Synopsis
All over the world, the 12 strongest warriors are called to participate in a battle royale and are dubbed with the 12 zodiac names. In the name of pride, they battle to death and all to grant one wish.
General Thoughts
Ever since the two episodes showed that the deaths of the characters would be in the reverse order of the zodiac, it became rather easy to see what the end goal of the series would be. What made the series so interesting is how it goes around its predictability in deaths and story. Though while it is interesting to see into the mindset of the characters, the plot seems to drag itself out because of it. On the other hand, it is a little refreshing that there are many points of the characters that are different from the usual found with their types or tropes.
In terms of its action, it does highly well with its fast-paced sequences and smooth animation movements. However, this results in one of the biggest flaws of the series, the anticlimactic result. The series had good character exploration, good action and a generally interesting concept, but the way most episodes ended in an anticlimactic death scene when there was so much strategy and psychological exploration is a bit of a let down.
It was towards the final half of the series that the more positive qualities of the series really comes out. Surprisingly it managed to churn out some real emotional moments that didn’t really get to shine in the previous episodes and surprisingly give a very interesting note in the end to balance out the rather twisted side of the series. Which is to be expected given the theme of battle royale, but still, the way the series baits us then churns out something completely different is highly commendable.
Ending Thoughts
For many, the ending by far gives the biggest anticlimactic moment the series but personally, I think it was just the right way to end things. With Nezumi, he began as this mysterious character that could have been the one to trump everyone else. In a way, he was given that he was the expected character to win but at the same time, it was not in the way you would expect and that is what makes the series so interesting.
His power may seem all-powerful but the fact the episode was able to give a full exploration of it and showing both the pros and cons was a nice touch in how it merged with the character exploration. It was also highly interesting to see the mindset of the character given that he is the youngest and therefore saw the least violence thought cynical he may be given his general personality and coping over his powers. So when you think about it, his wish not only worked for him but for the series as a whole.
Think about it, this is a guy who is able to see all of the possible scenarios of his actions and how it would turn out. In terms of the entire concept of Juuni Taisen, the psychological exploration of the series and the overall character work, the ending by far works. It’s not dark, it’s not twisted, nor is it even bittersweet, rather, it is an ending that works with the overall tone that the series has set.
Conclusion
As a psychological and character exploration work, it does well, but in terms of action, while great lead to the series’ main flaw. On a smaller note, another flaw that viewers may not find appeal with is the amount of monologuing that goes on in the series. Sometimes it works, other times it makes the plot drag in quite a bit. Still, the series does have its moments and as stated gave a surprisingly emotional turn for the final half. So while it did work well around its predictability, personally the way it ended left a rather satisfying note.
Rating: 7.5/10