BNA

Alright alright. When I first took a glance at BNA, I felt that it was going to be something pretty cool and awesome. Well, was I wrong, or was I right? I’d say neither. BNA is a show that shows the darker side of the world if beastmen really existed. Firstly, I was pretty shocked to find out that BNA was 12 episodes instead of 24. The setting and everything made it feel like it would have lasted a lot longer than what it actually is. The world-building and everything made you have an easy understanding of what is going on with their world andI honestly appreciate that they used several episodes for that. The story is extremely simple and straightforward, with some things still left unexplained, such as how does Michiru has all these incredibly supernatural powers, even in a supernatural world. I personally enjoyed this show a lot, how you could have never dreamed of such a city being existent in our world. And that the balance between the comedy and the seriousness was of good standards. That dark feeling along with Slice of Life being the jam on top of it created that urban fantasy type of feeling. Even though the story was shown in a straight-forward and simple way as it chooses not to be sophisticated, however, those final few episodes in my honest opinion wasn’t able to push out a darker feeling than I expected it to release. Like I said, Slice of Life is the jam, don’t forget what you’re eating is still the bread. I feel that a darker final few episodes, even if the resolution is still the same, would have impacted many more audiences, myself included. Another thing that got me started on BNA was the pretty unique art style. Nowadays most modern anime (especially isekais) tend to adapt with that pretty generic art style which I don’t mean to be an elitist or anything, I don’t appreciate much. So having this unique curvy, joyful, and dynamic art style is definitely a plus in the art department. As for animation, I don’t have much to say, it’s Trigger. They've always been gorgeous when it comes to their style of animation. If they fail in animation, it’s the same as saying KyoAni produces shitty art—which in contrast, produces the most eye-candy art you'll ever imagine. As for sound goes, I was pretty satisfied. Actually, I was more than satisfied, I was pretty impressed. The OSTs, OP & ED, all had that urban modern society taste imbued into them, along with a bit of a futuristic kind of feeling as well. This led me to really enjoy them and rock to the beat, although that is more of a subjective thing. One OST that impacted me was that song Michiru and Nazuna sang together, it reminded me of how special friends were, and yeah. That’s literally all. The character development for the characters I would say wasn’t the most substantial, but it’s decent for a 12 episode series. Especially Oogami, his character development, backstory, and everything was really well-done and Trigger deserves a thumbs up for that. Michiru like what Nazuna always tells her hasn’t changed much. Well, I suppose that is pretty realistic, humans don’t change much over such a short period of time do they, especially for somebody as stubborn as Michiru. But the characters overall were really enjoyable and I had a really fun time watching them. (Especially my little precious bear Jackie) Overall, I had loads of fun watching BNA, although story-wise it was not even close to what I had wanted, but I got something else that I didn’t ask for: Fun character interaction. Honestly, I’m satisfied with just that. So, you interested in BNA? Sure, go ahead, but don’t expect some crazy complicated storyline that even the great Hououin Kyouma can’t figure out. ;)

Despite my negative comments below, I thoroughly enjoyed BNA, and so should you. Story: 7 As mentioned in some other reviews, the story becomes quite cliché as it moves on. There are so many questions that are left unanswered. BNA is a story that draws parallels between real-world discrimination and discrimination against the beastmen and also how money often drives horrible things that can happen in society. In trying to deliver this message through the story, Trigger did a great job, despite having a plot that is so obvious that it can be seen from a mile away. The story could have beenmuch better fleshed out and become much more comfortable and less rushed if the anime were longer than 12 episodes. I genuinely don't understand why they didn't bother making at least 24 episodes; I really would have liked some more slice-of-life sessions (such as the baseball arc) to break apart the fast-paced storyline, which would also have allowed the side characters to play a larger role in the story (Mink ex machina?). Sometimes I got tired watching the same people do the same things over and over again. The ideas in the story were quite inconsistent, and there were a lot of unexplained power-ups and ex machinas that could have been elaborated on. Art: 8 Trigger has a very specific art style which is different from what we usually expect and pairs well with the lo-fi musical feel. It takes a moment to get used to, although I did tend to enjoy it more as time went on. Sound: 9 Including the fantastic OP, the music has a great feel for the story and I enjoyed the lo-fi vibes even though this kind of music is actually not what I usually enjoy listening to. The voice actors were well-suited to their characters. Character: 6 Although I really enjoyed the characters (especially Michiru, of course) all of them ended up as some stereotype or very close to one. There's nothing that's new or refreshing brought to the table in BNA; they could have done so much more with it. Overall enjoyment: 9 I really did enjoy BNA. While the plot was a little obvious, I enjoyed watching the characters navigate the city and explore the world. The story is indeed obvious, but that's often because it often it's the best way to proceed. I particularly enjoyed Trigger's unusual animation style and the music! While there are some issues with the anime, they are not blatantly visible and are quite easy to miss if one isn't looking for them.

I'm convinced that Trigger has some of the most talented artists in the industry and some of the worst writers. Or pushiest executives. The show is gorgeous, vivid, and genuinely a breath of fresh air compared to some of the art styles of the modern era. The writing, on the other hand, really needs to have some more room to explore what it is its even trying to say. There is such a non committal game being played with the messaging and themes that it makes me believe an original story was had, and was great, but a room full of studio execs pulled itapart until it was such a shadow of itself that it became no longer recognizable. And it truly is a shame. Another victim of selective artistic expression due to a drive to be universally marketable from those who only see art as a commodity.

I am what you can call a huge Trigger fanboy, so I advise you to cautiously take this as enthusiasm, as guidance, or even just as a piece of experience that a viewer had for BNA. BNA is a freaking delight, but for reasons different from my profile picture. If there's one thing that could overcome my furry bias, it is my appreciation for the craft of Trigger studio. That said, I know this anime has evident flaws, and I will be judging it appropriately... after I shower it with praise and love. Story (9/10): I believe there are legitimate grounds for saying that the plot of thisanime feels tame. I, for one, felt it too, but perhaps for reasons different than most. Upon the near end of the anime, I began to feel like this is a tamer version of the concept of Kill la Kill. It has been spurred strongly by the nature of identity and self-acceptance that BNA fiercely integrated within its story and very conflict. In hindsight, I think rather than as a flaw, it is more of a Trigger trope at this point. Here is why I am embracing it instead. BNA did not feel pretentious. Much of the acceptance I felt from Kill la Kill (despite being about the strange connection with clothes), was translated very well in the format of beastmen in BNA. I believe this goes with the fact that the utilization of anthropomorphism did not feel like some random choice. It is tied very well with what the anime wanted to portray and wanted to be. BNA would not be complete without the beastmen aspect, much like Kill la Kill would not be striking without its recklessness with its clothes symbolism. It's a classic Trigger kind of exaggeration that feels strangely wholesome. Character (9/10): To relate with the previous aspect, I believe this is where the utilization of the beastmen aspect shines the strongest, particularly the philosophy of the characters and their ways of dealing with conflicts. This comes across especially striking due to the various natures of the character "types" being human, beastmen, hybrids and everything in between. This is where a lot of anime material aiming to be inspiration falls flat. However, BNA makes it so that the characters are grounded with reason and logic, where seeing both flaws and reality in character perceptions are able to be given empathy, but not necessarily agreement. This makes for compelling character dynamic, no matter how frustrating it gets. That said, I am sure this will be a point of conflict for other viewers, because it does come to a point where it seems horribly cliche in nature. For me, going back, I think people underestimate the effectiveness of using tropes. People see it as an unnecessary format, but rarely see it as an effective means to convey story and build up in a more convenient way. This is especially important for BNA due to its short runtime, where much of the main characters main frameworks are quickly explained for efficiency, while still leaving room for the parts of mysteries and plot developments. Plus, Michiru is simply too memorable. Sound (9/10): Absolutely love the energy here! It goes very well with the Trigger dynamic, so the chemistry is strong and it is very infectious! I wish there could have been stronger song themes for the tamer parts of the anime, but this is enough for the wild pacing and setup of the anime! Art (8/10): If I have to pick one anime to introduce people to Trigger, this will be it. For the nth time of mentioning, Kill la Kill is obviously not for the faint of heart. BNA, on the other hand, will be holding a special kind of fondness in my heart, and probably even for other people. It's the now typical Trigger stylization, but somehow remarkably defined well with its integration of animal characteristics. It feels like a legitimate and respectful take on anthropomorphism without appearing as pandering (the fanservice in this anime is very mild). While not for every episode, there are some strong visuals here and there. I would have to criticize the studio for placing some obvious budget cuts over some particular frames (not necessarily animation itself, but it counts for an art critique), especially for a short anime that needed the most it can get. Overall (9/10), I fully acknowledge and embrace my bias. Despite a good amount of flaws, my enjoyment far outweighs my sentiments for negativity over the material. I see BNA as a more family-friendly way of playing around with the theme of acceptance, as opposed to the aggressive take of Kill la Kill. But surprisingly, I don't think I will endorse this anime due to its "furry" aspects (Beastars, on the other hand...). I think it is a disservice to the anime to advertise this as merely that. It is a Trigger delight, much like the rest. It is a wild ride, and I will always be appreciative of anime that takes on the lesser uniform approach. I hope that more people will be involved with and look forward to more of their projects. They certainly delivered with this one!

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