Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Who exactly judges right from wrong? We have read several stories throughout history that claim to have vanquished wicked men and brought on peace. But how can we justify war on the basis of other people's lives? This narrative may just lead you to doubt such lauded heroes…

It aired for 12 episodes on Fuji TV's Noitamina, Aniplex, Dentsu, Fuji TV, Kyoraku Industrial Holdings, and Kansai Telecasting. It had a total of 12 episodes, which were shown on Fuji TV's Noitamina, Aniplex, Dentsu, Fuji TV, Kyoraku Industrial Holdings, and Kansai Telecasting.

Amazon Prime Instant Video hosted the series as well. The anime was put out on Blu-ray and DVD in the US by Crunchyroll and Funimation, and Crunchyroll already had the rights to make merchandise. This original anime featured 12 episodes, each 22 minutes long, and the genres were action, drama, fantasy, and horror, with the primary themes of gore, history, and survival. It was rated R—17+ for its violence and profanity.

In December 2016 and January 2017, two compilation films were released in Japanese theaters. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato is an anime theatrical film set six months after the anime series, which aired in May 2019. In 2019, Netflix aired a three-part series of the film. Shirō Yoshida's manga adaptation was serialized in Mag Garden's Monthly Comic Garden magazine from May 2nd, 2016 until November 5th, 2018.

From December 10th, 2016 until December 10th, 2018, Mag Garden also released four tankōbon volumes. Ktetsuj no Kabaneri -Ran- Hajimaru Michiato (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress -Revolt- Starting Tracks), a mobile game developed by TriFort, was released by DMM Games on December 19, 2018 for Android and iOS. It boasted an animated opening sequence by Wit Studio themselves.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is set during the Samurai Industrial Revolution. Twenty years ago, the people who lived on Hinomoto Island got a mysterious illness that turned them into the Kabane, which are vicious monsters with metal heart cages that are almost impossible to break. Mankind now lives in fortified stations to defend itself from the Kabane, who are protected by the Bushi, whose weapons are mostly worthless against them.

To travel between stations, survivors use Hayajiro, steam-powered locomotives operated by Steam Smiths. A hayajirō kidnapped by the Kabane crashes into Aragane Station one day, and they take over the city. A young engineer named Ikoma uses the situation to test his anti-kabane weapon, the "piercing gun" (Tsuranuki Zutsu), but in the process, he gets infected and turns into a Kabaneri, a mix of human and kabane. Ikoma and the other survivors of the station, aided by Mūmei, another Kabaneri who pretends to help them, board a hayajirō dubbed Kōtetsujō ("Iron Fortress") and travel to seek sanctuary elsewhere, fighting hordes of Kabane along the way.

Ikoma is the main character in Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress and the second main character in The Battle of Unato. Ikoma lived with his younger sister Hatsune as a youngster until their station was attacked by the Kabane, when she was caught and slain by a stray Kabane. Ikoma is now determined to wipe out the Kabane, and in doing so, he would become someone he could be proud of.

He is a young man of ordinary height and build, donning glasses. He has brown eyes and thick, unkempt blonde-green hair and is portrayed as an impulsive, iron-willed, reckless, and passionate person. This shows how much he wants to protect humanity from the Kabane and get revenge for his sister Hatsune. He also had a strong attachment to Hatsune as a youngster, and it is more than apparent that he adored her.

Mumei is the primary female heroine of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. Her real name is Hozumi, and she is a mysterious young woman who doesn't have a name. In the end, she tells all of her darkest secrets. She has short brown hair and reddish-brown eyes, typically behaves like a child, and is occasionally seen playing with toys.

Even when fighting Kabane, Mumei approaches every situation as if it were a game. Even though she seems immature, she knows how important it is to use her power to protect others. Her usual disinterested and sometimes rude behavior toward most people falls apart around Ikoma, who she is obviously interested in. On the other hand, she appears to have a special place in her heart for babies.

The plot in particular is really unique in this anime. We don't see a lot of good zombie anime in this day and age, and the ones we do see are either slice-of-life or oddly romantic. I can only remember one or two other zombie anime that even come close to this one. Storywise, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is an intense and adrenaline-pumping action series that keeps you engrossed in both the plot and the characters.

Surprisingly, the art in this show is reminiscent of anime from the 1990s and early 2000s. However, strangely, it works pretty well here. The art is one-of-a-kind but gorgeous, and each character is distinct and easy to recall. I was particularly taken by the appearance and clothing styles of the female characters; they were truly beautiful and intriguing sights.

Put on your headphones for this one. It's well worth it since the soundtrack will instantly put you in the mood. You'll immediately get into the rhythm of the program because it's quite action-oriented, especially in the first few episodes. The opening and closing theme songs are very well choreographed and performed by world-class artists.

When it comes to skills, Sawano's abilities stand out. He mixes thriller elements with his instrumental style to bring the show's soundtrack to life. On a less serious note, the characters’ voices and manners of speech are mild, and expect a lot of shouting.

The music was written by the well-known Hiroyuki Sawano and released by Aniplex on May 18, 2016. The opening song is Egoist's "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress," while the closing tune is Aimer's "Ninelie" with Chelly. The closing theme for Episode 11 is "Through My Blood" by Aimer.

What I enjoyed most about this show was its setting, though. A steampunk Japan inhabited by zombie-like monsters, where people still roam without being trapped inside walls. The animation also emphasizes the movement in still images rather than violence in action situations. It makes no attempts to be a scary anime for no reason either.

Its major goal appears to be the conveyance of spectacular imagery and compelling tales rather than thrilling viewers through the usage of excessive fanservice. This series really cannot be compared to "Attack on Titan," as some have suggested. In a nutshell, it's an excellent series in its own right and is in no way a ripoff of sorts. I strongly recommend it to both "AoT" and non-AoT enthusiasts. Go watch it now!