Ah, Gaming! By the time I am writing this, it has become a major industry in India, and by the time you are reading this, it has grown even more. We all love to lessen our stress by games or enjoy the hell out of them if we are hardcore. But can you give up your life for games? Are you willing to put your breath on the line for a gaming experience you have never had before? If you are, man, you are an absolute gamer.
However, if you don’t want to risk your life but want to experience how that would be, then the anime we will talk about has some quality content to offer you. That’s right, weebs because Darwin’s Game is an anime that will give you a good idea of how fun gaming can be if taken to the next level. So allow me to provide you with my review of Darwin’s Game and the contents it has to offer. But before we begin, don’t you think it’s a good idea to lay our eyes on the synopsis?
Kaname Sudō, a 17-year-old student, gets involved in a game entitled “Darwin’s Game,” unaware that this so-called Game can take his life. Players are given a Sigli, which is a unique weapon supposed to be used during gameplay. In this game of life and death, Kaname vows to exit this Game and kill the game master.
Author’s Review: Narrative
Being dragged into a life you would despise might not seem like a good idea at first, but as human beings, we adapt so well to any situation and develop ourselves based on the circumstance. Following this principle, our boy Kaname gets involved in a game he shouldn’t be and regrets his ongoing situation. Entering into a game that can cost him his life, Kaname strives to quit this game and return to normalcy, but things don’t work out as we think, do they?
The story focuses on the Game-based on Charles Darwin’s theory of ‘Survival Of The Fittest, ‘ which is a rule that functions even to this day. Only the best survived, and the weak shall perish, that is the message of the series. It also focuses on how a human’s naive and concerning nature blended with integrity and morals can bring him to a place worse than hell. Tokyo Ghoul vibes can be felt while completing the series and is a pretty exciting setting in general.
Execution
The series is action-heavy, with multiple fight sequences within an episode. The fights are choreographed well, and the use of various quirks (No My Hero Academia fans, not that quirk) made the battles much more enjoyable. One can admire hand-to-hand combat and a match with weapons on the side since both are presented pleasingly. Not to mention the fantastic cinematography and camera angle this anime has to offer during those fights. An excellent experience for many shounen fans.
Animation
The art style compliments the serious theme of the series, and the animation enhances the mood very well. As stated earlier, great cinematography and camera movements are presented. Still, they become even more engaging as they are backed by some good animation and serve us the fun we expect from the setting of the series. Sloppiness is nothing to be concerned about, and the series ensures to give a good experience even in a normal situation where action or drama is not intensified.
Characters
A batch that gets bigger and bigger as we watch more and more episodes. The protagonist starts as a loner but progresses and makes new friends and companions and some enemies to balance his records (not deliberately though!). The characters are interesting during the first meet-up and have a good story for our entertainment. For a series with just a 12-episode season, the character development is good. It may seem drastic, but the build-up covers that part. Characters like Kaname, Rein, Shuka, and Xuelan are stubborn and interesting personalities, whereas others like Ryuuji, Sui, Inukai, and Wang add the essence of drama and fun to the series.
Criticism
The story lacked the catch factor in the series since the execution of the drama wasn’t so good. It had a lot of potential to be a memorable series if they would have focussed more on including drama and emotions in the series. The series lacked in that segment and made it bland compared to how good it could have been.
The series was too short for the sake of being a great one. It wouldn’t have been a problem if the show would have concluded on the 11th episode, but they left room for season 2. The character development seemed drastic because we weren’t given enough time to connect with them sympathetically. They shined just during their moments, and the other moment’s protagonist steals us. The series could have been better if it had 24 episodes and focused more on characters.
