Anime Hajime Review: Drifters

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Drifters. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

In 1600, during the Battle of Sekigahara, Shimazu Toyohisa (voiced by Yuichi Nakamura) takes one final stand. Although successful in his mission, Toyohisa is badly wounded. Wandering through the forest, he finds himself in a strange place.

Alone in a bright white hallway, Toyohisa is at a loss. On either side of him are countless doors. And in front of him sits a modern-day bureaucrat at his desk reading. Toyohisa demands to know where he is. In response, the samurai's pulled into one of the doors and brought to an unknown world.

In a land of mythical creatures and magic, Toyohisa is unsure of what has become of him. However, things only become more confusing when he learns he's not the only one like him.

In an abandoned castle, Toyohisa meets two of Japan’s most powerful fighters. The famous warlord, Oda Nobunaga (voiced by Naoya Uchida) and the legendary samurai Nasu no Yoichi (voiced by Mitsuki Saiga). Together, these three are members of an infamous group of warriors known as the Drifters.

Strangers to this world, the Drifters have been brought to face a coming calamity. Though this isn't their home, some of history’s most deadly must save it.

Series Positives

Alright, what happens when you mix J.R.R. Tolkien with history? And then make it as insane as possible? I imagine you’ll get Drifters.

Holy hell, what did I just watch?

Toyohisa

I’ll admit, I wasn't a huge fan of the last adaptation of one of Kouta Hirano's works, Hellsing Ultimate. There were a lot of things which annoyed me about it. The ending for example. Yet the action and Hirano’s art style weren't part of that. I wasn’t aware Drifters was Hirano’s newest when I started. But I figured it out pretty f@#$ing fast.

Nobunaga

There were times I swear I was watching Hellsing again. Olminu (voiced Shiho Kokido) looked a lot like Seras Vicotria. NOT JUST WITH HER BREASTS. Yah pervs. They weren’t the only physical similarity. A conniving Nobunaga was the spitting image of a maniacal Walter C. Dornez. And given the right lighting and angle, Toyohisa was almost indistinguishable from Alucard himself.

Yoich

Coming from the same source, the visual similarities are to expected. But the damn near identical nature maybe should be negative. If you want see it that way, go right ahead. I'm worrying about it though.

Drifters showcased the most redeeming and memorable aspects of Hellsing Ultimate. And it puts them in a show that's, above and beyond, much more awesome than its predecessor.

Drifters kicked ass.

The Action

This series started with a bang.

While it wasn't clear what would play out, it was clear on how it would play out. Violent, bloody, and brutal. Graphic deaths were abundant. For those with weak constitutions, brace yourself.

I’ve gone over many times how violence is only a tool for visual storytelling. If used incorrectly, it doesn't work. Violence can help set tone. It can make events more serious. It can add weight. It can add purpose. Or in the case of Drifters, it can add spectacle.

Drifters wasn’t serious. Any weight it had wasn’t shared by everyone. And its purpose was to go big. And big it went.

If it’s ever decided to redo Lord of the Rings as “not for children”, Drifters would be a good reference. The fantasy wasn’t all that important. The series wasn’t beholden to it at least. Sure there were dwarves, elves, and goblins, but a sword to the gut was still pretty effective.

Magic existed. But magic could also be overcome. Sorcery did get used, just not as the decisive element. A person's pure determination could win the day. That was cool to see. And it would have been enough. Except Drifters didn’t stop there.

This show emphasized strategy. More often than not, characters had a plan. And seeing those plans unfold made the show all that more fun.

There was a point when the Drifters had to defend against a retaliation force. Having a good strategist would've been a huge help. But remember, this series had some of history's greatest military strategists. Raw talent can get you far. But that, plus experience, makes you unbeatable. The tactics used by the Drifters in this one battle were brilliant. If not terrifying.

The thing about the fights in Drifters, there was no hesitation. They were always moving forward. Nothing broke up the action. The killing didn’t stop until the battle was over.

The Drifters

Going back to Hellsing Ultimate, Alucard was also one of the best things about that show. He was arrogant, bloodthirsty, and unstoppable. He was in control of any given situation. He never panicked under pressure. Him just being on screen was enough to make the show entertaining.

So, if one Alucard could do that, imagine what several could do. Surprise, the best thing about Drifters were the Drifters.

First off, the choice of characters was entertaining in its own right. This series chose some interesting people. Some got me pumped. Others, though, left me going “Oh my God, we’re really doing this?”

Here was a group made up of some of history's most pivotal and violent people. Most only knew blood from their time. They weren't peaceful. Some did have a sense of honor and had areas where they would not go. Others didn’t. They didn't give any kind of s@#$s.

But it was that not giving s@#$ which made them so fun. The Drifters had goals. Goals that happened to line up with the oppressed people of the land. Their motivations were their own, but they got the job done. The problem for their adversaries, what the Drifters wanted to do and how far they would go to do it was unclear. They were unpredictable.

While this applies to all the Drifters, I want to focus on the main three.

Of the three, Yoichi got the least amount of screen time. Interesting since he was the one given the most backstory. Though he had no qualms about killing just like his comrades, he was the most even-keeled. He wouldn’t go off as often. Yet, he would be the one to egg on his more volatile associates. Yoichi also had the most regret about his past actions. This was the character the show could've developed the most.

Next is Toyohisa. It was his tenacity that made him great. He loved fighting and death and killing. He was most comfortable in battle. There were monsters and beast, but Toyohisa surpassed all them. This unstoppable nature always threw off his opponents. Especially the ones who relied on logic and reason. Toyohisa didn’t worry about those things. Wherever his goal stood, that was where he was going to go.

Now let's talk about Nobunaga. He was the best character. And there were a lot of good ones. He was the epitome of egotism and self-promotion. He talked a big game. He was always manipulating. He carried himself as if he had all the answers. These are traits I often find annoying. Except Nobunaga could back them up. This wasn’t a front, this was him. He earned the right to be an ass hole. Even still, Nobunaga wasn’t immune from taking a jab. Toyohisa and Yoichi never let him slide.

It was the combination of three proud fighters working together. They didn’t care about rank because they were from stories of history. They were from different eras, from different clans. They just so happened to all be Japanese. But that wasn’t enough to warrant respect from each other. Their actions did that.

Series Negatives

Drifters was pure adrenaline, through and through. It was always doing something. It was always going forward. It got bigger. It got better. This show was never dull. I became glued to the screen. I couldn’t look away. At one point as I switched to the next episode I noticed, “Holy crap, I’m on episode eleven. Where did it all go?”

Even in shows I enjoy to no end, I’m often aware of where I’m at in the show. To cut that awareness is a huge feat.

If you were to ask what I thought about Drifters the moment after I finished, I would’ve gushed. “It was great. Fantastic. It was amazing when this scene happened. This other fight kicked ass. It was awesome when this one character did this.” It would've been easy for me to that. And it will be easy for me to it again long down the road.

And then if you were to ask me about the story, that answer would be easy too.

“I have no idea.”

I don’t remember much of the story. I know the Drifters were fighting to overthrow a regime. But why?

You could say because it was the right thing to do. Except for these characters, I don’t buy that.

There were injustices happening. This would make Toyohisa and Yoichi fight. There was a chance for conquest, giving Nobunaga cause. That was all well and good, but what of the Ends then. You know, those other historical figures that were given magic. What did they have to do with any of this?

Oh, they wanted to overthrow the human world. Yeah, that’s a motivation. But wasn’t that what the Drifters were doing. Weren’t they trying to achieve the same thing?

Sure, in the finale, it hinted that maybe there was more to the story. Yet I’m not sure of the main story yet.

There was a lot to this show that wasn’t explained.

This is a problem. I won’t ignore this. Except, I’m not upset about it. Drifters took steps to mitigate this issue. The big one being, the main characters didn’t know what was going on either. The unknown was equal. Had this balance shifted in either direction, then there would be more to talk about.

The other advantage Drifters had was its awesome factor. This was one of those series that kept throwing cool s@#$ at your face. It was relentless. If a show can maintain that's great.

But it’s unsustainable. Soon something will break. Eventually, a show will use up all its tricks. Right now, Drifters is safe. But if this series continues, then there needs to be more.

Final Thoughts

Drifters made a bold proclamation at the end of episode twelve. Some shows imply there will be a second season. Drifters declared it. There wasn’t a date. Just an “it’s coming.” I hope this becomes a reality. And given what I just saw, I think the chances are high.

If you’re watching this show for the story, it’s not here yet. But in its place is a spectacle. The fights, the art style, the violence, it’s all over the top. And the characters take this already fascinating idea and bring it higher. I couldn't get enough.

Of course I recommend Drifters. Now it’s time to start counting down the days until season two.

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