I think we've officially reached the pinnacle in the abundance of Sci-Fi Futuristic Anime shows, especially since Netflix started contributing. A genre which I loved, but over the years I've become jaded on. While the shows were all unique in some fashion, they nonetheless begin to blend together over time.
However, it was Gen:Lock that unexpectedly reignited my spark for the genre. I was immediately engaged and had that long-lost "Hell Yeah!" feeling.
The graphics are brilliant, as is the music. The sci-fi futuristic technology is cool albeit not entirely original. The voice-acting is well received with fun and interesting characters.
On the other hand, many similar shows have also successfully achieved these same elements, so I found myself wondering, what made THIS show stand out?
Simply put, Gen:Lock got the formula right.
As opposed to many of its predecessors, it doesn't dwell on a long-winded, convoluted history of the reasons of why "Side A" is at war with "Side B". The backstory we are given is that there's a governing body and a resistance, and frankly it's enough to go on without raising unanswered questions.
Having cut that initial larger backstory, the show isn't bogged down by many simultaneous plots or a mountain of characters to try and keep track of.
Rather, the focus (in addition to the futuristic tech) falls on the cast of roughly 5 or 6 characters. And of course, less backstory dialogue leaves room for more jaw-dropping action sequences =) It truly is a show you can hop right in to!
Although the plot is straightforward, I don't want to leave the impression that the show is dumbed-down or one-dimensional by any means. I've only seen 3 episodes so far and there is already plenty of allusion to the secrets and mystery of the experimental technology, as well as the characters themselves, all of which are progressively unfolding.
*As an aside, being that this is an American show, I do appreciate that I can better relate to the show's culture, characters, and dialogue etc. However, I won't say that that aspect alone makes the show "better". For me, I just consider it icing on the cake*
10/10 **********
However, it was Gen:Lock that unexpectedly reignited my spark for the genre. I was immediately engaged and had that long-lost "Hell Yeah!" feeling.
The graphics are brilliant, as is the music. The sci-fi futuristic technology is cool albeit not entirely original. The voice-acting is well received with fun and interesting characters.
On the other hand, many similar shows have also successfully achieved these same elements, so I found myself wondering, what made THIS show stand out?
Simply put, Gen:Lock got the formula right.
As opposed to many of its predecessors, it doesn't dwell on a long-winded, convoluted history of the reasons of why "Side A" is at war with "Side B". The backstory we are given is that there's a governing body and a resistance, and frankly it's enough to go on without raising unanswered questions.
Having cut that initial larger backstory, the show isn't bogged down by many simultaneous plots or a mountain of characters to try and keep track of.
Rather, the focus (in addition to the futuristic tech) falls on the cast of roughly 5 or 6 characters. And of course, less backstory dialogue leaves room for more jaw-dropping action sequences =) It truly is a show you can hop right in to!
Although the plot is straightforward, I don't want to leave the impression that the show is dumbed-down or one-dimensional by any means. I've only seen 3 episodes so far and there is already plenty of allusion to the secrets and mystery of the experimental technology, as well as the characters themselves, all of which are progressively unfolding.
*As an aside, being that this is an American show, I do appreciate that I can better relate to the show's culture, characters, and dialogue etc. However, I won't say that that aspect alone makes the show "better". For me, I just consider it icing on the cake*
10/10 **********