"My country's history is one of manufactured suffering. I was a boy when the Tudors burned any food the rebels under O'Neil might think to eat. We starved; everyone starved. Mouths on the dead stained green from chewing nettles. You become resourceful in a famine. My parents died early; left my sister and me catching rats. The rats ran out quick. Fed my sister on my blood. Kept her alive for an extra 2 weeks. I didn't sleep for three days protecting her body from the starving masses until the ground thawed. I cut out her kidneys and buried her. Fat on them like a pig. I haven't eating a single meal since then without my mind going to that bite. It was the last thing I ever did because I had to. I control my life now. Every bite."

[Loads rifle and kills a person who tried to trick him]

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As I said: Even the antagonists are so hardcore you can't help but root for them!

I really enjoyed the first few episodes. The animation is excellent, and the story initially seemed grounded and human-scale. But then it completely lost me. Turned cartoonish, superhero-y, uneven in tone, and felt like it was trying too much to be hip with its - misguided in my opinion - use of referential music.

There's been a number of pretty great western-style animated series released these past few years. Unfortunately, most of them seem to suffer a drop in quality, one way or another, in their latter part. This one is particularly egregious in this respect.
IMO, YMMV, etc., etc.

I understand your perspective. I admit it gets rather "cartoonish". Then again it is a cartoon and I think the plot (even though we've seen it before), is rather well put together. That it's made by a westerner and a japanese doesn't hurt. I wonder if there's gonna be a another season...?

Bandersnatch said:

I really enjoyed the first few episodes. The animation is excellent, and the story initially seemed grounded and human-scale. But then it completely lost me. Turned cartoonish, superhero-y, uneven in tone, and felt like it was trying too much to be hip with its - misguided in my opinion - use of referential music.

There's been a number of pretty great western-style animated series released these past few years. Unfortunately, most of them seem to suffer a drop in quality, one way or another, in their latter part. This one is particularly egregious in this respect.
IMO, YMMV, etc., etc.

I suspect perhaps you lost something for it at the same point I did. That is when the protagonist attacked Fowler's hide it went into a little silly "computer game" mode. I was about to loose my patience with it at that point, but I persevered. I'm glad I did. But as I said: even without that break I understand where you're coming from.

sbrothy said:

That is when the protagonist attacked Fowler's hide it went into a little silly "computer game" mode

Yeah, the hideout assault was when I stopped caring for it, even though I kept watching hoping for an improvement. But earlier already, when the soundtrack from Kill Bill started playing over a training montage, it was a sign of things to come.

Bandersnatch said:

Yeah, the hideout assault was when I stopped caring for it, even though I kept watching hoping for an improvement. But earlier already, when the soundtrack from Kill Bill started playing over a training montage, it was a sign of things to come.

I suspected that's where it went wrong for you (as it almost did for me). I didn't notice the Kill Bill score but if I had I may also have stopped there. I'm glad I didn't though.

sbrothy said:

I suspected that's where it went wrong for you (as it almost did for me). I didn't notice the Kill Bill score but if I had I may also have stopped there. I'm glad I didn't though.

I've never been a big Quentin Tarantino fan.

IMDB seems to agree episode 5 was the bee's knees of the season. Did y'all get that far?

I watched this a couple years ago and really enjoyed it.

I like the symbolism inherent in Fowler stepping on the bow after the "extrajudicial" killing.
EDIT: They thought it through.

Greg Bernhardt said:

I watched this a couple years ago and really enjoyed it.

Then you'll be happy that they promised another season, but the ending kind of hinted at that.

And BTW, I though I publicly posted this recommendation but I think I only proffered it to @AlexB23.

"Twilight of the Gods"

It's only one season and a completely different style. I enjoyed it though (Not nearly as much as BES but still).

sbrothy said:

And BTW, I though I publicly posted this recommendation but I think I only proffered it to @AlexB23.

"Twilight of the Gods"

It's only one season and a completely different style. I enjoyed it though (Not nearly as much as BES but still).

Thank you. I am not much a fan of adult animation, but I could give it a go

Ironically, an "old" town in the US is perhaps 300 years old. The town I live in is called "Odense" (literally: "Odin's Town"). In 1980 it's "birthday" was celebrated, as >1000 years old, which I think is a ballpark value...

sbrothy said:

Ironically, an "old" town in the US is perhaps 300 years old. The town I live in is called "Odense" (literally: "Odin's Town"). In 1980 it's "birthday" was celebrated, as >1000 years old, which I think is a ballpark value...

Wow, that is a really old town.