Review of Deca-Dence
*Spoilers Ahead* Deca-Dence is best described as an ambitious amalgamation of Gurren Lagann, Attack on Titan, and The Matrix, that still falls quite short of the quality, impact, and timelessness those stories have. The story is, on the face of it, an adventurous and creative concept. Giant robots fighting giant monsters is a tried-and-true formula, and not just in the Mecha genre. The world that is constructed here is engaging and lore-filled, which often distracts from some of the drawbacks the show has on display. However, despite the dynamic nature of the story, I only found myself enjoying half the show,and that is this anime's major sin; Deca-Dence is split down the middle in every category. In the story, I found the parts focusing on the Humans, or 'Tankers', the most engaging. Their struggle against the monstrous Gadoll is epic and classic, populated by a smooth combat system and believable characters with real struggles and motivations. Natsume's struggle to become a stronger person is set perfectly in this world which challenges her to do exactly that, and this complex society of post-apocalyptic humans living in a moving city with a dedicated racial caste of warriors called 'Gears', absolutely sucks the viewer right in. However, despite my general reluctance do so so, I must discuss a spoiler here in order to fully cover where this anime really falls apart. When the reveal comes about it all just being a game, about the Cyborgs manufacturing the Gadoll in order to hunt them for sport in a weird MMORPG/VR experience, it is not only boring but also cheapens the whole appeal of what makes the initial plot great. If the story didn't take this direction with the Cyborgs the anime as a whole would have received a much better score.
The art faces a similar issue. The backgrounds, interiors, characters of varying importance, and even down to the final detail, the Human storyline is beautiful. Studio NUT made something that looks effortlessly beautiful in every single shot of the Human story. The split here comes with the Cyborgs and their world. I understand where they were going with the Cyborgs, but they end up looking stupid and as a result I am unable to take them seriously. Their world is all bright colors, soft shapes, and empty rooms, and that is dreadfully unappealing. I hated having to look at them so much, and wished that they at least look cool for all the screentime they get. CG is also used here, mostly for the Gadoll, and it is glaringly obvious every time. I find it hard to believe that this CG work was done in 2020. There are also obvious moments where the characters are just not animated, perhaps to save time or money, but it makes them look insane at points.
The sound is ok, nothing less than I expect from a modern anime, but it just meets the requirement. The soundtrack is a good choice for its hype fuel aspect, but the sounds of life are only present at certain moments, drowned out most of the time by the competent voice acting. Of course, the way the Cyborgs sound is also strange and cheap, and their whole sound profile is rough and unfinished by comparison.
The characters were amazing in the Human storyline, especially in terms of Kaburagi in his avatar and Natsume striking out to live her own life on her own terms. The Cyborgs, save for Kubaragi, fell flat for me. Even the former commander Minato was one note. Only the most important people in the Cyborg story, like Kaburagi and the iconic villain Hugin, are fully realized characters at all. Everybody else in the Cyborg storyline feels like NPCs. At the end of the day, the Human storyline in terms of overall quality and enjoyment gets a 7, but the Cyborg storyline which is present around every corner by episode 6, gets a 4. At the end of the day, Deca-Dence is not a particularly good anime, and though it did have the potential to be great, it smothered itself trying to be about a dozen things it's not. Mainly; It is not the masterpiece it presents itself to be. The Gurren Lagann references are fun, though.