Anime Reviews

Zankyou no Terror | Review [RAW]

"Zankyou no Terror" is a terrifying thriller that will resonate with your soul.

I don't know what expectations I had for this anime, but it sure exceeded any thoughts about it swirling around in my mind.

"Zankyou no Terror" is a story about two odd teenage boys, Nine and Twelve.  As terrorists, they go by the name of "Sphinx," uploading videos to tell where the next attack will be. The police are powerless to stop these children -- who shouldn't even exist -- from pulling the trigger on this world.

The three main voice actors of this series open the audience to a whole new world of desperation, solitude, and hope. Ishikawa, Kaito plays the brilliant, but shut off Nine, a genius hacker and brilliant mastermind (also played Harutora [Tokyo Ravens]). Ishikawa takes Nine's sadistic, yet kind and insucure personality and molds a new voice for this character. The voice is deep and silky like velvet, but hides a certain weakness under the dark tones. Likewise, Saito, Soma takes Twelve's character and does his own this with it, bringing the street smart, energetic boy to life (also played Tatsumi [Akame ga Kill!]). It reminds one of a dark and twisted Nagisa (Free!!), but holds more depth than that. The boys' accomplice, Mishima, Lisa, was voiced by Tanezaki, Atsumi who did a wonderful portrayal of a young, lonely girl with deep insecurities (also played Natsume, Asako [Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun]). She has a sweet, timid voice that makes this otherwise uncharming girl kind of cute.

This anime was definitely my favorite this season. I'm constantly on the look out for a good psychological thriller. I was not left down. It all started with the opening song that just screamed 'love me!' And as ordered, I fell in love. Not only did it seem to have a good base for a great storyline, but it was intriguing from just the art alone. This is the first time I had ever seen such detailed, and realistic animation -- the first time characters actually looked Japanese. And it just gets better. The music was truly the best of this season. There is a segment in the anime where Nine has a nightmare, and I say other should take notes, because that is how a nightmare should look and sound. It was a chaotic dream sequence with vague images telling a background story, accompanied by eerie music that further accentuated the dream-like state (lolol - OST). And that is how a nightmare should go. Another part I felt was executed correctly was the pacing. I don't think any pacing was a bit off in this anime the transitions were smoothe, Twelve's and Nine's motives were slowly unveilved, and there were no characters introduced last minute. There was only one thing that bothered me: a character named Five. She was severely detrimental to the boys' plans. And maybe this is me hating on the character, but I felt that her existence affected the anime greatly, in a slightly negative way. But it happened, and now that it's over, I am not complaining. 

There is a constant message being played throughout "Zankyou no Terror"; Von. It is of Icelandic origin, and most of the OSTs are sung in this language, making them sound like a piece of Björk's. The constant message of 'Von' means 'Hope.' Twelve and Nine are trying to remind themselves --and others -- of hope. I feel that all the subliminal messages in this anime are very deep; enough to make one cry.

Now this anime, like all psychological thrillers, is for the discerning of mind. There are a lot of mental games, and if you enjoy figuring those out and playing along, you will enjoy this anime. For those who likes animes with a deeper meaning, this one is also for you. However, if you are the type to like fluffy shoujo stories, I suggest you give this a chance, but you might not like it. All I can say is that this is the first time I've ever truly been satisfied with an anime that only ran for eleven episodes. It was a short ride, but a memorable one.

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Story - 9

From the beginning, the base plot was perfectly mapped out with a pretty accurate summary of what the show might be like. As the story continued more characters were introduced -- all with the purpose of helping the storyline. Even having been annoyed by one (Five), she was not detrimental to the plot in the long run.

Art - 10

Whike it may look rather plain, the artwork is really THE best ALL season. The characters actually look Japanese, not to mention very realistic. So much detail went into the characters from their waving hair to the subtle qualities in their eyes, to each expression and mannerism. 

Music - 10

Like the art, the music had to be the best of the season. I don't give many tens for music, but this anime deserved it. First it was the opening that gripped me by the shoulders, invoking the emotions of suspense, yearning, and fear. All the OSTs were beautiful were a melodic tune that captured the thrilling and mysterious essence of the show. And to close it off was the ending; a surreal piece that excited me, but was very bloodthirsty, if not a bit desperate.

Character - 9

The character establishment was perfect. Twelve and Nine are introduced in the most uncanny way, as well as Lisa. Lisa's past and disappointing present are given in the first episode, and clarified upon throughout the series. Then the show moves onto the boys' pasts, taking a slight detour for detective Shibazaki who is working on the 'Sphinx' case. Then Five appears, making me question the show for a bit, but my worries were resolved in a wonderful, if not heartbreaking fashion. 

Enjoyment - 10

"Zankyou no Terror" started with no place on my 'hype list,' and ended with the top slot. I love this show a lot, and am probably not going to find another like it for a long time. But that's fine. It is finding these gems that make watching anime so worth my while. 

Overall - 9.6

Overall, I very much enjoyed this anime with only one moment of doubt (a first for me!). It has all the elements I need in a perfect story; fitting music, subliminal messages, well rounded characters, great art, and an intriguing storyline. I am confident enough to say that this anime deserves only scores above eight, and it is well worth the watch.

*Anime in External Link

Favorite Character: Nine

Favorite Ship: TwelvexLisa

Favorite Song: "Von" - OST