If you are super-keen to see what I thought about specific episodes of Deca-Dence I was writing weekly, back when the show aired, and those posts start over here. (That first post contains a few predictions, of which I was half-correct about from memory.)

Deca-Dence (Dekadansu) 2020

Here, I’ll say that I really enjoyed Deca-Dence.

It had lots of things that I seek in a show; science-fiction, action, secrets and even a tiny adventure feel (sans exploration). Of course I liked the characters too, as people such as Natsume and Kaburagi were easy to root for in their fight against an unjust system.

Really enjoyed the setting too, despite some elements that seemed to clash…

Deca-Dence was popular during screening – a bit polarising also – and so if you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, and you’ve also somehow managed to avoid spoilers, I wanted to mention that I’ll have some below.

Plenty of us have expressed disappointment over the big reveal.

The vivid clash between art styles that becomes clear once you see the truth about the cyborgs and their cruel ‘game’ was a surprise for sure. In time, I guess I did adjust to the visuals but it really did take a few episodes. The cute designs and flat or bright colours maybe functioned as a disturbingly cheerful veneer, but for me it did undercut the tone of the story too.

There was also a storytelling choice that I still can’t decide how I responded to – namely, when the audience got the truth vs when our main POV character Natsume was let in on the game.

I think it would have hit me harder if I’d learned what was going on when she did (around episode 9 or so I think) but on the other hand, there was a different tension afforded to me after learning what was going on so early in the series. I was a few steps ahead of Natsume and that caused different worries and so I was still engaged.

And in the end, I thought Deca-Dence was heaps of fun both to watch and to write about.

Even if I still want a sequel series to see our heroes go out and explore the world, there’s definitely a clear and satisfying resolution to the Deca-Dence, so if you take a look you won’t be left hanging after episode 12.

(And Pipe is cute too.)

4 Stars

Deca-Dence 2020

Yay for a big finish!

So, whether some things were easy to predict in the finale doesn’t matter so much to me, since they were fun, and I got an upbeat ending too! Plus, my curiosity is high now, upon seeing the changes in the aftermath.

Interestingly, I enjoyed this ending more than that of the other show I’m currently writing about on an episode-by-episode basis, which is No Guns Life.

I am also (due to the length of time and repeat exposure perhaps) growing accustomed to the visuals of “Tanker + Cyborg within the one frame” now, so I guess I’m onboard fully, despite much initial resistance 😀

And, based on the ending, I can see room for more story and I wonder if – based on this interview that Lyn mentioned to me on twitter, maybe a film sequel in the future?

(It was fun to review a seasonal show as it streamed, but I don’t know if I could handle doing two this October. Maybe just one will be enough :D)

Deca-Dence 2020

Stakes are definitely getting higher – as they probably should, now that the season draws closer to its end.

And while the new Gadoll threat brings with it not just echoes of the God Warriors in Nausicaa, but also a horde of offspring to trouble the Tankers and Gears alike, I still found myself enjoying the comedic bits most.

Again, I’m hoping that next season there will be a chance for characters to explore a bit but for now, it feels like the episode is using the pause before the big showdown to offer a few light moments.

Kurenai’s drinking was one of course, and the mistaken identity moment, but I’m mostly thinking about Natsume and her reaction to seeing the cyborgs, plus her attempt to imagine what Kaburagi really looks like. I won’t spoil it here, but I definitely laughed.

(It was also satisfying to be offered a small resolution for he and Minato, and I remain very curious about Jill’s past. Ready to see how the gambit she and Kaburagi have come up with plays out too.)

However, I spent a bit of time after the episode thinking about stuff ‘behind the curtain’ as it were, re: the way both Natsume and the viewer are being eased into the eventual moment when she and Kabu finally meet face-to-face.

I still think the two art styles are not complimentary… but this interview with some of the Deca-Dence team explains nicely why the ‘cute’ choice was made, and intellectually I like the reasoning, but at a gut-level I feel the clash between the two styles.

Anyway, to finally get to the point – I like this episode’s approach to revealing the cyborgs for several reasons, one because we get to see Natsume process the idea of cyborgs in general first, and two, this implies that she won’t have to ‘waste’ time doing too much adjusting when she does see Kaburagi in the next episode, which I think will need to pack a lot in to set up the next season.

And finally, I liked it because this way, we didn’t have to rush her onscreen response to the cyborgs either, as might have happened if it was part of the final ep.

A little sad that next week is the final installment for now, but also feeling a touch relieved because I don’t know if I’m cut out for reviewing multiple seasonal shows at once 😀

Deca-Dence 2020

Another short post – I’ve little to complain about, an episode to take stock and to process things is exactly what I was hoping for.

And as you may have seen elsewhere online, this is a classic shot from the car – I couldn’t avoid including it 🙂

Ultimately I don’t think I have much to say again – after the reflection, things started to build up again, especially at the end, with a new rather large threat. I was also excited to see that there was time for a little back story re: Natsume’s father, something I’ve been curious about for a long time.

I remain hopeful that next season there will be some exploration of the real world – maybe that’s the end point here, as whoever survives what’s coming, set off to find something else?

Deca-Dence 2020

Since I’m so far behind this week, I think this will be a far shorter post than usual when it comes to me and seasonal shows!

So, a big moment at the end of this episode, with a fair bit more action than we’ve seen lately, which was fun. And while I felt bad for Natsume, who will surely struggle to deal with the truth, I wonder if there are any big reveals left for the viewer?

We’ve been ‘ahead’ of the human characters for a long while now, so I’m interested to see whether the show will instead serve up some shocks for the cyborgs.

For instance, has this storytelling structure now lulled me into a false sense of confidence? I think I know what’s going on because I seem to know as much as Kaburagi, who in turn knows more than the humans… and then, suddenly when he gets hit with a surprise, I do too?

I feel a cruel cliffhanger coming at the end of this season!

Deca-Dence 2020

Apologies – it seems I have little insight to offer, and not much in the way of predictions either, but I’m still enjoying the series more than enough to keep watching.

Reunions are always fun – and in this case there was a bit of humour too, but I think my favourite part was the new menace Hugin gained via his avatar. Both his speed and posture really added something that was missing from his box-like cyborg form. (And Jill obviously has a few secrets too :)).

It still feels like there’s plenty of scope for multiple seasons here, so I really hope that’s possible because the team of heroes have more than enough in the way of challenges building up now, as pressure is starting to build from multiple angles.

Deca-Dence 2020

Again, it’s early in the season for me to make any kinda claim, but this one feels like a real stand out episode.

It felt like a great mix of action, intrigue and character development and even though I didn’t dislike the last episode, I enjoyed this more. Perhaps due to all the time spent with the humans. (Related, I have some lingering apprehension toward the moment Natsume meets cyborg-Kabu).

It was also interesting to see the fear and/or cowardice play out in Natsume’s friends and acquaintances. And maybe I’m being a little hard on those characters, but the restoration scene was uplifting, and a great contrast for Kaburagi’s frustrations.

Keen to see how his plan works out, and what obstacles are thrown in his path. (I have also come to believe that my hope for our heroes to go out and explore the world is probably not on the cards, I think this season will be focused on the fortress.)

Deca-Dence 2020

In an inversion for the season so far, it’s Kaburagi’s world where we spend most of our time with episode six.

And it’s the grimier, ‘shittier’ part of the neon-toyland that he must deal with now, after facing some consequences. Whoever has intervened on his behalf has me curious too, wondering and hoping that it’s someone we haven’t met yet.

Plenty of tension too and next week should be fun to see him do his best to get things back on track.

It was nice to catch a glimpse of the Gadoll production too, where we also met some sort of creep. Feels like he’s a secondary antagonist… but we’ll see!

Another short write up for today.

Deca-Dence 2020

Cliffhanger ending, nice!

Other than that fun moment – which is textbook ‘weekly’ storytelling – it was nice to see some satisfying action but also poor Natsume’s reaction to the big reveal behind the other big reveal.

I liked the slight ‘widening’ up of the world here, and so I remain hopeful that she will get the chance to explore later on.

It’s probably far too early in the series to say this, but I wonder if a few minor characters have been a bit forgotten? For instance, someone like Fennel. Is he relevant or not really? If he is, I’d like for episode 6 to check in with him, otherwise, I guess it’s all good 🙂