Argento Soma

The 21st century was supposed to mark the beginning of mankind's golden age of space travel. However, humanity's lingering dreams of the stars are shelved when Earth suddenly comes under attack by alien entities. Trampling across the planet's surface, these giant invaders leave nothing but death and destruction in their wake.

Having suffered personal losses from the invasion, Takuto Kaneshiro joins the fight against the extraterrestrial enemies. In his quest for vengeance, the disillusioned young Takuto must seek out any possible allies, but the line between friend and foe is dangerously thin. When old powers crumble and new opportunities arise, many are prepared to capitalize on the chaos. Takuto soon realizes that the aliens may be the least complicated obstacle to uncovering the greater truth behind the catastrophic invasion.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kaneshiro, Takuto Main

Hoshi, Souichirou Japanese

Bartholomew, Harriet Main

Kuwashima, Houko Japanese

Frank Main

Takada, Yuji Japanese

Harris, Sue Main

Horie, Yui Japanese

Noguchi, Ernest Supporting

Chafurin Japanese

Miss Stacey Supporting

Mayama, Ako Japanese

Sheriff Supporting

Madono, Mitsuaki Japanese

Harriet's Grandfather Supporting

Sawaki, Ikuya Japanese

Narrator Supporting

Kuwashima, Houko Japanese

Colonel Kilgore Supporting

Nakata, Kazuhiro Japanese

Kobayashi, Shinichirou Producer

Katayama, Kazuyoshi Director, Storyboard

Fujino, Sadayoshi Sound Director

Kitahata, Tooru Episode Director

Reviews

Apr 4, 2023

DreamTraveller

Recommended

***Includes a few spoiler paragraphs that are marked***

What can I say, this was a curious experience. Despite having some obvious flaws, it still managed to be impressive by the end, making bold proclamations without shoving anything down your throat. It's an awkward dish made by someone you know and love, that nonetheless tasted home. It forced a smile on me, it made my eyes wet, while I was fully aware that what I was eating is going to fail on a competitive contest. Therefore, I could only grow to treat this anime with love, albeit a tough one. Which is rare, to be honest.

Thematically, this ... anime is incredible. The last five episodes are enough to change your entire perspective on this show, even if you considered everything up until then as mediocre. Among other things, it covers the political and philosophical aspects of conflict, without picking any particular side. It gave me some Legend of the Galactic Heroes vibes, really: just like LotGH, Argento Soma leaves you wondering about the nature of conflict. What does it mean to fight towards a common cause? Who's my enemy, and who's my ally? What's the difference between "my" and "ours"? In the midst of panic and social unrest, we'll quickly dismiss these fundamental questions, in favor of the imminent. Our ability to plan and foresee in these kind of circumstances is severed, and this notion is positively reinforced throughout the anime. In other words, there's a message of caution here, of introspection and self-awareness, of making sure that I know what I want, but also where I am. Discerning what is "right" for me, and potentially for others too - why am I working towards a certain goal? Truly vital concepts, not only in the context of war or conflict in general, but also of a person entering adulthood - a period shrouded by confusion, indecision, and the fear of uncertainty. These themes are portrayed beautifully in Argento Soma.

The preceding ideas are further deepened through characters, obviously. While the anime fails in delivery, its intentions are clear and humble. First thing to note with characters is how everyone is actually at the age they're supposed to be - you know, adults and young adults? This atmosphere can really alleviate viewers who are fed up with mass-produced character sets in other shows; teenagers with stereotypical designs and personalities, furthermore playing in a setting that requires discretion, respect, and above all critical thinking. These depictions simply aren't realistic, but they're so overused in other shows that we've almost grown used to them.

Argento Soma is here to remind you how such a setting ought to look like. You can feel tension in critical situations, character logic is mostly satisfactory, and there's always a sense of connection within our cast; be that in the relations of our main group's members, Funeral, the military, or the government. Consequence is rarely forgotten in character interaction (unless said character is Ryu), providing gravity behind individual action, besides making the world more believable. Needless to say then, I enjoyed Argento Soma's characters. Yes, Ryu too. He had some of the OP essence as with many anime protagonists, but his character arc was rarely inconsistent, even if flawed (morally). With some exceptions, there was no particular reason to disapprove someone, because as I said, their logic is pretty solid; everyone had a reason as to why they were doing whatever they were doing, which was pretty cool.

Out of the cast, commander Ines was probably my favourite. I might be slightly biased here, but I just enjoy the representation of women in "unusual" work sectors, in this case the military. And it wasn't just a display of swagger and raw muscle you'll most often find in other shows. In Argento Soma, there is a genuine political concern for both the official and unofficial approval of women in these positions, a concern voiced by Ines herself: "Was I truly chosen for my skill set?" Her rebellion is not one of upheaval, but of sincere, collected, and justified dialogue, in spite of the recipient being an awfully conservative and pigheaded regime. Also, keep in mind that this show aired on 2000! It was another thin, yet clearly visible layer in an already thematically rich show, one that I personally savored.

As for the quality of this anime, and starting with graphics, they were good. Can't say much more. I liked character design: it felt unique without being presumptuous... if you make a small exception for Ryu. I cannot lie though, Ryu looked pretty cool, and Dan too. Emo vibes? Yeah, totally, but they looked cool, so I liked them, and that's that. Similarly, I liked Ines and Michael, although that guy's mouth was pretty confusing at times... still, I could always admire the unique stylistic approach. In the rare occasions where characters wore non-military clothes, you could take a glimpse of an entire new world of style. Take a good look at characters in the final episode - just gorgeous!

Musically, the anime was hit or miss. It's orchestral at core, and while this really helped to deliver sentimental and some tense scenes, it failed to accompany action. Never going beyond a certain limit in tempo, it lacked sharpness and intensity, elements that are more often than not, obligatory in fast-paced sequences. I always crave for shows to correctly not use music at certain scenes, though Argento Soma was not the brightest example. Let's just say that I wasn't very pleased having music play on top of Harriet singing, more than once. Thankfully, it wasn't disastrous enough to mix different keys, though that alone did not save these scenes. So conclusively, music in this anime didn't make for an exceptional experience, but wasn't bad enough to ruin it either.

***Entering spoiler territory***

At this point, you might have asked: why did I rank Argento Soma with a 7, despite my largely positive remarks so far? Well, there's a reason for that, and I'll have to enter spoiler territory to elaborate. I previously said that the anime fails in delivery, and I stand true next to this belief. While character interactions can feel organic at times, there are numerous occasions where developments were rushed or ignored altogether. Particularly, Lt. Green and David Lawrence were butchered. The former gets criminally little time for backstory (along with Sue), the romance with Ryu comes out of nowhere, and she's outright killed at the last episode time skip... without any explanation whatsoever!

Lawrence on the other hand, is turned upside down towards the end of the anime, without any cohesion in the transition. At first he resembles a villainous figure, almost an imaginary one judging by his spontaneous (dis)appearances. Then he's suddenly an ally of our cast... it's a mess. What are his motives? Why is he asking for Funeral's data from Ryu? Why is he aiding Ryu exact revenge on Frank, if he considers Frank (Yuri) his comrade? Why is the black SARG's pilot turning into tomato juice a reference to him, if he's not even on the government's side? Why is that pilot even killed in the first place? David is a character that, not only makes no sense, but takes the rest of the plot down with him. Oh yeah, and he lives with an injured leg by the end, after being gunned down at point blank. That's peak comedy right there.

Speaking of plot and holes: in the reveal that the aliens have no bad intentions, the show conveniently ignores how they were disintegrating innocent civilians with lasers... it becomes an uncomfortably transparent inconsistency, when the show simultaneously wants to highlight Harriet's past trauma. And speaking of Harriet... can we stop harassing this poor child for one second? She's handled like a ragdoll throughout the show. Yes, the dangers and the dilemma of having a child partake in military operations is acknowledged, mostly by Sue, and occasionally by Ines. But will we still choose to ignore how Ryu harshly mistreats her without consequence? How they chose to put her in the co-pilot seat of a SARG tasked with interception, and not in the much safer transport aircraft? How Ryu's college buddy was salivating over her like it was normal, or how two dudes were literally going to rape her? So okay, we get it - she's an innocent victim of war and the adult world, so can we tone down the unnecessary degeneracy? Needless to say, I was stunned with some of the things my eyes saw... oh, and while we're at it, can the military stop going nuclear every second time? My thanks in advance.

***End of spoilers***

Most of all however, the deciding factor for my rating was pacing, and the overall enjoyability of the first ten or so episodes of the anime. Admittedly, I had tendencies to drop the series at about episode eight or nine, as it wasn't making any essential progression with its episodic structure. It placed some question marks here and there, little pieces to keep some of your interest, though these weren't enough for me. Most of its early focus was placed on character exchanges. As I said, these did indeed have value, but they lacked impact; the anime lacks in delivering character moments. Mecha action wasn't that satisfactory either. Code;Geass, and even Argento Soma's closer relative, Evangelion, had way more enjoyable mecha action - especially the former. The reason is simple: progression. Each fight had something new, a new weapon, a new enemy, unknown variables. Yes, Argento Soma had unique enemy types, but what about their design? What about Funeral's side? Nothing changes. I understand that mecha action isn't the primary focus of this show, though can't the same be said for the two anime I brought up? Argento Soma simply didn't have any spice in its mecha fights. They were not bad per se, though definitely not enjoyable either.

At the end, this anime begged for patience and focus. Was mine, even if forced at times, rewarded? Certainly. More than half of the show's length was used for slowly setting up characters and the world surrounding them, but then effectively utilized them to deliver themes through a surprisingly wonderful story. And there really isn't a better way to describe it other than "wonderful". Although Argento Soma preferred the realm of reality, it couldn't help but get romantic at times, and I loved that. Sure, I wouldn't miss some of Harriet's singing concerts... but the show's ideas came through for the most part. This anime really is a journey towards an enchanted land. The road might be quite rough, but rest assured: once you get there, a wonderful world will unfold right in front of you. The decision lies on you: do you want to take the journey?

Wonderful (as defined in Oxford Languages): inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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May 13, 2023

ChrisDC

Mixed Feelings

Argento Soma is a "diamond in the rough" with many flaws. Such has slow and tedious pacing, dated animation and an uninspired soundtrack, minus the series's introduction opening, credits and final song.

While the flaws can be overwhelming at times, they don't undo what is in store for you, and OH BOY, this anime has a lot of twists and realizations. This makes it worthwhile to watch and is suggested for individuals that prefer a more realistic approach to storytelling that doesn't rely too heavily on action or cliches to push forward character development at the cost of feeling dull at times. It's the type ... of anime you need to be patient for and not try to control. It will reveal itself to you slowly and peel back all the layers exposing Argento Soma for what it truly is; A story about flawed humans consumed by ideals of revenge, justice, survival and trauma/loss. Mystery, curiosity and philosophy are also part of this anime and become a lot more prominent towards the end of the series, passed episode 18, where the series quality improves considerably.

Speaking of the story, it's slow-paced and methodical. A heavy focus is on the main cast, who aren't cardboard copy-and-paste type cliche characters. A good example is the protagonist, who's a mixture of overly emotional and hyper-intelligent/philosophical being who yo-yos through phases of villainy, being heroic and troubleshooting problems, making him a contradicting character who's easy to both love and hate due to how unstable he is. Another example would be another main character the cast calls "Frank," who's an alien that no one understands and forces to fight for them against other aliens who all look the same; which may appear as boring or lazy to many, but there is a reason why they follow that format of appearance.

Lastly, to end this brief review, Argento Soma is nothing like Neon Genesis Evangelion; it only appears so from a superficial standpoint, as there are aliens and secret organizations with symbolic names such as Morgue and Funeral. However, the similarities end here; it has more in common with "The Iron Giant" and "Interstellar" than anything seen in Evangelion. Even the story plots and motivations are entirely different in both series. Evangelion focuses on the internal conflicts of many characters, employing many of Arthur Schopenhauer's, Sigmund Freud's and Carl Jung's theories. In contrast, Argento Soma is concerned with external conflicts which cause internal tensions, with a nod to Carl Jung's theory regarding the Anima and Animus and the concept of consciousness.

I give it a 7.5 out of 10 and suggest it to patient viewers interested in psychology and philosophy, as those will be the most fascinating aspects of the story. On the other hand, if you're looking for action or watching something for the thrill of it, then Argento Soma won't be a fun experience.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Oct 20, 2024

Zeoguri

Not Recommended

Argento Soma is the very first original sci-fi anime from Sunrise of the 2000s that I mostly chose to watch because I found a stack of DVDs at the Goodwill and I heard a lot of people comparing it to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Unlike Evangelion which has a lot of very deep psychological themes and references to religion, Argento Soma (Greek for "Silver Soul") is a series about the assumptions, the projected fears, and the wishful thinking that fill the gaps created by misunderstandings; misunderstandings such as Argento Soma holding a candle to Evangelion.

Argento Soma is a series with a lot of issues, specifically its ... boring as heck. I found myself falling asleep watching this show way too often considering it originally aired at one in the morning (perhaps it should have been marketed as a sleeping aid). Like Evangelion, Soma is a series inspired by tokusatsu series like Ultraman but with a more mature take on the genre. Also like Evangelion this involves mecha pilots fighting giant-sized alien invaders in order to prevent them from reaching someplace... Utah, I think (this is one of the few animes to take place entirely in the USA). It's not known why all the aliens want to go to Utah(?) but I guess the government in this anime watched End of Evangelion and were like "No way Jose".

The mechas themselves however are overshadowed by "Frank", a reanimated alien pieced together from the corpses of other aliens and forced to fight. Controlling Frank is "Hattie", a girl with brain damage who appears to be able to communicate with Frank through the alien shrapnel lodged in her brain. Then there's our scarred MC "Ryu Soma" aka Takuto Kaneshiro who blames Frank for the death of his girlfriend and wants to get revenge. Ryu is also secretly working with a guy who looks suspiciously like the devil as a spy.

One of the issues with this series is that the story is too slow to establish the basic dynamic as described above. I think Soma would've done well to start in media res introducing the alien + mechs vs alien story dynamic before going back and detailing the individual characters. Instead it spends 3 or 4 episodes introducing the characters before even really beginning to divulge what exactly is going on in the world (the setting is established too slow, in other words). If the confused viewer manages to make it to episode 5 then they reach the next major flaw of the show which is that the alien enemies are boring and there's hardly any action. The aliens all have different powers, but they (mostly) all have the same humanoid shape and are defeated in more or less the same way (Frank Paunch!!).

I wouldn't go so far as to say that I hate this show though or that I regret watching it. Its OST has a few great tracks and later on there are some big plot twists as the series finally reveals its carefully guarded secrets. I'll also say that this show has a pretty decent ending that clearly and touchingly lays bare its core themes in a way that Evangelion left obscure. The final episode in particular really showed a version of its MC who had truly grown and changed leaving the viewer on a genuinely hopeful note (even if its a bit patronizing thematically).

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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