Deca-Dence was not among the new anime series from summer 2020 that I initially watched. However, it was
something I always felt I would end up watching anyway. And since the things I had been hearing about
it indicated that it was seemingly something I would be interested on, I picked
it up sooner than later.
Deca-Dence is set in a post-apocalyptic future wherein Gadoll,
monsters that come in all kinds and sizes, had demolished human civilization
and are now in dominion over the land.
Meanwhile, the remnants of humanity are now living in a gargantuan
mobile city fortress named “Deca-Dence.”
The denizens of Deca-Dence are
divided into two classes: Gears and Tankers.
Gears are enhanced warriors whose responsibility is to battle Gadoll and
defend Deca-Dence from them. As the elite
class, they live in the opulent upper level of Deca-Dance. Meanwhile, Tankers are the lower class living
in the slum-esque “fuel tank” area of Deca-Dence. Being non-combatants, they perform mundane, lowly
tasks such as the maintenance of Deca-Dence and gathering food (i.e. Gadoll
meat). However, there are a few remarkable
Tankers who are recruited into “The Power”, and they get to fight alongside
Gears.
The story centers on Natsume, a
teenage orphan girl with a prosthetic arm who lost her arm and father to a
Gadoll attack while she was a child, and Kaburagi, a former decorated combatant
against the Gadoll who had lost interest with fighting and has resigned himself
to serve as an armor-repairer of Deca-Dence.
Natsume’s dream is to become part of The Power, like her father, but her
request is denied, and she’s instead assigned to be an armor-repairer under
Kaburagi’s supervision. During a Gadoll
attack, Natsume and Kaburagi accidentally fall into the middle of the battle,
and the latter is forced to show off his skills, much to the former’s
amazement. Afterward, Natsume starts
begging Kaburagi to train her. Kaburagi
is adamant at first, but after being moved by Natsume’s plucky determination,
he gives in.
Based on that synopsis, Deca-Dence seemed to be something inspired
by Attack on Titan, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Mortal Engines, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, and Snowpiercer. However, that particular
setup is actually just based on the pilot episode’s presentation. It’s not really the whole picture. In the second episode, a fantastic,
mindblowing plot twist is dropped, revealing what the real deal with this anime
actually is. It explains why the show
per the pilot seems trope-y, and establishes the true direction of the
narrative moving forward.
As it turns out, (MAJOR SPOILERS
from here on), it’s more accurate to compare Deca-Dence to The Matrix,
Westworld, and Jurassic Park. For, unbeknownst
to the Tankers, Deca-Dence is actually a freakin’
theme park! It is set within a
bubble on what used to be Eurasia, and serves as a colossal entertainment facility
for cute, stylized, cartoon-y robot beings who are living in a spaceship above
the bubble. Gadoll are actually
manufactured, and the Gears are the avatars of these robots when they log in to
the game. Kaburagi is one of these
beings himself, but had been demoted to live among the Tankers. Almost ready to kill himself, he finds new purpose
in guiding Natsume toward having true freedom.
This is definitely the greatest anime plot twist I’ve encountered in recent memory.
And since this show is an anime original – i.e. not based on a source
material – the surprise couldn’t be spoiled prior, and thus, proves utterly
potent.
This twist fuels a lasting sense
of enthusiasm for this anime series moving forward. Although the plot no longer has any such huge,
jaw-dropping revelations to offer after this, the enjoyment from watching it doesn’t
let up. All throughout, Deca-Dence remains riveting and
appealing on several layers. You get
truly invested into the worldbuilding and storytelling involved in both its
in-game and “real-world” contexts.
Moreover, the unique conventions and
conceits it has in place generate genuinely exciting set pieces. The battles against the Gadoll in particular involve
some pretty exhilarating aerial action scenes.
But my favorite set pieces are hands down those involving Deca-Dence
itself. Whenever the giant mobile city had to perform its convoluted
but lore-consistent attack preparation, I got giddy without fail. And once its hard-hitting attack got released
on a kaiju, I felt quite a rush.
All in all, Deca-Dence is a compelling anime.
The amazing plot twist plays a huge part in that, but it’s not just
that. It’s simply solid all across the
board of its production. Admittedly, although
it tries to have some depth, it’s not exactly profound, nor is it original with
its themes. But as far as entertainment
value goes, it delivers a rewarding extent.
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