Welcome, readers, to Late to the Party , a column that's right on time when it comes to catching up on anime everyone's already watched. This column addresses a universal truth in regard to being an anime fan: an anime backlog is quite the powerful beast. Many of us have one, where we amass more and more content we have designated in the "planning to watch" category. How and why it takes so long to actually address this task varies from person to person, but the gratification of finally allocating the time is really quite splendid. Occasionally, it’s by watching a classic anime from yesteryear that you’ve had your eye on for quite some time. In other instances, it’s a more recent premiere that just slipped by. We’re approaching the tail end of 2025 now, and I wanted to close out November with a bang. There are a lot of words you could attach to Akudama Drive , and “bang” is perhaps the most appropriate. So let’s get wild, baby ! Welcome to Beautiful Kansai Studio: Studio Pierrot ( Naruto , Tokyo Ghoul , Yu Yu Hakusho ) First aired: October 2020 (5 years late to the party! There’s no way I’ll ever become a top-ranked Akudama at this rate…) A short while ago, I was tasked with picking out anime that were similar to Chainsaw Man . Some obvious examples jumped straight to mind, whereas for others I had to do a little bit of digging. In the process, I happened upon Akudama Drive . My research had indicated that its tone was reminiscent to the ripsnorting adventures of Denji and company, but of course, I had to watch it myself first before I could add it to the list. I’m a professional, after all, or at least I am where anime is concerned. What took place from there on could be described as the anime equivalent to a high octane paintball match. Action! Thrills! Neon colors! It was all so much to take in, both in a sensory and emotional sense, so I knew that I had to extrapolate on my discovery by reflecting on it for this month’s Late to the Party column. Akudama Drive is set in a futuristic version of Japan’s Kansai region. The skyline is dotted with neon billboards and the streets are bustling as people go about their day. It all looks rather spectacular on the surface, however under that thin veneer of glamor lies a deeply troubled place riddled with crime, violence, and overzealous takoyaki stand vendors. The Magnificent Seven The main threat choking society are vigilantes known as Akudama. These ruthless lawbreakers are known only by aliases related to their criminal tendencies: if you were a notorious jaywalker, for example, you’d probably be called Jaywalker. Curse you and your renegade ways, Jaywalker!! On one particular evening, a group of S-Rank Akudama are summoned for a dangerous assignment at the police station. They are to extract an Akudama known as Cutthroat prior to his public execution through any means necessary. Their employer is unknown to them, and it’s of no concern who else survives, as long as someone gets the job done. RELATED: Cyberpunk Anime Akudama Drive is an Absolute Gem Onto the scene arrive a quartet of elite professionals, each with their own unique approach: the meathead Brawler, the bloodthirsty Doctor, the genius Hacker, and Courier, whose methodology revolves around having a sweet bike and a surly disposition. Predictably, the moment they cross paths they begin trading blows with one another, sending the police station into a frenzy. Somehow, a pair of outsiders are also dragged into the melee. One of them is a low-level Hoodlum who is anything but impressive (outside of his ability to talk a big game), and the other is… just some girl who was taken in over a misunderstanding involving a 500 yen coin. When she finds herself in the crossfire, she desperately proclaims herself to be a legendary Akudama known as Swindler, whose anonymity is the deliberate result of her outstanding skills. When they locate Cutthroat, they are forcibly fitted with explosive necklaces — which reminds me, I’m overdue to rewatch Battle Royale this year — and told that their mission is about to get even more deadly. A Triumph of Animation The setup for Akudama Drive sets the wheels in motion in such a way that you’re not overwhelmed with exposition or superfluous details. Here’s the players, here’s the stakes, here’s the talking cat that brought them all here. It makes perfect sense, allowing for the presentation to shine through to the forefront. And I cannot possibly stress this enough: Akudama Drive is an absolute visual spectacle. It is so darned slick and impressive, boasting gorgeous character designs flinging each other about at a breakneck pace. I’m no expert of animation, but to my eye, this is amongst the most impressive I have ever seen, down to the fight choreography that flows seamlessly between participants. RELATED: Smoke and Mirrorshades: Cyberpunk Aesthetics in Anime Because of their unorthodox styles, each Akudama moves completely differently from one another. As obvious as this might read on paper, you really have to see it in action to appreciate what I’m trying to convey here — the towering, brutish Brawler wails on his foes with crushing blows before Cutthroat steps in and darts about with his dextrous knifeplay. To a layman (me, I’m the layman), it almost feels like the characters are lifted from completely different anime and then thrown into a battlefield together. The command of movement Studio Pierrot showcases here is the kind that should be studied by aspiring animators; with highlights including the initial free-for-all and the showdown between the Akudama and their pursuers at a luxurious hotel. Never before have I had such an appreciation for neon colors, but here we are. Here Comes the Boom That isn’t to say that Akudama Drive is all sizzle and no steak, because the worldbuilding and characterization are equally as sublime. Kansai may look like it’s thriving, but what we come to discover is that the whole region was wiped out by a bomb from neighboring Kanto. It would be like if New York attacked Boston, or Sydney attacked Melbourne, or whatever other major cities you’d like to substitute for this regional warfare. Rather suspiciously, it was a subsequent injection of funds from Kanto that led to Kansai being rebuilt, creating a kind of Stockholm syndrome for the denizens. So you can appreciate why there would be so much civil unrest, and how much it would mean to unravel this mystery and expose the cruel injustices of their world. In much the same way that the Akudama have no idea what kind of mess they’ll be getting themselves into next, I can say with full transparency that I had no idea how intense things would get. You really grow to care for these characters as they progressively form bonds with one another — the found family aspect of the core group is a major theme of Akudama Drive , and you kinda just want them all to find their happy end. Then, a real gut punch occurs that will leave you reeling. I won’t specify when it takes place (because golly I do hate those spoilers), but you’ll know when it happens, for sure. It takes all of the tension that had been building and then brings it all crashing down, making you desperate to know what will happen next. It’s a good thing Akudama Drive is so much fun. My frayed nerves can only take so much! A True Melting Pot of Genres Akudama Drive just ticks so many boxes for me. Aside from the aforementioned benefits of its animation, its plot, and its characters, there’s the overwhelming sense that you’re getting a blend of genres all at once. It’s a combination of high stakes espionage with battle shonen setpieces, peppering you with action at one moment before making a somber commentary on social status the next. There’s themes of loyalty, of being a societal outcast, and of sickening obsession. I’m also going to come out and say it, this anime is a treasure trove for Dere-type personalities. I’m not really a shipper myself, per se, but if I were, my headcanons would be running the gamut right now. Oh, how saucy …! It’s about one of the most tightly crafted, engrossing anime I’ve ever seen, with an ending that is unexpected and satisfying in equal measure. It warrants further discussion — and a read of Adam Westcott’s fantastic article on the subject, linked below — but of course, you have to watch it first. So why not start now? RELATED: What Makes Akudama Drive's Ending So Compelling?
