Back Arrow is a peculiar designation for an anime, particularly one that amalgamates mecha action, political machinations, and a quasi-fantastical milieu bearing unmistakable traces of historical real-world global strife.
Taking place in the realm of Lingaland, Back Arrow – Season 1 Part 1 commences with the sudden advent of the eponymous character Back Arrow, who materializes in a cryptic spaceship/mechanical comet (known as a Rakuho) near the township of Edgar. Back Arrow has the ability to wield the power of a warp binder to metamorphose into Muga, a briheight or mecha that appears through magical means predicated on the convictions of its possessor. With no recollection of how he ended up in Edgar and fueled by a strong sense of justice, Back Arrow joins the village as they embark on a journey away from their banished homeland aboard the colossal ancient warship ensconced beneath their settlement known as Granedger. However, their quest for peaceful autonomy is constantly impeded by being ensnared in the midst of the two belligerent nations of Rekka and Lutoh, both vying for control of Lingaland and coveting the power of Back Arrow and Granedger.
It is seldom that an anime fails to resonate with me – it was a couple of episodes before I lost interest in Million Arthur, but over the years, that's probably the only instance until Back Arrow – Season 1 Part 1 graced my Blu-Ray player. I viewed that initial episode and had an exceedingly visceral reaction to it. It seemed like a truly unsophisticated anime. This may come across as reductive and poorly articulated, hence, it is an unsatisfactory explanation. At that point, I ceased watching, instead opting to view Taisho Otome before being sidetracked by my discovery of Gall Force and its breathtakingly beautiful hand-drawn mecha/80s/sci-fi magnificence, before resuming the playback of the first disc.
Therefore, I reluctantly recommenced watching Back Arrow – the CG mecha continued to vex me (particularly after viewing Gall Force – seriously, it's a spectacular masterclass in mecha animation), but after a few episodes, I realized that the mecha aspect was gradually assuming a smaller role, with the series surprisingly pivoting towards politics and conflict, replete with a plethora of conspiratorial elements that kept me guessing.
The discourse surrounding Back Arrow is reminiscent of wuxia, with the customary chatty battles and eccentric garb for the majority of the main characters. Despite this, the political subterfuge that runs beneath the surface and the delightful manipulative elements of the story add a layer of complexity that exceeded my expectations. It transformed the show from one I was indifferent towards to one that I am eagerly consuming the second release of (with a review to follow).
One of the benefits of Back Arrow is that it is an original concept and not reliant on an existing manga. This means that the story is not tied to parallel production schedules and can maintain focus and, ideally, drive towards a satisfying conclusion. This is the first part of the series and, surprisingly for contemporary anime, consists of 24 episodes. This release covers the first half of the season, and the break point is more a commercial decision than a narrative one. Consequently, the final episode does not end on a tight cliffhanger. I was skeptical that an additional 12 episodes would be necessary to flesh out the story, but I have been pleasantly surprised with what I have seen in the second half of the season. Therefore, this release is solid viewing, with some good payoffs yet to come.
The local release of Back Arrow – Season 1 Part 1 follows the usual reverse import business model, although Funimation branding has been foregone in favor of Crunchyroll. The show is spread over 2 discs, and the encoding is of high quality, with bilingual audio. The subtitles and translation have been reasonably handled, with the kanji text preserved. Features are minimal, with only ops/eds and preview videos available, but the cardboard outer sleeve is a personal favorite.
Initially, Back Arrow – Season 1 Part 1 did not capture my attention, but I found it to be a show that rewards a second attempt. It still has moments of silliness, but its earnest enthusiasm and commitment to its narrative world are contagious.
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