Takt Op. Destiny

Takt op.Destiny features some really nice graphics and illustrations, although that is to be expected from a collaboration between MAPPA and MADHOUSE. Sometimes, however, it seems like it is not enough to produce a good result. However, first things first. The following review will contain some SPOILERS, so nobody should read it. I was hooked from the beginning; the animation style is really good, I liked the setting, and I actually enjoyed the opening road trip through a devastated America. However, then I gradually found more and more shortcomings, things that just did not make sense, or on the contrary, terribly obvious storylines, that my enthusiasm rapidly waned. In addition, when I was listening to the Czech podcast Anime Cirkus in October (thank you very much guys), that helped me open my eyes in many ways. Even today, I have more of that anime series stuck in my mind than I will have left in a month. So I want to profusely apologize if I am just parroting what has already been said in Anime Cirkus. I am going to start with the action, for example. At first, I thought it was awfully cool and spectacular; however, as mentioned earlier, the podcast made me realize that it was just flashy lights with no substance. It is decently filmed, the cinematographer obviously tried very hard at times, so some of the shots look quite dynamic. However, the action has no real expression or impact. Almost every shot or every second shot ends either out of frame or in a monumental explosion. I do not know what they cram into D2, but they just explode on the first take. It, therefore, looks nice and colorful, like fireworks, I guess, albeit not like a tense fight scene. It is nice to watch, the colors are great, yet the atmosphere and suspense are mostly missing. The fights between Musicarts anti-D2 weapons are a bit better; again, they are well shot, even though it still does not feel as intense as I think a one-on-one fight should. Then there is the soundtrack, which is OK. It is nice that some familiar songs are used, but then again, using them at the right moment to make an impact does not quite work. About the only time the combination of the music and what was happening on screen really worked was in the last episode until the Fate motif from Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. The rest of music seemed out of place, did not suit the scenes' atmosphere, or served as a theme tune for the individual Musicarts. What is strange is that their names literally inspired me to sing a tune. Next, for example, are the characters. Takt looks like a human pustule most of the time, and I could not find him believable; I was not convinced he liked the music or even anything or anyone else at all. Sure, he has been through a lot, although the emotional flatness was not in keeping with a character who is supposed to be passionate about something. Also, having the characters keep telling me he is passionate without Takt acting like that simply does not work. There is no passion in this boy! Anna is very mature; she seems like an older sister who looks after everyone, and then suddenly, without any build-up, she shows unexpected different and deeper emotions. I also found that she was not believable and thought: "Where did this come from?". Plus, the whole kissing scene struck me as a kissing scene between an older sister and her younger brother because that is how they portrayed the relationship all along. So that just makes it even weirder. I quite liked Unmei, whose gradual humanization seemed endearing. I also enjoyed the duo of Lenny and Titan. On the other hand, both of the anime's bad guys were absolutely pointless, in my opinion. So that brings us to my next criticism. The second half was so damn predictable it hurt. You could have easily predicted both bad guys way before, and I also saw the most eye-popping death flag I have had the misfortune to encounter this year. Like knowing someone is going to die after two minutes into an episode. Plus, I am not the brightest of people. I see the conclusion itself as another fuck up. My impression of the last episode was just one big "meh" and "is this, like, the whole thing?". Plus, the whole attempt to explain the main bad guy's motivation just struck me as a poor and dysfunctional attempt to somehow elaborate on "he just got messed up in the head from everything he had seen...". I also cannot even remember the other bad guy's motivation anymore, which mostly means I either did not get it, or it was just not particularly interesting; however, back to the last episode. Suppose I had to sum up the ending in one word. In that case, all I can come up with is "unsatisfying." Then again, I came up with a conspiracy theory that this whole thing could have actually been a flashy ad for an upcoming mobile game, and that is why no one put much effort into the screenplay for the second half of the season. 4.8/10. (2021.12.21) (kevesebbet) (több)