The MAPPA X Madhouse collaboration, “takt op. Destiny” episode 1 is out! The fun part about the beginning of every new season is the wave of new pilots. Hands down, this show is one of the highlights! The first five minutes instantly delivered a thrilling introduction. An action-fantasy-sci-fi anime about music? It’s too interesting to ignore.
The “takt op. Destiny” episode 1, titled “Conduct -Creed-“, begins with a beautiful storybook prologue as it tells the story of the war between D2 and Musicarts. Because of the danger, music is rarely heard now. We then meet a dark-haired boy who beautifully plays a lonely piano in a town. This attracts the D2, but the conductor and Musicart defeat it in a dramatic fashion. The visual aesthetics, animation, and music were all amazingly well designed. It doesn’t stay as serious though as both of them start arguing, and the Musicart yeets the boy into the car.
On the road trip to New York, we find out more about our protagonists — Takt Asahina, a music-obsessed Maestro who believes that music comes before anything despite the dangers; Cosette (Destiny), a robotic Musicart with a bottomless hunger for food so she can fight D2s; and Anna Schneider, the designated driver who also stresses about the simple-minded actions of her companions. The goal is to get to Symphonica to fix Cosette’s power output and Takt’s life force, but alas, the journey is more challenging than they thought.
Instantly, the character and world-building of this anime pique my interest. It sort of reminds me of the American apocalyptic movies like Love and Monsters or A Quiet Place. Honestly, I was expecting a serious tone for the series but I’m also glad that it takes a light and comedic tone as well. The intensity and craziness of the battle scenes balance perfectly with the trio’s silly and charming banter. Additionally, who wouldn’t enjoy an old-fashioned road trip mood?
“takt op. Destiny” (pronounced “takt opus”) is a collaboration between powerhouse studios MAPPA and Madhouse. It turned out pretty awesome and I found myself in awe of the animation. The fluidity of the action parts was absolutely breathtaking. The quick but pleasing visuals made for a compelling scene every time. Whenever Takt and Cosette did their baton exchange and finished off the D2 — chills, literal chills. It makes them look badass and insanely cool too. Even in the minor scenes, things like the dynamic angles, body language, camera movements, and other subtle details were quite thoughtful. Isn’t the character design so pretty too?
All in all, episode 1 is a stunning and entertaining one. It’s very aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the music and sound made for an imaginative viewing experience! “takt Op. Destiny” has the ability to become one of the best this season. It’s already swept us off with the animation part, so now we just have to wait and see how the story will unfold! I’m already interested to see how “music can save the world” and how Maestros and Musicarts work. So many mysteries to uncover…
Before I end my writing, I also want to share the titles of the classical pieces that Takt played today. The first one, right before Cosette appears, is Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor Op. 67, “Fate.” The next one to bait the D2 is Beethoven’s Sonata quasi una fantasia, No. 14 in C# Minor. The last one under the moonlight, is Beethoven’s Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, “Pathetique”, 2nd Movement. Did you recognize any of these classical pieces? I honestly had some Nodame Cantabile flashbacks. Anyway, check out their official Twitter for their piano playlists! MAPPA’s YouTube also posted the opening sequence:
What did you think of their pilot episode? Episode 2 of “takt op. Destiny” will air on Tuesday, October 12 midnight JST. (Also interpreted as Wednesday at 12:00 AM JST). It will be available to watch on Crunchyroll, Ani-one, and Amazon in select regions. If you enjoy it, don’t forget to vote for it in our weekly poll!
To discover more shows for this fall season, check out Crunchyroll and Netflix’s Anime Lineup.
Set in New York City, in the year 2047. The world was destroyed in a war with a mysterious monster D2, which was created out of Black Night Meteorite that fell from the sky. Magical girls, “Musicarts” fight against the monster, while being led by the “Conductor”. Their goal is to bring music back to the destroyed world.
-via ACN Edit
Images via Ani-one Asia
©DeNA／タクトオーパスフィルハーモニック