Review of Deadman Wonderland: The Red Knife Wielder

Did anyone really needed this OVA? At least the idea isn't terrible. Senji is one of the few characters who had charisma in the original anime, so expanding his backstory might be interesting. The tone is slightly different, more intimate and serene. Sadly, it quickly falls to the same angsty cliches that wrecked the anime. The people behind this story couldn't write an antagonist to save their life. There's a gang called 'Goreless Peace' who want to create a world without bloodshed. They use violence to fulfill this dream. Satire can be blunt and still amusing but if it has life in it, but this is justan excuse for more senseless violence.

Again, it teases with a scene that has characters being real people. It shows they can exist with a different purpose than causing more violence, only for them to be killed. This track may work once or twice, but by the 13rd time all you can do is groan. I hope they didn't assume people would watch this before watching the anime. It's stupid, but not that stupid.

Our antagonist hates the world and wants to destroy it. He's like this because it gives Senji someone to fight and because such characters and cause violence. No matter how much I say it, it won't be as repetitive as this anime. It only exists to show violence and people suffering, but with no style. There isn't even the gory torture scenes of the original anime.

The police force had some potential. One guy is more nonchalant and the boss is somewhere between tough and fatherly. If they made an anime about the adventures of these guys it would have definitely been better. Then again, it just might end up as an inferior copy of Psycho-Pass without the sci-fi element.

As for Senji, that's before he came a macho dude. His personality here is a generic moral hero who's the most violent in the workforce. He's less tolerant of crime than other cops, which makes him Dirty Harry with blood-sword instead of a 44. magnum. A reference to one of the famous quotes would've added some fun. Alas, this did not make my day.