Review: Darwin's Game

(Non-Spoilery)

Season Aired: Winter 2020 - 11 episodes

MAL Link: Darwin's Game

I watched it at: Crunchyroll

Review:

Darwin's Game has some cool ideas and some fun fight scenes.  However, it will give your brain's suspension of disbelief circuits a workout.

Now, most anime does require that the viewer suspend their disbelief in order to roll with the fictional story about incredible things.  All good.

The problem with Darwin's Game is that it takes place in our present day and reality.  It presents the same science and city life that we are all generally familiar with.   Because it's using a familiar setting to the audience, the show needs to be more clever about presenting incredible things to the viewer.

In this regard, Darwin's Game is about as clever as a dump truck crashing through your living room wall and asking to be filled up with all the suspension of disbelief you have available.

The show does have it's cool and fun moments. But it's going to do things that will have you rolling your eyes at it.

The Plot in a Nutshell:

A mobile game called "Darwin's Game" causes its players to join an actual life or death survival contest against their will.  It's kill or be killed in this survival of the fittest contest where just about anything goes. 

Our main character inadvertently joins Darwin's Game when invited by a friend.  The show focuses on his struggle to stay alive and figure out how to get out of the game.

That is basically the plot. 

Now, if the show had stopped right there, then this could have been a gritty and realistic "kill or be killed" thriller set in a grounded reality.  But, the show has other plans.  And here's where the viewer's suspension of disbelief is going to get some exercise as things get totally gonzo.

Every participant in this death match contest is handed a free super power for use in the game.  Wut?

And every contestant's individual super power is different.  You could get a cool and helpful power or you could get a mostly useless power.  That doesn't seem very fair, does it?

But wait, there's more!

Also, the shadowy cabal running this game seems to have unfathomable powers to bend reality around the city. This so that none of the normies notice these super powered characters running around killing each other and causing massive property damage.

It's honestly a lot to swallow. But we're in it for the action and cool fights, right?

 My Verdict: 

Darwin's Game absolutely has it's moments.  You'll need to just accept that a mobile game can give random super powers out like a slot machine and that a secret cabal can keep the population of a city from noticing their city is getting destroyed.

If you can roll with that, then Darwin's Game will have you covered with some interesting characters using quirky powers to try and do in one another.

The main character is fine; intelligent and level headed with no annoying character traits, which is helpful.

I myself was won over by the action, creative use of powers and well choreographed and well animated battles.  I had fun with it. 

Score: 3 out of 5

Review Rating Scale:

5     Brain wildly entertained. Neurons saturated with entertainment.

4.5  Brain extremely entertained. Neurons firing regularly. Outside world forgotten.

4     Brain entertained. Neurons well stimulated. Brain wants to look for the blu-ray.

3.5  Brain in Neutral. Neurons a little stimulated. Brain generally pleased.

3     Brain in neutral. Neurons flat lined. Meh, brain pleased just enough.

2.5  Brain in neutral but occasionally displeased.

2     Brain displeased and not entertained. Brain thinking about doing something else.

1.5 or less - Brain suffered through the show so it could tell you not to.