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Welcome aboard!
One of the most eagerly awaited anime titles is finally ready to make its debut. Adult Swim/Toonami’s Lazarus is the latest series from Shinichirō Watanabe. It’s easy to get caught up in comparing this new series to the classic anime series Cowboy Bebop or any of Shinichirō Watanabe’s other works because of the high bar set. So to put it plain and simple from the start, Lazarus stands strong on its own, delivering impressive animation, a solid story, and some stellar voice work.
The series takes place in a not too distant future where a genius neuroscientist, Dr. Skinner, creates a pain medicine which essentially cures all pain worldwide. What the world didn’t know was that the miracle cure had a hidden side effect, where users will all die in three years. We pick up at this moment where the world is alerted to the shocking news. The twist? If anyone can find him within 30 days, he will give the cure. If not, humanity and the world as we know it will essentially come to an end.
Off the bat, the first thing that stands out in the series is the way movement is portrayed. The cinematography, the direction, the animation, all work in tandem to bring so much life into the series. Details of background scenes are given great attention. You get a real cinematic feeling at times.
The first episode really feels like a flex, showing off its animation, action, and story at once. Not to say the rest of the five episodes aren’t as strong, but the setting of the first episode really let the entire creative team show off. If I have to nitpick, there are a couple tiny moments where the animation looks off, usually in zoomed out, big picture moments where character details aren’t as important. When they do show up, they’re limited to only a few seconds. The surrounding scenes still remain incredibly animated, and it often gets right back into its normal style and look. The situation is in no way similar to a recent adult swim series.
I enjoy the way we find ourselves in different settings. It helps to build out this world and it finds our crew in different kinds of scenarios. We find them taking in personal moments, and others while on the job. Every city scene is full of so much life, complexity, and feels huge. The main story is also peppered with moments from the rest of the world and they come to terms and deal with the shocking news in different ways which I found to be unexpected.
Reminding us of when the story is taking place, the use of futuristic technology and images help create a really believable world. It is somehow just like our world, but with added intrigue. From cars to drones, they seem like a real possible future for our own world.
Character designs are full of life and fit each character. I enjoyed the way we slowly learn about each character through their actions, conversations and way they carry themselves. Each of the team members are more complex than they seem. They often have monologues or long inner thought moments, providing details about their past, intentions and more. They project their intentions through their spoken words.
The team assembled is full of all different personalities, and the reasoning for their assembly is clever as well. Axel lives for the thrill of it all. Some may say he’s out of his mind and he’s not one to stay still. Jack Stansbury does an incredible job showing his often carefree bliss in the thick of it. From the smooth talking to the subtle chuckles during big action scenes, Jack really rounds out the entire character. Doug is calm and collected on the surface, but you can tell he’s got a lot going on in his brain. Everything he does is to the point and intentional. Jovan Jackson does a great job selling his whole demeanor. Chris can be a wildcard. She’s a chameleon, easily adapting to any situation she finds herself in. Luci Christian crafts a sense of intrigue in how she voices the character. Leland at first appears to be young and doe eyed, but Bryson Baugus balances his upbeat demeanor with his ability to think on the fly and get down to business. Jade Kelly’s Hersch is to the point, but still not completely trustworthy. She does wonders walking that line. Elaina might be used the least often in the first four episodes but Annie Wild has a lot of fun with her in episode five. She manages to bring both timidness and confidence all at the same time. The way her voice doesn’t often fluctuate or show all too much emotion conveys her character well. All around, the voice acting is so well done, believably bringing their respective roles to life. The English dubbed episodes were provided for review so I can only speak to their performances.
For an even fuller experience, some jazzy musical cues are peppered throughout, making it feel upbeat and nostalgic. While other times there are high pulsing electronic beats, helping build to action sequences. The music works hand in hand with the animation and story being told.
Of the five episodes provided, I really love all of the character work in episode 3. It was a quieter episode at times, but just as important. Episodes 1 and 4 show off so much of the show’s confidence. Episode 4 has a story which was made just for me, from the setting, to the music to the story. A fun character which I hope we get to see more of appears in episode 5. There’s this one moment in that episode which took me out momentarily when a sort of “product placement”/direct mention of a product we use today is used as a plot point. Besides that, I thoroughly enjoyed each of the five episodes.
There is a great feeling of mystery flowing from episode to episode, as the team figures out new pieces to the objective of finding Dr. Skinner, and in doing so, the cure. Often, what they think they’ll uncover ends up going in a different direction, keeping the viewer on their toes as well. While there is an ultimate goal, episodes don’t always feel like their sole purpose is to get to that result. They stand on their own effortlessly.
Timely, fresh and captivating, Lazarus offers a great sense of humor which balances out the heavier notion of the plot, along with the multiple action sequences. The series seems on course to deliver a really solid and impressive ride. Episodes get stronger and even more confident as the series goes on. I can only imagine where the story will take us, and I’m sure we’ll be in for even more surprises along the way!
Lazarus premieres April 5 on adult swim’s Toonami block at midnight. Episodes will stream next day on Max.
