Summer 2018 First Impressions – Angomois: Record of Mongol Invasion

In the year 1274, the invading Mongols have their sights set on Japan. The exiled samurai Jinzaburō Kuchii is in Kamakura when he finds himself face to face with the invasion. – ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode 1 Summary: Jinzaburo Kuchii is a former general, and one of many criminals facing exile for his crimes. On a storm-tossed boat, he and his fellow prisoners are at the mercy of the seas until a gang revolt sees several dead and Kuchii and the more reasonable members now in charge. They make their way to Tsushima, an island located between Japan and Goryeo (the modern-day Korean Peninsula) where they’re greeted warmly by Princess Teruhi who invites them all to dinner. It’s there that the reason for their exile (rather than alternate punishment) becomes clear; there are rumblings of Mongol ships 900 strong waiting to set off from Goryeo, and Tsushima is directly in their path. The criminals are meant to be the first line of defense to help repel the Mongol invasion. Kuchii vows not to get involved, but is drawn into the conflict when Princess Teruhi is nearly kidnapped by an advance force.

Impressions: I wouldn’t necessarily say that certain anime seasons have “themes,” but there are often a few trends represented. So far this season it feels like “trash girls” (Asobi Asobase, Chio’s School Road, and Drop Kick on my Devil! to some extent) and “dreamy dudes” (Banana Fish, Phantom in the Twilight, 100 Sleeping Princes… etc.) are the flavor of the moment. But there are almost always a few exceptions, series that seem drawn from other eras or which buck popular styles and trends. I think originally I would have pegged Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues as my pick for “strangest deviation from common anime norms” for the season; having now watched the first episode of Angolmois, I almost feel like it’s a better candidate for that title.

I’m not sure if this is just a perception of mine, but I recall back when I started reviewing anime in the mid-2000’s that it felt like there were a lot more examples of gritty and/or adult anime series (and, in fact, I think that was a definite appeal of anime for many fans for a long time). What comes to mind are specifically a lot of Madhouse series for whatever reason; stuff like Aoi Bungaku, Mouryou no Hako, Rainbow, and Shigurui (coincidentally, series that are either no longer very available or were never officially available in the US in the first place). Cuteness then became much more popular for a time; it’s not as if violent and downbeat testosterone-fueled anime disappeared, but it was an aesthetic that definitely faded into the background in favor of gentler, more visually-palatable fare. It’s just the simple ebb and flow of popularity over time, of course. But that’s likely one of the reasons why I was impressed by this episode more than I might have been ten years ago – it goes against the grain in many ways and I find that dissonance exciting.

I think history is such a fertile well of possible stories; it’s my opinion that there’s often nothing so fascinating and compelling as the truth of things that actually happened. Though there’s a lot of anime that draws upon time periods like the Meiji era, a time of major social and technological transformation in Japan, or the Sengoku era, a time of many national conflicts with many factions on which to focus, the Kamakura period in which this particular series takes place doesn’t seem to be a path as well-trod despite the fact that it includes some major societal and political changes as well (including the establishment of the Shogunate – considering the important place that the samurai class held in the country for centuries, it’s kind of a big deal!) . In particular, the Mongol invasion(s) of Japan seem like a great source from which to draw fascinating narratives; people love an underdog story anyway, and the conflict on Tsushima island feels like a fascinating tale of outnumbered (and doomed) forces along the lines of 300. The characters here are convicted criminals with nothing to lose, and I think it will be interesting to see them reconcile the basic injustice of their situation, having been essentially dumped into it by a government looking for expendable forces, as well as their disconnect from Tsushima in order to come together and try to defend it.

Simply on its own merits, this opening episode is better than I would have expected, going in knowing as little about it as I did. Aside from its interesting setting, I also appreciate the fact that this opening episode is kind of its own package – it introduces the story and characters, sets up a conflict, provides some flash and excitement, and gives its protagonist the opportunity for a personal journey. Though I’m all about slow-burn anime stories, as well as anime that doesn’t rely much on plot at all, it’s fun sometimes to sit back and enjoy a show with straightforward surface appeal and just appreciate through viewing it many of the aspects that make anime what it is (cool action and heroics being just some of them).

The visual quality of the episode is an interesting mixed bag. The animation itself is overall very good, with the expected emphasis on scenes of battle. I was especially impressed by Kuchii’s fight scene with our thus-far-unnamed antagonist on the beach. Each clash of swords and movement of bodies was fluidly-animated and exciting to watch. Though it’s a little gimmicky, I liked the shine applied to the metal weapons in the moonlight, as well as the enemy’s glowing red eyes. On the other side of things, there’s a textural visual filter applied to the entire episode which I thought was an odd decision. It’s definitely not a deal-breaker and I do think the intent was to give the series an older look, as if it was drawn on handmade paper. I’m actually reminded of Mononoke, which used a similar technique to good effect. In a series like this, though, which otherwise uses a pretty typical design, it’s distracting and makes the nighttime scenes more difficult to parse.

I’m also generally questioning why the antagonist that Kuchii faces in this episode is a blond-haired blue-eyed individual. I’m most certainly coming to this from a Western point-of-view in that I’ve seen a lot of American movies insert white people into situation where they don’t belong and I’m not a fan of it. I can’t say that I’m knowledgeable enough about this period in history to say for certain whether or not white people were even around, or even if this character is intended to represent a white European person. I’m sure whatever their origin is, the logic of their appearance should be discerned more easily later on. I’m still wary, though, and question the choice to begin with. I realize this is a nitpick, but I want to mention that most of the episode seems based in reality so it’s surprising and (unintentionally?) comical when blondie jumps all the way from the beach into his ship which is bobbing on the water several meters away. It’s not a good look.

I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this, especially considering that I completely lacked awareness of it prior to the beginning of the season (though that’s nothing new). I think the gender make-up and some of the visual choices might get a little tiresome after a while (sorry guys, but it takes a lot for me to get excited about a cast that’s comprised almost entirely of scruffy dudes, especially since I’ve been made to watch so gosh-darned many of them over the years), but I’m always interested in learning a little bit more about Japanese history. While I’m sure this series takes some creative licenses with it I’m betting I’ll still absorb a little something.

Pros: Good animation. Draws from an uncommon historical source. The first episode really dives right in to the setup/conflict.

Cons: The filter/overlay is unnecessary and distracting. The cast is very masculine, with all the pros and cons that entails. I’m questioning why the main baddie character we see is blue-eyed and blonde.

Grade: B