With the title of the strongest fighter at stake, the Kengan Life-or-Death Tournament rages on.
What They Say:
In the shadows of the corporate underworld, the biggest companies on the planet participate in high stakes wagers through the Kengan Association. By hiring skilled fighters from around the world, members of the Kengan Association wager their influence over the business realm through the fists of these contracted warriors. The biggest event of the year comes in the form of the Kengan Life-or-Death Tournament. For association members, it’s a chance to take control. Whereas for the fighters, it’s an opportunity to prove who is the absolute strongest.
With Kengan Ashura’s second part being released on Netflix, the Life-or-Death Tournament introduces more world-class fighters, all carving out their paths to the top. What does it mean to be the strongest? It differs for each combatant, but in the end, only one can stand at the peak.
The Review
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Kengan Life-or-Death Tournament is well underway, with season two jumping right back into the action. The competition has a simple format of 1v1 matches, but each and every bout carries the weight of corporate juggernauts and a warrior’s ambitions. Tournament arcs are a tried-and-true formula for shonen battle anime, so this is familiar territory for regular anime viewers. What sets Kengan Ashura apart from the rest is its colorful cast of contestants, each with their own reasoning to vie for the number one spot. It’s a show that unabashedly knows where its strengths lie and plays to those strengths in order to keep you on the edge of your seat with every match.
One of the shows major appeals lies in its approach to the tournament format. There’s something so entertaining about watching spoofed versions of mega-corporations making business deals through an underground fight club. While the spectacle of each battle lies squarely on the shoulders of the fighters, the all-encompassing influence of their sponsors means the repercussions of each loss or victory has a major swing in the business world. And with unbelievable amounts of money at stake, these companies will do whatever it takes if it means advancing in the tournament. From rigging matches to threatening the opposing corporation, the tycoons behind the scenes can be just as intimidating as the muscle-bound gladiators representing them.
Of course, the driving force behind each Kengan match comes down to the fighters. Where most battle shonen relies on a single fight system or contests of pure power escalation, Kengan Ashura relies on its unique cast of warriors to make each match as exciting as the last. Sumo, pro-wrestling, Thai boxing, MMA, Aikido – a plethora of styles from around the world are put on display in the Life-or-Death Tournament. This is still an anime though, so a few of the fighters have unconventional styles that teeter the line of absurdity. Nevertheless, there’s a nice balance of real martial art tactics and over-the-top anime wackiness.
It’s the techniques and fighting styles that pull you in, but what leaves a lasting impression comes from the hearts and minds of each contestant. While many of their motivations boil down to “I want to be the strongest”, the nuance of each character is fleshed out through concise origin stories. With each fighter getting about an episode’s worth of the limelight, the short flashbacks sprinkled throughout the fight give necessary inspiration for why they put their lives on the line for this competition. In a sense, there’s no real protagonist in this story. Tokita Ohma and his sponsor Kazuo Yamashita are the main focus from the beginning, but it feels like each member of the Kengan Association could be a protagonist in their own story. Kengan Ashura will have you cheering for a number of fighters, and with each of them giving it their all, the excitement of this tournament stems from its unpredictable outcomes. And unlike most shows, the losers of each contest aren’t simply thrown aside – every fighter will make cameos throughout the tournament.
With such a large cast of characters, the roster of voice actors on board is impressive, to say the least. If you’re viewing Kengan Ashura in its native Japanese language, you’re sure to spot some of your favorite voice actors behind just about every character. With the legendary Tachiki Fumihiko as the narrator, his unmistakable vocal chops carry each technique explanation and background detail with extreme vigor. A warrior’s battle cry can hit just as hard as any punch, and the vocal performances elevate these showdowns with carnal, adrenaline-infused energy.
I find it necessary to comment on the animation style of this show, as 3D animation always spurs on a divisive split between anime viewers. It goes without saying that Kengan Ashura stands as a testament for the future of 3D animation in anime. In fact, this anime benefits tremendously from its CGI. With consistent character models to work with, every frame highlights intricacies of the numerous fighting styles on display. Whether they’re built like a smokestack or sculpted with slender physiques, the bold outlines and shadowing greatly emphasize the definition of each character. Every blow lands with clear force, with the expressions and battle scars of each fighter becoming more pronounced as the battles continue.
A common pitfall for 3D animation is the juxtaposition of 3D and 2D in the same space. Most anime relies on 2D, with 3D interspersed for certain things like vehicles or a large number of characters on screen. In those cases, the 3D is more jarring than anything else and comes off as a clear budget-saving decision. In the case of Kengan Ashura, the 3D remains the consistent crutch, with distinctive 2D cuts to emphasize impact or carry emotional weight. The flashback scenes are handled with a 2D storybook style, highlighting still-frames with unique cuts that sometimes border on psychedelic. Where most fail to bridge the gap between 2D and 3D, this anime blends a number of styles to create a one-of-a-kind package.
In terms of the show’s weaknesses, it’s mostly small nitpicks. Close-up shots of characters speaking can look a bit choppy, a small shortcoming for its mostly consistent presentation. Some character tropes fall a little too hard on the nose, the tough-guy attitude exuded by Tokita Ohma being the biggest culprit. It would also have been neat to include female fighters in the tournament, as most of the women in the show become nothing more than eye candy. Perhaps the largest gripe comes down to the show’s format. The battle-of-the-week formula is definitely not for everybody. Though very character-driven, Kengan Ashura never stays in one spot for too long, while simultaneously staying exactly where it was. By the end of season two, we’re barely more than halfway through the Life-or-Death Tournament. Your enjoyment of this anime will be proportional to how much you value the action. But if that’s the case, then I can barely call it a weakness. From the show’s very first episode, the viewer knows what they’re in for – Kengan Ashura knows its lane and knows it well.
In Summary:
Kengan Ashura season two goes out swinging – with more insane fighters and gory slugfests than ever before. This high-octane series hits all the marks for battle anime and makes for a great binge watch to all of you looking for an adrenaline-pumping ride from start to finish.
Grade: A
Streamed By: Netflix
