“Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” is more or less a zombie storyline about human survival but there are other elements introduced that makes this storyline fresh and unique. If you love action-driven anime series, “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” is recommended!
Image courtesy of © Funimation. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress – Season One
DURATION: (Episodes 1-12) 300 Minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16×9), English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0, Subtitles: English
COMPANY: Funimation
RATED: TV MA
Release Date: January 16, 2018
Directed by Tetsuro Araki
Screenplay by Ichiro Okouchi
Script by Hiroshi Seko
Original Character Design by Haruhiko Mikimoto
Character Design by Tadayoshi Yamamuro
Music byHiroyuki Sawano
Art Direction by Shunichiro Yoshihara
Anime Production: Wit Studio
Featuring the following voice talent:
Sayaka Senbongi/Janice Kawaye as Mumei
Tasuku Hatanaka/Robbie Daymond as Ikoma
Kaito Ishikawa/Chris Niosi as Uryū
Kanae Oki/Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Kajika
Kensuke Satou/Kyle Hebert as Kibito
Maaya Uchida/Veronica Taylor as Ayame
Mamoru Miyano/Roger Craig Smith as Biba
Mariya Ise/Abby Trott as Yukina
Maxwell Powers/Elijah Ungvary as Suzuki
Ryota Ohsaka as Sukari
Toshiki Masuda/Jamieson K. Price as Kurusu
Yuuki Kaji/Ben Diskin as Takumi
The world is overrun with Kabane, infected humans with an appetite for flesh. While the last of humanity has retreated into fortress-like stations connected by armored trains, some remain as hopeful as Ikoma. Servicing the trains for a living, Ikoma uses his spare time to build a weapon that could defeat the Kabane. Unapologetically optimistic, he eagerly awaits the day when he can test it. When a train is hijacked by the Kabane, he may finally get his chance. But an unexpected turn of events puts him in a situation that will test not only his weapon but his own humanity.
From “Attack on Titan” director Tetsuro Araki and “Code Geass” writer Ichiro Okouchi comes the anime series “Kotetsujo no Kabaneri” (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) courtesy of Wit Studio.
An anime series that receive a lot of hype online thanks to the original character designs being created by anime industry legend, Haruhiko Mikimoto (“Macross”, “Gunbuster”, “Orguss”).
The 12-episode anime TV series premiered in the spring of 2016 on Fuji TV’s Noitamina block and will now be co-released in the US on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of a partnership between Crunchyroll and Funimation.
The series takes place during a time when a mysterious virus infects humans during the industrial revolution and turns them into kabane (corpses) and the virus rapidly spreads. The only way to kill a kabane is to pierce its glowing heart or severing its head. And if bitten by a kabane, the person will turn into one.
In the island country of Hinomoto, humans have created fortresses to protect themselves from kabane. Steam locomotives (Hayajiro) transport various wares between stations and one day, a hayajiro is hijacked by kabane and it crashes into Aragane Station, allowing the kabane to attack the city.
One of the people in the city, a young engineer named Ikoma, is constructing an anti-kabane weapon. His shop is infiltrated by kabane and he is able to use his weapon and make it work by defeating it. Unfortunately, during the battle he is bitten.
Ikoma finds a way to resist the virus thanks to jewel in his hand and resists the virus. He becomes a Kabaneri, a human-kabane hybrid and along with another kabaneri named Mumei, the two try to fight their way to protect the human survivors.
But who are more of a threat? The kabane or power-hungry humans?
VIDEO:
“Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” is created in 1080p High Definition (16×9 HD Native). The episodes are colorful and absolutely vibrant. Great detail with character designs based on Haruhiko Mikimoto’s well-kn0w style and wonderful animation for fight scenes. Background artwork is also very detailed.  I saw no major softness, banding issues or artifacts during my viewing of the series.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress”” features a wonderful soundtrack on Blu-ray. The series is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English) and Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (Japanese). Dialogue is crystal clear for both soundtracks, while action sequences are well-utilized for its surround channel on the English soundtrack.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” comes with the opening and closing songs.
EXTRAS:
“Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” comes with both the Blu-ray and DVD for season 1.
At first glance, I thought “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” was going to be another zombie story clone. Human survivors vs. the undead.
And for the most part, the humans vs. the undead is a big part of the story but what you have is a story about a steamsmith named Ikoma who develops a bolt gun-like weapon to fight against the Kabane and joins with a group of people trying to fight back. He is protective of his close friends, Takumi (who helped him develop the gun) and Kanjika, who helps raise the orphans who lost their families to Kabane.
We learn there is another Kabaneri, a fighter who believes she must be stronger in order to not end up as a kabane and because she fights so much, she requires blood to stop herself from attacking people.
The anime series introduces us to another characters such as Ayame Yomogawa, the leader of the Aragane survivors who comes from a noble family but is trying to understand all that is happening around her. Protecting her is a bushi named Kurusu, an excellent swordfighter who is attracted to Ayame.
And as these individuals survive and fight their way against Kabane. By episode 7, the series starts to take a turn for a more serious story as we are introduced to a man known as Biba, a man that Mumei calls her brother.
Biba runs a group known as the hunters and is the eldest son of a Shogun. In his mind, strength makes people superior and the weak don’t deserve a chance to live. And because of that, he locks up Ikoma and turns his friends into slaves for blood experimentation in order to create artificial kabaneri.
So, the second half go from survival from the kabane, to survival from Biba and his group of Hunters. To make things worse, as Ikoma wants to save Mumei, Biba has brainwashed her to fight for him and to kill Ikoma.
I absolutely loved the character designs for this anime series and Haruhiko Mikimoto’s style is quite pronounced and no doubt made me nostalgic for his classic anime work, especially for “Macross”.   His style is very unique for him and it’s always a delight to see Mikimoto’s involvement with an anime series. Background art and overall mechanical design are well-done and the lossless soundtrack is quite solid, with its many action scenes. The English has the upper edge with the 5.1 lossless soundtrack but for the most part, dialogue for both soundtracks are crystal clear.
Overall, I really enjoyed the first season of “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress”. The series is action-packed and there is enough story that the series is not enveloped by its action sequences. But I will say the series goes quickly and you’re left wanting more and more.
Sure, “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” is more or less a zombie storyline about human survival but there are other elements introduced that makes this storyline fresh and unique. If you love action-driven anime series, “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” is recommended!
