There's been a joke going around... that Koutetsujou no Kabaneri or Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is pretty much Shingeki no Kyojin or Attack on Titan with trains and animated corpses. It's not hard to get the joke, considering the massive popularity of Shingeki no Kyojin and the fact that people are pretty much just waiting around for a second season (coming to your TVs in 2017, by the way). Somebody was bound to try to fill the post-apocalyptic monster-filled mold it left behind.
It's a good thing, though, that Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress was more than adequate to fit the bill.
A mysterious virus spreads and causes people to turn into Kabane or walking corpses, forcing the rest of the population to retreat to walled settlements for safety. Travel between settlements is done via trains that make deliveries of supplies or armed reinforcements possible. The humans are desperately trying to find a way to defeat the Kabane before any more of their cities are overrun, but the caged hearts of the Kabane are hard to pierce. Steamsmith Ikoma attempts to create a piercing gun that will make the job easier to accomplish. On the day that the Kotetsuji or the Iron Fortress train arrived at their settlement with the mysterious Mumei, they are overrun, forcing Ikoma to test his piercing gun on the Kabane. It comes with the cost of getting bitten and he is only able to avoid becoming a Kabane by blocking his carotid artery to prevent the infection from reaching his brain. With the infection still present in his body, however, he is turned into a demi-corpse or Kabaneri.
I worried about the series's twelve-episode run, given the scope of the world of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. When a series is given too short a run, you tend to lose out on character development and world building, which the series had potential for both in spades.
Despite having a large cast, with the prominent ones including Iron Fortress leader Yomogawa Ayame, her bodyguard Kurusu, Ikoma's fellow steamsmiths Takumi, Sukari, Kajika and Yukina, and the shogun's son and leader of the Hunters Amatori Biba, the series keeps the narrative from going all over the place by keeping the focus on Ikoma and Mumei. Everyone gets a chance to shine in their own ways, especially with acts of bravery to punctuate the best of human qualities in light of a terrible situation to live in, but Ikoma and Mumei keep the narrative centered.
While the Kabani are central in every horrific situation they encounter, the series also wisely keeps humanity at its center, with characters who resolve to fight and rally those who might otherwise give up, while maintaining the balance with characters who have different goals that might just endanger whatever safety remains to them. Ikoma learns what it means to be a Kabaneri and the physical changes it brings to his life, as well as the potential discrimination he might encounter as somebody who's pretty much half dead. This means that he has to remind himself time and again what he continues to live for and have a far better appreciation of what he doesn't want to lose in the war against the Kabane.
After watching the entire season, I'm still not sure if the best way to view Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is by sticking to its weekly serial run or to binge-watch the twelve-episode run in one sitting. On one end, since a lot happens in an episode and they tend to conclude it with a cliffhanger, you can't wait to watch the next episode. On the other end of the spectrum, however, since so much happens, it can feel exhausting to watch it straight through. You can definitely count on the series to give you action, with Kabane-fraught fighting in most episodes. The Kabane move fast, with some evolved enough to retain the fighting skills of the humans they once were. And then, there's the Nue, or a Kabane colony that has fused into one giant monster, which can destroy entire settlements when left to run a muck. Add to that the dangers that other humans pose, whether out of ambition, fear or revenge, every episode has a different type of fighting to offer for your viewing pleasure. It's especially pleasing to watch Mumei in action against the Kabane.
In truth, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress isn't an anime series that's completely original in either storytelling or concept. Plus, there's the inevitable comparisons to a previously released juggernaut that viewers just can't get enough of. But, in its execution and the smart storytelling decisions made by its creators, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is a title worthy of its own fame. So, whether you're waiting for the next Titan to show up on your screen or are just looking for a good anime title to enjoy without a long viewing time commitment, the adventure featured in Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is definitely worth checking out.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Action, Anime, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Must-Watch, Post-Apocalyptic, Steampunk, Thriller, TV
