(L) Kyoukai Senki (AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline)

[Stark700]

An original Sunrise anime titled 'Kyoukai Senki' has been announced for Fall 2021.

Trailer

The project is set in the year 2061, with Japan under a state of occupation by multiple states. The world, including Japan, has been consolidated under the rule of four trade blocs. The entire archipelago now the frontline of conflict. The Japanese people live under a state of constant occupation and oppression, with humanoid war machines called AMAIM patrolling its streets. The story centers on a young inroverted boy named Amō Shiiba (seen below), whose chance meeting with the independent AI Gai and acquisition of the AMAIM Kenbu begins a story that will see him attempting to take back Japan.

Staff info

Nobuyoshi Habara (Fafner, Broken Blade, Star Blazers 2202) is directing the anime at Sunrise Beyond, with Noboru Kimura (Gundam Build Divers, Princess Principal: Crown Handler) supervising the series scripts. Kenichi Ohnuki (Kiko Senki Dragonar, Gundam Build Fighters, Golden Kamuy) is designing the characters. Rasmus Faber (The Asterisk War, Harukana Receive, Moriarty the Patriot) is composing the music.

Industrial designer Ken Okuyama and his Ken Okuyama Design company is credited for mechanical design supervision, while the company's designer Yūya Koyanagi is credited for mechanical design alongside Kanetake Ebikawa, Kenji Teraoka, and Ippei Gyōbu.

Official site

https://www.kyoukai-senki.net/

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...-anime/.170670

[Faux Mecha]

eleven minutes of the first episode released:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/GdhWou9GR88

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[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

That first taste (practically half of episode 1) feels like a watered-down Code Geass for younger audience. It even had an actual mascot character in a container instead of C.C.

Though I must say, Kimura's penchant for non-subtlety is still going strong. Everything have to be spelled out including having inner monologues to express how a character thinks & feels. And don't forget exposition.

Let's see how this goes. Hoping for the best but I still have my doubts considering Build Divers also started decently before it went downhill.

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

I kinda like the character designs, and the whole package plays pretty old-school in a not-bad way.

Chara-design is standard Build stuff so I don't see it as anything special so far.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Looks like the model kits are already out and we have some reviews:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/QqzaOL2Ha6g

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[Frontier]

Funimation has licensed it.

[Yu Ominae]

It's using the name "AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline" as an alternative.

Me thinks it's for some markets that don't want/can't use the Japanese title.

[Anh_Minh]

It feels, somehow, way more bitter than Code Geass did. On the face of it, it shouldn't. In Code Geass, the Japanese were just minding their own business when an evil empire invaded them for their natural resources. Here, Japan became a failed state and the UN intervened.

And yet they feel more like impotent victims of mustache twirling villains here than in CG.

[Kanon]

So this is basically Code Geass, except set in the future of our world rather than in an alternate reality. The anime brought up problems Japan will have to face in the near future, like its aging population and low birth rate. Yes, that would explain why they'd need outside "help", but I have no clue why various countries would ever fight over Japan's territory. It's not like it's home to very valuable resources like, say, Congo. If anything, I'd think most countries would try to avoid getting dragged into this mess. The UN has in fact been doing a pretty good job leaving countries in their own shit, leading to many tragedies. But looking at the summary, there's actually a not so cold war between four blocs? I guess Japan would hold some strategical value. Not clue how much, though.

And I wish anime dealing with racism at least tried to make the asian characters look distinct from the caucasians.

Anyway, it's not all that often we get a 2D mecha anime so I won't be too picky. Still, the protagonist having an entire abandoned factory to himself that actually looked brand new and was fully fictional was some bullshit. I can forgive him finding a cutting edge AI in the middle of the woods because the plot has to start somewhere, but come on. I hope it'll be explained the factory belonged to his family, which was apparently pretty loaded.

[Chosen_Hero]

I like the look and design of the show and appreciate that it's 2d and not 3d... but man the plot, or at least the backstory is worrying, I just hope it doesn't turn into another Gate or Mahouka.

[Wandering Soul]

I could accept a lot for the plot, but the MC having access to have an entire factory that was still functional and didn't even signs of wear and tear is too much. I get they had to set up for him getting his mech, but unless there's some later twist, that's a huge stretch on my suspension of disbelief.

[Magewolf]

Why would anyone invade Japan? Especially a Japan with a collapsed economy? It is tiny, hard to get to and has no natural resources. The only nation that might want to would be China and that would just be because of WWII.

I always try to watch Mecha shows,we get so few these days, but between the crazy plot and the magic factory and AI this one has an uphill battle. I mean if you are not even going to try to come up with a sane way for him to get a mech just go with the tried and true "His dead father built and left it for him".

[Malicre]

Feels so good to finally have a real mecha show again even if its subpar.

[magnuskn]

Yeah, that was incredibly disappointing. No, not gonna pick that one up.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Yep, all the clunky writing that you see in this episode is Kimura's writing that I warned people about in the anticipation thread.

But I will still give credits for the director, animators & other showrunners for everything else that's actually decent-to-good in this episode. The handrawn mecha battle looks good, as well as the pacing of the episode. The MC is pretty root-able and his "Digimon" is a lovable piece of merchandising character .

Considering that this is not a Gundam show, I hope they can do some really unique things going forward.

[serenade_beta]

Spoiler for ep1:

So like, a more childish Code Geass? It's Sunrise too!

It is always great to have handdrawn mecha battles and all, and visually, I am satisfied, but as for the story, it was okay but nothing special. Kid meets mascot and gains the ability to fight against the really obvious baddies.
But hey, it's the first episode, and as an original anime, there is plenty space to grow (and slip up of course). A couple of new main characters, and probably will get bad guys with more depth than your early-story bandits.

So yeah, let's see where it goes.
I know its on a completely different spectrum and I doubt there is as much inspiration, but we just came off a season with Sonny Boy, a masterpiece original anime, so yeah, definitely on that positive-bias-towards-original-anime-train right now.

[Chosen_Hero]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Yep, all the clunky writing that you see in this episode is Kimura's writing that I warned people about in the anticipation thread.

But I will still give credits for the director, animators & other showrunners for everything else that's actually decent-to-good in this episode. The handrawn mecha battle looks good, as well as the pacing of the episode. The MC is pretty root-able and his "Digimon" is a lovable piece of merchandising character .

Considering that this is not a Gundam show, I hope they can do some really unique things going forward.

So how long do you think until the MC and his group get their version of the White Base?

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Chosen_Hero

So how long do you think until the MC and his group get their version of the White Base?

Given the condition of Japan that they live in, I don't think these people have any space colonies or giant space battleships .

Also, I like that the mechs in this show are remote-controlled drones aside from the "special" MC mech (and other "Specials" that we haven't seen yet). We haven't seen drones used prominently as giant mechs army since the Mobile Dolls from Gundam Wing. The pioneer show depicting remote-controlled giant robot protag is actually Tetsujin 28-Go back in 1960.

That said, given the setting, we better see characters getting killed in this show. Otherwise, it'll feel hollow.

[Chosen_Hero]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Given the condition of Japan that they live in, I don't think these people have any space colonies or giant space battleships .

Also, I like that the mechs in this show are remote-controlled drones aside from the "special" MC mech (and other "Specials" that we haven't seen yet). We haven't seen drones used prominently as giant mechs army since the Mobile Dolls from Gundam Wing. The pioneer show depicting remote-controlled giant robot protag is actually Tetsujin 28-Go back in 1960.

That said, given the setting, we better see characters getting killed in this show. Otherwise, it'll feel hollow.

You sure about that? The MC did find an abandoned working factory with an super special AMAIM that was stocked with most parts for it... At this point I think he has a pretty good chance of finding something similar to a White Base.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Chosen_Hero

You sure about that? The MC did find an abandoned working factory with an super special AMAIM that was stocked with most parts for it... At this point I think he has a pretty good chance of finding something similar to a White Base.

Well, maybe not a space-battleship like White Base but an actual base for their operation that's hidden somewhere

[FlareKnight]

I was scratching my head on the whole invasion of Japan thing. The weakening of society was fine. That actually made sense with several factors coming together. But that countries started fighting each other over it and are spending a lot of resources to hold a military presence in Japan seems...odd.

But ignoring the questionable reasons for there to be a conflict in the first place, I still enjoyed the episode. The mechs themselves look good, the main character is likable enough, Gai makes for an amusing companion in the unit, and there is plenty of time to build up good stuff in the story itself.

At the very least I couldn't complain about it all that much. Will see how the next episodes turn out.