'Appare-Ranman!' Is Awesome

Appare-Ranman! has been my favorite anime to watch during the recently finished summer season.  Technically, it isn’t really a summer anime, as it debuted last spring and was supposed to run in that season.  However, after only a few episodes, its production was interrupted by the pandemic, so its run was postponed.  It restarted itself back to episode 1 for the summer season, wherein it finally got to complete its 13-episode run.

Set in an alternate late 19^th century, Appare-Ranman! follows the adventure of an eccentric, genius inventor named Appare Sorano and the hapless samurai tasked to watch over him named Kosame Isshiki.  After a mishap with the steamship that Appare made, the duo gets stranded in the open sea, until a passing American ship picks them up and takes them to Los Angeles.  There, they learn of the upcoming “Trans-America Wild Race”, which will take place from Los Angeles to New York.  Appare, having become totally enamored with automobiles, decides to convert his steamship into a race car so that they can enter the race and win the prize money, which they can use to return back to Japan.  Soon, a Native American boy named Hototo joins their team.  Now a trio, they have to overcome their zany, formidable rivals as well as the various challenges and perils of the Wild West as they aim to become the first ones to cross the finish line.

Wacky Races is probably my most favorite Hanna-Barbera cartoon ever.  I never get tired of re-watching all of its episodes once every few years.  So Appare-Ranman! being seemingly reminiscent of Wacky Races was the main reason why I checked it out in the first place.  However, while the anime features an unconventional race and a cast of colorful characters, it isn’t necessarily the Wacky Races anime I thought it was going to be.

First of all, while the cars have distinctive designs, they don’t necessarily have special motifs like the cars in Wacky Races.  With the exception of Appare’s car, the other cars don’t really have gimmicks.  And even the gimmick of Appare’s car is pretty basic compared to the delightfully comical ones that the cars in Wacky Races have.

Secondly, while they are legitimately competing against each other – two of the characters, Dylan and TJ, are even regularly legit shooting at each other – the racers don’t really have that sense of rivalry going among them.   From the get go, it’s clear that their dynamic is that of the typical nakama.  Dylan and TJ’s gun fights are essentially, for all intents and purposes, just banters between two opposite nakama members, similar to that between Zoro and Sanji in One Piece.

And thirdly, the story isn’t necessarily centered on the race itself, but rather on the events that occur before and during it.  In addition, the main conflict isn’t the competition among the racers themselves, but between the racers (again, they’re a nakama) and a ruthless gang of bandits who proceed to disrupt the race.

But it doesn’t really matter if Appare-Ranman! is not a Wacky Races anime.  It’s still an extremely appealing show.  It admittedly doesn’t that much unique depth to it, but it is oozing with so much style and swag.  The tone and humor are amiably apt.  The characters are fleshed out well enough and thoroughly lovable.  The storytelling and worldbuilding are utterly immersive.

I especially love how it’s a creative genre mashup in the same way Cowboy Bebop is.  If nothing else, it’s a pleasing fusion of steam punk, racing, samurai, gunslingers, outlaws, Indians, hip hop culture, Americana, and other elements.  As a result of this kind of implausible mixing, various cool, amusing anachronisms arise, such as automobile racing and a 1960’s diner existing during the Wild West time period.  Furthermore, because of the eclectic character types and themes on hand, there’s diversity with the action – from typical Western battles to kenjutsu to fencing to kung fu to even freakin’ gun kata.  And, of course, the music also reflects all of these as it also ranges from jazz to hip hop to J-Rock (the OP is fantastic, by the way).

All in all, Appare-Ranman! is an absolute treat.  It’s unfortunately not as popular as it should be, but I genuinely believe it’s one of the most worthwhile and inspired anime in recent years.