Aug 2, 2023
tl;dr play the game, it's infinitely better, and maybe just maybe, come back to watch it later
There are just two works in all media that have ever made me cry: Nier Automata (game) and Tengen Toppa. Nier Automata is my favorite game of all time; I even have it tattooed on my skin as a tribute. I truly love the Nier series, and I'll be honest, this anime adaptation is a HUGE disappointment.
Aniplex is known for doing amazing work, and A-1 Studio has produced some good shows too, although others not so much. But the point is: WHY did they have to mess up the
...
Nier adaptation like this? All the problems during production of my favorite series make me wonder: 'tell me god, are you punishing me? It's the price I'm paying for my past mistakes?'
No, it's simply Aniplex and A-1's incompetence, biting off more than they could chew and offering us pathetic excuses. The delays that lasted for months between episodes ruined the entire experience and killed all the hype that this marvelous work could have generated. If MAPPA had handled it, I'm confident that this anime would easily rank among the top 50 here in MAL.
Now you might ask, "They took months, but at least they did a good job, right?" No, THEY DID NOT! I won't go into too much detail because I'm so sad about it, but I'll give you a summary:
- The animations were mediocre, and you could notice the lack of frames in the fight sequences.
- The CGI they used in the first episode was UGLY; it did get better later on, but it still wasn't good.
- The story felt rushed; they skipped important fights and events, which would have been forgivable if not for the next point.
- The few fights we did get were far from memorable. In fact, they were BAD! All the fights, except the last one, were EXTREMELY rushed with quick resolutions. The choreography wasn't good and didn't do justice to how skilled of a fighter 2B is. Furthermore, the fights not only felt rushed but also made 2B feel nerfed, reducing her to a mediocre fighter barely stronger than a human. They didn't showcase her immense arsenal, skills, speed, or strength in any of those fights, and the lack of frames during the choreography was disappointing.
- The decision to change the final 'boss' and the ending of the fight was not a good one. We didn't get any epic fight scenes to get hyped about as we did in the original material. Additionally, his final form's design looked silly (in my opinion) and didn't match the threat he represented.
- The introduction of new characters wasn't necessary and took away precious screen time from more important elements.
No good story can be saved by mediocre execution. For the love of god, if you've read this far, play the game and erase this disappointing adaptation from your mind. It didn't capture even 10% of the emotional depth that the original source could give you. Give the original material a chance; you won't regret it. If you haven't watched the anime yet, don't bother; play the game and come back later if you still feel like it.
At least it was somewhat entertaining; I can't say it was a terrible work, and for that reason, I give it a 6. The point is that, based on the original material, this should have been MUCH better.
To be honest, it pains me to say this with a heavy heart because I truly love this series, but the truth is that this show did nothing but damage the reputation of the source material. Thanks for nothing, Aniplex and A-1.
At this point, I wish that the part 2 never happen, but unfortunately, it probably will.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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