Review | Tokyo 24th Ward (Episode 1 - 6)

“Tokyo 24th Ward struggles to find its ground in the first episodes but once it does, it delivers. This series has compelling characters and striking visuals.”

Tokyo 24th Ward is an original anime, it’s a drama thriller. I have been waiting to see a few episodes before reviewing this series to have a good idea of where this was going. So, is this anime worth watching?

STORY

Tokyo 24th Ward has an interesting premise. It’s the story of three friends (Shu, Ran and Ko) who have to decide on life-and-death situations after they receive visual messages from their deceased friend. And all of that happens in the 24th ward of Tokyo, an artificial island that has a dystopian feel.

However, in the first three episodes, it doesn’t feel like the series knows what it wants to be. Is it an action thriller, is it a slice of life, is it science fiction, or all the above? I was left wondering where the story is going. Because, let’s be honest, it wasn’t very clear. Nevertheless, the first three episodes are still entertaining. I felt invested enough in the characters to continue watching.

Fortunately, the series does find its ground starting episode four. I just think that it needed more time to introduce the main plot. But once it gets going it’s even better. The story has stakes, action and also emotion. So I’m definitely excited to see where it’s going next. I just hope that considering the nature of the story, the writers have an endgame. One thing is sure, the writers have created an engaging and rich world.

CHARACTERS

The main three characters (Shu, Ran and Ko) are well written and quite compelling. They are so different from each other. Ko is the serious one who wants to follow the rules no matter what, while Ran is a art lover and a free spirit. And Shu is the guy who wants to be a hero so he is always going to try to help people. Shu is definitely my favorite character. He has the most potential and he’s so endearing. And as the story goes, it’s interesting to see the gap forming between them. They were once friends but obviously, they don’t have the same vision on how to handle the whole situation. Thus, they don’t work as an actual team and do things on their own.

Tokyo 24th Ward has bright and colorful visuals. It’s quite striking. CloverWorks has created a beautiful world. It’s anchored in our present world with elements of dystopian science fiction. I’m impressed by its quality. It’s one of the main strengths of this series.

OPENING AND END CREDITS

The opening credits give me vibes from Banana Fish. And it has a lot to do with the fact that it’s also Survive Said The Prophet who sings the opening for this series. This is a killer Rock group! It’s a dynamic opening with a song that stays in your head. I can tell you I have listened to ‘Papersky’ on repeat.

As for the end credits, it’s sung by the three lead actors as their characters. And I can’t resist hearing Yuma Uchida’s singing voice. It’s a really fine end credits.

VERDICT

Tokyo 24th Ward struggles to find its ground in the first episodes but once it does, it delivers. This series has compelling characters, Shu is an instant favorite! And, it’s visually striking.