there is to know about them, which leaves some comfortable room for us to read into things, this is especially poignant in the 5th episode, which is probably my favorite.
For the most part, the show does quite well in its first 2/3rds, but it starts losing its thread a bit by the end as the main villain is fully revealed, his characterization and motivations are actually quite interesting, however his actions and the circumstances around them are less so. I don’t want to spoil anything, but suffice to say there’s a fifth ability beyond the four I described in the third paragraph, and it only serves to the show’s detriment more than anything else.
By and large, Senkou no Night Raid is a good show, sure it stumbles a bit near the finish line, but everything else more than makes up for it, the setting right in the middle of the two world wars coupled with its subject matter are brimming with atmosphere, bringing you along for the ride back to those troubled days as you immerse yourself in it, all helped with a great soundtrack that fits very well with whatever tone it’s trying to convey, whether it’s a high energy action scene, a tense or mysterious sneaking scene or even a very emotional moment.
I also recommend checking out the specials, Episode 7.5: "Ahenkutsu no Akuma" in particular was delightfully surreal.
