Tribe Nine

Contrary to popular belief, anime adapted from games are popular and have significant fanbases. Well, some anime adapted from games have considerable fan bases, and others not so much. Its apparent companies can sometimes be out of touch with reality, failing to realize that gamers will be the first to pan an anime if it is terrible. One only needs to look at Scarlet Nexus’s reviews or the drop rates for a particular winter 2022 Girls’ with Guns adaptation.

I get it you’re a gamer, and your favorite studio or least favorite studio is mucking up your favorite fantasy. Well, how does this translate for the non-gamer? The one who has not or never knew the anime was adapted from a game? Would the viewer find enjoyment? Understand the plot? Drop it because of confusion? As stated earlier, some anime do this well, while some drop the ball. Did Tribe Nine drop the ball, or did it hit a homerun?

Tribe Nine is a Winter 2022 entry animated by Liden Films. It is part of a franchise created by Kazutaka Kodaka, best known for Danganronpa and Akudama Drive. It consists of a webtoon and a Tribe Nine game released in 2020 for the Nintendo Switch.

Falling under the sports genre, Tribe Nine mixes the pastime of baseball and martial arts, creating what the anime calls “XB Extreme Baseball.”

Tribe Nine is set in Neo Tokyo in the year 20XX. Young males who are fed up with society formed tribes. These tribal loyalties became violent and spilled out onto the streets and cities of Neo Tokyo. To curb the violence, the government of Neo Tokyo implemented the XB Law or Extreme Baseball Law. Instead of fighting, disputes will be resolved through baseball.

Not a new concept, sports to curb violence has been pushed throughout the years via various public and private initiatives. So it's no surprise it would make up the premise of an anime, especially in light of some of Japan’s real-world issues.

But Tribe Nine is more than a PSA; it is about the bond formed by a bunch of misfits. Episode One opens with a street brawl, and we meet protagonists Haru, Taiga, and Shun Kamiya. Shun breaks the mold of the badass protag.

He has more in common with Adenela from Cautious Hero as he looks like he hasn't slept in days. The truth is revealed when he vomits post-fight from drinking too much coffee.

Nevertheless, he comes to the aid of Haru and Taiga. The latter was kind of in the wrong place at the right time. Haru is getting a shakedown for his wallet when Shun intervenes.

Much to Taiga's delight as Taiga, a high-strung tuna fisherman who has recently returned to Japan, wanted to challenge Shun. Shun is regarded as one of the best XB players in Japan.

The threesome is well balanced as Taiga is high strung, Haru suffers from low self-esteem, and Shun is the realist who hits the nail squarely on the head. He doesn't allow Haru to persist in his esteem issues but motivates him to overcome them.

The three are joined by a supporting cast that made up the Minato Tribe before Taiga and Haru were invited to join. Usually found hanging out at Lovely Ocean, Minato Tribe's supporting cast includes Saori, Santarou, the Quadruplets, and Manami, who owns the hangout.

Excluding the Quadruplets who are present for roster needs, the anime does an excellent job of giving us enough character development allowing us to decide who we like immediately. They are all enjoyable.

The technique used in Tribe Nine is similar to baseball movies made throughout the years. By using a lot of scenes with multiple characters, the director can give the viewer a lot of information at once. I'll be curious to see if some player comes to save the team when they get in a rut.

That rut will come soon as the Royal Family of Japan is destroying the other Tribes behind the scenes. Tenshin Otari, the King of Neo Tokyo, has trained his son Oujirou to become the strongest XB ballplayer. Their tribe, known as Chiyoda, seeks to dominate the other Tribes through blood, restoring the warrior's spirit of Japan.

It goes without saying that Liden Films has established its own animation style. It's very distinctive from other studios. The characters for Tribe Nine are distinguishable from one another, so we know who’s who.

The main characters are dressed in urban fashion, while the antagonists are dressed in outfits that blend military/royal formal wear with hints of feudal Japan. Liden Films used a wide variety of colors, which allowed Liden to convey a lot of emotional content just through color.

As the games occur at night, it's interesting to note that the characters' skin tones are not as vibrant when displayed against the cool color scheme. There are times when some of the characters’ skin tones appear gray. It is noticeable against the neon colors, and It almost gives them the look of vampires! This may be off-putting for some, but knowing they are playing under the lights should help with the cognitive dissonance.

For the most part, the movements are fluid, and the scenes are easy to follow, resulting in no eye strain.

Something Liden does well is with their use of music throughout the anime. Any anime can have grand openings and endings while dropping the ball where it counts. The music used paces well, almost too well. I became engrossed in episode three that the anime felt 10 minutes shorter than it was.

So far, Tribe Nine has been an excellent watch. The voice acting is enjoyable, and the story is easy to follow. Saori does an excellent job of explaining the rules in episode two, but much like Taiga, I’m just here for the action.

If you're into underdogs, Haru may be your hero. Unfortunately, he's a bit too tepid for my tastes, but I'm enjoying his development. As a fan, Santarou is the most relatable character for me, probably because, as a kid, I had a potty mouth and was known for being crass.

Tribe Nine is enjoyable and has survived the three-episode rule. It has good animation, sound, and a decent cast of characters. While it's not groundbreaking, it has been a fun watch, and I hope to see it through until the end.