Metallic Rouge is a cyberpunk mystery worth unraveling

Metallic Rougethe latest original anime from director Motonobu Hori (Carole and Tuesday) and studio Bones, is as difficult to describe as it is impressive to see. A ‘tech noir’ mystery thriller that combines a futuristic cyberpunk setting with tokusatsu-inspired action. The series burns as slow as it burns bright, doling out its story and universe at a deliberate pace. It’s an anime that asks its audience to take stock of every dazzling detail on display as they try to grasp the totality of the whole.

This is not a mystery that will hold you by the hand and tell you in explicit terms the who, what and where of the various parts and key players. Rather, it is a film that invites the audience to live in this world with the characters as they try to understand who they are and why they do what they do.

For that reason, it takes a few episodes to fully acclimate the viewer to the many connecting threads of the larger story, and that’s why – three episodes in – I feel more confident in recommending Metallic Rouge now than when it premiered earlier this month. It’s a lot to take in, but the experience so far has been more than worth it.

(Ed. remark: Minor spoilers ahead Metallic Rouge episodes 1 to 3.)

Metallic Rouge is set in a future where humans have colonized Mars and live side by side with Neans, humanoid androids who serve humanity and are programmed to obey their every whim through a protocol known as the ‘Asimov Code’, based on the Three Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov. .

Rouge Redstar, a Nean android who can pass as a human, has been sent to Mars to root out and eliminate a terror network led by the ‘Immortal Nine’. The Nine are a group of Nean prototypes who do not adhere to the Asimov Code and are suspected of plotting to overthrow Human-Nean society. Like the Immortal Nine, Rouge can act outside the parameters of the Asimov Code, as well as transform into a super-powered ‘Gladiator’ form capable of doing battle with them. With the help of her partner Naomi Orthmann, an investigator assigned to assist her on the case, Rouge scours the surface of Mars in search of her targets, gaining first-hand experience of the social order she has sworn to protect.

That’s the premise, but there are many more details playing in the background – like the nature of Alethia, the organization that controls human-Nean relations, led by Rouge’s “older brother,” Gene Junghardt. There’s Ash Stahl, a researcher from Earth sent to Mars to track down an elusive “red figure” suspected of murdering Roy Junghardt, Gene’s father and one of the creators of the Nean androids. And then there is the question of the Immortal Nine themselves: why have they chosen to rebel against their masters now? Are they wrongly involved, and if so, for what purpose?

Image: Bones/Crunchyroll

Oh yeah – did I also mention that the Nean androids are based on alien technology, and were initially designed as weapons against an alien threat in a war with humanity that is currently in the middle of a ten-year truce?

I know; that’s a lot of exposition to throw at an audience, and most other anime would try to breathlessly dish out those expository details in the first episode and get rid of them just as quickly in the next. Satisfying, Metallic Rouge isn’t like most other anime. Although the concept of a servant class of artificial beings, bound by a code of conduct, is far from original in science fiction, Metallic Rouge is exceptional in the way it organically weaves the details of its universe into the dialogue and plot beats of its story. The show doesn’t immediately give you the answers to all your burning questions, but it trusts the audience enough to put the pieces in front of them – albeit not necessarily in the right order – and put the bigger picture together themselves.

Image: Bones/Crunchyroll

The result is a mystery series that emphasizes the visual details of its world-building with meticulous attention. The cityscapes of Mars are vast and atmospheric, bathed in a dusty, eternal twilight by day and a vibrant grid pattern of turquoise and magenta by night. The character designs, courtesy of Toshihiro Kawamoto of Cowboy Bebop fame, are distinctive and well-rendered, offering a glimpse into each of their personalities and characters before they’ve even spoken a word on screen. The design of the Gladiator forms by Takayuki Takeya and Tamotsu Shinohara, both known for their work on the Kamen Rider franchise, is particularly notable for their clear nod to that series and for their legibility during the frenetic and explosive battle sequences of the show. .

This all adds up Metallic Rouge it’s a thoroughly entertaining and visually exciting (if sometimes overwhelming) anime that’s only now starting to show its full potential in three episodes. What’s clear from the production quality and writing is that even these early episodes are meant to be watched and rewatched. not just to parse the revelations of its greater mysteries, but to enjoy the thrilling spectacle of its action and animation. It’s shaping up to be one of my favorite anime of the season – and I look forward to a rewarding rerun in the future as well.

Metallic Rouge is streaming on Crunchyroll.