Akudama Drive: The Future of Cyberpunk Animes

NOTE: THIS REVIEW DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS; NONE OF THE MAJOR EVENTS WERE REVEALED, SO JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY READING THIS REVIEW!

Cyberpunk is a genre of anime basically characterized by a dystopian world and futuristic technology. Though a much broader definition of the word can be found when considering fictional works in other areas of the art world.

Akudama Drive is the newest cyberpunk original Japanese anime series, animated by Studio Pierrot and Too Kyo Games which aired in the Fall season of 2020.

Like all Cyberpunk animes, it was set in a dystopian future with its own unique and distinct premise and concept. The basic concept being a fascinating and futuristic world having a synchronized criminal system in Kansai where criminals are labeled as "Akudama" and their offenses are recorded and determine the weight of their sentence as well as thieir ranking. The "Executioners" are responsible for handling the punishment and detainment of Akudama as well as maintaining the peace and they are stationed and dispatched as any valid military system would be.

What I've explained so far is just the basic concept, one which I found to be one of the most interesting in the cyberpunk genre I've seen. The basic premise revolves around a young innocent girl who found herself in an unfortunate situation of being mixed up with 6 Akudama of the highest grade nicknamed by their skillset and nature of their crimes: Courier, Doctor, Cutthroat, Hoodlum, Brawler and Hacker, and got hired alongside them by a mysterious talking cat to perform big heists for him with the threat of their life hanging in the balance. She was forced to pose as a fellow S-rank Akudama alongside them, taking the Identity of "Swindler".

The threat of their lives being by manner of a bomb being attached to their necks in form of a choker, anyone who refuses to participate in a heist or an attempts to leave will literally lose their heads. I know right, the premise basically makes it sound like an edgy cyberpunk suicide squad anime remake..but its so much more than that.

The first thing that immediately grasped my attention in this anime is the wild and interesting characters, I mean, damn! The fact that no actual names were given to them and all characters were basically referred to by their position and skillset in the anime and given awesome and wild character types to match that persona was just insane.

Courier being the typical edge-lord Yami-type character (reference to Black Clover) who seems laid back at first but holds strong ideals and a sense of duty and never compromises on them or fails to stepup when required to do so. Also don't forget to add the obvious trait of never being seen without a cigarette which just adds that final nudge to the cool character persona.

The main character, the ordinary person posing as the Swindler in order to survive who basically gets pulled into a crazy action packed and thrilling adventure into a world she never thought she'd be exposed to. Along the way she gets some major character development and establishes a connection with many of the characters in the show while playing the most valid role in the development of the plot.

The other amazing and colourful characters which include the sadistic Doctor, Cutthroat the psychopath, the muscle-head Brawler, the intelligent Hacker, the crafty Hoodlum, the determined Executioner and his apprentice as well as all the characters later introduced all played valid roles in the plot development of the show and their electric dynamics made the show that much more enjoyable. Brawler's rivalry with Executioner and his brotherly relationship with Hoodlum a very good example of one of those awesome dynamics.

Another very clear aspect which this anime excelled in flying colours in (literally) is the Visuals. I mean...gosh..the production quality was top notch!. When I heard it was being handled by the same staff in Pierrot responsible for Danganronpa, I was hyped but what I didn't expect was to be completely blown away by the beautiful and colourful animation.

There are scenes in this anime that'll literally just leave you in awe of how gloriously animated they are.

The fight sequences were just amazing and being backed up by the stunning animation and thrilling background music made them even more climactic. Every fight scene was awesome and enjoyable to watch, and that's really saying something for an anime packed with fights. Anticipate the all-out showdowns between the Akudama and Executioners, they were truly epic!.

Even the Important non-action sequences were executed with a touch of perfection. Scenes like the Kanto scene (You'll know when you get there) and other significant scenes were made to be really memorable and impactful. In terms of visuals and execution of scenes, this anime is right up there with Jujutsu Kaisen and Wandering Witch at the top among the best new animes that season and of the year in general.

While reviewing this I've been throwing the words "Plot Development" around a lot and that's simply because that's the aspect of this anime that blew my mind away the most. I'd proudly call this anime the best last year in terms of intense plot twists and cliffhangers. The only term I can think of that can correctly describe the Plot developments, twists and climaxes in this anime is EXPLOSIVE!. After the basic premise was laid out and the main events were set in motion, what came next was an outburst of epic twists!. Nonstop thrills episode after episode after episode, each leaving you begging for more the next week. I can honestly say the plot reveals were as surprising as they were mindblowing, each leading a path to a new direction and perspective of the story.

At first it was honestly a big surprise to see an underdog like Akudama drive topping Seasonal anime polls on Social media due to the number of hype machines like Jujutsu Kaisen and Haikyuu: To The Top also airing that season, but considering the amount of epic cliffhangers and climactic events every episode, it was just a satisfying and well deserved feat. This anime was truly an underrated gem that rose to the top of the food chain last year using its own power of sheer awesomeness.

Akudama Drive was an awesome start to the 2020's decade for the Cyberpunk genre. It gave a clear picture of what an anime of this genre would look like when given peak production quality. The world was fascinating, the characters were well-written and interesting, the animation was top notch, the Plot as well as its twists and turns were mindblowing and the ending was perfect, earning it the position of one of the best animes not only of the fall season of 2020, but of the year as a whole. 

In my honest opinion, Akudama Drive deserves to stand along side Akira, Psycho Pass, Ergo Proxy, Texhnolize, Mardock Scramble and Ghost in The Shell as one of the best animes in the Cyberpunk genre despite being limited and I really hope that the upcoming Cyberpunk animes will shine in the same light as this masterclass piece of work.

Akudama Drive may just be the start of a beautiful future for the Cyberpunk genre!.

I hope this review motivates all who are yet to see this show to try it out and helps those who've seen it to appreciate it even more.

Its certainly a MUST-SEE anime!

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