Mechanime: Final thoughts on Nobunaga the Fool (light spoilers)

I still believe that this anime must be seen.

So I finally got around to finishing Nobunaga the Fool, and I have to say, the last few episodes of the anime really impressed me.

Watching this anime in chunks has allowed me to better appreciate the shifts in tone the story goes through. While never terribly lighthearted, the series does start out much lighter than when it ends. The last few episodes in particular got really dark really fast. This usually happened when I watched the last episodes:

Me: Well at least things can’t get any worse.

Show: (goes even further south)

Me: Well crap…

This isn’t a bad things though. Nobunaga the Fool handles its tone very well. Things gradually descend into chaos (except for the last episodes, were things go south at supersonic speeds), and nothing feels like it’s totally out of left field. The tone always feels appropriate, which is one of the greatest parts of Nobunaga the Fool, and part of the reason I like it so much.

The last few episodes also highlighted the main theme of the anime: a clash of ideals and ideologies. Is it worth living a life without death, even if that means a lack of passion or motivation? Is free will worth the suffering that comes with it? While I previously commented on how one-sided the whole East vs West thing is (the Westerners are clearly the bad guys, I have to give them credit for trying, and for the most part succeeding at, to present to different views on life and suffering.

In the end, Nobunaga the Fool remains my favorite mecha anime thus far, and I found its conclusion very satisfying.

This frees up space for Eureka Seven. To the skies!

Mechanime Update: Nobunaga the Fool (again)

This anime doesn't fool around!
...Sorry, that was awful.

Time to come back to my favorite mecha anime thus far. I’ve watched episodes 13 through 18, and I have quite a bit to say. Let’s get started with-

The New Opening

From episode 14 onward, the opening used is JAM Project’s “Breakthrough.” The new opening is a great song through and through. The way it builds intensity makes it a real treat to listen too, and the visuals that accompany it makes it a far better opening than “Fool the World”. It fits the changing tone (and the tone in general) very well. “Breakthrough” isn’t the best opening I’ve listened to, but its up there.

Go East, Young Nobunaga

This is Julius Caesar. He killed Shingen from behind, framed Nobunaga, and forced a marriage between him and Ichihime. Yeah, I'm not a fan.

The universe of NtF is split into two stars: East, with people from Sengoku Japan, and West, with people from all across western history. The Western star is not depicted in a flattering light; they take hostages, kill civilians, engage in unhonorable tactics, torture their captives, and live by “the ends justify the means”. They’re clearly the bad guys, which is weird, since real world Sengoku figures did all of the above.

Now I can get behind a conflict of ideals, like the East losing a battle because they use more “honorable” tactics, or the West losing a battle because their scare tactics actually galvanized their opponents. But when one side is painted as evil because they have different ideals, it devolves into a simple battle of good vs evil. Its not a huge deal, but its a fault I can’t really ignore, especially when I’ve praised NtF for its great writing.

Speaking of Nobunaga…

Only character development can turn a impulsive jerk into a leader. Order now!

I love when characters develop well, and this anime is filled with some great examples of character development. Probably the best case is Nobunaga himself. In the beginning, he was brash, impulsive, and couldn’t give a rat’s ass about anything. Now, he’s much more serious and even a responsible leader. It even bothers him when some Western generals call him the “destroyer king.” Nobunaga isn’t my favorite character of the anime, but his journey as a character is great.

Not Your Average Gundam

This is just a taste of how awesome the mechs get.

I just touched on the mecha design in my original review, but now I really have to praise it here. The mechas not only look really ornate and menacing, but they’re surprisingly varied. From Alexander’s juggernaut looking War Armor to Kenshin’s Hindu-inspired one, each one looks terrific. As the series goes on, I am more and more impressed with how epic the mechs look, especially when they use their Regalia.

The Cherry Blossoms Still Aren’t Blooming

What really sucks is that I like Himiko, and this behavior of hers is really annoying.

I don’t mind romance as long as its well written or genuine. But despite all of the areas were NtF succeeds, it fails in the romance department. There are two romances in this anime: a love triangle between Mitsuhide, Ichihime, and Caesar, and another between Jeanne, Himiko, and Nobunaga. Sadly, neither one is very compelling or endearing, and when they surfaced, I was more bored than anything. As the series progresses, these romances are pushed further into the limelight, which makes me cautious about how future episodes will handle them.

BTW, War Sucks.

The deaths only get more brutal from here.

This anime can be pretty brutal sometimes. Like how Jeanne is mentally abused by Western generals so she would denounce Nobunaga as the savior king. Or how Jeanne’s entire hometown, which she tried to protect, gets vaporized, leaving no survivors. Or how Alexander rips Hideyoshi’s mech in half, leaving him mortally wounded. As the series goes on, these incidents get more and more common. This shift in tone is done very well, and feels genuine rather than forced.

Alright, that should do it. See you next time!

This moment makes sense in context...in a zen sorta way.

Mechanime Update: Nobunaga the Fool

I'm a sucker for this show. Or should I say fool?...Sorry that was terrible.

When I reviewed Nobunaga the Fool, I gave it a 9/10 without much difficulty. I thought it was a great anime, with a creative concept, endearing characters, and great writing. Since then, I’ve watched up to episode 12, and my opinion of it remains unchanged. This follow up isn’t so much a re-review, but a chance to talk about any changes or developments in the plot.

Just a warning: I will be getting into spoiler territory, since I can’t really explain some of these points without some spoilerific examples.

Also, before we begin, I have a correction to make. In my review, I said Nobunaga was the heir to the Owari clan. This is incorrect: his clan is the Oda clan, and Owari is the area they control. Its not a huge mistake, but I still feel the need to correct. Anyway, on to the actual update.

The Regalia

That little trinket can give your mech wind turbines! Some assembly acquired, batteries not included.

The special macguffins of this series are the Regalia, special pendants that, when in the right hands, can augment the abilities of the pilot’s War Armor. For example, the Regalia of wind gives the War Armor a set of turbines that can create powerful wind storms, and the Regalia of light allows the pilot to use a barrier creating staff. The Regalia become central plot elements as the series goes on. The attachments themselves are very cool, and allows for some ridiculously awesome moments, like Hideyoshi using the Regalia of wind to create a tidal wave that destroys an entire fleet of invading ships.

Shift to Character Development

Hideyoshi is my favorite character due to his backstory and good nature.

In the more recent episodes I’ve watched, the focus seemed to shift away from action and more towards character development. Characters are given more developmental moments and backstory moments, while the fight scenes are short. This isn’t a problem though; as I’ve said, the writing of this show is excellent. If anything, I’m now more attached to these characters given their recent development. And there are still plenty of awesome moments, like were Kenshin (a rival warlord) defeats an attacking army by creating a fissure for them to fall in.

Actual Consequences

"Questions? Yes, Nobukatsu?"
"Uh, yeah, why did you kill me?"

Let me just tell how refreshing it is to see a show that features characters facing consequences for their actions. If one of the heroes here messes up, it shows, and it actually impacts the characters and plot. For example, Mitsuhide, in order to ensure the Oda clan unites behind Nobunaga and not his brother Nobukatsu, assassinates the latter and blames a rival clan. However, there are several scenes where Mitsuhide feels regret, including one scene where he wakes up from a night terror. After seeing so many shows and movies were most protagonists get no worse than a slap for messing up, its great to see actual consequences.

Oh Look, Fanservice!

Write your own witty caption, I'm a bit distracted.

Yeah, this series has some fanservice. Compared to some more modern animes, its not too bad, but its still noticeable. Most of it comes at the expense of Jeanne’s giant breasts, but there is one moment where the camera is fixed on Himiko’s butt. I mention this because Himiko still has the body of a prepubescent girl. While the line accompanying the fanservice is fairly amusing (“I’ve honed my skills with years of fantasies!”), its still a little girl. But as I said, its not too bad, and as of episode 12, I can count the incidents of fanservice on one hand.

Freaking Ley Lines, How Do They Work?

Insane Samurai Posse!

A central element of the plot in later episodes are ley lines, and honestly, I have no idea what they are. I probably wasn’t paying attention, but its not explained clearly what they are. From what I could gather, they’re the energy given off by the Earth, and the Regalia may or may not use them to activate their powers. Like I said, its not clear, but this may as much be my fault as much as the show’s.

That ought to cover it. Once again, I urge you to watch this anime. Until next time, see ya.

This has nothing to do with anything, I just really love this pose.

Mechanime: Nobunaga the Fool

This review was inevitable! 

Original Run: 2014

Number of Episodes: 24

Dub?: No

Welcome back to Mechanime! This time I’ll be reviewing Nobunaga the Fool, a very recent anime that only ended recently. Just like last time, this is not a review of the whole show but instead the first few episodes.

Opening

Nobunaga the Fool’s opening, appropriately titled “Fool the World”, is a song that gets the job done. Its a catchy song that builds up to a great and rather energetic chorus. While it is a fun song to listen to, it doesn’t really stand out from all the robot openings out there. Despite being a bit generic, “Fool the World” is a fine opening.

Story

Wielding a sword, in the hand of your menacing mech, which has its own giant sword. Redundant? Of course. Awesome? Oh yeah!

On an alternate plane of being, there exist two planets: the Star of the West (which resembles Europe), and the Star of the East (which resembles Sengoku era Japan). Both stars are embroiled in constant warfare, and it is foreseen by Jeanne Kaguya d’Arc, a young girl of the Western planet, that the planets will be destroyed unless they are united by a Savior King. She and the legendary inventor Leonardo da Vinci travel to the Eastern planet with a special Giant War Armor in order to find the Savior King. The Giant War Armor is activated by Oda Nobunaga, the ostracized heir to the Owari clan. He dubs the machine “The Fool”, and he and his allies soon get dragged into a conflict that will decide the fate of both worlds.

The concept and story of Nobunaga the Fool is pretty out there but is nevertheless effective thanks to great characters and competent writing. It creates an interesting universe that is not only creative but also engrossing. The narrative is easy to follow and is filled with endearing characters, so its easy to get invested in the series. The plot also has an interesting style, blending a traditional adventure narrative with war drama feel. It also features actual consequences for actions taken by the characters, which is honestly quite refreshing.

Characters

From left to right: Himiko, Jeanne, Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, and Hideyoshi

Every character in this anime is based off of a historical figure. You have Nobunaga Oda, the brash and impulsive heir to the Owari clan, his retainers Mitsuhide Akechi and Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the gentle and prophetic Jeanne d’Arc, and the eccentric inventor Leonardo da Vinci. Also among the cast is Julius Caesar, Hannibal Barca, Brutus, Shingen Takeda, and even King Arthur.

To say that Nobunaga the Fool takes creative liberties with its characters is a severe understatement. Each resembles the historic figure he or she is based on in pretty much name only. This doesn’t mean the characters are terrible; far from it. The characters feel far more natural than artificial, and prove to be quite endearing and even fully realized. They still feel like characters, but they’re easy to invest in and feel human.

Writing

Competent writing is often the key factor in whether a character or story is worth investing in. Fortunately, the writing here is great. While not every line hits home, much of the dialogue is well written and feels natural. Characterization is strong and consistent, and dialogue fits each scene in tone. Political debates feel formal and heated, and friendly conversation feel casual and approachable. The writing falls short of exceptional, but its still very good.

Animation

Need a new animation style? Why not CG?

Like Genesis of Aquarion, Nobunaga the Fool makes use of CG. All mechs (known as War Armors) are CG as opposed to traditional 2D animation. The War Armors are very well animated, and are fairly well integrated alongside 2D characters. The 2D animation is also very good, being both consistent and polished. Make no mistake; this is a great looking anime.

Mecha and Fight Scenes

The Owari army ready to march. 

There are two types of mecha in this anime: War Armors, which are piloted by soldiers and serve as grunts, and Giant War Armors, which are piloted by generals and lords. The grunts’ War Armors have a neat, steampunk-y feel, as they appeared to be steam powered and put functionality over flash. They also resemble suits of armor, be they samurai or European knights. The Giant War Armors, however, look truly badass, especially with their elemental attachments.

The fight scenes are great too. The fights between War Armors fell like actual battles, as they drop like flies under heavy fire. Fights between Giant War Armors are another matter. While they are short, they are also very sweet, featuring seriously flashy attacks such as firestorms and a bolt from the heavens. They feel much more like duels rather than a battle, which makes sense when you take into account that their pilots are lords.

Conclusion

Nobunaga the Fool is a great anime, with very little not to like. With a creative concept and story, endearing characters, great writing, and kickass mecha, this is truly one show that must be scene by any mecha fan. In fact, I might do follow-up reviews on this show.

9/10- Awesome