86: Anime review & thoughts
| Genre | Science Fiction, Military, War, Light Novel Adaptation |
| Recommend | Highly Recommend! |
You know how there will always be certain anime/shows that are way over-hyped on social media which then turned out to be mediocre?
Well 86 (anime) isn’t one of them. It truly lives up to the hype and more. ^ ^
There were so many gems in the March/April Spring 2021 run that it was somewhat challenging to keep up with them. (Happy problem) Mashiro no Oto, Odd Taxi, Shadow House, and 86 are my absolute recommendations of the season. Check out my reviews and thoughts on them.
As mentioned, I initially didn’t have high hopes for this anime series because it was adapted from a light novel + the hype surrounding it before it aired usually doesn’t bode well for such anime adaptations
So 86 definitely was a pleasant surprise. The adaptation was honestly pretty good. The music, especially, was a delight and complemented the anime really well.
This is one anime that I highly recommend from the Spring 2021 season.
And yes there will be a Season 2! ^ ^
Read on for my thoughts and review of the 1st season!
Page Contents
What is 86 (Anime) about?
86 (anime) 「８６―エイティシックス―」is an anime adapted from the light novel series of the same name.
There has been a war raging between The Republic of San Magnolia and The Empire of Giad for nine years. With its legions of drones and machines, the Empire of Giad has been inflicting numerous casualties and losses on the Republic of San Magnolia.
However, the invention of their own drone machines – “Juggernauts” – soon turned the tide of the war for the Republic. As the years passed, the Republic were able to successfully defend their country with low to 0 casualties.
Hidden behind this amazing turn of events is an ugly truth: The 0 casualties and the protection of all 85 sectors of the Republic was due to the subjugation and oppression of an entire population, dubbed the ’86’.
Everyone who differs in appearances from the silver-haired Alba race were interned in the “86th” district and forbidden to enter the other sectors. Men, Women and Children were forced to pilot the “Juggernauts” to fight against the Empire. As the 86 were deemed “inhuman”, their deaths do not matter to the Alba.
Vladilena (Lena) Milizé is a young and rising star in the Republic Military. Unfortunately, her outspoken views against the discrimination of the “86” and reputation as an “86” supporter has her shunned by her peers and superiors.
Assigned to the infamous Spearhead Squadron as a “Handler”, she soon gets acquainted with Shinei (Shin) Nouzen – Undertaker – captain of the Spearhead squadron – a boy who has survived every single squadron he has ever been in.
With the Spearhead Squadron, Lena eventually realize all is not what it seems and that there is a devastating secret for the 86 who battled and died on the battlefield. Facing the imminent deaths of the Spearhead Squadron, Lena struggles to change the fate of the “86”.
Will the “meeting” between Lena and Shin be able to ignite and spark the flames of change so desperately needed in a country that has lured itself into a false sense of security? Or will they go down in a fiery blaze of defeat?
My thoughts on 86 (Anime)
Truthfully, 86 (anime) isn’t a masterpiece on the “Berserk” or “Vinland Saga“ level but it is still a rather powerful anime.
What I found impressive about this anime adaptation is that the feelings and emotions which you get from watching the anime resonates and lingers long after you have watched the episodes.
There's always a sense of disquietness and sadness that settles at the bottom of your heart when watching the anime.
I found myself so many times suddenly revisiting a scene from the anime (while catching the episodes in real-time) and my heart just wrenches. This especially happens when I’m listening to the OP/ED songs. (Check out the music section for more information)
The music score ( Hiroyuki Sawano at one of his best!) , the editing and pacing of the scenes + the way the anime production team skillfully uses flashback and imagery narratives to move the story forward really also amplifies the sense of sadness and resignation that surrounds the entire show and characters.
That’s why I said that 86 is a powerful anime, because you don’t just forget about the episodes after you have watched them.
86 is not a light-hearted story.
A story that has children fighting in wars and entire populations being deemed not human just because of the colour of their skin, eyes and hair usually aren’t.
Comedic elements, if any, are sparse and few in between. Instead, we get plenty of wistful and contemplative moments among the characters.
This anime uses quite a lot of time-skips and flashbacks as a narrative devices.
For a war anime, there’s nothing too graphic in season 1 but there are some scenes of suicide and euthanasia (as an act of mercy and salvation on the battlefield) which might be a trigger to some.
Death is also not the end, as we will come to learn of a more chilling fate for those who died in the battles between the Republic and the Empire.
86 (Anime) Spearhead Squadron
With 86 「８６―エイティシックス―」in its title , naturally much of the focus in S1 is on the “86” — the Spearhead Squadron.
However, with S1 only having 11 episodes, we actually don’t get to see much of the entire squadron (other than the key members), which was a pity. Nevertheless, of what little we’ve seen of them, we seem to get the idea that every one in the Spearhead squadron were all imbued with a maturity beyond their years.
Rather than just idle around and lament their fates, the Spearhead Squadron simply accepts it and tries to live their lives to the fullest in the short time that they have.
This was also likely because the Spearhead Squadron were all veterans of the war, despite their young age. Every one of them had survived the destruction of their previous squadrons and seen their team-mates or loved ones die on the battlefield.
With their cavalier attitudes, you might get the impression that these kids are not afraid of death.
So is the Spearhead Squadron truly not afraid of death?
Of-course not. Under the nonchalant attitudes and battle-harden scars, each and every member of the Spearhead Squadron wants to live. We see that during the last moments of every Spearhead Squadron that was killed on-screen.
And what makes matters worse is that death is not the end for them. As war veterans, they are fully aware that an even more chilling fate lies ahead for the “86” that fell in battle – losing their souls and consciousness to the Legions.
Fortunately, the Spearhead Squadron has an Undertaker with them who tries his best to save them from this fate.
I personally really liked the concept where when they die, their squad leader (Shin) tries to remove the piece on their Juggernaut with their code-name/insignia and keeps it in a box to take to a final resting place. This ensures that they are not forgotten and that someone still remembers them.
Its a heavy burden on Shin but one that clearly provides some solace to the kids.
Fortunately, with Lena as their final handler, Shin and the Spearhead Squadron now finally have someone who would be able to remember him and his squad after they are gone.
And this burden is now passed on to Lena ,who to my pleasant surprise, has turned that weight into strength and fuel for her to pursue her ideals and create change in the Republic. (I honestly can’t wait to see her growth in S2)!
Episodes and Scenes that made an impact
Spoilers abound for this section. Please read with caution. Spoilers! Spoilers!
In this section, I’ll be sharing some of the stand-out episodes and scenes in S1 for me. Or you know, the things that made me bawl teared up while watching the anime.
1. Fido Flashbacks + Shin & Shourei’s final showdown
The most emotional episodes (for me) in 86 were definitely the ones with Fido’s flashbacks and the final showdown between Shin and his brother, Shourei.
I really love the direction and how the scenes unfolded under the direction of the director and the anime team. It was so well-done and devastatingly sad. Beautiful too in a way. There was just the right amount of angst and resolution and hope mixed in for the audience. Brilliant!
Flashbacks tend to be rather over-used in many anime but in 86 (anime), the flashback scenes were all masterfully done and really upped the sadness factor greatly.
The episode with Fido’s flashback of the Spearhead Squadron was especially emotionally stirring. The fact that a machine acts more human than the so-called humans of the Republic of San Magnolia speaks volumes.
We got see more of the The Spearhead Squadron in these flashbacks and how important they were to Fido.
To Fido, the Spearhead Squadron was clearly its family. And to have them as its final thoughts before it shut down just shows how much it loved them all.
I read somewhere online that the episode with Fido’s flashback was an original concept by the anime team. So kudos to the team. This was the episode that had me tearing up from start to the end.
I also really liked how they did the resolution and the final goodbye scenes between the brothers. So much was conveyed in just that few scenes with that amazing score!
Having Shin not being able to recall how his brother looked like in all his memories due to his trauma to him finally being able to see his brother in every one of those same precious memories… OMG that was so beautifully sad.
And that final release of all his guilt, sorrow and emotions as Shin finally, finally allowed himself to grieve over his beloved brother and laid him to rest… that was definitely cathartic for both him and us.
If you didn’t tear up or felt your heart wrenching for Shin in that moment, I have no words to say to you. ><
2. Daiya and Anju
Personally, I really liked the fact that the romance factor was dialed to the lowest in this anime, at least for S1. I mean, seeing how its almost given that Shin and Lena would be a couple (eventually), I’m glad the anime team did not try to turn this into a Shin-Lena tragic love story.
That said, one of the stand-out moments of S1 (for me) was how the relationship between Daiya and Anju was portrayed in the anime.
The unspoken attraction and fondness between Daiya (Black Dog) and Anju (Snow Witch) was bittersweet, to say the least.
The fact that everything that happened between them, including Anju’s reactions to Daiya’s death, was so understated that it made their love story even more tragic and poignant.
The silent tears running down Anju’s face while watching the beautiful fireworks in the sky as she finally allowed herself to grief over Daiya and their lost possibility speaks volumes.
We have to remember that despite the few moments we got to see the two of them together in the anime, Daiya and Anju had known each other for years. And that final dance between them!! TT
I understand that Daiya’s death was actually glossed over in the novel so it was really great that the anime decided to expand on it. It brought home the point that every one in the Spearhead Squadron had really wanted to live… that despite their circumstances, the 86 still had so much to look forward to – in Daiya’s case, it was a life with Anju –
Alas, it was a dream that can never be. A possibility left unrealized and all that remains are memories.
Such is the fate of the 86.
Now excuse me as I run off to get some tissues.
3. The “Farewell” scene with Lena
Another scene/episode that stood out for me was the one where Shin, leading the survivors of their “suicide mission” said their farewells to Lena. ( episode 9 aka the episode that makes most people bawl their eyes out)
As the Spearhead Squadron said their final farewell to her, we see Lena running from her office and out to the streets, desperately trying to reach them … only to finally break down in tears when she realizes the futility of her actions.
The juxtaposition of Lena’s desperation and sadness against the squad’s excited comments and joy of leaving the 86 sector was really well done. The score + BGM once again making it so much more emotional and heart-breaking.
Lena doesn’t want them to leave her behind. But ironically, leaving is the Spearhead Squadron’s only option for freedom.
What made the scene especially gut-wrenching (for me) was because Lena knows deep in her heart, just as the remaining 5 Spearhead members do, that this freedom, so hard-earned by them, would still end in their death, likely at the hands of the Legions.
The biggest difference though is that they are now finally free from the Republic and are embarking on a journey to as far as they can go… as free people.
And that time, however little it might be, is worth everything.
What were some of the stand-out scenes for you in the anime?
What scenes and which characters made you teared up? Let me know in the comments! 🙂
Themes
As an anime that falls into the science fiction military anime genre, the themes of Racism (racial superiority); Oppression, War, Ethics, Morality and Idealism are at the core of 86.
Whenever I watched shows or read stories like that of the “86”, I’m always left shaking my head at how crazy the world can be sometimes.
It is rather chilling how easily an entire nation and/or groups of people can just buy into propaganda and adopt it as the truth.
In the world of 86 -Eighty Six -, we see this happening in The Republic of San Magnolia. Everyone who differs in appearances from the silver-haired Alba race were interned in the “86th” district and forbidden to enter the other 85 sectors. Even those with mixed Alba heritage was not spared.
As the 86 were deemed “inhuman”, their deaths were inconsequential.
To make matters worse, the 86 were also forced to pilot the “Juggernauts” to fight against the Empire. Many of the adults were initially fed lies to get them to volunteer to fight the war. They were given promises of a 1-1 exchange system, that with every adult joining the fight, a child or a loved one would be spared.
The peace and protection enjoyed by the Republic was thus built upon the deaths and subjugation of an entire population.
And yet, many of the Albas sees nothing wrong with this.
Every day we see the Albas going about their daily lives happily despite the 86s (now mainly just the kids and teenagers) being sent out to fight and die in the battlefields as “drones”.
In fact, the low to 0 casualties in the war against The Empire of Giad are celebrated nation-wide as a testament to the strength of the Republic.
That’s because they buy into the belief and propaganda that the 86s are not humans, and therefore their lives are not worth anything.
The scene with the new Republic cadets attending a History lesson of The Republic and the Juggernauts was especially telling of this deplorable attitude —
Vladilena (Lena) Milizé’s had spoken out against the lies that the Juggernaunt are drones with no pilots and revealed the truth abouut the 86. How the media is reporting fake news daily and they should challenge against these lies.
The matter-of-fact tone that the young cadet uses to refute Lena’s point and speak out against the discrimination of the 86 was horrifying —
But they are not humans!
The fact that the Albas can normalize having an entire race and people subjected to atrocities and being used as “drones” to fight a war is just chilling.
We have to remember that prior to the policy change, the 86s were neighbours, friends, co-workers of the Albas. And yet in just the span of a decade or so, many of the Albas were able to turn a blind eye to those who they once knew.
And the scariest part about all this? We see this happening in real-life throughout history. How easily people can just turn against and betray those who were once standing with them. How quickly one can accept and turn a blind eye to others.
It’s disgusting. It’s sad and it reminds us again how easily people can just slide into the cycle of hatred and stupidity, especially when herd mentality is at play.
Fortunately, as much as 86 shows us the ugly side of humanity, the anime also give us glimpses of some of the beauty and the brightest parts of humanity.
We see this through the 86 in the Spearhead Squadron, as well as some of the Albas like Lena .
For the Spearhead Squadron, you can’t help but respect their mindsets: Yes, they hate the Albas. Yes, they have no choice but to fight.
However, despite the racisms, despite the terrible treatment and despite the overwhelming sadness and the certainty of death surrounding them, they chose to continue fighting not simply because they do not have a choice but because this was still the nation that they were born and grew up in. Because there were still those who had treated them well before the ’86’ policy took effect.
And so the Spearhead Squadron continues to fight, even if death is certain at the end of their journey.
86 also showed us that not all Albas are bad. Although few in numbers, there were also Albas, like Lena, who didn’t agree with the treatment of the 86 and had each tried to help in their own way
Some joined the 86 (e.g. Theo’s first squad leader who refused to abandon his 86 squad and died while allowing them to escape) while others refused to leave their non-Alba family (The Spearhead Squadron’s Chief Mechanic), choosing to remain in the 86 sector.
There were also those who tried to hide the non-Alba children as long as they could (e.g. Raiden’s experience).
Although it wasn’t explored much in S1, Anju’s experiences in the 86 camps showed us that even among the 86, there were also prejudice against those of mixed heritage.
So what do we can get from this?
Human Beings are really complicated creatures. What really defines and distinguishes us are the actions that we take, not the race or genetic markers one has.
It is true that the anime (S1) did not delve deeper into the various themes and frankly could do more to explain and address the reasons and consequences of discrimination and racism.
However, this could also be due to the fact that it is only the 1st season. So with a second season coming in October 2021, I’m reserving my judgement and not to be too critical while watching the first season.
All in all, 86 is a powerful anime that is able to evoke strong emotions that can lead one to think more about the themes of racisim, oppression, morality and ethics.
Anyway, I’ll end my thoughts about 86 (anime) here for now.
I have more to say but let’s talk more again when S2 comes around!
Definitely Recommend a watch!
P.S: As always, if you enjoy reading my reviews, do consider signing up for my mailing list.
Criticisms?
As I was scrolling through reactions and feedback discussions about the anime (as most of us do) online, I saw quite a few comments from viewers criticizing the anime for a rather superficial exploration into racism and oppression, which are two central themes at the heart of 86.
I have my own thoughts on this topic so I figured to just add my two cents worth here.
Objectively, the critics are not wrong. It is true that several of the heavier themes, especially that of Racism and Oppression, wasn’t really delved into nor expanded upon in the anime. Most of it was either happening in the background or just mentioned in passing by the characters.
Not surprisingly, 86 (anime) evokes parallels to WWII and the Holocaust. It also draws parallels to many of the genocides that had occurred throughout history. And as always, when fiction has a close parallel to actual historical events, it will likely always be judged with a slightly more critical eye.
We don’t get to see why and how the “86” policy came into effect. Was there always simmering resentment against the non-Alba people in the Republic? How did an entire nation accept this propaganda so easily? Who came up with the idea?
These were questions that I had hoped to have answers to but unfortunately, perhaps due to the short episode run of S1, were not really explored.
We get a throwaway line here and there about the “reasons” the policy came about and the atrocities done. Even the absolutely terrible notion of the Republic aims of wiping the 86 and what they did from history was only touched upon in some grandiose speech.
As mentioned at the start of this review, these are the reasons why I personally don’t consider 86 a masterpiece (yet).
I do still stand by my opinion that it is a powerful anime, and one that I believe will get better with more episodes.
As this is just S1, I am mindful of the short episode run. I’ll personally find that it might be better and fairer to the anime to wait till I have finished watching S2 to get a better picture of how these themes were explored and presented.
Just a disclaimer though, I haven’t read the light novels yet so I have no idea if the themes were properly expanded or further delved into in the later volumes.
Nevertheless, these are just my own personal opinions. ^ ^
I’ve always held the belief that stories like 86 (anime), which deals with themes and incidents where there are painful real-life historical parallels, are important.
These stories often act as a reminder to new generations the dangers of sliding into cycles of hate and irrationality. It also encourages one to discuss heavy topics like oppression and racism, in a safe sphere.
So I for one, am really looking forward to S2 of the anime.
86 (Anime) Music
You know how any decent movie and show worth its salt would almost always have a pretty good soundtrack?
Well, the music and soundtrack of 86 (anime) is really good.
With Hiroyuki Sawano (澤野弘之) helming the music for 86 (anime), it shouldn’t be a surprise that the BGM hits all the feels and emotions in this anime. The instrumental music and songs really complements the mood of the anime.
The music absolutely elevates the anime and captures a lot of the sadness and
The lingering sorrow, especially when you hear the OP/ED theme, will remind you of the episodes. That’s how powerful it is.
I really like the both the ending songs of 86 (anime) and I have it on repeat long after S1 has ended.
All songs are available on Spotify. ^ ^ Support the artistes if you can!
ED1: “Avid” by 澤野弘之 SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]
Am I the only one that associates this song with Shin and his brother?
Every time I listen to this song, I always remember the show-down scene between Shin and his brother, as well as the ending “dream” that Shin had. It’s such a beautiful yet haunting song.
ED 2: “Hands up to the Sky” by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]
This song gives me all the feels! It’s oddly uplifting and sad at the same time. And I’m not going to lie, I had this song on a loop as I was writing this post. ^ ^
Did you notice that the numbers “8” and “6” are missing from the song?
OP: 3分29秒 by ヒトリエ (HITORIE)
What was interesting (and sad) about the opening was that with each episode, you’ll see the number of people (from the Spearhead Squadron) standing in the grass field increasing.
More Information
As with most anime adapted from a popular light novel, there are quite a few sources of materials and spin-offs that fans can get into.
I’ve done my best to compile and share what is available out there, so hope it helps! ^ ^
Alternatively, just head to the fandom wiki page of 86 for a quick recap of the key characters here.
Light Novel
86 (anime) 「８６―エイティシックス―」 is written by Asato Asato (安里アサト) with illustrations by Shirabii (しらび) and mechanical design by I-IV.
As of February 2021, there are 9 volumes published in Japan, with 7 volumes out in English.
S1 of the anime covers just volume 1 (excluding the epilogue, of-course) so if you can’t wait for S2, read Vol 2! ^ ^
Interesting Fact: 86 was originally meant to be 1 volume. However, the popularity of the novel spurred on the series to continue. The challenge though was that the ending was already written in Vol 1.
I have no idea if the author would be changing or expanding on the epilogue in the future. The recommendation by fans is to skip the epilogue in Vol 1 and jump straight to Vol 2.
There’s a special website dedicated to the novel series by the publisher. Check it out here. Spoilers abound so please proceed with caution.
Having read updates and synopsis of the remaining volumes and characters, the world of 86 gets even more interesting. I, for one, will be reading the novels soon too!
Manga Adaptation
There are actually 4 ongoing manga adaptations and 1 monthly comic strip-page for 86 (anime).
Official Manga
This manga is the official manga adaptation of the light novels. It is drawn by Motoki Yoshihara (吉原基貴) and currently serialized in Square Enix’s Young Gangan Magazine.
As of August 2021, there are 3 published volumes of the manga.
For more information about the manga adaptation, check out this official page by Square Enix’s Young Gangan Magazine.
Note: There’s also a prequel manga “86: Fragmental Neoteny” which started serializing in April 2021 and another manga adaptation “86: Run Through the Battlefront” from January 2021.
Spin-Off Manga (Parallel Universe?)
Did you know that there’s a spin-off manga for 86 (anime)? If you don’t, now you know. ^ ^
If you ever found yourself wishing to see the characters in a happier world untouched by war and oppression, well here’s your chance! “86: Operation High School” finds the characters as high school students.
The High School AU is actually a pretty popular concept in manga/anime/novels in recent years. For example, popular titles such as Attack on Titan; Kimetsu no Yaiba; all had an AU school side story. Such AUs typically are more light-hearted with comedic elements. It’s likely to balance out all the seriousness and angst in the actual stories.
This spin off is currently serialized on the Japanese monthly magazine “Alive”. The 1st volume (Japanese) was released on 21 January 2021. You can find more information about the manga spin-off here.
Special Official Deformed (Chibi) Comic Adaptation
And if the High School AU isn’t enough for you, there’s always the official chibified (deformed) character comic strip/page!
This seems to be a one page comic that’s released monthly on the official anime website and twitter.
You can check out the special comic (as of August 2021, there’s 5 pages) here
Anime
- Access the official Anime Website here
- Check out the official Anime Twitter: https://twitter.com/anime_eightysix
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