Oct 24, 2015
One thing that I believe makes Zankyou no Terror stand out above a lot of animes, is the sound. The soundtrack composed by Yoko Kano is brilliantly sorrowful; it is unique enough to stand on its own (All the songs on the soundtrack are all enjoyable to listen to) but adds to the psychological and mystery of the series as well. If it were not for the music composition, the series wouldn’t have been the same experience. It is a series that demands the viewer to pay attention with its outstanding art, sound, and characters.
Story: 9/10
Our lead is Lisa,
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a high school girl who is frequently bullied. She is also psychologically challenged by her mother, who constantly bombards her with texts and is afraid of her leaving her side. The two characters Nine and Twelve are soon introduced as new transfer “students” to her high school. I would say the story is quite unique to its kind. What makes this anime so incredible is the amount of emotion it makes you feel in such a short time frame (there are only 11 episodes). The mystery element was well thought out and was cleverly placed. It was difficult to try and pin point exactly where the story was going, but that made it all the more enjoyable. If you like mystery and psychological stories, this one is a MUST.
Characters: 8/ 10
Lisa:
Even though Lisa is portrayed as shy and lonely, she has strong agency. There is a progression in her character that can be seen throughout the episodes and is intriguing to watch her change. In the beginning she is shown as being weak but, when certain events occur, she is able to become a stronger and independent person.
Nine and Twelve:
Nine is probably by far the most mysterious out of all the characters, he is less open than his friend Twelve, and is obviously “the brains” behind their plan. However, even though he comes across as cold he is a likeable character. He and Twelve are strong characters and are the heart of Zankyou no Terror.
Twelve on the other hand, kind of helps relieve some of the very dark and disturbing concepts in Zankyou no Terror. He has a comedic personality and a glowing smile, he also has a somewhat playful nature that is childlike. Twelve is a very endearing character, and even though him and Nine are terrorists, you cannot help but cheer them.
Five is the only character that I felt was too…abruptly added. I think her character was interesting and needed to the story, however, she should have been integrated more slowly and expanded on. There wasn’t enough time for her in the show. However, with only 11 episodes it is fine to overlook her lack of screen time and purpose.
Art: 10/ 10
The colours in this anime are amazing. There are landscape shots where blues, pinks, and purples are combined to create a magnificent setting. There are also contrasting colours are put together in order to show despair and sorrow. The art in this anime is beautifully crafted. The art makes the characters almost tangible to the viewers.
Sound: 10/ 10
I briefly talked about it before, so I’ll just quickly make a few comments on the sound. To me, the soundtrack creates a whole emotional connection to the anime series. It is apparent that the soundtrack is its own separate layer. It would have been a challenge to make this soundtrack stand out because the story line and characters are so compelling. However, I think it does steal the focus from the anime; it is a marvelous composition. The opening and closing songs to the anime are also very nice and fit the tone of the anime well. The sound effects are also well placed and very believable.
Overall: 10/10
I thoroughly enjoyed this anime. The plot is extremely driven and is thought provoking (which I find a lot of stories these days lack). The characters are not needless; they are all important to the plot. The art and music all add to this palpable world of Zankyou no terror. If you’re still not sure whether or not to watch this anime, I’d say try listening to the soundtrack first—it will completely take you in. Overall, this anime deserves a solid 10 out of 10, it solidly is able to create a unique plot that is memorable and haunting at the same time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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