86. At first glance it looks like a another mecha war anime, focused on the theme of war and diplomatic and socioeconomic relations, or rather, that idea that many of us may have when watching the first episode of this anime of the spring season of 2021. 86 is not an anime focused primarily on themes of war or science fiction, but rather, in the suffering of it; the agony of humans going through tragic situations.
It should be noted that this review comes from someone who has NOT seen the original product (the LN) but the adaptation made by Toshimasa.
History: 7.
Something that characterizes this series
...
is its very slow construction of the world. Many viewers tend to feel the series heavy when they see the little context it gives and the information that is thrown at once. 86 is full of terminology that when someone starts watching the anime, they might not have the slightest idea what the hell the characters are talking about. So to see this series you need patience. The more chapters you advance, the more you understand the context. There comes a time where you already have an idea of what is happening and you can understand what each word means. At that point, everyone manages to feel comfortable with the plot.
But what about the story of 86? One of the biggest criticisms this anime receives is the lack of plot. Why is there so much discrimination? What the hell are the Legions? And what about the other nations in the world? From my personal point of view, and as I mentioned before, 86 is an anime which must be patient. I can't count this lack of information as a fault as this is just the introduction to the story (and I also can't give it more than a 7 for it). But if there is one thing that is clear to me, it is that as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, 86 does not focus on the war part and I will touch on this more in depth in the character section.
Art: 9.
I have absolutely no complaints here. Everything visual is excellent. The design of the mechas, which may be unpleasant for many, is still quite good. The CGI used for them is very good and it never feels artificial; the animator has done a very good job.
As for animation and drawing in general, there are not many moments where it declines. 86 may not have a Mappa or WIT studio level animation level but it is still very good.
Sound: 10.
Coming to what we all agree is the best point. All the sound part is done excellently. The sound effects, the voice acting, the Sawano soundtrack, the opening and the 2 endings, everything is very well taken care of. The production has strived to make the anime a good listening experience. But what else do you want me to say? Just watch, or rather, listen to the anime and you will realize.
Characters: 9.
As I mentioned before, the characters are the mainstay of the plot, without them, 86 makes no sense. The anime knows how to depend on the development of characters and their weight in the work. From the protagonist Lena, the main Shin, and the secondary ones, each one has a role that makes you become fond of them. I can't go into much detail because I don't want to spoil it, so I'll try to give vague details.
The 2 main characters in the work are wonderful. Not only for its development but for its background; they give meaning to the work. 2 characters located in 2 totally different environments that, in addition to having a good chemistry between them, manage to have a weight in the story: they do things, they manage to move the plot, they give it development, and at the same time, not the whole plot turns in around them, since 86 also has secondary at its disposal that despite not having so many dialogues, they manage to make the viewer take a liking to them. And when it comes to character development, I have only one thing to say: excellent. I won't say anything else, I'll let people see all the changes these two characters have.
But sadly, this is not all roses. 86 has a sin, and that is forcing you to hate certain characters. Although there are some who do questionable things, their actions are understandable, but at the same time there are characters that seem to be made purely for you to hate and leave the heroes of this story well. Although I don't like this, I have faith that the author will improve this problem in the future.
Enjoy: 9.
This section is very subjective so I won't say much, but I have to emphasize that this section WILL HAVE SPOILERS.
I personally loved how the work was adapted. One of the things I would like to highlight is the lack of melodrama. I consider myself an enjoyer of "cheesy" plays: I like to be psychologically manipulated in order to get into the plot more, but I still managed to enjoy the use of dramatic scenes in this anime. While it is true that there are many shocking, emotional scenes that can make the viewer cry, there are also crude, cold scenes. At one point someone dies suddenly, and at another time someone crying with dramatic music in the background.
I also liked the action scenes. They're not a big deal, but they do manage to keep the viewer tense. Especially the battle of Chapter 9: spectacular in the sense of weight in the plot.
Overall, 86 strikes me as one of the best anime coming out this year. I could not say if it is the best of his season since he has 2 great rivals (Vivy and To Your Eternity), but it still manages to be on the throne. It's not a series for everyone, yes, but I think it's worth at least giving it a try.
Finally, I would like to thank both the A1 team and the original author for giving us an anime that has already won many fans. See you in the second season, or maybe we'll see you sooner considering that a special is coming at the end of June. I wonder what it is about ...
Jun 20, 2021
86. At first glance it looks like a another mecha war anime, focused on the theme of war and diplomatic and socioeconomic relations, or rather, that idea that many of us may have when watching the first episode of this anime of the spring season of 2021. 86 is not an anime focused primarily on themes of war or science fiction, but rather, in the suffering of it; the agony of humans going through tragic situations.
It should be noted that this review comes from someone who has NOT seen the original product (the LN) but the adaptation made by Toshimasa. History: 7. Something that characterizes this series ... Mar 24, 2021
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.
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