Paradox Live The Animation Review: Cyberpunk Rap Battles & Missed Pote

Paradox Live The Animation

Most people have their preferred genres of music. I was over 25 years old when I realized that a key aspect of differentiating music genres is also the origin of the musical instruments involved. That said, it’s incredible how just seven syllables open an arena for endless possibilities combined with so many different kinds of instruments. So, do I have a preferred genre? Well, my extensive anime watching has led me to prefer J-Pop above all else, particularly pieces associated with the shows I love. Does this mean I can’t enjoy other genres? Absolutely not, it’s just that I’m pickier outside of my preferred zone!

“Paradox Live the Animation,” also known as “Welcome to Paradox Live,” is a 12-episode TV anime series that aired from the 3rd of October until the 26th of December in Fall 2023. It was produced by Animax, BS Fuji, Tokyo MX, Avex Pictures, and MAGNET and brought to life by Studios PINE JAM. The main staff behind it includes Kurashima Youichi, Oomori Shinji, and Hashimoto Kyouka as producers, and Mukaitouge Kazuki as both producer and planner. Featuring genres of drama and sci-fi alongside a music theme, each episode has a runtime of 23 minutes and is rated PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older. This is an anime adaptation that is essentially part of the “Paradox Live” mixed-media project, created by Avex Pictures and GCREST. As such, the Blu-ray version was also released in six volumes from December 22, 2023, to May 31, 2024.

The story is set in a distant future where hip-hop has become the dominant form of entertainment, primarily due to rappers of various abilities and skills being able to put on shows called “Phantom Lives.” It is in these supernatural performances that rappers can transform their powerful emotions into captivating illusions for their audiences to consume via the use of "Phantometal," a special material known to react with the performer’s DNA to bring forth such fantastical imagery. But there’s always a catch: Phantometal causes its users to begin reliving past traumatic events and painful memories in a phenomenon known as Trap Reactions.

As you can imagine, the stronger the rapper’s emotions are, the worse these side effects can become, rendering these reactions debilitating and even affecting their mental state. In recent times, the infamous CLUB Paradox, which had disappeared without a trace a decade prior, has announced a mysterious and grandiose return with the reveal of a new Phantom Live competition, dubbed “Paradox Live.” With the grand prize sitting at 10 billion yen, four well-established rap groups by the names “BAE,” “The Cat's Whiskers,” “cozmez,” and “Akanyatsura” are set to take the stage. While everyone is wary of these highly suspicious circumstances, all the groups have their reasons to throw their hats in and comply anyway. But little do they realize that the path to ultimate glory is riddled with ruthlessness beyond their imagination.

Usually, the word “the animation” being used as part of the title is a red flag for me. Needless to say, I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the first episode. You are introduced to this cyberpunk-like world where special accessories allow artists to bring fantastical phantoms into their performances. At the cost of intense psychological trauma, many use these regardless, and this is where we are introduced to the hip-hop group BAE, consisting of music lover Sugasano Allen, rich kid Yeon Hajun, and stylish Faulkner Anne. They are very eager to earn the 10 billion yen prize money, and their journey showcases the full beauty of their unique dynamic, which was the biggest highlight for me, but the show doesn’t seem to focus on them enough. As expected, there’s this massive conspiracy ongoing in the shadows concerning the Phantometal and CLUB Paradox, which makes this plot darker than your average idol anime. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives about this show end.

As awesome as the first episode was, it rapidly loses momentum over the next two episodes, effectively failing the 3-episode rule. It is such a steep descent that episode 4 had to resort to some damage control. Why they had to throw away every unique aspect of this anime for the most generic and mundane idol themes is beyond me. Let me give you some simple examples. Have you ever wondered if a person’s background or financial status ever determines how good they are at their craft? This phenomenon has been observed countless times. Then you can spend another whole episode where a random character looks after a cat, complete with illness and somber rain. The character’s valiant attempts to get the animal some medical attention are foiled by their tripping over nothing. And then he just stays there feeling sad. But fear not, the day is saved by friendship, and they end it all with a musical number! I rest my case. Meanwhile, the show is gradually attempting to establish the overarching narrative; however, everything presented on screen is so dull and idiotic that I lost interest.

Moving on to the character department, I honestly did like the members of BAE, who should have been the “main characters.” The show attempts to convey a sense of equal importance for each member of the four rap groups, but it falls short. They are all nearly indistinguishable outside of their character designs, and none of them is as likable, intriguing, or memorable as the leading trio. Cat's Whiskers is a team that uniquely blends hip-hop with jazz, adhering to a more nocturnal theme. cozmez is basically two brothers who seem to love basing their work around the harshness of their poverty. Akanyatsura is a Yakuza group whose pieces are closer to street rap, but they receive very little screen time compared to the sibling duo. Why the weird obsession with cozmez? Having had poor and difficult childhoods in the slums, I get it!

Praise where it is due; the art and animation are well done here. The color palette, which emphasizes neon cyberpunk shades, complements the superbly implemented CGI in this show seamlessly. All the artwork is sharp, vibrant, and unique, even down to all the character designs, which seriously look amazing on stage. All the designs are flamboyant, bright, and unapologetic; they often reflect the characters' music tastes or backgrounds and are typically non-binary in nature. Meanwhile, the animation and scene direction are also superb, so you can always enjoy the performances regardless of whatever meager “plot” and character depth they have. Want proof? Just watch the first episode and you’ll see exactly what I mean!

Music and sounds are vital to shows like this, and they did an okay job in this department. Given the show's emphasis on drama, the majority of the pieces revolve around the stories of various characters. Sadly, not all the characters get equal treatment, and this honestly irks me because different people resonate with different characters. There aren’t as many musical numbers here as you might have hoped, but the ones we do get are solid and feature a high variety. All the songs in the event, Paradox Live, in particular, are superb, and I enjoyed them. The opening theme, "RISE UP" by BAE, The Cat's Whiskers, cozmez, and Akanyatsura, is a truly unique piece that seamlessly blends their different styles in perfect harmony. Watching it, I honestly felt like all the groups were unified as one in music.

The ending themes are "BaNG!!!" by BAE, "Every Day Every Night" by BURAIKAN, and "Fadeaway" by Rooftop Friends (Shiki Andou and Nayuta Yatonokami), with my favorite being the second piece, which highlights the greatness of the legendary band from episode one. Once again, the anime appears to showcase 80-90% of its pros in the first episode, with the rest gradually but steadily descending.

Overall, “Paradox Live The Animation” shines like a beacon of change in the realm of idol anime in the first episode, which is simply phenomenal. However, a strong start is never enough to engage viewers until the very end, and this show loses its luster way too fast. What this meant for me was that the show raised my hopes and set my standards for it a little higher, only to come crashing down in the most mediocre and generic way possible. Unfortunately, this show had so much potential to change the landscape, but we ended up with a story that nobody cares about and characters that are too clichéd. Not recommended, but I do recommend the first episode and the musical performances!