Tokyo Override

The style of the series has similarities with Spider-man New Universe and Arcane. The topics shown are otherwise more from the social aspect, drug crimes, being a outcast, corrupt police and high society, existential income, organ delivery. There are only 6 episodes, but all are interesting. Music reminds a little at newer Tekken games and Ghost in The Shell, but more in the average spectrum level. The friendship between the two girls is one of the worst and the dedective is not hold accountable for his violent methods towards the protagonist.

Tokyo Override is one of those shoes which baffles me in various ways. It opened to a silent debut, no advertising to aid its showing, and has shown little fanfare from the distributors itself. Yet the show took half a decade to release, and was officially partnered with major motorcycle teams; top that with the great graphics and well designed characters and you're left with one question: Why like this?

This is one of those shows which, was it released a decade ago on satellite channels, would have run for 12-24 episodes before being renewed for a new season. It would have had one-off episodes and character bonding specials. Throughout the scene we would have seen the backstories and motifs behind each character and the world of Tokyo would be carefully crafted as a visual sandbox. Unfortunately, this was not how the show was released. Instead, we got a 6 episode streaming release and it shows. 6 episodes which kept me hooked but left yearning for more.

Beside Kai, we learn the most about Hugo, a fellow member of Suma Garage. This isn't to say we learn particularly much about him though. Despite hints at what makes him tick, what made him the way he is in the series, he's left as a rather two-dimensional character with an obvious three-dimensional history we'll never see. This extends to Spoke who is worse off for this than Hugo for we never get to see the glimpse of his backstory. Watari (and to an extent her father) are virtually non-existent character wise and live only to further the plot.

Speaking of plot, it's perfectly okay. I enjoyed the mystery at hand and it progressed nicely. However, because of this, we got so little time on the world and characters themselves. I would have binged 6 episodes of the members of the garage just completing deliveries. My best comparison to this is that of early Star Wars Rebels with Kai as Ezra Bridger, except imagine he joined the Ghost Crew, saved one group of people then took down Vader.

I could go on how the three departments (the ministry of Justice, the Narcs, and Suma Garage) mesh really well. I could mention the gorgeous animation style and character design. I could sing the action sequences praises and I could even go on about the motorcycle designs. However, my one lasting thought on this series is how much I wish it was more. I wanted to love these characters, I wanted to fall in love with the world it showed me. You just can't do that on 6 episodes (25 minutes at that!)

All in all, great premise and a good watch, couple with gorgeous animation and scenes to match, it's let down by what is too straight forward a season. Suggest you watch but don't get attached too early, it'll only make that last episode sting more.

P. S: I cannot believe there wasn't a single AKIRA slide all film...

Expecting a show with decidedly different tones, I found myself watching an animated series that although full of potential never really reached a sufficient level of depth.

The message of the series is the only clear narrative element while the facts, the characterization of the characters, the objective of the antagonists, the quality of the dialogue, and the resolution are a disaster.

Frankly, I also did not always like the quality of the animations, which, although rich in characterization and wonderful visual elements in some scenes, often lacked personality.

Probably the animated series that has least engaged me in recent years, the ending however is enjoyable even if predictable and trite.

The visuals, character design and animation were amazing; however, the plot was lacking. The plot was confusing as there wasn't a clear explanation of what was going on. Characters lacked depth too. I couldnt truly understand the development of the plot, if there was any. What was of the point of this series? The viewer gets that the main characters love their bikes and their freedom, but what else? Aside from that love, what was happening in the series? What were the intentions of the ''villian''? They werent very clear about that. What was the reason why the main characters were fighting the ''villian''? It wasnt really explained. This series had so much potential :((( (I love Spoke though)

Motorcycles. Cyberpunk. Corruption. That sums up this series. Thankfully it's a short 6 episodes; they get the story told relatively fast and at the right pace. They didn't stretch a thin plot out to a painful 16 or 24 episodes. Creds for that. The length is just about right.

The characters aren't well-developed. They tell us enough about the individuals to get us interested, but no real filler.

I don't understand how anyone could find fault with the animation. Methinks this generation is becoming far too demanding when it comes to CGI and animation. The animation here was interesting and sufficient to the task.

The plot: cliche to the extreme. This will appeal to people into motorcycles and cyberpunk. Maybe. But don't look for cerebral fiction here. The whole six episodes is pretty much a continual chase scene.

Primary downside: ridiculous-level hacking, and pretty much the same hacks over and over and over. Break through a barrier. Create new paths. Override equipment. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This is cyber-fiction. Nobody, but nobody has these kind of hacker skills. This is the equivalent of someone figuring out a complex security door password using an entry card tied to a scanner. Pure fiction, carried to an extreme. This is the cyberpunk version of jumping a very big shark, repeatedly.

If you're looking for an adrenaline rush, eyeball junk food, and a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon, this will suffice. It's a step above mediocre so I give it six stars, but the hacking and road scenes were so repetitious that I can't give it any more than that.

I will give them credit for the plot twist. No spoilers, but it was a pretty good one. ; )