Akudama Drive
Have you ever come across an anime that features mind-blowing action, flashy aesthetics, a hi-tech sci-fi environment, and pure craziness? Yep, that’s Akudama Drive in its true essence. This anime series is created by Kazutaka Kadoka, who is famous for creating the Danganronpa Series. Kazutaka takes inspiration from some of the most classic movies like Pulp Fiction; his works are exciting and intriguing. It was not a surprise to see fans getting all excited for Akudama Drive, as, from the trailer, the story and animation looked very promising. However, did Akudama Drive manage to impress the fans or not? Let’s get right into our review of Akudama Drive in depth!
The series opens in a dystopian future in Kansai, which is a bustling metropolis. It is full of neon and bright screens, and everything looks technology-oriented. However, there is darkness within brightness too. The Akudama are some of the most dangerous criminals that are lurking in the dark alleys of Kansai.
The public execution of an Akudama named “Cutthroat” is going to take place soon. An anonymous message reaches four Akudama that they’re supposed to save Cutthroat from being executed. Amidst all the confusion, an innocent civilian also gets involved and is seen as an Akudama by the police. All the Akudama must carry out the orders of the anonymous leader, or else they would get killed. Now, the team must work together and get through hundreds of hurdles to carry out their mission.
With such a promising premise, we were expecting some good stuff coming out of the series. But we had no idea that the series is more like a train that is bound to derail. We see that the series is set in futuristic Japan, which looks impressive and flawless. However, the criminal activities going on in the background make it not so perfect. We also don’t see much of the groundwork to explain the utopian world adequately. We only know about the history of Kanto and Kansai with the help of silly-looking cartoons on the screen, and that’s an excellent way to explain the history, which otherwise would be such a drag to listen to. Not bad at all. Other than that, everything is pretty surface-level and shallow.
The vagueness of the concept of morality between the Akudama and the Executioners is quite recurring. The topic is definitely there but is underdeveloped and is not fun to listen to again and again if it sounds unsubstantial each time.
The start did get us excited with all the colorful and aesthetic artwork and even the story’s direction. It felt pretty well-paced at the beginning. We have to admit that the first half was actually pretty good. The second half of the series gets very slow, and the pace gets sluggish. The mood of the story suddenly shifts from a normal one to an unpleasantly serious one. The characters lose their sense of self-awareness and just go haywire. The themes indeed are still there but not very much explained.
Overall, the plot and the story felt like a literal rollercoaster ride. The start was good, but the end was quite unpleasant. So, the plot needed some more exploration and explanation to impress the audience.
We are introduced to a bunch of very colorful and likable characters with actual personalities. Though they are likable, we still don’t find ourselves caring for them or their objectives. That is because their personalities lack deeper context. They are one-dimensional, and we don’t see a lot of character development with them. They initially appeared to be very appealing. However, with the lack of deeper context, their personalities started to grow very dull. Sure they were entertaining, but we only could see them as a group of criminals, nothing more than that.
The only character who did get some sort of character development was the swindler, the girl who got involved in the mess and became one of the Akudama. She was a typical main protagonist who did not want anything to disturb her peace. But she soon turned into a strong and selfless heroine. So there’s that!
Akudama Drive undoubtedly did the best in the animation department. The animation is very vivid and colorful. The colors merge into each other perfectly and are not too bright for the eyes. Some 3D graphics make the animation perfect.
As for the action scenes, they’re done splendidly well. They’re super consistent and follow a proper choreography. The background is beautiful, and the transition of colors is very impressive. So, the creators did exceptionally well in the art department, without a doubt!
The opening and ending soundtracks fit the two different settings present in the series perfectly. The opening soundtrack leans more towards the bright and optimistic setting of the series. However, the ending song does sound a bit chill but also represents the dark and pessimistic setting of the series.
The voice acting is also done right. Sometimes, the dialogues did feel rushed because of the circumstances. It’s all understandable. The voice actors tried their best to bring out the best in the personalities of the characters. We don’t have much to complain about in the music and sound department, so it’s good to go!
Akudama Drive did get all the glory at the start of the series. But the prize was soon taken away from Akudama Drive when it failed to keep the consistency till the end. Even so, we can’t ignore the fact that the story had many potentials, and the animation and music were phenomenal. We would recommend you to watch the series mainly to please your senses!
