Another installment in the series after a very long time. Yes, I was gone for quite some time and now I am back once again. I wanted to celebrate my return with a bang so I have a really good anime recommendation for you this week. Many of you may already be watching this but, whatever. It’s a great anime and I will love it if more people know about it.
You have read the title; you know we are talking about Eighty-Six this week. Man, this anime was a huge surprise for me. I went in expecting a good old mecha anime but, this is way more and better than that. Eighty-Six really was a surprise hit for a lot of people. What’s so good about it? Well, here are some of the details.
Introduction
Eighty-Six is the anime adaptation of the ongoing light novel of the same name. The LN is written by Asato Asato and illustrated by Shirabi. It started its serialization on 10th February 2017 and spawned an anime adaptation in this year’s spring season. The first season of Eighty Six aired from 11th April to 20th June 2021. The second season is currently ongoing of course and started airing from 3rd October.
The anime starts off looking like an old cliché mecha with some Attack on Titan influence. Soon enough though, Eighty-Six shows off its true colors. The way that the story progresses is unique and unexpected. Season 2 really builds upon this and does a really good job of ending episodes on cliffhangers hence leaving us begging for more.
Plot
Eighty-Six’s setting is simple, there are these mechas from the Giadian Empire that threaten the existence of mankind and most of the people are dead except for a few kingdoms. One such kingdom, the Republic of St. Magnolia claims that their war with the Giadian mechas has no causalities however, people are piloting St. Magnolia’s “automated” mechas. These people are called the Eighty-Six and were pushed out of the borders of St. Magnolia and ordered to fight.
You come for mecha fighting and you stay for a class on society, discrimination, racism, and strategy. The plot gets keeps getting better and better as the anime is moving forward. As I mentioned earlier, the cliffhanger endings of episodes really help in keeping the tension up. Eighty-Six has a really well-paced plot.
Characters
Eighty-Six starts out with a large cast of characters but, it is cut down soon. The main characters of the series remain the same throughout with a few new additions. All of the characters are really well done. I like both the protagonists. Shin has this mysterious vibe to him even though he has a really fleshed-out backstory. He has lived through really bad experiences and it shows in his personality.
Lena is my personal favorite. Her character development is just so awesome. She goes from a timid girl to a real cunning strategist. What’s great is that this change is not sudden and you get to watch it.
Animations and Soundtracks
Nothing much to say here except that Eighty-Six has really good animations and soundtracks. I like both of the opening and ending themes, there’s some really good BGM. A-1 Pictures went all-in with the animations too, its full CGI but it’s really satisfying to watch.
Why you should watch Eighty-Six?
Here are some quick pointers on why you should check out this anime:
- Interesting plot
- Great characters
- Awesome animations
- Some really good opening themes
Conclusion
So far, I have no complaints with Eighty-Six. This anime is just awesome and it’s easily one of the best anime in recent memory. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments. Stay tuned for more content and I will see you in another article.
