Jormungand was one of my surprise must-watch picks from the last year's spring anime season. While it featured themes that I normally wouldn't gravitate to when it comes to anime, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the series.
Which is why I was happy when it turned out I didn't have to wait long to watch its sophomore season, when Jormungand: Perfect Order premiered as part of the fall anime season. And what they unveiled as the next chapter for arms dealer Koko Hekmatyar and her highly effective team turned out to be quite the ride for audiences.
Jormungand: Perfect Order tackles more than just the usual challenges that Koko faces when trying to make a sale to the various armed factions that are at war for different reasons. Last season's allusions to an alliance with the seemingly flighty genius Dr. Amada Minami is made official when it becomes known that Koko funded Minami's "toy" factory. The CIA and George Black aka Bookman oversees Operation Undershaft, with the ultimate aim of using Koko to get to the HCLI's logistic network that's currently being used for their arms dealing. Unfortunately for Bookman, his plans are on the verge of being undermined by CIA agent Hex, who was responsible for the death of Koko's former team member Echo and out on a personal mission to destroy her. The season also showcased more of Koko's brother Kasper, whose position as the number one arms dealer in Southeast Asia is being undermined.
After watching Jormungand: Perfect Order, it becomes clear that the first season was just a prelude for a bigger picture, one that both the audiences and even Koko's own men don't get to see coming until she's ready to share it. As more and more factions, including her own brother, become interested in Koko's plans, the number of opposing forces try to stop her, despite not really knowing what it is they're really trying to stop. While many of these forces stick to the idea of stopping a dangerous arms dealer, Koko's own men know that things aren't as clear cut and that she is undertaking a course of action, such as launching dozens of satellites into space, that might even be beyond their comprehension. Both the audiences and the other characters wonder about Koko's intentions, or whether she is enacting a plan concocted by her father Floyd, who heads HCLI, or if she's working towards her own goals.
While Koko is central to the events in Jormungand: Perfect Order, the series also puts its other characters in the spotlight. I found this particularly intriguing as the audience got to know more about the members of the team, starting with R, who is revealed to be introduced to the group as a replacement for Echo and turned out to be a spy for the CIA. The plot line involving R was particularly compelling, as his decisions in the series would eventually provide insight to the audience as to the loyalty that Koko naturally evokes from those she works with. As the other members of Koko's teams are given their time in the spotlight, it gives the audiences a better appreciation of their individual traits and quirks, as well as the very skills that made them valuable members of Koko's group.
Jormungand: Perfect Order builds on the best elements of its first season, giving the audiences more intrigue, more insight to its most important characters and more exciting action sequences, particularly in those that bring Koko and her group to even more danger. Yet, the most important revelation featured by the series is Koko herself. As the season progressed, Koko becomes more than just the perpetually smiling arms dealer, as she moves up her plans despite constant opposition and even questions from her own men. And in the eventual unfolding of her plans, it is also revealed what R has realized about his employer... the importance of the child soldier Jonah to Koko and her hold on her humanity, which defines the series more than what the term Jormungand actually stands for.
While I think that the series could greatly benefit from longer season runs, Jormungand: Perfect Order was able to pack quite a lot in all of its twelve episodes. Multiple story lines take place, with each one given a quick resolution instead of being drawn out, but without compromising on their quality and impact. While serious in its themes and in the emotionally charged background stories for some of its characters, the series still features the humor that only Koko and her team can exercise even in the face of death. But I do have to admit that there's no laughing matter when it comes to enacting Koko's ultimate plan. You will find that the same questions of morality and accountability that Johan poses in the series would be the same questions that you would ask if you were presented with the knowledge of what Jormungand actually stands for.
It's easy for some to dismiss Jormungand and Jormungand: Perfect Order as action titles that feature guns, violent people and a world that's constantly at war as mere sources of entertainment.
I suggest that you don't do the same.
Happy viewing!! Labels: Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Anime, Drama, Jormungand, Must-Watch, TV
