Review of No Game, No Life: Zero

Wanted to know how the "Great War" Jibril was harping on about in the original series was actually like? No Game No Life: Zero. No Game No Life: Zero sets itself after the events of the first season of No Game No Life BUT is actually a prequel told by Tet recalling the events before Disboard was what it turned into to Izana. Mild Spoilers ahead... This prequel setup has a couple of already-known problems it got itself into and made LA a bit skeptical of the movie's intentions at first. Well a prequel's problems is simple, that of "knowing what's gonna happen" and to that, LA saysthat YES all prequels has this stigma against itself BUT No Game No Life: Zero somehow makes the predictability of itself slightly unknown as far as LA sees, this is all due to our main protagonists of this movie Sor- Riku and Shi- Schwi and their motive in being the underdogs to defy all the powerful races and claim the Suniaster, an all powerful device that can rewrite the world to their own.

Atmosphere-wise, No Game No Life: Zero has in itself a different tone to the first season, this is pre-Tet thus war and carnage ravaging the world because the races all are vying for the Suniaster is a given and it's even shown in the animation style, from the original series' bright playful tones are instead now the muddy grungy styles used to show Riku, Schwi and the "Immanities" situation with the occasional bright tones showing of hope. This also means, not many "actual games" are shown like No Game No Life's flavour due it being pre-Tet, that and little to no fanservice and comedy which was wise of No Game No Life: Zero considering the situation the movie is like, though a rare few times comedy was utilized was for the movie to breathe a bit.

So who is Riku and Schwi, well Riku is an underdog of Immanity wanting to "win" for once when he happens to come across Schwi, an Ex-machina wanting to know how the heart works, and yes if anything Riku and Schwi are somewhat copies of Sora and Shiro from the original series, with "similar" goals in mind but vastly different personalities. Schwi develops over this movie, find some revelations about her and we even see a relational growth between Riku and Schwi. Riku might be VERY similar Sora in a ways but he develops as well from the depressed loner type to the more confident underdog strategist. Relationship-wise LA definitely sees Riku and Schwi's relationship in a positive light as for one, different species and different world-view at the same time, that and the relational growth (aka. marriage) isn't taken to be a big thing as both Riku and Schwi has things to do in order for Immanity's survival, so though there is romance in No Game No Life: Zero, it's not the focal point of the movie.

Being a prequel movie must mean some world building right? No Game No Life: Zero world building pretty much tells us how Immanity was formed, how the Great War ended, the Pledges being created and Jibril's interference with it all (no seriously) all in the viewpoint of Riku being in the underdog's seat.

Animation-wise, the animation done by MADHOUSE was amazingly good as LA already prefaced about the atmospheric it is with it's styles, but also the rather good character designs even if the majority of the cast are similar designs to the original series' counterparts just with a few added on or different costumes, but nonetheless with the beautiful backgrounding work, brilliant fighting sequences and "near" copy and pasted character designs BUT looks different at the same time, MADHOUSE outdid themselves in the animation department.

Voice acting wise, the voice actors are essentially reprising their roles from the original series BUT dual acting as another character at the same time, to that LA will say that is great (even if the characters are near carbon-copied but still different characters nonetheless). The three special MVP's would go to Yoko Hikasa, Ai Kayano and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Couronne Dola, Schwi Dola and Riku Dola respectively.

So as much praising LA did with No Game No Life: Zero, was there any faults?...well the prequel debate though LA defends this, has some slight predictability if you've known the anime series and events it went through thus the climax of this movie is undermined by it if it clicked with you the result of the climax, that and LA would say that Jibril's appearance appeared out of nowhere and put a HUGE dent to Riku's plans, effectively causing the undermined climax LA was talking about. But just that ending wouldn't be enough for LA's ire as again...it's a prequel...it was kinda bound to happen in this case. just not the way LA was expecting was all.

No Game No Life: Zero's intentions was by in large to world build Disboard before the events of the original series, to put into detail HOW Immanity survived as long as it did and to give that motive, that hope to Sora and Shiro as they have been in the original series. Tet if anything granted Riku's wish that gave life in the form of Sora and Shiro and by that end, for a prequel movie...did a pretty great job world building, great character motivation and development and making a "prequel movie" have some reason to exist.

Sooo...for Riku's wish to be fully fulfilled at the hands of Sora and Shiro, MADHOUSE, can we get to actually see Immanity, the underdog win?, by giving us a second chance, a second season perhaps?.