#Akudama drive serial#

The show is interested in exploring the power of words and how easily they are corrupted and abused by systems of authority. Akudama Drive is unapologetically and unequivocally critical of the police, especially the system of militarized police, and it is a bold yet welcome choice that definitely hits hard in 2021. The Akudama are hunted down and killed on-site by the show's lightsaber-wielding police, called Executioners. Speaking of cops, this is where the show is at its boldest.

#Akudama drive serial#

This is a dystopian world where people gather to watch a serial killer get executed, and where riots are started because people don't think the cops are killing enough people. But as the story progresses, it becomes clear that Akudama is just a blanket term for whoever doesn't fit into the vision of Kansai that Kanto wants - whether you're a ruthless serial killer, or someone who couldn't pay 500 yen worth of street food. Heads get decapitated, bodies are smashed and maimed, and episode 9 is one huge homage to Kubrick's The Shining, filled with blood and tension while also including one of the best riffs on the 'Here's Johnny' scene in recent memory.Īs we find out in the first episode, Akudama is the term used for the worst of criminals, those who get prison sentences spanning hundreds if not thousands of years. The action is always stunning, thanks to the beautiful background work of the show (a fight inside an arcade and then an amusement part is particularly dazzling). As the show changes focus, its violence shifts from just brawling fun, to gnarly and bloody.

Perhaps most striking is the way the show manages to change tones and go from heist to horror. The show remains fun and twisty throughout, and every episode masters the art of the cliffhanger so that you remain glued to the screen for all 12 chapters. But the show doesn't stop there, as the story goes through a massive tonal shift halfway through, and becomes much more interested in exploring the political ramifications of its dystopia. Like the best heist movies, the first half of Akudama Drive is pure adrenaline, as we see this ragtag group of criminals with very different styles and motivations work together to get into the most heavily-guarded place in Kansai.