Code:Breaker

We have all had our glorious school days, and those memories are forever ingrained in our heads. As unforgettable as that time was, there was a general lack of SuperPowers mixed in. This is not to say we didn't have our own mystical and mysterious experiences, but wouldn't it have been nice if there were much more of them? What if you found an Anime that is largely similar to your educational experience but comes with the added feature of Supernatural prowess? There are scores of titles to try, and below is one of them!

Code:Breaker is a 13-episode TV anime series that aired from the 7th of October until the 23rd of December in Fall 2012. It was produced by Bandai Visual, Lantis, Kodansha, Memory-Tech, and Bushiroad, licensed by Funimation, and brought to life by Studio Kinema Citrus. The central staff behind it included Irie Yasuhiro as Director, Ikehata Hiroshi as Episode Director, Wakabayashi Kazuhiro as Sound Director, and Sakoi Masayuki as Episode Director, Assistant Director, and on Storyboard.

It features the genres of Action, Comedy, and Supernatural alongside the themes of School and Super Powers. Targeted at the Shounen demographic, it received an R - 17+ for its violence and profanity and is best suited for mature audiences.

CØDE:BREAKER is based on the Manga of the same title, which spanned 26 Volumes from the 9th of June 2008 until the 20th of July 2013. It featured the additional genres of Drama, Mystery, and Romance and was serialized in the Weekly Shounen Magazine. The series was spawned from the mind of Author and Artist Kamijyo Akimine, which got partially published in English via Del Rey Books, only to be taken over by Kodansha before the license was eventually dropped.

A Side Story to the Anime was released in a 3-episode OVA series titled “Code:Breaker OVA,” It aired from the 17th of December 2012 until the 17th of April 2013 and featured the other genre of Ecchi. Each of its episodes was bundled with Manga’s volumes 22 to 24 and were titled as follows; Vol.1: "code:extra 1,2,3 & Plus 1", Vol.2: "code:100 & extra HANAMI & Plus 2," and Vol.3: "code:4koma Special Theater."

Despite her appearance, co-protagonist Sakura Sakurakouji is a very skilled martial artist possessing a true sense of fairness, regardless of the situation. But when her cheerful and delicate self happens to witness a number of people ignited in blue flames on the way home on a bus, she immediately contacts the police to bring the murderer to justice.

Unfortunately, they dig up zero evidence on the matter, and the crime goes unresolved. While harboring all her doubts regarding the terrible experience, fate takes an abrupt turn for her on the next day at school. Sakura’s path crosses that of the new transfer student, Rei Oogami, who just happens to join her class and is the same boy who committed murder in cold blood before her eyes the previous day.

Regardless of her suspicions, Rei is both kind and sweet, swiftly earning popularity at the school and thus contradicting her accusations. She soon comes across his true nature, though; a “Code Breaker” or simply "one who does not exist.” Rei is even armed with mysterious powers and is hellbent on exacting justice in accordance with the ideology of "an eye for an eye.” Despite being overcome with shock, Sakura becomes determined to steer Rei onto the right path and decides to stick close to him. While hoping to grant him redemption before he hurts others again, Sakura is ready to do everything within her power, thanks to his mindset!

Overall, Code:Breaker is a sad attempt at an Anime adaptation. This is unfortunate because the series had so much potential once it stepped onto the big arena with higher stakes. Even from a standalone point of view, the Anime pales compared to other series of this type due to countless failures. The issue is the plot, an aspect that is done in an entirely uninteresting manner. Viewers are introduced to a selected group of agents from the government who possess supernatural abilities and are hidden from the eyes of ordinary folk. They are hired to eliminate evil.

The spotlight goes to one such agent, who was assigned to protect a "rare breed," a being with the capability to nullify special abilities. While this is a decent plot, the following progression is exceedingly weak and stereotypical. The twists are typical, and the antagonist’s revelation and backstory are severely underplayed. This can be credited to the terrible scriptwriting, which was extraordinarily lackluster and downright nasty. The script reeks of inexperienced staff, the production itself is understaffed, and the sheer lack of effort put into the show is appalling. It's sad to see such an amazing Director behind a series like this, and it feels like he took on more than he could handle.

The biggest weakness of the series is its characters. Sakura Sakurakouji is one of the worst female protagonists to grace the realm of Shounen anime. Yes, she has a strong sense of justice and all, but she takes it so far that it becomes downright ridiculous and stupid. Her “beliefs” and actions are in perfect sync and are incredibly boneheaded and unbearable to watch.

Somehow her over-the-top righteousness in the Manga translated into something disastrously out of proportion in the Anime. Rei Ogami stayed true to his character traits overall, and so did most of the cast. The way they are introduced and executed is very underwhelming and uninteresting. Even the Antagonist is stereotypical to the point that he repels viewers. Thanks to the limited number of episodes, the character development falls short.

Art and animation are nothing special. The artwork is generic, with most of the characters having similar designs but different hair colors and styles. The backgrounds are okay, and the visual repetitiveness becomes bothersome after some time. The Animation is mediocre, and there’s nothing memorable in this department.

The Sounds and Music of Code:Breaker are decent. It follows a mixed rhythm pattern with comedic, action-packed, violent, and mysterious themes. The Opening theme is "DARK SHAME" by GRANRODEO, a reasonably likable rock song portrayed with a montage of the main characters. Viewers can get an idea of the upcoming action, violence, Rei’s powers, and even some foreshadowing of certain events here, making for a memorable and compelling song, albeit cliche. The ending theme is "Shiroi Karasu" by Kenichi Suzumura, which is also pretty nice and fitting. The OSTs are just there and don’t contribute much, but they don’t worsen the moments either. The Voice Acting is decent, too, with nothing much to say.

Whether you take this as an Adaptation or a Stand-alone series, it fails either way. As an Anime, it is mostly bland, boring, predictable, stereotypical, has little to no redeeming features, and doesn’t stand out. A few likable elements are mixed in, but these little rays of light are not enough to justify the entire watching experience. The Drama and Comedy feel incredibly forced almost all the time, turning out plain awkward and unnecessary. If you’re a big fan of action-packed thriller shows starring dark heroes, like the premise, and don’t mind the many overused tropes, then give this Anime a try. Overall, not recommended.