Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato is an anime film
that serves as continuation of the 2016 anime TV show. It’s set six months after the events of that 12-episode
series, and follows the Kabaneri (half-man, half-Kabane) Ikoma and Mumei, along
with their friends in the armored train Kōtetsujō,
as they stop by the town of Umato to aid with the efforts of ridding it of the Kabane
(iron-hearted zombies) before they can proceed with their journey back to
Aragene Station.
With the operation finally entering
its final stages, what’s only left to do is to launch an assault at the Kabane-held
hilltop castle overlooking the town. And
with the Narukami – an armored train
with a giant canon mounted on it – on hand to shell this last enemy stronghold,
it seems like victory is certain.
However, this could actually end up being a tough undertaking for Ikoma
and Mumei, considering that they not only have to deal with Kabane displaying
atypical, strange behavior, but with the prejudice and arrogance of the Federal
Forces as well.
There’s an argument to be made about
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress being
just an Attack on Titan knockoff. Nevertheless, even though the latter part of
the series definitely turned out being a mess, I became genuinely fascinated
with its steampunk/feudal Japan/zombie genre mashup of a premise (especially
early in the series), and really grew fond of the Kōtetsujō crew. Thus, I did
desire to see more of this anime, and was delighted that a sequel movie has
been released this year.
It was already more than three
years ago when I watched the series, though, so while watching the movie, it
took me a while to get reacquainted with the ensemble and remember why I got to
like them in the first place. However,
when I finally get into the groove of their chemistry once again, I was able to
enjoy this movie more thoroughly. The film
also started with an exciting action sequence, so it had me going until then.
As a whole, the action in this
film is pretty good. There’s rush to be had from several high spots. Crisp, clean, gorgeous animation brings this about, satisfying well on this end of
the production.
On the other hand, the script is
somewhat derivative. Story beats are
predictable. There’s nothing in it that can
make one go, “Hey, that’s clever!” However,
the consolation is that the execution of these clichés is solid enough that it
avoids getting boring.
Lastly, for what it’s worth, the dance
scene during the end credits is quite cute, a lot of fun, and weirdly not
uncharacteristic.
All in all, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato will amply please – especially sakuga-wise – those who have seen the original series and would want to see more of it. However, disappointment may also be the ensuing sentiment
for those who are hoping that this would serve as a second chance for the
property to do something great with its cool premise.
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