So we are doing something different this week. I am blending in a review with this week’s anime recommendation. I was planning on writing my review for Takt next week but, after reading some of the reviews it has on MAL, I decided I should write mine as well. Takt has an absolutely polarizing review and I know, a lot of the time it comes to personal preference but I will say this, Mappa and Madhouse managed to bait us into a 12 episode commercial.
So welcome back to the 22nd edition of our anime recommendation series. This is the first time I’m blending a review with a recommendation instead of giving 2 separate articles to Takt. Yes, I will be scoring the anime in the end. Well, let’s get started.
Introduction
Takt Op. Destiny is an original anime made by Bandai Namco arts and animated by 2 huge studios, Mappa and Madhouse. Takt is made to promote an upcoming mobile gacha game. It just ended yesterday on December 22nd. If their intention was to generate hype for the game, I have to say they have succeeded; for me at least.
Everything regarding Takt is opinionated as hell, I will try to stay factual but yes, my opinions may surface from time to time; that’s just human nature. The review is completely spoiler-free. Before we even go into the details I will say this, Takt is not as bad as people are hating on it. It’s definitely not something original or amazing, but it is still fairly enjoyable.
Plot
Takt is set in a post-apocalyptic where monsters born from meteorites called D2s have destroyed many major cities. Playing music is banned by the organization fighting the D2s called Symphonica because music attracts D2s. The only capable of fighting D2s are Musicarts and Conductor pairs created by Symphonica. Yes, the protagonists are a duo of Conductor and Musicart.
See? It is definitely not an original type of setting. Even though you can consider Takt a music anime, music is mostly background stuff. Yes, the drive of the protagonist is indeed to play piano freely but that is about it. The plot certainly feels rushed, especially in the last 4 episodes but, it is not as bad as people are saying really.
If you ask me though, the surprise in the ending was a perfect sequel hook, which will be the game in this case. Takt’s ending scene was so high up in the surprise factor that it leaves you wanting more. This is perfect for an anime that was made to promote a game. So good job in that part, Bandai Namco.
Characters
Takt doesn’t have that many characters nor does it have some crazy character development. It does have some amount of character development though which is mostly centered around Takt himself and Destiny. But, most of the characters follow the troupes you’d expect in a fantasy anime. So nothing too crazy here though, I personally have a liking for Takt. Maybe it is because I really like his voice actor or something.
The single most disappointing character in Takt has to be Sagan though. He had been revealed as the antagonist in the 9th or 10th episode and his character is really not given the time and attention he needed. His motivations and ideals are really weird. His character and backstory feel very rushed.
Animations and Soundtracks
Do I even need to tell you how good the animations are? I mean Mappa and Madhouse went ham on Takt. Every single frame is so beautifully done. I love the character designs as well; the excessively colorful designs of the musicarts actually look good and not weird.
As for the soundtracks, the BGMs are awesome but the stars of the show are the opening and ending themes. Both themes of Takt are just amazing both audibly and visually. The opening is also called “takt” btw. Ryo and Mafumafu went in hard on that opening.
Conclusion
Here are my final scores for Takt Op. Destiny
- Plot – 5/10
- Characters – 6/10
- Animations – 10/10
- Soundtracks – 9/10
- Entertainment – 8/10
- Advertisement for the game – 10/10
- Overall – 7/10
All in all, Takt is a pretty ok anime. It is certainly not as bad as people say but, it does have its problems. In the end, the fights and slice of life moments end up being much more enjoyable than the plot itself so if you don’t care about the plot, you will love this anime. If they extended the anime to like 24 episodes it would have turned out a little better but, that would be going over budget considering how good the animations were. They did manage to successfully advertise the game though if that was indeed their objective.
That is all for now. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments. And yea, I will take my leave here. See ya!!
