I wasn't sure what I was expecting out of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (Koutetsujou no Kabaneri) this season. Really all I wanted was just a good old action romp with some solid steam-punk action and consistent artwork that was previewed before. Also I wanted something to fill the gap that Attack on Titan has left for the past two years, and will leave through the end of this year (apparently). And now I have a yearning for more of this. This is, easily, my favorite show to premiere in 2016.
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is a twelve episode Spring 2016 anime that aired on Amazon Prime, though I'm sure other places exist where you can watch it. There's no English dub to it yet, but Crunchyroll did announce they would distribute it on Blu-Ray and DVD soon with the English dub. So there's that to look forward to (if you can afford it).
The series takes place in a fantastical feudal Japan, where our characters are forced into all-out war against the Kabane, which are basically super-zombies. Like I mentioned, the show is steampunk, and there is a very heavy emphasis on the trains to get around. In particular, we follow the crew of the Kotetsujo, a high-powered train designed for ramming through zombies and carrying massive amounts of people across Japan.
Our lead character is Ikoma, a bit of a clumsy inventor who wants so desperately to stave off the Kabane threat for both personal reasons and to save the world. He works on the Kotetsujo helping to fix it, but an accident quickly forces him through the ranks and thrusts him into true danger, becoming a fabled Kabaneri. Along the way he bonds with fellow Kabaneri and overall kicker-of-butt Mumei, who has a mysterious past. The two are sworn bodyguards for a member of a powerful family, Ayame, who comes to lead the crew.
One of the biggest selling points, or turn-off points, for people early on was, "Oh, pft, it's JUST LIKE Attack on Titan!" I would be lying if I said that wasn't why I checked it out, but in the end, that wasn't why I liked it. There are certainly similarities, and not just from a production standpoint. Quite frankly if you look at who made this show, it comes as no surprise why people would think this: same animation studio, Wit Studios, same composer, Hiroyuki Sawano, and same basic premise of "steampunk folks vs. things that eat humans."
Thankfully "Kabaneri" strays enough away from its predecessor in its story and characters to make a completely different, but still very satisfying and fun, experience. I will recommend this immediately to anyone that liked Attack on Titan, though.
At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the basic premise of the show involving the crew having to escape and fight off the Kabane until they reached their next destination, which always promised to have some sort of safe haven for them. It seemed like it would be repetitive, but luckily it was saved by some of the smaller things. There were internal squabbles and the fact that the show paid attention to its surroundings saved it.
The Kabaneri are half-Kabane and half-human, so obviously the regular humans aboard the train won't immediately accept them. There's one little plot element, though it isn't the most interesting. It does help give some of our exterior characters some sort of light, though, such as Kurusu, who is Ayame's closest bodyguard and probably the most badass male character in the show. Dude is just a classic samurai riding a giant metal train slicing up zombies. How is that not awesome? Kurusu is initially not trusting of the Kabaneri as well, but since he is honor-bound to live by Ayame's decisions, he tries to warm up to them and watching his bond with Ikoma over the grow was a nice thing to see.
Other characters include Ikoma's goofy best friend Takumi, who actually turns out to be pretty cunning and resourceful despite his initial appearances. Kajika is the motherly figure of the main group, and that was something I really appreciated about the show. Too many times do we see this great and epic battles but we ignore the heart of what the warriors are protecting. Kajika was our gateway into that world, showing us how she was able to take care of the children and keep everyone calm and even on the side of Mumei most times when it seemed she might snap. Another character worth highlighting based on her sheer importance, though she gets little development, is Yukina, the Kotetsujo's conductor. She's a hard worker and a fierce woman, one that nobody ever dares to mess with.
Sadly many of the characters don't get much development outside of Ayame, Kurusu, and Mumei. Ikoma gets a little bit in how his resolve changes from wanting to save the Kotetsujo to just outright wanting to eliminate the Kabane threat and save Mumei's life. Still, in their own ways they are fun to watch. The way they interact does lead to great moments between all of them and some pretty fun character moments.
There is also very little story, but there wasn't much room for there to be a story. They just need to get to the next destination safely. The plot is thin, so we just have to see how they get there. We already understand why: so they don't get swallowed up by the Kabane. In the second half of the series when we meet a new character, Biba, there is a greater attempt at a story that has some interesting elements but just seems to slow everything down and takes away some of the better action bits.
I think the biggest thing that's going to make or break the show for you is the action. This show relies heavy on it and it is gory, epic, and very intense. The Kabane are formidable enemies in great amount and each time they attack our crew there is an impending sense of doom. Because of this, the action has to be at the next level and thankfully it is. Most of the fights in this series meet the level of excitement that it had to and sometimes they even go beyond. There's a time where they have to fight a "Titan," so to be vague. It's pretty dang awesome.
The action is benefited by absolutely beautiful art and animation. This is probably the best looking show from this year and is one of the better anime in terms of artwork in recent years. Everything stands out and the colors just pop out from the screen. It's often difficult to tell what's being used as CGI and what isn't, which I feel is a good thing. The train just so matches the backgrounds it speeds along and when characters are fighting along the train it doesn't look like they're standing on a computer generated image, it looks like they're fighting on the train. The backgrounds in this show are exquisite, looking so realistic and so incredibly detailed.
And the music. I've gone on and on about Hiroyuki Sawano and how amazing the dude is. Just look at what he's composed and tell me he's not one of the best composers out there right now. The soundtrack goes so well with the show. While not done by him, the opening theme is also pretty fantastic. It took me a couple listens to really get into it, but I've come to love it sense then. This is a soundtrack I'll listen to over and over again. It has heart, it has tragedy, and most of all, it has that grand, epic scale that we've come to expect from Sawano's soundtracks.
Mixed with incredible action, great tension, outstanding art and animation, and a beautiful soundtrack, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is a show we won't be forgetting anytime soon. Sure the characters and story aren't the greatest, but I don't think the show was really going for that. The characters all filled their roles well enough and it suited the purpose of the show just fine. They all have awesome moments that help them stand out for me, and I think for what the show is designed for (just an all-out brawl against zombies), that's great.
If you liked Attack on Titan, you'll like this. If you like high-energy action shows and don't mind the blood being spilled, you'll love this. I would stray away from this if you're someone that isn't really in the action, or even sometimes horror I guess mood. Otherwise, hop aboard the train. It's one hell of a ride.
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