OP Sequence

OP: 「One Reason」 by DWB feat. fade
Watch the OP!: Download, Streaming ▼

「解毒剤(キャンディ)」 (Gedokuzai (Kyandi))
“Antidote (Candy)”

There’s a psychotic opening sequence included this week, showing a lot of red and featuring some of the other deadmen, plus a little fan-service for both guys and girls. It fits pretty well with the dark themes in the series and the demented amusement park (even if there’s no reason for a costume to smile like that). Forcing inmates to participate in morbid forms of entertainment isn’t a new idea, but throwing a fourteen-year-old in there is pretty brutal too. In addition, Ganta is too naive and has little clue about the system. He finally read the rulebook thoroughly after people keep reminding him, and finds out that he needs to eat an antidote every three days or the poison in his collar will kill him, and that cast points are needed to buy everything all the way from the survival candy to luxury goods and freedom.

So far there’s no one Ganta can really trust, including his new friend Takami Yoh, though he doesn’t know that either. To pile on the misfortune, he runs into Kouzuji Kazumasa as well, the sadistic psycho with a big ego who seems to set his own rules around the prison. But even he can’t win a showdown against the warden, who is an interesting factor in this story. She is harsh, but has her own plans and schemes different from those of Tamaki who just seems to want to toy with Ganta.

Ganta enters the “Dog Race” in an attempt to win the points he needs to buy the antidote, but it’s literally no walk in the park as prisoners get sliced in half, smashed into the ground, shot, electrocuted, or incinerated for trying to leave the “show”. Of course the audience just thinks its special effects like some sort of live-action horror flick, but in my opinion they just don’t want to believe it’s real and give excuses (“those guys are just felons anyway”). The irony is that Ganta was originally going to Deadman Wonderland for his school trip, but is now forced to battle there instead after his class was massacred.

Shiro joins the game as well and saves Ganta’s many times during the game, by bumping him when he falls, taking the wrong rope, etc. Ganta himself has no clue until the end when the revelation hits him hard and he gives up the chance to win to save Shiro. However, somehow I doubt she would have died even if she fell as she has cat-like abilities and is relatively less affected by injuries. Shiro also happens to be the epitome of optimism: very happy go lucky and seems to have fun no matter what happens. She’s so bubbly it’s becomes a little bit creepy sometimes given the situation they are in. Shiro is interesting, but I am also looking forward to seeing some of the other deadmen, as there’s no lack of colorful characters in Deadman Wonderland. The stuff that happens can be rather disturbing though, and like last time there’s censoring of a lot the gore and some scenes were cut out; even then however there’s definitely still no shortage of blood and naturally there will be much more of that to come. Animation is pretty good, but unfortunately the art was occasionally subpar. Regardless it’s a story-driven show, and hopefully extra budget will be put into the fights.

 

Preview

63 Comments

  1. interesting but how come that girl can roam free through the prison with nobody questioning?

    she doesn’t have a uniform, or the prison collar, and yet can still register for the race?

    so confusing

    Ryan
    1. I didn’t read the manga, but I am sure there is a good reason why she is the way she is.

      My speculation is that she is either a high ranked player or somebody important that they let do as she wishes like the boss’ daughter. It is her mysterious nature and her amazing happy personality in this hellhole of a prison that capture our attention. Due to her unhuman abilities, I am guessing there is more to this prison that what we are introduce to like an experimental lab for testing superhuman.

      chaos
    1. I think people just leave her be because she comes off so strange. In the first episode, those three guys had no problem seeing her, and the Tae Kwon Do guy looked about ready to knock her block off. Having her seem semi-invisible would add to the air of being a bit of a guardian angel to Ganta, though, which is nice.

    2. Nah, she is real.

      For example, those 3 guys in the beginning saw her, talk to her, and even hit her in the head with a shovel. Last time I checked, imaginary friend can’t be hurt by shovel. In the infirmary, both Ganta and Tamaki saw her and question why she is so freely move around. Third, the ultimate fighter guy was throwing a punch as her for steeping on his foot. Finally, imaginary friend can’t catch or throw physical ball around.

      So in short, she is REAL…just strange and unusual!

      chaos
    1. Not really…

      People do that stuff a lot in the past. Do you remember the days of the Colosseum and Gladiators? Modern day example would be Jerry Springer and Fear Factor, minus the gore and deaths.

      chaos
  2. Is it just me or is anyone else really ticked off that there are two characters with very similar names (Tamaki and Takami)? The dialogue had me running in circles a couple of time with the names. -___-

    SOSAnimeBoy
    1. Not really…

      It is Japanese for ya. Tamaki and Takami for them is like Jerry and Terry for us. You are just not used to the name structure so it seem exactly the same to you. Also, the human brain actually don’t read word as a whole. It looks at the beginning letter, ending letter, and number of letters then it run it across the vocabulary that you learn in your head. If it can’t accurately understand the word, it needs more letter beginning with the second beginning letter and second to last letter. The process continue until the word is known. Yes, your brain takes shortcut to become smarter. Read this sentence below:

      You can undretsand excatly waht I am syaing wtihout dseipte all teh mipssenlling. Cool huh? lol

      chaos
  3. Actually, I’m really upset that Azami wasn’t introduced in this episode. Not only was she the person who explained the cast point system to Ganta in the manga, but she was also the person being picked on in the subsequent locker room scene. It’s those two initial scenarios with her that 1) started the relationship that would make her such a focus for Ganta later on and 2)gave Ganta a reason to believe that not everyone in Deadman Wonderland was bad.

    I’m pretty worried for this adaptation now.

    kazukifafner
  4. I have a lot of doubts that this is going to turn out as well as the manga, but I can assure everyone one thing: IF YOU ARE A GIRL(who has read the manga) AND HAVEN’T FANGIRL SQUEALED WHEN SENJI APPEARED IN THE OPENING, I AM DISSAPOINTED WITH YOU!

    Shadowpanther
    1. The Crow is not a bishounen and given the content of the story, I doubt there’s going to be any fangirling in THIS anime/manga series, besides your self of course ;p.

      Besides, Senji ain’t the only one with the abs, Ganta earns his later XD

      anishuma
  5. Just browsed through 40 chapters of the manga
    It seems like the story’s going to end on the manga’s end as well – anyone knows if the anime might coincide with that?
    Thanks

    Julie
  6. Okay, I’m definitely gonna hafta make time to see this. I really got into the manga and it sounds like its material is being handled well, plus the OP was positively stellar Show Spoiler ▼

  7. What word did the Taekwondo master say that would get censored? From what I’m reading elsewhere, it may be Manko, but I didn’t know they censored profanity in Japan. I thought their version of profane words was a lot different from the English version of profane words.

    Bossun
    1. I took it that if she had been grazed, you wouldn’t probably notice it anyway; Shiro’s got a white suit and is an albino with probably very white skin. Therefore, tears in the fabric would go un-noticed unless you were paying attention, which, in this circumstance, you would not. Until the blood becomes obvious.

      Anyway, Good lord, this on of the few times I actually downloaded just the OP of a show. And watched it nearly 10 times. Must be a sickness.

      Hmm, I’m glad its as good as I expected from my preview post. With luck, Ganta getting over his angst immediately is a good sign.

    2. Yup, she run around naked. Kinda turn you on, didn’t it?!

      That or she wear a supersuit that doesn’t tear, which is questionable, but then again why is she all white? Why is she so happy all the times? And why is a 14-years old locked in prison for a crime he didn’t do? NONE OF THIS SHIT MAKE SENSE! But it is fun to watch though…lol

      chaos
  8. This is starting to be a favorite of mine. Normally I’m not too fond of wimpy main characters, but it works here. Shiro is interesting and fun to watch, both because of her design and the fact that she’s voiced by my favorite female seiyuu!

    HenDarou
    1. Yup, I second that.

      See her alone is worth watching. I don’t ever recall a similar character to her in any other anime. So happy and innocent in a hellhole of an existence.

      chaos
    1. Not really…

      I do that every time I go to the circus… and the zoo. You just can’t accept the fact that people are born from animal and are equally as evil and sadistic.

      chaos
  9. It takes a special type of sick society for it to allow a prison like that and an even sickier society for it to actually be succesful with the average ppl, including school kids.

    Oh right, its Japan so it fits, nvm guyz!

    babawaba
  10. Show Spoiler ▼

    NaYa
    1. Show Spoiler ▼

      Zero

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