***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Deadman
Wonderland. Reader discretion is advised.***
Series Synopsis
That day started like any
other. Ganta Igarashi (voiced by Romi Park) spent the morning talking with his
friends about their upcoming field trip to the half theme park half prison
facility known as Deadman Wonderland. During class, Ganta sees an ominous
figure floating outside the window. Muscular and covered in a crimson cloak,
the stranger peers into the room and cracks a terrifying smile.
Without warning, the man in
red violently attacks the unsuspecting students. Ganta wakes up to find himself
alone in the now destroyed classroom. After coming to his senses, he notices his
friends have been brutally slaughtered and standing before him is the Red Man. The
fiend implants a strange red crystal into Ganta’s chest and the boy collapses.
When he wakes up in the
hospital, Ganta is surrounded by a swarm of unfamiliar faces. He is informed
that he is the sole survivor of the attack and is being charged for the crime.
Having become the most hated person in Japan in a very short period of time,
Ganta is declared guilty and sentenced to death.
Ganta is to await his
punishment at the very same institution he was meant to visit, the notorious
Deadman Wonderland. Quickly learning of the compound’s cruel nature, Ganta is
certain he will not last long. With all hope seemingly lost, he meets a
mysterious albino girl named Shiro (voiced by Kana Hanazawa) and she promises to
watch over him. |
| Ganta |
Almost instantly, an accident
occurs which threatens to end both their lives. At the final second, the crystal
inside Ganta’s chest glows, bestowing on him powerful supernatural abilities
and he is able to save both Shiro and himself.
 |
| Shiro |
Discovering what he is capable
of, Ganta learns there is more to the prison then meets the eye and he is one
of dozens of inmates known as Deadmen. With the help of Shiro, Ganta will try
to expose what is really going on, while at the same time clear his name.
Series Positives
I often don’t know a lot
about a show before watching, but there are times when certain anime grab my
attention. Deadman Wonderland was an
example of this.
I was looking forward to this
series. Despite my eagerness, it would be unfair to say whether the show met my
exceptions since I really didn't know what to expect. Therefore the real
question is “was I justified in my excitement”? For the most part…yeah, I think
I was.
Premises and Setting
One of the first things you’ll
notice is the world of Deadman Wonderland
feels believable. That may seem like a strange thing to say, but it honestly
does. The whole premise of series wasn’t all that complex, so there was no need
to spend a lot of time building up why things worked the way they did. Because
of its simplicity, the foundation of the story was solid as rock.
This show also reminded me
why I love anime weird. Just the whole idea of a Deadman Wonderland is
outstanding. The facility was the first privately owned prison in Japan. While
there were rumors of the inhuman condition occurring inside its walls, the truth
was much more disturbing and operating this behemoth wasn’t cheap. So to pay for
it all, Deadman Wonderland was also a theme park for the general public that
specializes in gladiatorial like exploitation of the inmates.
Why...because anime.
The Beginning
Did Deadman Wonderland blow me away? In the end no, but it did at
first.
If an anime wants to start
off with a bang and then worry about story, well then it needs to look at Elfen Lied for perfection. But if an
anime not only wants to hook the audience but at the same time build tension,
suspense, and intrigue, few do it better than Deadman Wonderland.
The first half of the show
was done brilliantly. On the surface it may seem like a ton of information is thrown
at you. This is why I love this beginning because in reality you actually learn
very little about what's going on. Deadman
Wonderland tells you just enough and at just the right times. You’re in the
dark and know as much as the main protagonist.
Every episode in the
beginning wasn’t simply adding layers of complexity. Instead they were slowly
revealing the truth. It was never confusing or convoluted. It was clear that
all the pieces existed, they just weren’t with you yet.
Series Negatives
Near the half-way point I was
starting to wonder if I would need to stretch a little to find something I didn’t
like about this show. There were a few issues, but I was ready to forgive them
because of how amazing everything had been, up to that point.
Then the series made a very
serious mistake and never again did the show match the same level of quality.
Tension Breakers
I've made mention of this in
a few of my reviews, but unneeded and unwanted humor is a prevalent problem in
many shows. They serve no function in terms of story and only manage to break
up the action and destroy the atmosphere of a scene.
These kinds of moments
usually come in the form of actions and expressions that are meant for a comedy
series. But for whatever reason they find their way into every anime genre. Deadman Wonderland ran rampant with
these and the vast majority of these tension breakers were the direct result of
Shiro. 
It's true that her
personality was childlike and she had a tendency to down play the direness of
certain situations; it’s what made her an interesting character. However, did
the story really have to rely on silliness to achieve humor? It made it hard to
connect with what was going on because in the back of my mind, I always aware
of the horrible events that had taken place.
Is it possible for a show to
maintain a serious tone, while at the same time have comedic relief? Of course
it is and in many ways it can help the overall story. It just needs to be done
right.
The Ending *Possible Spoiler*
This is an example of an
anime failing to deliver.
The ending was neither bad
nor good. The ending doesn’t exist. There was no resolution. Every question went
unanswered. The entire series was build up; there was never a true climatic
moment. No final showdown of any kind. The ending was nothing more than a set
up for a second season.
Sadly, there has been no
indication at the time of me writing this review that Deadman Wonderland will ever get that second season. It appears as
though the anime strayed a bit too far from the original source material and it
will be too difficult to effectively tell the final chapters. That excuse is
unacceptable, finish the damn the story.
While this is aggravating, as
far as cliffhanger endings go this one wasn’t all that bad. In fact, for what
it was, there's really no reason to get completely upset about it. However, it
was the absolute final scene of the show that infuriated me. It was a blatant
reminder of the biggest mistake Deadman
Wonderland made.
Plot Twists and Wasted Potential
Earlier I said that there was
a moment in the show where things began to stumble and the series made a huge
mistake.
I don’t want to give anything
away so I won’t say when this scene happens exactly, but it's the biggest waste
of a plot twist I have ever seen. This moment was so unbelievably botched and
to make things worse, it was actually a good twist. The issue was with when and
how it was revealed.
We had no business learning
this aspect of the story when we did. It was something that could have been
saved for a more appropriate time. I’m am convinced that many people, including
myself, would not have been able to put it all together if it was revealed near
the end.
For fairness, let’s assume it
was important for the story to tell us when it did. However, the actual
revelation was inexcusable. It comes out of compete nowhere and it was very
casually mentioned, so much so that you may actually miss it.
I don’t know if I can express
just how upsetting this was and not spoil anything, but I guess that's just the
way it has to be.
Final Thoughts
I’ve already said it but it
bears repeating, Deadman Wonderland will
keep your interest. I can’t think of a single moment where I was bored.
The show starts off strong.
Even if the second half slows down in comparison, you’ll be hard pressed to put
the series down. Because of this, Deadman
Wonderland is able remain a strong anime despite the many problems it has.
As it stands though, what you’re
left with is a great anime that you’ll remember for a long time.
 |
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