Review: Big Order (TV)

Sometimes a series is almost pre-judged based solely on an author’s previous works. This leads to a negative view before even going into it, not giving a series a chance to stand by itself. In this case it is Big Order from Sakae Esuno of Mirai Nikki fame. It seemed to be one of those series judging by the reaction to it when it was announced. Subsequent thoughts and reviews echoed this throughout its run. I do not share this view. I go into everything with an open mind and as always I am glad I did.
 
The plot is fairly simple in the beginning but gradually expands into something much larger. Basically there was a phenomenon where select people are granted their wishes to become true whatever they may be. These become what are known as Orders. Our main character Eiji wished for something seemingly harmless and ended up destroying most of the world in the Great Destruction. He is keeping this from his terminally ill sister until she dies so she doesn’t think ill of him which is sweet. His power is essentially to dominate things, take them under his control and do as he commands. After nearly getting killed by another Order and his sister being kidnapped by the Dazaifu's Group of Ten who want Eijis power for their own gain the wheels are set in motion to save his sister and take over Japan, and the world.

This manages to become slightly convoluted but never implodes on itself which is full credit to the original mangaka and writers. It also does manage to resolve and tie up loose ends by the series end. A lot of it has been done before, as is a lot that that is revealed throughout the 10 episodes so it has to rely on its execution which can be a bit iffy on occasion. But even then this series has a level of ridiculousness that it full well realises and plays to that which works.

I do have an issue in regards to the pacing which ties into this. It goes full throttle, never letting up which, when you are trying to put across a story with this much going on it is going to run into a wall at some point. And these walls are a bit too infrequent for my liking. From a couple of instances resolving in super quick time to characters changing their viewpoint within minutes to what seems like whole sections cut out it doesn’t quite find the right balance needed to really pull it off. It feels like they’re missing an episode or two.

We have two leading characters in Big Order: Eiji Hoshimiya is the typical main character who is protective of his sister and doesn’t really mean any harm until forced and Rin Kurenai is a tsundere set on killing Eiji for revenge. Whilst they never break out of their shell into something unique they are written well enough to be likeable and keep you coming back to see what they do. They also have good chemistry together especially in the early episodes. Most other characters such as Eijis sister Sena or the Dazaifu's Group of Ten are generally used as side characters but do get their moments to shine. Unfortunately the majority of the Group of Ten do not get enough time for thorough development. Only the commander Hiiragi and Iyo get any real development which is a shame. The rest are there to show off their powers / look menacing. Again this could be down to the pacing but until I’ve read the manga I could not say.

One of the big credits I’ve got to give is the inventiveness and wide array of the powers on display. Sure you have your run of the mill powers such as immortality, flight or controlling the earth but you also have powers to predict the immediate future, turn anything into an atomic level, a sword slashing through dimensions and someone who can make anything he perceives to be a lie thus rendering it useless. Some of these have more potential than others and more crop up through Eiji and co’s exploits.

Naturally these powers tie in with the action scenes which are easily the best part of the series leading to a spectacular finale where the studio pulls out all the stops it could, it was phenomenal to watch and culminates everything you’ve seen and hoped for in the past 9 episodes. With such an array of weird and wonderful powers characters have to use their head, think up tactics to lure your opponent to your advantage, brute strength will not cut it and it’s interesting to see how they do it and for it to make sense in the grand scheme of things.

There is fan service here but not on a huge level which is surprising considering the Eiji’s power is to dominate. It teases that there will be early on with Rin submitting but I was hoping for something more perverted but that might just be me. There is the typical episode in a public bath with the girls (well one girl) fondling each other’s breasts, sexually suggestive actions and wearing revealing clothing. Rin being the leading girl gets a fair amount of screen time in this regard from ending up in her underwear, taking baths and one sublime scene of the camera panning up her legs as she puts on some tights. There are also a couple scenes where it implies Eiji did something with his sister which is bound to repulse some. I am the type of person this series is aimed at so this is all a plus to me. I wouldn’t say it ruins the series if you are not into that but it’s something to pre-warn you about.

On the animation front it’s a mixed bag, fairly basic for the majority of the series and excels in the final episodes with the occasional down moment. The colours used come into play here as what is used when some powers activate look poor. Take Eiji power early on and the bizarre stain glass like pattern, looks awkward and does not mesh well. Generally the use of CG is okay but clunky on early occasions such as during the fight with Tairano. You could tell they were saving their budget for what they felt really mattered.

Coming onto the OP and ED for this series I was very happy to see that Yousei Teikoku was performing the OP. It’s called DISORDER and is a good metal song with lovely vocals which gets you suitably amped up for the episode whereas the ED called Kobore Sekai Oware by the fantastic Aki Hata is an eerie, dark song by which fits with some of the content you see.

Another plus, and this is rare in anime these days, is that it starts a story and finishes it in its run. You actually see a conclusion and it is as satisfying, if predictable, as you’d expect. Nevertheless in a time where the vast majority of series basically end with a ‘Now go and read the source material’ message it’s a nice, welcome touch.

Overall this series does have issues but mostly of the minor variety, what makes it strong in my view overcomes those to leave something that I consider a good show. I do primarily rate on enjoyment and I enjoyed this series a lot. This is certainly not for everyone with its themes and subject matter. Every week I eagerly awaited the new episode and was on the whole not disappointed. I’d say go and watch it, it’s only ten episodes, is a complete story and if nothing else will be sure to be quite a talking point.

Studio: Asread
Aired: Spring 2016
Episodes: 10 + OVA
Available: Amazon, CD Japan, Streaming

8/10