Studio MAPPA has been in the news a lot recently for one reason or another. Of course, most of us know about their upcoming work on Chainsaw Man, Attack on Titan Final Season Pt. 2, and the Jujutsu Kaisen movie. Unfortunately, that talk and anticipation is overshadowing one of their current works airing this summer – Idaten Deities, a seinen, action thrill-ride that could possibly end up being one of MAPPA’s best series ever.
Yes, I’m serious.
After the series premiere at the end of July, Idaten Deities has delivered from every angle that could possibly make an anime spectacular. No, it’s not like Jujutsu Kaisen. No, it’s not like Dororo. The best part is that Idaten Deities is becoming great in its own way. After episode 6 aired on Thursday, a lot of incredible fights, twists, and epic moments are now set up to arrive the rest of this season. With just six episodes left, right now is the perfect time to catch up with Idaten Deities.
Why Catch Up On Idaten Deities Right Now?
Unlike Rin, the strongest god and protagonist in the series, I can answer this question for readers. For one, binging five episodes should be relatively easy for just about any anime fan. With less than two hours of watch time, you’ll be able to catch up in a single night. If not a night, make it two.
The best part is that the series doesn’t have a slow start like a lot of Summer anime did. In fact, there’s brutal violence and dark humor straight out of the gate. Six episodes in and neither the fight scenes nor the dark humor have lightened up. If anything, it’s getting better and so is the story. And if being introduced to many characters right away and wasting no time in story development is something you love in a series premiere, then Idaten Deities is perfect for you. The series even introduces the main characters within the first couple of minutes.
But schemes are starting to unfold and a war is brewing up, which hasn’t reached its peak yet. Episode 5 gave us a taste of that last Thursday. With much in store, the upcoming coverage of Idaten Deities here at Anime Corner, and anywhere else, could potentially be spoiler-heavy.
So it’s in your best interest to catch up on Idaten Deities as soon as possible.
What Have You Been Missing Out On?
After the series premiere, I published an article titled “Idaten Deities: Possible Anime of The Season is Finally Here”. In this article, I describe some reasons why the series could possibly become Anime of the Season. One of those reasons was the fluid animations and sound design. To no surprise, each episode since the premiere has proven that statement to be correct.
The actions scenes in Idaten Deities are unlike anything MAPPA has ever done before. And that’s huge praise coming from the studio that gave us award-winning animations from the series God of High School. It’s well-deserved praise. However, Idaten Deities hasn’t reached the top-10 yet in Anime Corner’s weekly poll yet. But that can all change rather quickly. Just look at what Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song accomplished last season.
“Okay, Idaten Deities looks and sounds cool. But what about the overall story?”
Idaten Deities Has One of the Best Plots of all Summer Anime
To start, the story itself is intriguing no matter what genre of anime you like. 800 years ago, gods (aka Idaten) stepped in to help humans fight off demons in an all-out war. In the end, a group of Idaten seal the rest of the demons in a specific location and Rin’s job is to guard that seal.
There’s one problem – with no war or conflict for hundreds of years, Idaten in the current generation don’t know how to fight like their predecessors.
So being the sole survivor from that generation of Idaten, Rin must train the next generation of Idaten. However, demons have found their way to stay hidden among the humans all this time. And they’re going to strike back at any Idaten they find. A behind-the-scenes character, one who nobody knows whether they’re an Idaten, demon, or even human, has found out about the seal of where the demons are being cooped up.
Meanwhile, one Idaten has found a way to brainwash demons to side with Idaten. Who is it and how did they do it? Well, go binge-watch the first five episodes to find out. The character behind it is one of the most interesting in the whole series.
With plenty of epic battles in just the first five episodes, we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of what’s to come. Despite how incredible they looked and the animation that was brought to the table, think of all the fights in the first five episodes as warm-ups.
A Wide Range Of Incredible Characters
The characters in Idaten Deities cover every personality trait from lawful good all the way to chaotic evil. The best part is that you can’t grow to hate a single of them either. A huge reason why you should catch up with Idaten Deities right now is that not everyone’s backstories have been told yet and every single one of them is interesting enough to the point that makes you want to hear their backstories.
But each character’s peak potential hasn’t been portrayed either. A lot of them are on the cusp of showing what they’re made of when it comes to fighting or scheming.
Another great thing about Idaten Deities’ characters is that a handful of them could become fan favorites. Whether it’s the looks and military mind of Piscalat (the character in the thumbnail), the sheer power of Rin, the loud-mouth of Hayato who trains with Rin, the intelligence of Ysley, the politeness of Paula, or the quirkiness of Prontea, there’s a character we can all love.
And, of course, there’s Miku – who is basically fan service amplified but with a lot more depth to her character. In other words, don’t judge a book by its cover. Miku made her presence known in episode 5 and 6.
Also, the characters in this series are designed by the creator, Cool-kyou Shinja, of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid and Peach Boy Riverside. So if you check out Idaten Deities, be sure to check out those two summer anime which are also airing right now.
One Final Word
This series is a seinen, ladies, and gentlemen. It is not for kids to watch. I’m just getting this out of the way before any of you watch the end of the first episode because there is a trigger warning. The series creator, Amahara, is the creator of Interspecies Reviewers after all.
Idaten Deities has a lot of extremely dark, and adult, scenes. Now, again, this could appeal to a lot of anime fans. The series is still a must-watch. Just don’t say this article didn’t warn you. Crunchyroll even has an age restriction on the series before trying to watch it.
Idaten Deities episode 6 will air on Thursday, August 19, exclusively on Crunchyroll. Make sure to vote for the episode in our weekly poll!
Images via Crunchyroll
© 天原・クール教信者・白泉社 /「平穏世代の韋駄天達」製作委員会
