What They Say:
When a string of bloody, seemingly random murders and deadly humanoid assassins begin popping up in the archipelagic nation of Cremona, a team of ruthless, determined investigators led by the peculiar Keith Flick must uncover a conspiracy of fantastical proportions, that will turn the entire country over its head. As distrust and fear seep into the team, and long-forgotten, traumatic memories become clearer, will this police force be able to stop a malicious plan decades in the making?
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With Netflix plunging deeply into the anime sphere as of late, the doors have been opened for releases and projects like the one we’re checking out today. Animated by the ever-ambitious Production I.G. (Psycho-Pass, Eden of the East) and helmed by the prolific Kazuto Nakazawa (best known as the director of the animated sequence in Kill Bill Vol. 1 and character designer for Ashita no Nadja and Samurai Champloo), B: The Beginning is one solid sci-fi mystery.
Concepts like the one in B: The Beginning aren’t ones we haven’t seen explored in anime before, and in fact, many of the story beats, set pieces, and ideas here have appeared in some of the most popular shows of the last five to ten years. From the super-powered pretty boys of Bungou Stray Dogs, to the stylish, brash attitude of Kekkai Sensen, to the near-eldritch body horror of Kiseijuu, all these stories have had a clear and distinct impact on B: The Beginning, and it shows.
This is without condemning the show either, as it takes these ideas and throws them in a blender long enough to mix into a soup of its own. It has a clear goal, one tinged with an X-Files-esque drive for the truth and enough plot evolution to feel constantly engaging and intense. The sheer speed at which this show zips through character arcs, revelations and tones is enough to have you violently clicking the Skip Intro and Next Episode buttons when they appear on screen.
This, though, can have a negative impact on the pacing, especially in regards to the first third of the show. Before it can pick up enough steam and electricity to power through the insanity of the latter half, the show attempts to establish a semblance of story, but ends up moving so fast that a dozen characters and relationships have been introduced before we can even process what’s happening. The result is an opener that feels jarring, beginning in media res and dumping us straight into a world with psychopathic villains with hideously colored face tattoos, futuristic technology contrasted by a 1950s aesthetic, and main characters that we can’t really relate to in such short notice.
The characters themselves, despite their forceful introduction, are enjoyably charismatic and grounded, able to maintain a straight face in the presence of danger but not unable to throw an occasional jab or joke into the atmosphere to spice up the interactions. Especially exceptional are our two main leads: the dreary and idiosyncratic Keith Flick (which is a great name, by the way), and the tough-as-nails and sharp Lily Hoshino. These two make for the most intriguing characters, as a lot of the chemistry stems from their sizzling arguments. They each also grow more accustomed to each other as the show progresses, but never devolving into dull acceptance. All throughout they engage in endlessly entertaining debates that fuel the investigative portions of the plot, and serve to craft those ever-so-satisfying “A-ha!” moments we love so much. Even the initially boring man-beast Kuko ends up opening up his emotions and selling some of the show’s more heart-wrenching moments.
Sadly, the impact does falter slightly with some of the supporting cast. Not only do most of them take a backseat after the central story thread kicks off, but some even disappear entirely. I understand that when the main conceit begins, a lot of the fat needs to be cut, but I would’ve appreciated a healthier integration of the supporting characters into the story, not for them to be cut so unceremoniously.
Still, the characters all serve their purpose well in developing the plot, which bounces between clever set pieces to shocking discoveries with decent enough agility. The show’s emphasis on detective work gets used to solve lots of stumpers, and while they do get settled out of nowhere most of the time (usually explained thereafter by a stoic Keith), it serves to establish that these characters are adept at their jobs enough to be interesting to watch. Hell, Keith’s nickname is Genie, so it doesn’t even crack my suspension of disbelief that much when he can get out of a jiffy, especially when he shows his work after he’s done.
Sparing any more plot breakdown, the audiovisuals of the show are especially solid, but in my opinion, fail to reach their potential peaks. The sleek quality of the animation itself is impressive, as the layers of minute detail in the gestures, the punchy and frenetic action spectacles, and the painfully adorable facial expressions and reactions are all excellent, displaying the intended emotions with pinpoint accuracy. Very rarely do we get an off-model flub or grating CGI effect (although they can prove to be ever-so-slightly distracting sometimes), and the composition and direction is serviceable all around. Sometimes we can get a truly striking scene dripping with visual flair, like that one Kubrickian shot of Eric on the phone walking through the police HQ, but for the most part, the framing is mostly that of your standard Production I.G. show. Meaning that it works, but it leaves a little to be desired.
The voice acting was a surprise, as the nasally or overwrought inflections of modern anime are almost entirely substituted by more realistic and emotive tonalities. Props especially to Asami Seto (Onna no Kurokami in Death Parade, Chihaya Ayase in Chihayafuru) for her portrayal of Lily, as it was the most convincing and emotive of them all.
In Summary:
B: The Beginning doesn’t reinvent the thriller genre, nor does it provide anything particularly mind-blowing, but it’s absolutely a solid psyche ride that will take you on a fun journey of spycraft, deceit and blood-pumping action. What else can you even ask for from a show like this?
Grade: B
Streamed With: Netflix
