#studio shuka

[drilanime]

[ella390-the-potato]

An actual conversation, and outcome, that took place with me and my sister.

[mgtitlecards]

"Yuzuki-san Chi no Yonkyoudai." - October 5, 2023

[weeklyanimerev]

WAR 344 - 91 Days — Weekly Anime Review

Plot your revenge during the backdrop of prohibition

Plot your revenge during the backdrop of prohibition.

[hawk-in-a-jazzy-hat]

My Top 5 anime of this year:

5) 91 Days 4) Flip Flappers 3) My Hero Academia 2) Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4 1) Mob Psycho 100

*1 which is better than them all but isn't technically anime) Thunderbolt Fantasy

[hawk-in-a-jazzy-hat]

Anime Review: 91 Days

Prohibition era, in the town called Lawless. Three families rule the black market; Vanetti, Orco and Galassia.

After a long time, a young man named Avilio returns to Lawless. The reason? A mysterious letter prompting him to come back for revenge. Revenge against the people that killed his family. His first mission? To infiltrate the mafia and befriend the son of one of the family heads, Nero Vanetti.

A plot for revenge over 91 days, in a lawless city, in a lawless time. How will this tragic tale end?

Oh, I do love it when anime does period pieces. And I love it even more when they're as brilliant as this is. It's no Baccano, but honestly it gets pretty dang close.

The animation is by Studio Shuka, an offshoot of Brain's Base who did all the Durarara! sequels. This is their first original work, so I was a little skeptical going into it, though I do like their art style a lot. I can safely say I wasn't disappointed; while it is far from perfect the style and direction of the show is stellar. Special mention to the very first episode which has one of the best looking first halves I've ever seen. There are a couple of episodes in the middle of the story that end up with a bit of potato-face, but overall the art and animation is very solid, and fits the show to a tee.

The music is the same, although it doesn't really stand out with the exception of a couple of pieces. It's smooth, laid-back and carries a sinister edge, and the tracks blend into one another. Not in a bad way mind you, it's just another one of those soundtracks which you're just not going to notice. The opening is sung by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure, who did Tokyo Ghoul and Psycho-Pass's OPs. It's okay, the music and visuals fit well, with a very nice logo for the series, but I must admit I do feel like the songs he sings do sort of all sound the same. The ending theme is far better, low on lyrics but oozing with class and feeling.

So I'm going to do something different and skip talking about the characters, at least mostly. The show is essentially about the relationship between Nero and Avilio, who are both very well-done, and a slew of side-characters who are also very well done, although some of them do tend to blend into each other near the end. Among them are Avilio's childhood friend Corteo, who provides the families with some of the best booze in Lawless despite not wanting to get involved, and Fango, a hired gun for the Orco's who is basically a more realistic Ladd Russo, though he does have a few layers and ambitions of his own. I could talk a lot about a few characters but really there's no point, given that their roles are simple and lead into Avilio's revenge.

What I will praise with the utmost sincerity about this series is the story. Not because it's incredibly detailed or nuanced, but simply because it's simple. This is a revenge story. That's it. Every action and every character is used to fulfil that revenge story. There's no fluff, no subplots, no extraneous characters and very little in the way of commentary (which in itself is a very nice little nod to the futility of the struggle during this time in history, and how the empires these families built were just as fragile as the people who built them). But really, that's it. It's just a simple, 12 episode revenge plot.

And you know what? That is fine. It's not only fine, but they do it so exquisitely that it can easily carry the entire show.

You know what I'm sick of? All these modern shows coming out that try to bung far too much stuff into 12, 24 or even 100+ episodes. More lore, more characters or more subplots don't necessarily make a story better. They can do, if done well, but they can also add distraction, convolution and just plain unnecessary content to a story that really doesn't need them. 91 Days is very well aware of what it is and it sticks to that completely, and as a consequence, it nails pretty much every aspect.

The pacing? Flawless, a perfect tragic structure with some fantastic twists and turns. The dialogue? Just enough information to show the audience the world and the characters, but not too much so as to bore them. Every character is in the show just long enough to make an impact, to show a human side without constantly rubbing it in our faces how this was a poor unfortunate soul who never got the chance he deserved which is why he lost all hope in humanity and blaaaaaaaaaagh screw Gyro. The quiet character building moments are balanced out wonderfully with moments of genuine tension and brutal action. All of it combines to make honestly the most solidly written revenge plot I've seen since Gankutsuou. Arguably even better than that.

Okay, there's maybe one slip-up. It's early, and in a slower episode, and it's really just slightly odd in its placement rather than outright bad. And frankly, I can forgive a slightly bizarre character when the rest of this is just sooooo good.

I miss shows like this. I miss shows which have the confidence in themselves and their main story to just run with that and do it to the very best of their ability. 91 Days is such a breath of fresh air, and it pretty much came out of nowhere. It's not complicated. It's not adventurous. It's not even all that original. But if you want to see a show that really takes everything it has and does it all nigh-on perfectly, you really can't go wrong with 91 Days.

My score: 9/10

Next review: Thunderbolt Fantasy

[vetroci]

Final thoughts on 91 Days:

Studio Shuka was clearly dying to make a mafia drama like this after their staff produced Baccano. While the shows themselves are totally different in terms of story, their love for this type of setting and these kinds of characters shines through. I love delving into the narrative of a story in order to glean the writer’s intentions and come up with predictions. 91 Days is a rare moment in time for me as I was unable to predict any of the show’s twists. The pace of progression was spot on and unhindered by any unnecessary elements. An advantage that all original series have but often struggle to utilize. Topped of with a poignant and memorable ending, 91 Days has secured its place on the recommendation lists of many anime fans.

At the beginning of the season, I voiced my concerns about how the community has a tendency to hype up series that have a significant amount of western appeal and aesthetic only to wind up disappointed (i.e. Gangsta). But suffice to say, those concerns have been proven unneeded.

For my other Summer 2016 anime posts, click here.

[thehype-train]

July 21 【91 Days】  Revenge TV Anime Promotional Video 

This is the PV for the Studio Shuka’s (Durarara!! x2) new original anime. Learn more about the show after the break -  

In order of appearance, the characters and cast in the PV are as follow:

Takashi Kondo as Avilio, a young man who's hell bent on revenge. His real name is Angelo Lakuza. He has a severe hatred for the Vanetti family, who killed his parents and younger brother. He hid himself away for seven years, but after receiving a certain letter, he appears in the Lawless district once more.

Takuya Eguchi as Nero, the son of the Vanetti family's Don Vincent. He has a bright and cheerful personality, and he values his family above all else. His sense of duty and empathy are strong, but he does not forgive traitors. He is an object of Avilio's revenge.

Daisuke Ono as Vanno, Nero's subordinate and friend. He is mindful of his friends but gets heated up easily. He doesn't mind fighting as long as it's for his friends.

Sōma Saitō as Colteo, Avilio's childhood friend and close friend in the present. He comes from a poor family and illegally makes liquor for a living. He has a timid but kind personality. He severely hates the existence of the mafia.

Kenjiro Tsuda as Fango, a leader of the Orco family, who oppose the Vanetti family. His personality makes it impossible for others to know what he'll do next, and he might have madness brewing inside him.

Kōtarō Nishiyama as Flatte, Nero's younger brother. He welcomes Ronaldo into his family and he considers obeying the Graccia family as a way for the Vanetti family to have peace.

Yūichi Nakamura as Ronaldo, the nephew of Don Graccia, who controls Chicago. He marries Nero's younger sister Fio and becomes a member of the Vanetti family.

Takahiro Sakurai as Valbero, Nero's subordinate and staff officer. He keeps Nero and Vanno (who get riled up easily) in check, and is always able to calmly make decisions.

Kazuhiro Yamaji as Vincent, the boss of the Vanetti family who has an overwhelming presence, and is Nero and Flatte's father. He is an object of Avilio's revenge.

This sounds like something straight out of Baccano. Should be interesting!