First Impressions / Series Introduction

OP Sequence

OP: 「Wagamama de Gomakasanai de」 by The Oral Cigarettes

「渋谷転送」 (Shibutani Tensou)
“Shibutani Tensou”

Brought to us by Taniguchi Gorou and Netflix, revisions dabbles into futuristic monster hunting with its titular creatures, the revisions, coming to wreak havoc on the general population. Unlike more experimental, fascinating titles exclusive to Netflix like DEVILMAN crybaby and the anime-inspired Castlevania series, this falls into the camp of the Netflix-exclusive anime that utilize CGI less as a way to experiment with animation’s growth as a medium and more as a budget-saving option that makes sci-fi stories easier to tell in exchange for stilted and choppy animation. This comes out the most apparent with revisions as it chugs through school life scenes before reaching its bloody climax. Netflix doesn’t trust the attention spans of Americans to pay attention to a show if it’s not all just dumped on the platform at once at your marathoning convenience (hence why a laundry list of shows like Little Witch Academia, Violet Evergarden, Kakegurui, and Hi Score Girl show up on our Netflix long after they become relevant for discussion), which explains why the entire series can be found when sailing the seven seas. For simplicity’s sake, however, my main focus is on Episode 1.

The story focuses on Daisuke, the survivor of a kidnapping who was saved by a mysterious girl named Milo. Because Milo tells him that it’s his destiny to save everyone from a coming calamity, Daisuke got it in his head to act like a complete psychopath around everyone when trouble rears its head. Did somebody almost bump into you on their bike? Chase them down to beat them to a pulp. Did someone disrespect a girl around you in the slightest way? Pull them by the collar and show them what’s up. Did someone question why you have to go through such extreme lengths to defend someone’s honor to the point that it does more to cause problems than solve them? Continue to cause problems by getting ready to fight. His abrasive personality and his obsession with trouble happening are such sore spots for Chang Gai Steiner and his sister Chang Lu that they are both mutually sick of Daisuke’s delusions of grandeur in his violent tendencies. Daisuke also enjoys carrying around a pocket knife in the event that something exciting goes down, so clearly, what we’re dealing with is a far unhealthier protagonist than we initially thought. Of course, not all art needs to have automatically likable protagonists, but it does help viewers find common ground with the protagonist when they’re not cheering on an apocalypse out of the possibility of getting to save everyone just as Milo’s prophecy foretold.

Other than having people in mecha suits fighting off revisions as they continue brutally murdering Daisuke’s classmates, one of the larger draws with the series is the relationship that Daisuke and his circle of friends have with Milo, and how their fated meeting back when they were kids ties into their current predicament. After the abduction scare, Milo seems to have warned each of them of future complications to watch out for such as not to trust anyone easily or to always stay vigilant. While the revisions as entities appeared to have come from nowhere alongside the mecha suits that Milo and her army fight with, Daisuke and his friends have a deep enough connection with Milo after their first meeting that it shapes their perception of the on-going events as they happen. Whether it be Daisuke’s obsession with any signs of chaos or his friends trying to get him to stop holding Milo’s words to heart, this flashback scene would continue to affect the cast directly and indirectly through the stranglehold it has on Daisuke’s life.

From the first episode, revisions is certainly messy and will be difficult to get invested in, whether it be for Daisuke’s personality, the awkward tonal shifts as the world is hit by a revision outbreak, or because of Netflix’s draconian policies that end up releasing TV anime right when their momentum slows down to a grinding halt. For those who venture out to watch the rest or those who wait several more months for the full release, revisions might scratch your itch for sci-fi monster battles. For others, you might just have an easier time waiting it out until it becomes convenient to watch.

ED Sequence

ED: 「Curtain Call」 by Weaver

16 Comments

    1. We’ll have to get used to it, next season’s Ultraman anime will be in CGI too (apparently a deliberate decisions by the joint directors). And it’ll be a Netflix mass release too.

      zztop
      Reply

      1. Old MAN MODE: NOPE!! i refuse to “get used to it” why should i conform and settle for a lesser quality medium?

        Screw dat! I simply wont watch it.
        And slowly but surely i will lose interest in anime… i have other hobbies

        BROOKLYN otaku
        Reply

  3. My understanding is Netflix binge-releases all its shows because it’s what their subscribers pay for.

    Their market research shows majority of their members tend to bingewatch, therefore they cater to that majority per their corporate bottom line. (It’s cold, but it is a mainstream-focused Corporation.) Episodic viewers aren’t exactly their targets (that’s for Crunchyroll, Funimation etc.)

    That said, I’ve seen some Myanimelist reviews by some bingers – most said they liked it. One noted the good foreshadowings at the start which ties into later episodes, and the character growth.

    zztop
    Reply

  9. Only just caught up with this. At first sight it looks like they bought a job lot of character designs from Ajin, but I guess it really it doesn’t look too bad at all. Especially the crowd scenes, which can sometimes be like the canary in the coal mine when it comes to CGI quality.

    Angelus
    Reply

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