Brave Bang Bravern!
“Where Mecha Meets Everything Else”
Mecha is one of those genres that has seen some of the most ‘static’ growth over the years. Although Gundam established the genre's foundation in the 1970s, it still seems the powerhouse has been carrying the genre for the longest time, even when Full Metal Panic and Code Geass took it to new heights. But when it comes to experimentation and playing around with one of the oldest genres in anime history, not many titles surfaced in the search engines or the history books.
Part of it is because these giant chunks of metal are supposed to fight until they lose their lives and take their pilot alongside them, but Brave Bang Bravern! took the step and added the most dangerous genre element in the mix, the parody genre.
Since Gintama has had such a hard time handling everything it has shot at over the years, there is a good reason why only a handful of shows are based on parody. The year 2024 has arrived, and we are calling Brave Bang Bravern! It would be highly inaccurate to say it was one of the most divisive "titles" in the winter season's lineup.
The most recent show from the same studio as the wildly popular Uma Musume series will surely draw viewers. But keeping them throughout the show's runtime would be difficult since this genre mix is only something for some. With that being said, let us examine the nature of Brave Bang Bravern! to determine whether it is worth your time. Let’s dive right into the mess!
Every Genre Ever
As I mentioned earlier, Brave Bang Bravern! ends up biting a lot more than it can chew, only to vomit it all soon after. The anime suffers from a severe identity crisis, even when it's supposed to be that way as an anime series. There is no plot, and the show consists of this trio attempting to battle these individuals while incorporating a great deal of mecha and metal.
Isami Ao and Lewis Smith are on the battlefield when a mysterious enemy attacks them, turning the entire field upside down. Not knowing what's happening, Isami's confusion only worsens thanks to Bravern, the giant robot who asks him to pilot him. Thus begins the series of mecha battles determining humanity's and earth's fate.
As the anime dives deep into the mystery behind the sudden, unexpected attacks, the connection between the robot and Isami's friend constantly deviates from its original path with homoeroticism and queer jokes that end up brushing away a lot of fans of the mecha genre.
For the most part, it’s safe to say that Brave Bang Bravern! is indeed all over the place. At times, it draws you in with its story; at other times, it introduces something that thoroughly rubs you the wrong way and makes you wonder about the thought process behind it all.
The adage "not every other anime fan's cup of tea" perfectly describes the situation; it is not an exaggeration to say that the comedy that occasionally saves the show becomes ridiculous by the end. That is the reality, to be honest.
Comedy That's Not For Everyone
Some people would be astounded by how funny and parodic the anime is, while others would consider it to be a complete mess, repetitive, and boring. The jokes around the word 'ride' are all over the place and will become old soon enough. If you're someone who doesn't find queer and gay jokes funny, then it's hard to say whether you'll like this series at all.
The Titanostrides, Deathdrives, and other robots are there to alleviate the suffering of mecha enthusiasts, whose hunger has once more been satisfied by the Witch from Mercury. However, being preoccupied with the quality of the mecha story in Brave Bang Bravern! is tantamount to expecting too much; you will agree that the title could have been considerably more enticing.
It's not a style of humor that's for everyone, and you'll feel like that soon enough. But I've seen people enjoy some bad comedy shows, so you better check it out first and see whether it fits your taste in comedy and parody.
Great Fights
What caught my eye was that the mecha fights were done well. Cygames Pictures went all out, and even when they didn't land something that could rival the newest Gundam entry, saying that they missed the opportunity entirely would be wrong by all means. The mecha design and the mecha fights are all great, and the animation makes it look like all the budget went into making these giant heaps of metal go up against each other.
Also, what I loved about the series is that the mecha isn't something of the modern era. It has that retro feel that reminds you of the 2000s when all these different mecha franchises were coming together to compete with Gundam and Code Geass—and that's a massive plus in my book.
Nostalgia is there, and it could've been better if the story had better writing, but it is what it is. I don't know. I am disappointed, as I have been anticipating the anime since its inception. The comedy and parody elements have made it hard for me to take it seriously, even when some of the stuff it brought forth was good.
For instance, the excellent animation breathes life into the different mecha robots. But when it comes to the characters, the anime falls flat, and aside from the trio, Brave Bang Bravern! has nothing to offer as far as the characters are concerned.
Decent Music
The music isn’t as bad as the parody elements that rely on the same thing the entire time. The voice actors have done an excellent job of singing the various themes, and while this is a plus, it is forgettable, given that the anime does not provide many memorable moments. However, the opening for the win, "Ba-Bang to Suisan! Bang Bravern," performed by Kenichi Suzumurawin, was a plus. I liked it; it was a lot better.
The mecha experiment of 2024 has been a total disaster. I have always wondered why many studios haven’t experimented a lot with the mecha genre, and I think I finally have my answer. Landing a good mecha anime is difficult, even more so if you’re trying to incorporate all these different genre elements into the mix, even when they’re out of place for the most part.
Brave Bang Braven! is a series that overestimates its potential and ends up trying to get it all right while getting it horrendously wrong soon enough. The show is only suitable for people who laugh at gay jokes, since that might be something that interests some of you when it comes to this series. Other than that, only the mecha fights are worth mentioning.
So, if you want to watch something mecha after the recent Gundam entry went off the air, try this out. You might like it, or you might not. But as for the recommendation, I won’t recommend this series since I think there are many better options for the genre.
The anime is original, so there’s no manga or light novel you can follow for weekly updates or anything in case you were wondering whether it gets better later on or not. Let’s see if the studio wants to make a second season that would change things, even though I highly doubt that will happen since the show has defined its course, and deviating from that will only hurt it.
I’d give it a 5, and that’s me being kind. Despite a few exceptionally executed mecha battles and maneuvers, the program failed to capture my interest. If you still want to check it out, then do so. Let’s see how many people like the show and whether that translates into a sequel.
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