Written by: Kevin Berge
Don't let the colorful and creative art style that's not even fully recreated in the show pull you in. It's a trap. (Image Courtesy of: madman.com.au)
I know there's so much more anime out there left for me to explore, but I will admit that I find myself struggling to find the right shows to watch now. My limited knowledge of the medium has me clambering for ideas as I've gone through most of the well known franchises.
That brings me to a host of shows that are known but have been given largely mixed reviews. Guilty Crown is certainly one of those. It's got an impressive science fiction and fantasy aesthetic that is alluring, but I had no idea what I was getting into with the show.
It was colorful, unique, and exciting, but I didn't know if it was truly going to be any good. I still don't know if I made the right choice even giving the intriguing series a chance now looking back.
That brings me to a host of shows that are known but have been given largely mixed reviews. Guilty Crown is certainly one of those. It's got an impressive science fiction and fantasy aesthetic that is alluring, but I had no idea what I was getting into with the show.
It was colorful, unique, and exciting, but I didn't know if it was truly going to be any good. I still don't know if I made the right choice even giving the intriguing series a chance now looking back.
Basic Story Set-Up
In a post-apocalyptic future for Japan, the nation has been overrun by the Apocalypse Virus. While the outbreak has been contained with the help of the United Nations' support group GHQ, constant fear has left the nation restless and isolated.
Socially inept high schooler Shu Ouma runs into a freedom fighter and popular singer Inori Yuzuriha as she is being chased by the government. Using a power he never knew he had to pull the souls out of people as weapons called Voids, he saves her and joins the rebel group Funeral Parlor to try and save Japan.
Socially inept high schooler Shu Ouma runs into a freedom fighter and popular singer Inori Yuzuriha as she is being chased by the government. Using a power he never knew he had to pull the souls out of people as weapons called Voids, he saves her and joins the rebel group Funeral Parlor to try and save Japan.
I'm starting to think this series is only popular for its character designs, which honestly are creepy in their attempt to be sexy. (Image Courtesy of: randomc.net)
Story Arc Analysis
***This is the one section that will contain spoilers with the expectation the reader has seen the series. If you have not, skip ahead to the Impact and Art Style section.***
Rebellion (Ep 1-12): The first half of this show is focused on building up its world and characters. In particular, Shu goes from being antisocial to finding his way in Funeral Parlor and making friends with those involved. He comes to terms with his power and responsibility while feeling the emotional weights of his actions.
There's some good moments in this first stretch even if it drifts a bit. Gai ultimately comes out a bit one-note as the leader of Funeral Parlor when he was introduced as a complicated character. The central villains are ridiculously limited, but it is fun to see them get taken down by the creativity of the various Voids in use.
The real issue here is that this show wants to be big and epic in a way that never lands. The introduction of Mana and her relationship to Shu and Gai is a shark jump moment that the show never recovers from, and it's a shame.
Destiny of a Leader (Ep 13-22): Speaking of jumping the shark, this second half is atrocious. Shu goes from a quiet guy with power to a reckless violent authoritarian leader of his high school which has become the final safe ground as the government tries to destroy Japan, and suddenly everyone can use their own Voids.
Everything is wrong here, and I felt sick trying to get through it. Shu will never be a good character, but his 180 turn here was horrendous especially since it is started by killing off Hare whose only role in the entire story apparently was to die since she is constantly around the plot but never allowed to develop.
While the final few episodes are all right, they attempt to sell the build up as a character building moment. Shu's anger and mistakes make him human, and they allowed to become a better person. It's not true. He's actually regressed for the most part beyond now valuing the small group of friends he still has.
I still have no idea what the show was trying to say with Shu, Gai, Mana, and Inori in the end. It's a religious allegory for the Revelations that gets real complicated without ever resolving in any discernible manner.
Rebellion (Ep 1-12): The first half of this show is focused on building up its world and characters. In particular, Shu goes from being antisocial to finding his way in Funeral Parlor and making friends with those involved. He comes to terms with his power and responsibility while feeling the emotional weights of his actions.
There's some good moments in this first stretch even if it drifts a bit. Gai ultimately comes out a bit one-note as the leader of Funeral Parlor when he was introduced as a complicated character. The central villains are ridiculously limited, but it is fun to see them get taken down by the creativity of the various Voids in use.
The real issue here is that this show wants to be big and epic in a way that never lands. The introduction of Mana and her relationship to Shu and Gai is a shark jump moment that the show never recovers from, and it's a shame.
Destiny of a Leader (Ep 13-22): Speaking of jumping the shark, this second half is atrocious. Shu goes from a quiet guy with power to a reckless violent authoritarian leader of his high school which has become the final safe ground as the government tries to destroy Japan, and suddenly everyone can use their own Voids.
Everything is wrong here, and I felt sick trying to get through it. Shu will never be a good character, but his 180 turn here was horrendous especially since it is started by killing off Hare whose only role in the entire story apparently was to die since she is constantly around the plot but never allowed to develop.
While the final few episodes are all right, they attempt to sell the build up as a character building moment. Shu's anger and mistakes make him human, and they allowed to become a better person. It's not true. He's actually regressed for the most part beyond now valuing the small group of friends he still has.
I still have no idea what the show was trying to say with Shu, Gai, Mana, and Inori in the end. It's a religious allegory for the Revelations that gets real complicated without ever resolving in any discernible manner.
Shu does not and would never deserve Hare though he really doesn't deserve any of these girls weirdly fawning over him. (Image Courtesy of: aminoapps.com)
Impact and Art Style
I cannot tell you in large part what Guilty Crown is really trying to say. It's a show about government control through fear that has a central focus on a set of characters that become a religious allegory for the rebirth of humanity.
It's a bizarre set of ideas mashed together that never really works, and I think this is a show that will largely be forgotten down the line. It wants to be smart and clever with its ideas with nothing truly sticking along the way.
There's even attempts to use personal character arcs to showcase humanity and the mistakes people can make and overcome, but even that leads to some impressive stumbling.
Guilty Crown uses some CGI animation to make its main combat and effects shine. It really sparks when the animation is on point, and the Voids are just about the best thing in the series with the mechs a solid second as well.
While the series may have a lot to say, it certainly looks nice, and it knows it. In fact, it may lean too much into that with every female character hypersexualized.
It's a bizarre set of ideas mashed together that never really works, and I think this is a show that will largely be forgotten down the line. It wants to be smart and clever with its ideas with nothing truly sticking along the way.
There's even attempts to use personal character arcs to showcase humanity and the mistakes people can make and overcome, but even that leads to some impressive stumbling.
Guilty Crown uses some CGI animation to make its main combat and effects shine. It really sparks when the animation is on point, and the Voids are just about the best thing in the series with the mechs a solid second as well.
While the series may have a lot to say, it certainly looks nice, and it knows it. In fact, it may lean too much into that with every female character hypersexualized.
Sub vs. Dub
Guilty Crown has a pretty impressively bad English dub. It mainly comes down to Shu being entirely miscast. There is no point in this series that I believed the actor voicing Shu was the actual Shu. He just felt lost in the role.
The rest of the cast is not a lot better, so it is fairly easy to recommend watching the Japanese with English subtitles options if you want to watch the series.
Recommendation: Sub
The rest of the cast is not a lot better, so it is fairly easy to recommend watching the Japanese with English subtitles options if you want to watch the series.
Recommendation: Sub
Why is every character in this story a teenager... even the supposed charismatic rebellion leader? (Image Courtesy of: avvesione.wordpress.com)
Conclusion
I wanted to like this show so much. For about 10 episodes, I was hooked even though it wavered a bit in its storytelling. The central character was not all that interesting, but the world was engaging and the set ups had so much potential.
I was wrong to commit. The show degrades steadily into a mess that is hard to watch especially in its second half. No one is remotely likable or interesting with character arcs that hardly make sense, and no one matters as much as the show getting to its messy final mythology.
I slogged through the home stretch with the hope it would get better. At a certain point, I was only watching because I'd already committed. There's nothing redeemable about this show long term that lounges along to a languid conclusion that seems to think it built everyone to this satisfying conclusion.
I give the show credit for being interesting. I give it credit for pulling me in in the first place, but it stomped on that interest quickly and decisively. I would not recommend Guilty Crown to anyone at this point despite enjoying its opening.
I think there was real potential here, but the concept was far stronger than the execution while the world was far stronger than the characters. Basic storytelling killed this whole work.
I was wrong to commit. The show degrades steadily into a mess that is hard to watch especially in its second half. No one is remotely likable or interesting with character arcs that hardly make sense, and no one matters as much as the show getting to its messy final mythology.
I slogged through the home stretch with the hope it would get better. At a certain point, I was only watching because I'd already committed. There's nothing redeemable about this show long term that lounges along to a languid conclusion that seems to think it built everyone to this satisfying conclusion.
I give the show credit for being interesting. I give it credit for pulling me in in the first place, but it stomped on that interest quickly and decisively. I would not recommend Guilty Crown to anyone at this point despite enjoying its opening.
I think there was real potential here, but the concept was far stronger than the execution while the world was far stronger than the characters. Basic storytelling killed this whole work.