Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit
“A Mysterious Mess”
The fall anime seasonal lineup for 2019 featured the return of the fan-favorite series Psycho-Pass. It was a series that was rumored to return time and time, but it just loved keeping the fans waiting for some reason. The series rebounded with this new sequel, featuring everything new, unlike the previous two seasons, which were similar to each other in more ways than just one.
However, most of us are unaware that another "original" detective anime entered the fray to challenge the futuristic detective mystery/thriller king before succumbing to that element after a few episodes. That was obvious, given how the show in question, Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit, doesn't have an identity. Bringing in so many different elements from all these fan-favorite titles, it's hard not to see it as something that's living off of the formulae that most of these other series brought into existence in the first place.
If you're craving a detective story where all sorts of creatures jump into the fray, be my guest and watch this anime for yourself since this title might become something you like.
That being said, today's topic is Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit, an anime so obscure that most of us had no idea it existed in the first place. Also, do not look up the Japanese title of the show because it sounds like something out of a horror film! Please remain concentrated on finishing this article and acknowledge that others share our desire for your undivided attention.
A never-before-seen Tokyo
I'm sure we have a million versions of Tokyo-given anime titles. I just can't get enough of the capital of the land of the rising sun. I don’t blame them either; Tokyo is one of Mother Earth's best. But I can certainly say that Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit features a Tokyo that would make you question reality itself. Dwarves? Vampires? Elves? Anything supernatural? You name it. This version of Tokyo has everything, and to top it off, powerful dragons once ruled over it in Special 7's Tokyo! I guess we're going overboard with it, huh?
It's just another day that our protagonist, Seiji Nanatsuki, gets caught up in a strange yet cliche situation. Every other furry in existence is robbing a bank while holding the Greenhorn detective hostage. Heck, I think the Shangri-La Frontier superstar protagonist got that insane animation budget from this heist four years ago. Someone look into that!
Anyways, it's there that Seiji comes face-to-face with Shiori Ichinose, the human in a not-so-human world and a brilliant one at that, too. Shiori Ichinose is a member of Special 7, a group of highly trained professionals fighting against the criminal organization Nine. This organization aims to unleash the miracles and magic that defined the powerful dragons in the past.
The Special 7 team hired Seiji after witnessing his unyielding resolve and unwavering will during that bank heist. Thus, he begins his days fighting crime and everything that ‘Nine’ has in store for them! To be honest, they could’ve gone with a better name than that.
Animation that took lessons from the strongest
I don't know if you can see it, but there's this specific pattern that Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit follows regarding the show's animation. Now, you have to be a veteran to spot it out since, to a casual anime enthusiast, the animation looks like something straight out of Powerhouse Studios ‘Madhouse’ or ‘Bones’ creative works, even when that statement is straight-up blasphemy.
But the animation is a mix—a warp of some of the best we've seen in the anime industry lately. I'm not saying that the animation is top-notch, putting names like Ufotable to shame. Some frames feel out of place, and it feels like the characters are frozen in time, only moving their, lips without blinking their eyes for hours.
From Jojo's Bizarre Adventure to Drifters to Psycho-Pass, there's a bit of everything regarding the show's animation. But one thing that's the perfect cherry on top is the 'frozen shots' that remind us of Floch from Attack on Titan, and that just makes the show lose a lot of points for me!
Well, Anima and Co., the studio behind the show, isn’t known for its animation since even with their hit title from 2020, Id: Invaded, the animation didn’t seem to be something out of the ordinary, even when that show is one of the best suspense shows we’ve had in recent years. Sadly, it’s underrated; make sure you check that out too!
A mixed cast of characters
What I said about the animation holds true for the characters as well. Sure, the straight-laced guy has to be there because he's the protagonist, but other than that, Shiori looks like a Shinya Kogami who returned to the force 20 years later. Not to mention Warlock, who seems like Makishima in that similar situation, just that he's taken full advantage of the break and learned some great magic tricks.
The anime feels a lot like Bungo Stray Dogs, which can make most of you pick up the show, given that ‘Dogs’ isn't coming back anytime soon. But that's the whole problem of the show—not having its own identity for the most part. Sure, having all these different species and different kinds of characters in the mix was a great idea, but other than the girls Cinq and Akane, the rest of the characters don't have a lot to offer.
A detective agency or special forces anime thrives on its members, who continue to add a lot to the series as the episodes go by, but for the most part, the story doesn't go anywhere either. It's just the evil organization committing evil acts for the gist of it, and the good side is fighting them just because they're supposed to do that.
Sure, it is an original show, and everything begins with those first steps, but 12 episodes is more than enough to define your direction and set the stage for a possible sequel, which I do not see happening anytime soon. We did get a prequel on that part, so if you decide to watch this show, do not forget to watch the OVA as well!
Banger music
OLDCODEX showed up. The opening theme is catchy and sets the mood for every other episode the series features. Plus, the ending theme and most of the soundtracks that the show features are also alright, making you wonder whether a vast sum of the budget went into hiring good composers. But hey, at least that's one of the show's strong points—something that makes it unique and stands out compared to most of the other detective, mystery, and thriller shows we've got out there!
With so many detective agency animes in the picture, a show needs to do something new with the setting to stand out. But Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit copies so much from these other titles that it doesn’t end up existing, let alone standing out. The action isn’t great either, except for a few scenes here and there that make it seem like something great is coming our way. That significance doesn’t make its way to the screen for some reason.
Fans of series like Bungo Stray Dogs, Psycho-Pass, and Kekkai Sensen will surely like the show, given the similarities that can make them enjoy the series for what it brings to the screen. But other than that, it’s hard to declare it a good detective or mystery anime since it doesn’t seem to get either right.
As for the rating, I’d give it a 6/10. I don’t know what’s been happening with some of these original titles since they seem to spend all their budget on the music and score composition for some reason. It’s the same story! The music is excellent, but everything else is mediocre at best. Also, check the title out and see for yourself whether it’s something you would enjoy because I definitely didn’t enjoy it one bit!
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