Buddy Complex

“Season One”

Do you have a friend who just fits so well with you that it almost seems too perfect? They can be carbon copies, the complete opposite, or someone somewhere in between, but you just click, and that’s undeniable. Such a person becomes an irreplaceable part of your life, and you often wonder what you’d do without them because nobody else gets you like they do. Even amidst hardships, these are the kinds of friendships worth preserving through thick and thin so that you may live as you are today and not hold regrets later on.

“Buddy Complex” is a 13-episode TV anime series that aired from the 6th of January till the 31st of March in Winter 2014. It was produced by Bandai Visual, Lantis, Bandai Namco Live Creative, Bandai Namco Games, Banpresto, and Bandai Channel, licensed by Funimation, and brought to life by Studio Sunrise.

The prominent staff members behind it include Makimoto Yuki as producer, Tanabe Yasuhiro as director, Tsuruoka Youta as sound director, and Tokoro Tomokazu as episode director and on Key Animation. It features action and sci-fi genres alongside Mecha and time travel themes. Each episode ran for 23 minutes and received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older.

Buddy Complex is an original series that spawned a manga adaptation of the same title. It ran for two volumes from the 27th of January till the 27th of October, 2014. Crafted by author Yatate Hajime and artist Ohara Hiroki, it was serialized in Dengeki Daioh. An alternative manga titled “Buddy Complex: Senjou no Coupling” was released as a single volume during the same time, targeted at the Seinen demographic, and serialized in Dengeki Maoh.

While the author remained unchanged, the artist was Saitou Sakae for this work. A sequel to the main anime series titled “Buddy Complex: Kanketsu-hen—Ano Sora ni Kaeru Mirai de” was released as a 2-episode TV special series from the 30th of September to the 1st of October, 2014. Produced by Banpresto, this was an original work by the same studio that featured 23-minute episodes.

A single ONA titled “Buddy Complex: Daremo Shiranai Ashita e” was released on the 20th of September 2014. Produced by Lantis, this 1 hour and 34-minute sequence featured a summary of the main series told from the point of view of the character Nasu Mayuka.

The story is centered around an ordinary high school student named Aoba Watase, who suddenly becomes targeted by a giant robot Mech called a "Valiancer." While he cannot make heads or tails of the situation, he is saved by his mysterious classmate, Hina Yumihara. She reveals that she and his robotic enemy are from the future before propelling the protagonist 70 years into the future to prevent his death.

Arriving in the new timeline, our MC finds himself within the cockpit of another Valiancer called the "Luxon." But to make matters more chaotic, he just happened to be stuck in the middle of a hectic firefight between the military forces of the Free Pact Alliance (FPA) and the Zogilia Republic. Regardless, Aoba showcases high compatibility with an FPA pilot named Dio Weinberg, which allows the duo to perform a successful "coupling." This allows the two to share their experiences and increase their abilities and skills.

Even though he survived the unexpected battle, our MC is taken into the custody of the FPA ship Cygnus, who wants to interrogate him. While Aoba’s primary concern is whether or not he’ll be able to return home in one piece, he doesn't realize the true gravity of the situation: he is about to get irrevocably tangled in a brutal war to protect the world!

The story department of Buddy Complex is handled in a way that does not push boundaries or bring something entirely new to the table but is executed pretty well, regardless. It is enough to keep you entertained every week and proves that a midstory can become a banger with the proper execution.

Thrust into the future; Aoba must become a pivotal player in the battle to save the world, and the simple story slowly unfolds from there. There’s a massive war being waged between two major factions, and it is chock-full of robot Mecha battles. The plot is pretty interesting despite the premise being overused to hell before because the show is not forcing you to accept something. You do not need to shift your perspective to accommodate this tale, as it is written in a way that lets you assume things yourself alongside the MC. The progression and pacing facilitate this, backed by proper reasoning and logic.

Make no mistake, though; this is not the kind of show that will get your brain running; there are no complications and no plot holes either; it’s a good story that lets you sit back and watch. For example, I am a massive fan of battles that use various tactics to achieve victory, even after failing attempts, because mistakes make us human. You won’t see the same Mechas doing the same attacks or moves against each other like a broken reel; there’s plenty of growth and development in the combatants and battles themselves. So relax and enjoy watching our MC get forced into many difficult situations but manage to get out of or deal with them one way or another.

Moving onto the character department, they can be either ordinary or decent, depending on your preferences. They are all reasonably likable and feel human to the point that they do not feel two-dimensional. There are proper reasons behind their emotions and decisions every time so that you won’t be attacked by random outbursts or stupid choices out of nowhere in the name of teenage drama. Everyone felt real, and their interrelationships progressed at a believable pace, never feeling forced or fake.

As you may expect, Aoba is not over-the-top and not perfect; he is a guy stuck in a challenging situation, but his resolve stands firm. All his decisions stem from who he is and the information available to him, all while remaining a positive, strong, and caring character. His connection with Dio drove things forward, forming my favorite dynamic of the show: watching them slowly but surely become the best of buddies.

Despite their many disputes, the duo still truly cares about each other. Another noteworthy mention is Hina, who is both stunning and impactful for the show, unlike most female protagonists these days. The supporting cast didn’t feel unnecessary, and I wasn’t put off by any of them, most probably because they received their fair share of development.

Coming to the Art and Animation department is decent. The ship, Mecha, and character designs are all well done but are nothing to write home about; the only exceptions would be Luxon and Bradyon, whose artwork was praiseworthy alongside their coupling visuals. Thanks to all the well-executed CG and effects, the coupling mode looks incredible. If you’re coming from the Gundam franchise, though, the mechas might be a little disappointing to you, but there’s only so much they could do with their budget.

The smooth and fluid animation and the action scenes are a treat, boasting superb effects and camera angles. I didn’t feel like many scenes were reused because, like I said before, the combatants and battles developed throughout the show. The backgrounds are on point; there is nothing much to say there.

They did an equally decent job in the Sounds and Music department. The opening theme is "UNISONIA" by TRUE, and the ending is "Ano Sora ni Kaeru Mirai de" by ChouCho, which is both nice and catchy. The OSTs and sound effects during the action scenes are on another level, though, having so much depth to the battle noises and elevating each moment significantly. Outside of battle, the OSTs fit the show perfectly and conveyed the mood without any hitches.

There wasn’t much variety in terms of OSTs, but once again, they executed what they had perfectly! The voice acting is exceptionally well done; I commend the cast for flawlessly bringing their delightful yet human characters to life because they are a big part of why these “ordinary” characters are so likable.

Overall, Buddy Complex is a delightful show for anyone who is cool with a casual show. I didn’t expect much when I first started this anime, but each episode kept me invested and steadily climbing. The action scenes were my highlight, though; they kept me at the edge of my seat thanks to the fantastic visuals and audio. While both the story and characters are average, the proper execution makes you care, and it all comes together to form a genuinely engaging show you won’t regret investing time into. It is not out of this world, but it certainly will not irritate or bore you, so I recommend this to anyone looking for a chill show.