Un-Go [Review]

WOOH! UN-GO TIME~ It’s been a while you gaiz! Un-Go hasn’t gotten as much attention as it deserves on Metanorn and for that I apologize. Hopefully this post, which happens to be quite massive, is sufficient. I’ve also managed to drag Bass, our dear old buddy from Sekijitsu, along which is pretty exciting, if I do say so myself. We’ve covered Un-Go in depth so read on!

It’s pretty hard to believe that this is my first time collaborating with Metanorn, seeing as I’ve been asked quite a few times in the past. Oh well, better late than never right? I don’t kno-ooo-ooooow where we goin~ with this, but here’s hoping that my first attempt pans out well haha. We really tried to be as elaborate as we can with this post and, judging by the length of it all, I think we hit it pretty close. So I hope y’all enjoy this as much as we did writing it (and believe me, writing this was a goddamn mission itself).

So, I will admit, the first couple episodes of Un-Go didn’t have me convinced. I had really high hopes for the show and, at the start, it wasn’t quite measuring up to my expectations. Put simply, it was awkward. However, as the show progressed, I found myself increasingly intrigued and excited. Everything began to come together and, though there were times where I honestly had no clue what was happening, it was really fun to try and figure out what was going on.

Yea, you weren’t alone there. I’ve never been one to pick up on hidden themes and messages in shows, so Un-Go was always going to be an uphill climb. After being thoroughly disappointed with Guilty Crown’s lackluster start, I was fearing the worst – two noitaminA offerings tanking in one season. Like you said, the first few episodes didn’t really do much to ease my fear. The way in which you were dropped willy-nilly into the setting right from the get-go was a bit unsettling and this definitely wasn’t helped by the uneven story structure. The good thing, though, is that once the base was established it went on to become one hell of a ride.

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Not since Izaya from Durarara have I seen an antagonist this brilliant. To say that Kaishou is intelligent would be an enormous understatement. This man is the king of manipulation, a super villain if you will, combining evil intent with sheer genius to exert control over everything around him. As head of JJ Systems and advisor to the police, Kaishou has set himself up to be a reliable public figure. In comparison to the “Defeated Detective”, Kaishou Rinroku seems flawless. Not only so, but also, he keeps himself out of the public eye, shrouding himself in a cloud of mystery such that nobody can’t ever know enough, let alone anything, about him. Thus, he has the freedom to do whatever he wishes, including, but not limited to, setting up privacy acts to control the flow of information over the internet. It is for precisely this reason that it was so satisfying to see Izumi let slip, at Inga’s bidding, the fact that he was involved in illegal software before the war. And yet, this satisfaction was short lived.  Kaishou kept his cool and double crossed his enemies in a confusing and convoluted mess of doppelgangers and fake deaths, coming out victorious in the end. Though it may have seemed that Yuuki Shinjuurou was able to figure it all out, I beg to differ. With the knowledge that Yuuki Shinjuurou was the only other person who would be able to understand, Kaishou only let out as much information as he needed to, as a means to an end. Yuuki Shinjuurou is the closest that Kaishou will ever get to having met his match. And just that; the closest. Kaishou Rinroku hasn’t met his match yet, as far as I’m concerned.

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Yuuki Shinjuurou is quite the interesting fellow. As far as detectives go, he’s got it tough seeing as every time he solves a case, the truth is covered up and skewed by an individual with more power than he has (i.e. Kaishou Rinroku). This, along with his past experiences, which we know of in limited detail, has resulted in Shinjuurou possessing a rather jaded outlook on life. Much like Rie, he has a strong sense of justice, but he is not as idealistic as she is. I couldn’t help but notice, however, that as the series progressed he became increasingly animated and involved in his cases. In the beginning, he was calm, the sharp and witty voice of reason as the cases progressed, all the while seemingly embracing his role as the “Defeated Detective.” However, towards the end he became hot headed and impulsive, as witnessed by his immediate willingness to publicly prosecute Kaishou Rinroku. The reason for this is rather apparent. Yuuki Shinjuurou is an extremely intelligent individual. He catches onto things instantly and yet, Kaishou Rinroku was always one step ahead of him, manipulating things as he pleased. This is, of course, frustrating and anyone, really, would have become upset. I, for one, would have been absolutely seething. Therefore, it is, perhaps, a testament to Shinjuurou’s skill that he was able to take a step back and put all the pieces together. His final conversation with Kaishou Rinroku, where he confronted him about murder, proved that, not only is Yuuki Shinjuurou amazingly clever, but also he is not to be taken lightly. “Defeated Detective”, my ass.

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Inga confused me at the start, particularly because of his (her?) gender ambiguity. Afterall, Inga isn’t your typical sidekick; he’s not the Watson to Shinjuurou’s Sherlock, that’s for sure. He’s got an interesting resume, with consumer of souls right at the top of the list. I wonder how it must be like, to lead one’s life as an existence that is dependent upon souls for sustenance. Inga doesn’t make it look too easy seeing as he breaks into a sweat and goes a bit insane when it gets to be too much, transforming into a woman shortly afterwards. However, I find it interesting that Inga can ask questions, albeit only one, that the subject has no choice but to answer. This is, no doubt, a very useful power to have seeing as, when combined with Shinjuurou’s intelligence, it makes for relatively straightforward case-solving. Furthermore, I noticed that, though Inga would often ask Shinjuurou what to ask, he was also able to come up with questions to ask himself. This suggests that, despite Inga’s apparent lack of tact and childish nature, he’s actually rather astute, himself. Or rather, he has an instinctive sense for the feelings of others, which is perfectly reasonable – he does feed on souls, after all. I would imagine that anyone or anything would become perceptive of human emotions after a diet like that. On a lighter note, I would like to point out that Inga is, put simply, ADORABLE. He provides a sense of lightheartedness and hilarity to a show that, otherwise, touches on very serious themes. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a character as refreshing and quirky as Inga.  Favorite character? I think yes.

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To be honest, I’m not too sure of the role that Rie plays in the story. You could argue that she acts as the damsel in distress for Shinjuurou, but then she doesn’t exactly find herself in problematic situations all that often. Regardless, it’s definitely interesting to see her relationship with her father, as it’s predominately one-sided. Kaishou seems more preoccupied with his work, leaving her to develop a closer relationship with her ninja-maid. This dynamic is apparent through the entire series, even at the end where she chooses to defend Kaishou over what possibly would have been a devastating conviction. You would think that she would have gotten over her blind faith in her father, but, unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. However, on the flip side, it’s this same honesty and naivety that separates her from the rest of the cast, as she does not seem jaded with the world like the others. Her purity is in stark contrast to her father’s, as she has an idealistic perspective of how things should work. It is this quality that attracts her to Shinjuurou and vice versa. Their shared sense of justice is, perhaps, what leads to him finally opening up to her in the end.

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Kazamori is definitely an interesting one. First introduced as the male member of a faceless cult, it is later revealed that she is actually an artificially intelligent robot capable of insane computing tasks. After being found out, she then goes on to occupy the body of a female doll as well as a cute, little plushie, helping the heroes in the process. Where as Shinjuurou is often stoic and Inga is eccentric and quirky, Kazamori is a peculiar twist of dry and witty. Due to her robotic nature, it’s entertaining to see her take on a particular situation, as her commentary is often infused with blunt honesty, much to Shinjuurou’s chagrin. It’s this particular dynamic though that makes the trio such a blast to follow, and as I said in the plot section, Un-Go didn’t start to click for me until Kazamori joined the fray. Every (serious) show needs a hacker, and Kazamori definitely fits the mould even if she doesn’t look the stereotype.

Un-Go is not a shallow, one-track show. It delved into a number of issues, refusing to pull any punches in the process. The foremost of these themes was that of truth. As this show is of the mystery genre, the search for the truth in the face of deceit and lies is obviously going to be an ongoing pursuit. However, Un-Go went about it in a different matter than most other whodunits. Even though the truth was revealed to the viewer, it was covered up by a “beautiful lie,” the purpose of which was to serve as a cover up. If the truth of the matter was made public it would be less-than advantageous for those in power, such as Kaishou Rinroku. And thus we explore a side of mysteries that most of us have never even considered before. When is it appropriate for the truth to be covered up? If it’s for the supposed benefit of the public and reduces a scandal, should it be allowed? I can see how a white lie, if you will, would be preferable over a huge uproar. However, I find myself reluctant to agree to such a thing, especially in the case that a lie is created solely for the purpose of creating a buzz (i.e. the Yonagahime story).

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With the other noitaminA show receiving all the pre-season hype, it’s funny how overlooked Un-Go was. Let me just say that, after comparing the production values side-by-side, Un-Go more than holds its own. The character designs are very distinctive and while the art style in particular is generic at first glance, there are subtle details that create a look to Un-Go that isn’t replicated all that often. The most noticeable being the elongated facial structure and awkward physiques of certain characters. I was initially a little perturbed by this particular look, but as time went by I grew to appreciate and love this style. Of course, this is aided by the fact that only the male characters look strange, as the female designs are actually stunning. :P Detailing in the environment was top notch and the series benefits greatly from the high resolution due to the striking colour schemes used in the design. There wasn’t any noticeable drop in quality that I took note of so I think it’s safe to say that animation-wise, Un-Go is highly polished and consistent.

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Phew~ That was quite a mouthful…

That’s what she said~

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/ 7 Commentsleave a comment /

• Kyokai says:

  January 5, 2012

  I should say, TROLLOLOLOLLLLL! But yeah, good review. I won't call this the best mystery show but by the end, it held it's ground rather than completely disintegrating. The thing I really loved about it are the characters and there is not one that I disliked. If only the first few episodes were well treated like the latter.
  My recent post Kimi to Boku – 13 [END]

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• Meshedi says:

  January 5, 2012

  I wanted to watch this anime since fall season started but time was not on my side. Also, i writing this comment to let you know that i like this kind of collaborating reviews. It nice how you reviewed the anime, like two buddies having a conversations. I am hoping i can see like this more on Sekijitsu. Great review guys.

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• wandering-dreamer says:

  January 5, 2012

  I think that Rei was actually supposed to be the audience surrogate character kinda, since she always knew only what the audience did, but had enough personality to actually be a fleshed out character as well.
  My recent post Anime Review: Mawaru Penguindrum

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• Noblesse says:

  January 5, 2012

  UNGO was light years ahead of it's Noitamina counter part Guilty Crown. It's interesting though, for some reason i never once considered Kaishou to be an antagonist. Sure he wasn't pure but i don't really think he was a 'bad guy'. Saying that he was probably the closest this series has to one apart from the arc bad guys. Shinjirou was cool though, him being nicknamed Defeated Detective was never really proven, everytime he solved the crime whether Kaishou got there first or Inga's question put the nail in the coffin. In my opinion though this show got better after Kazamori was fully introduced. The first couple of episodes were good but i did stall it and finally marathoned the last 6 or 7 episodes, Kazamori was a delight with her humour and way of think as you pointed out.

  Overall a really decent show but on occasion i wish it was longer just so we find more about the setting. How many people like Inga and Bettenou are there in the world? et cetra.

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• Vivi says:

  January 5, 2012

  Wait lemme get my ivory wig….

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• Velore says:

  January 5, 2012

  I can't really say I understood the whole meaning of the show, but then again, it was really chaotic and most of the episodes felt rather meaningless for that short of a serie.

  It's definitely not my kind of a mystery Anime, it definitely lacked the 'excitement' factor that comes from a grand plot twist or an event that you could foresee with enough focus and deduction. In this case, it was mostly confusion and surprise.

  So for me that was but an average show, specifically a better version of Gosick, as in UN-GO there actually were characters that I enjoyed watching. Yet the potential felt completely wasted, I liked the idea of a detective solving cases with a help of a demonic entity that drains people's souls by learning their truths, but the way UN-GO went with that plot was just a dissatisfactory. The cases were too random and lacked the element of thrill or any emotion whatsoever. So even though the music and animation were great, I can only feel disappointment in the story and characters for the most part.

  Yet I can understand why you enjoyed it, the review is fair and makes a good point about all the positive aspects of the show. I suppose the 'beautiful lie' theme is just not my taste.

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• noitanigamI says:

  January 7, 2012

  Haha he's the defeated detective because even though he solves all the cases, the truth goes untold, in that way, he's defeated by the lies told by society to the masses.

  Reply