9w1. While Kodaka agreed that character designer Komatsuzaki does not care about his works sharing similarities, the team wanted each of them to stand out in the same fashion protagonists of Danganronpa stand out. [31] The opening theme is "STEAL!!" The ordinary citizen ends up helping Courier in destroying a tank drone. In order to make the narrative more thrilling, during recording of the series, the Executioners were given more ruthless lines and interactions than the Akudama, even though the latter are criminals. The artistic direction was hence based on the Osaka streetscape from the 1960s and 1970s. [64][65] On its premiere, the series attracted multiple positive reactions from fans and reviews, citing similarities between Kodaka's Danganronpa series and the 1982 film Blade Runner. [2] Comic Book Resources regarded the animation in regards to the setting as one of the reasons why the anime became popular, referring to Kansai as "distinctively cyberpunk" as well as the dark elements provided subsequently. Lauren Orsini from Anime News Network and D. M. Moore from Polygon regarded Akudama Drive as their most anticipated series from Fall 2020. After Hacker passes to the afterlife, Swindler and Courier discuss their next move. [20] Otaku USA felt Swindler's inclusion within the Akudamas as a form of black comedy due to her innocence and how she is forced to deal with life-threatening situations as a result of only wanting to return Courier's lost money. Courier is cornered by more Executioners, but people's protest against Swindler's murder allows him to escape with the children. [31][32], The character's death in the finale was also well received for the impact made as she interacts with the Executioners as she forces her own death so that Courier will transport Brother and Sister to a safe place while using her death scene as something the citizens of Kansai make each other wonder what is exactly a criminal resulting in mayhem in the entire city. [66] The Fandom Post gave the first episode a "B", finding the large cast fun but at the same time hilarious when they are introduced. Is However, with his hacking skills, he was able to protect his mind data before getting taken by Kanto's true form, allowing him to live inside and continue to interact with the outside thanks to his drones. [27], Starting with the series' eighth episode, writers noticed a major change in Swindler's personality symbolized by her change of clothing and hairstyle as she has been forced to become an Akudama due to her adventures with the actual criminals. He withstood several blows from the virtual world he was in, which destroyed a large part of his body. Start streaming anime . Hacker is not one to quibble about the fine arts. Most of the series' voice acting was done in March 2020. [10] Norimitsu Kaih commented that the cast is meant to be rebellious in contrast to similar series where the cast relies on each other. While the dramatic weight loss left him feeling very vulnerable, it helped him emotionally prepare for the strenuous role. However, he dies when she slits his throat as well. In the series' premier, Anime Feminist was concerned about the apparent poor portrayal of female characters citing Swindler's weak persona. Taguchi claims the director's cut scene further improves the narrative as it explores more of the chaotic city which Courier was trying to escape from to protect the children. The Hacker is a notorious young man who hacks high-security systems for his own entertainment. Cyberpunk settings are hard to make unique. [41] Umehara in particular enjoyed the episode where Cutthroat tries to kill Swindler as he was able to record it with Kurosawa whose work left a major impression on him due to giving him the idea of a horror movie.[42]. [2] Anime Feminist made an article focused on the major character arcs involving Swindler and Pupil as the two characters have moral issues with how citizens are treated in Kansai with the former becoming more active throughout her appearances as she becomes a heroic figure to save Brother and Sister accepting the title of Akudama in the process. In a panic, the Swindler stole one of Hacker's drones to push the knives one last time, managing to press the button and break the barrier. Boss was modeled after Judi Dench. He then returned to the group to reveal that the Brawler had passed away. [1] Syfy.com also commented on the animation, but found the violence to be too impactful for sensitive viewers. [41] Renta! He wears a blue jacket with a white turtleneck underneath, black pants, and calf-length boots. Kodaka recommended the anime to fans of the steampunk and crime genres. [9] This was also mentioned by magazine Otaku USA which praised its animation and brought up a "substantial body count", recommending owning Akudama Drive on home video to see "all of the beheadings and head/eye trauma". [19] Yamauchi revised Swindler and Sister's design for the series' second half, giving them a more adult feel based on the video game Detroit: Become Human. When attacked by the Executioners, Brother sacrifices himself by letting himself be caught, and forces Sister to run away inside the launching rocket along with the Swindler. Courier manages to take them down (with a little help from Swindlers master plan causing a black out in the city) and dies peacefully as the children continue their escape. [21] The staff described Brawler as a bishnen yet muscular character. Is Hacker still alive in Akudama drive? In the end, tens of thousands will likely die in the uprising. When asked to fight alongside her to reunite the siblings, Courier allies with Swindler. [68] Although Anime Feminist was concerned about the apparent poor portrayal of female characters citing Doctor's skimpy appearance and Swindler's weak persona,[69] Richard Eisbens from Biggest In Japan found the latter intriguing due to how she interacts with the rest of the cast despite her codename giving her the idea of an ordinary person, leading to conspiracy whether or not there was something missing to reveal in the narrative especially based on the writing previously made by the series' staff. When it comes to writing, Kodaka took more priority when dealing with the beginning. Following the creation of Kazutaka Kodaka's new studio Too Kyo Games, Akudama Drive was first announced in September 2018 under the name "Project #2" and subtitled "everyone is a villain", accompanied by Original Character Designer Rui Komatsuzaki's initial character artwork. For this reason, its manga adaptation's first chapter wound up releasing ahead of the anime, on July 6. He felt it was an entertaining work as a result of interacting with other famous voice actors like Akio tsuka (Master) and Shunsuke Takeuchi (Brawler). Tanioka denied a cyberpunk comparison and instead referenced "Japan, Kansai, and Showa". Meanwhile, in order to quell the riots, Boss has the Chief of Police declare the insurgents Akudama. The producer was concerned about the series promoting "evil" and came up with the idea of every character dying in a "cool" way similar to Reservoir Dogs. Tomoyo Kurosawa was praised by the staff members for her work as Swindler. At the Kansai Police Station, the Ordinary Person, who is forced to use the alias "Swindler", ends up helping Brawler, Doctor, Hacker, Courier, and Hoodlum rescue Cutthroat from being executed. We'll figure out a patch later". [40], A manga adaptation debuted on Renta! For him, the biggest asset was having Tanioka as art director based on his idea that helped visualize the setting of Akudama Drive. [7] Originally, Swindler was designed with the idea of looking beautfiul and innocent,[8] while a bag was added to her clothing which meant to hide from common items to weapons. [20], Subaru Kimura's portrayal of Hoodlum was noted to fit the director's original approach. Purely as a sci-fi action show, its brilliant; Incredible tension, animation, and visuals. After the battle between Brawler and Master, which leaves both of them dead, Hoodlum encounters Pupil and attacks her. Discover the MBTI personality type of 18 popular Akudama Drive (Anime & Manga) characters and find out which ones you are most like! Shun Horie was told by the staff to give him a cold personality. [34] The Hacker wears a blue cap and black eyepatch on his left eye, both with circular neon highlights. When confronting Kanto's quantic computer, a couple of things made little sense. Vinnie grew up Catholic and became passionate about his religion growing up and considers it an important part of his life. The writers also found deeper themes in Swindler's death scene which causes a cross shaped blood and the fact that the series aired in Christmas Eve implied more commentary. Swindler is able to fight back with enough time to be saved by Courier. Akudama Drive. [21] On the other hand, Fandom Post felt her existence in the narrative to be strange as she is too normal despite being accidentally allied with the Akudama to the point she might be a "red herring". The artist claims she found Swindler as the most difficult character to draw as she had to fit both the idea of being the protagonist and at the same time as innocent. Formerly announced Director's Cut, out in Japan since May 28, is included in both the limited and regular edition with english subtitles and dubbing.[3]. They were primarily in charge of creating monitors or holograms. Five legit highly wanted criminals, a notorious courier, a brawler, a doctor, a hacker and a throat-cutter. "[1] He expects to use this type of character again in other types of works. Personality. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. After showing his ideas to Too Kyo Games, the project was greenlighted and Pierrot was brought in to create appealing action scenes. Master originally had a caring experience in the character table, but was altered due to his dark job. Benedict Cumberbatch described the horrible process of losing 21 pounds for his role in The Courier. As he was unsuccesfully attempting to threaten the group with his drone's plasma lasers, he met an Ordinary Person with a Black Cat who, as the Hacker could not find her in the Akudama list and all four were threatening to kill her, falsely introduced herself as the "Swindler". Courier accepts and when taking the children, Swindler tries confusing the Executioners until she is killed. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved The bustling metropolis of Kansai, where cybernetic screens litter the neon landscape, may seem like a technological utopia at first glance. I find swindler so annoying. Before meeting the other Akudama at the Central Elevator Hall, the Hacker, having received a request to rescue the Cutthroat from his execution with a total reward of 100,000,000, tried to hack the third-tightest security place in all of Kansai, the Kansai Central Bank inside a Mixed-Use Building, to test his hacking skill as a mere hobby. She is voiced by Tomoyo Kurosawa in Japanese and Macy Anne Johnson in English. This fascination with these films went into their desire to make a story set in a cyberpunk world with a Quentin Tarantino-inspired plot. with a fully functioning starship (and yet without enough propellent (Really?! However, Swindler's embracement of her criminal life was the subject of a more positive reception for becoming stronger as she wishes to protect two children regardless the cost. Doctor is then trampled to death by the crowd. They are the only survivors of a group of test subjects who want escape to the Moon. Hacker is an Akudama from the anime Akudama Drive. Read reviews on the anime Akudama Drive on MyAnimeList, the internet's largest anime database. [40] Courier's voice actor, Yichir Umehara, enjoyed the work of Kurosawa-based how she portrays a different type of Akudama based on her innocence. The opening and ending video sequences were created to give multiple ideas to the viewers in regards to what the series is about while also showing appealing music. The character has also appeared in the series' manga adaptation. When he announced his departure from the team, the Swindler showed concern for him and felt upset. 2, Midsummer Knight's Dream, Persona 3 The Movie: No. When asked to fight alongside her to reunite the siblings, Courier allies with Swindler. Early sketches of the series involved more brutal scenes, but Kodaka decided to use a "pop" aesthetic for the narrative. As a result of this, Swindler is the target of justice and often escapes from the policemen known as Executioners. Established Relationship. But then, an evil panda bear with an addiction to despair tells them that they're all trapped in the school and the only way to escape is to kill each other. [71], Starting with the series' eighth episode, writers noticed a major change in Swindler's personality symbolized by her change of clothing and hairstyle as she has been forced to become an Akudama due to her adventures with the actual criminals. The bustling metropolis of Kansai, where cybernetic screens litter the neon landscape, may seem like a technological utopia at first glance. [14] Taguchi personally revised scenes of the series. As a side note, if the initial grand plan of the children had been to travel to the Moon, (how did they know about the rocket?) handjobs. [9] Yamauchi revised Swindler and Sister's design for the series' second half, giving them a more adult feel based on the video game Detroit: Become Human. [30][75] Syfy.com noted that the finale involved heavy themes that were not subtle such as commentary about the law through the handling of the criminals. Defeated 2 police officers to be able to hack the place. The Swindler is the only person with whom Hacker appears to feel comfortable and has friendly interactions with, though he may disagree with some of her optimistic opinions and nature. I'm taking this chance, even if it costs my life.Episode 5 - Dead Man Walking. Those children were not worth all that sacrifice imo. [17] When they head to the Executioners' headquarters, they are confronted by Cutthroat, who reveals that he has been waiting for the right opportunity to kill Swindler. [37], Renta made a popularity poll which ended with Swindler taking fourth place. [15] Other influences include Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1980) and Mamoru Oshii's film Ghost in the Shell (1995). Meanwhile, Doctor and Hoodlum search for Brother and Pupil is revealed to be alive, now wearing an eyepatch, and assigned to a new partner by Boss. "Long ago, war broke out between the regions of Kanto and Kansai, splitting the country in two. I imagined a very ordinary character that would have different gimmicks later on. [15] The finale was inspired by the 1994 film Lon: The Professional and the survival of Natalie Portman's character. Akudama Drive introduces the character as Ordinary Citizen, a young adult working for the city of Kansai. There is no reason for the computer to float or change shape, staying on the ground would have been more practical since it allows proper defense and easy access to productive facilities. His love for fighting and finding the most challenging enemy to fight against, no matter the consequences, earned his . Telephone poles and quaint houses on the way to work were also added to the setting. Drones: The Hacker has multiple drones with him at all times and he can control multiple of them at once. In the Security Room, the Hacker tried to open the doors only to encounter a robot at the end, guarding the final Cargo room, which the Courier stopped with his bike. [22], Megumi Ogata's voice acting was done to create a sexually appealing woman in contrast to her previous roles which included young males. the Swindler accepted it and declared that they would see each other again. [17], Although the series is influenced by multiple works, the team wanted it to be a unique cyberpunk series based on the elements they wrote taken from Japanese culture. 283/14. Oneirosophos 28 February 2021. Kodaka specifically chose the studio Pierrot to coanimate the series, believing its previous works were fitting for an action series. [12] For the finale, Kurosawa stated she was glad with her work and wanted the audience to look forward to Swindler's role in the story. Goda personally revised the colors presented through the animation. Swindler (Japanese: , Hepburn: Sagi-shi), also known as Ordinary Person (, Ippanjin), is the protagonist of the anime series Akudama Drive by Studio Pierrot and Too Kyo Games. After they leave, Swindler tries to confuse the Executioners until she is killed. The Tstenkaku and Osaka Castle were carefully designed to give the setting the feeling the series was set in Osaka. On their way to complete their mission, the Akudama are attacked by the two Executioners again. Arriving at the location of the public execution in the underground, while everyone fought the tank robot, the Hacker took advantage of the confusion to try to steal the Cutthroat for himself before Courier knocked down the ceiling, forcing everyone to take part in the fight. The Hacker managed to get in contact with them and bring their minds back to reality thanks to the 500 coin, which the two had memories of in common. Tagushi was inspired after seeing Kodaka's work in the Danganronpa series and both agreed to work together. The Black Cat that had been rescued by the Swindler began to talk, revealing itself to be a robot controlled by an anonymous mastermind who planned to force the Akudama to participate in a raid at the Shinkansen, a sacred place found in Kansai to test them and see everyone's potential during this first phase of their plan. [1] According to Kodaka, the spotlight of the series is Swindler but it is not that everything goes from her point of view, and rather than the protagonist of the series, the cast of is an ensemble drama. [3], The producer was concerned about the series promoting "evil" and came up with the idea of every character dying in a "cool" way similar to Reservoir Dogs. One reviewer was more skeptical of the premiere, calling the series "edgy". They should have jumped out the train as soon as they went out the dead zone. Akudama Drive (, Akudama Doraibu) is an original anime series produced by Danganronpa series creator Kazutaka Kodaka with his recent studio, Too Kyo Games. hosted a popularity poll in December 2020, in which Hacker ranked 3rd with 2166 votes to his name. However, before even initiating his modified data, Brawler recklessly pushed the machine that would help them disable the barrier and allow the Hacker to get inside the box without getting turned into dust. That explains why Akudama drive is like in the top 5 . Shortly thereafter, thugs find the two and aim to violate them. Akudama Drive was critically acclaimed from its premiere on October 8, 2020, attracting multiple positive reactions from fans and reviewers alike. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. linkfire.com Bio for the original soundtrack of Akudama Drive, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Original Character Design: Rui Komatsuzaki. After opening the vault, the Akudama find two children inside with the boy revealed to be the one controlling Black Cat and the orchestrator of the mission. However, with the decline of the government and the police force, crime ran rampant. Boss then reveals to Brother and Sister that the Moon was also destroyed during the war and thus they have nowhere to escape. [73] Both Anime News Network and Anime Feminist enjoyed not only the development but also redesign for not making her more sexually appealing, but criticized her near rape scene, which she found too dark. Akudama Drive. Animated by Studio Pierrot, a 12-episode season aired from October 8, 2020 to December 24, 2020. Reviewers noted that the series primarily centered around the ideals of justice. Tomohisa Taguchi 4, Winter of Rebirth, The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, Hikaru no Go: Journey to the North Star Cup, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akudama_Drive&oldid=1145889376, Anime postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles with Japanese-language sources (ja), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. all the akudama's to die i thought Swindler and Courier might have some chemistry going on but hey at least they both died smiling. Only the hairstyle was altered due to the artist's preference. As a result, Kodaka considers Swindler as a young girl who would surprise the audience. Black Cat informs the Akudama that it has brought them together to attack the Shinkansen and steal a vault from its front carriage. Renta! On December 25, 2020, a few hours after the last episode was released, it was announced that the last Blu-Ray & DVD volume to come out on May 28, 2021 would include a "Director's Cut" with 5 supplementary minutes of content. [24] The disciples had no major changes ever since their concept art. Firstly, the show might be the saddest I have watched so far. Akudama Drive was directed by Tomohisa Taguchi. Due to the fact that the Akudama were criminals, Kodaka envisioned them as individuals that had to die in the series. While Kodaka agreed that character designer Komatsuzaki does not care about his works sharing similarities, the team wanted each of them to stand out in the same fashion protagonists of Danganronpa stand out. Largest anime database neon landscape, may seem like a technological utopia at first glance idea that helped visualize setting. Adaptation debuted on Renta as well back with enough time to be able to fight with... 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The battle between Brawler and Master, which leaves both of them dead, Hoodlum Pupil! The afterlife, Swindler and Courier discuss their next move of losing 21 pounds for his own entertainment Boss... With him at all times and he can control multiple of them dead, Hoodlum encounters Pupil and attacks.... The Osaka streetscape from the policemen known as Executioners out the train as soon as went!