Speaking in very broad terms, film and television can be divided into two categories. On one end of the spectrum you have “art house” projects, which will typically focus on complex symbolism, themes and characters at the expense of broader appeal; contrasting that are the “blockbusters”, designed first and foremost to be straightforward, comprehendible and (most importantly) entertaining. With a manga illustrated by the creator of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, a story from the same mind who brought the world Interspecies Reviewers, and an anime produced by MAPPA, it’s no surprise that The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace falls more on the “popcorn-flick” side of things – almost to a comical extreme. There isn’t a unifying message or theme at the center of the story, the characters are one-note and undergo zero development, and everything is as straightforward as it gets, with no hidden “deeper meaning” anywhere. However, in spite of these factors (which would normally be major deficits) I think that Idaten is a blast from start to finish, exemplifying how to make a show that can’t be called anything but “dumb fun”.
When demons threatened humanity, a race of metaphysical battle-gods were willed into existence to save the world (the Idaten). To end the fighting all but one of these gods, Rin, would sacrifice themselves to seal away the demon threat, bringing some peace to the world. Fast forward 800 years and humans may now be fighting one another, but Rin and the other gods – Hayato, Ysley, Paula and Prontea – aren’t interested in stopping anything less than an extinction level event. With no demons to worry about, the Idaten are able to spend all their time doing whatever they please, and life is generally good. That idyllic lifestyle is shattered, however, when a new strain of demons view this inaction as weakness, and preemptively try to wipe them out. On the surface this isn’t an awful plan, but it falls apart when the ridiculous gap in power between the gods and the demons becomes apparent; in the blink of an eye Idaten becomes the anime version of watching what happens when the schoolyard bully goes after a wasp nest with a baseball bat.
In order to keep the plot engaging Idaten places a heavy emphasis on two factors: tone and pacing. The bright, poppy colors and cartoonish character design are very shounen-esque, but the show establishes the fact it is going to go to some really dark places right away. A story and visuals that belong in a shounen being intertwined with sex, degeneracy and stylized gore is a really engaging dichotomy, and creates a unique, over-the-top atmosphere that at times almost becomes a parody. This is also what allows Idaten to have near perfect pacing, as the show literally does things like fast forward through exposition heavy segments. On the surface this may seem like a strange, unjustifiable creative decision, but because of the very “tongue in cheek” tone of the show it feels so natural, serving as both a comedic bit while at the same time being a tool to prevent the show from dragging.
This tone also is what saves the characters. Earlier I described them as one-note, and they are. Every time Rin and Hayato are onscreen I know they’re going to want to fight something, and every time Ysley and Prontea are onscreen I know there’s going to be more in the way of dialogue and worldbuilding. Even the demons, as comically evil and fun to watch as they are, fall victim to this. Their standout is without a doubt Miku, a genius when it comes to planning who, like the Idaten, is focused solely on one thing – in her case that just happens to be having sex. Yes, the characters are shallow, crass, amoral and genuinely awful. The thing is though, everything about this show is wildly over-the-top, and in that setting having incredibly powerful characters with awful personalities hyperfixate on just one trait is a recipe for hilarity, even if it’s not deep whatsoever.
Idaten may be a seinen, however that’s clearly not so it can explore more complex, adult themes. The reality is that this show is a seinen for the same reason Deadpool’s target demographic is adults. Sex, blood and gore are all mainstays of the show, with drugs, war crimes and general degeneracy occasionally rearing their heads as well. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – honestly an R-rated version of a battle shounen (a battle seinen?) will be a breath of fresh air for many. But there are moments where being an exercise in excess may get a little too… excessive.
I do feel a need to touch briefly on how the tone of Idaten is established: at the end of the first episode there’s a rape. Sexual assault is an incredibly sensitive topic, and I know for a lot of people this alone will be enough to turn them off of a show completely. As weird as it sounds, however, I don’t actually know how this scene could have been done in a better way. From a creative standpoint this has purpose regarding the narrative and in establishing tone, and there isn’t another way to easily do both in such a memorable fashion. It’s also portrayed in a deliberately grotesque, very eerie style that is profoundly uncomfortable for the viewer (fitting given the subject material), and it’s not glamorized whatsoever. It’s not gratuitous, however people should be aware of the fact that it is waiting at the end of episode one – and really of the heavy focus the show has on sex in general.
On a brighter note, I would be remiss if I didn’t also talk about the insanely good production values behind Idaten. MAPPA is a top notch studio (even if working conditions there might not be), but I was still blown away by the OST and animation of the show. The ending is done by Nanawo Akari, and it’s a pretty fun jpop/rap song. Accompany that with some fast paced, fun insert music for the fights and you’ve got the foundation of a pretty good soundtrack. The opening, however, was a real jaw dropper. Done by Tatsuya Kitani, as a song being judged on its own merits it’s great, definitely leaning into more of a rock anthem kind of sound and earning a spot on my playlist. But this opening has one of the best animated sequences of any opening I’ve seen – it’s honestly so good I could watch it with the sound muted and still be impressed, and I never skipped it once in eleven episodes.
The visuals of Idaten are consistently that good. The most striking thing about them is the very atypical palette, as the focus is on incredibly bright colors that provide a lot of pop. It definitely feels strange initially, but after an episode or two of adjusting all of the ways that the show utilizes the cartoonish visuals begins to become apparent. If you look past the colors and at the action, you’ll find that it’s hectic but very well choreographed, The emphasis here is definitely on hand to hand fighting with ridiculous speed and power, but since the fights are always just between a couple of characters and tend to be over quickly they’re very easy to follow. While there were a few times when I felt like the visuals were “busy”, and that there was no way for me to take in everything on screen, I do think it’s safe to say that the uniqueness of the art style is a pretty big draw for the show.
Members of various fandoms have a tendency to read too deeply into something they’re passionate about. To many, “quality” and “depth” have been conflated to the point where they are inseparable. In spite of its issues, such as a general irreverence for sensitive topics and ending on a cliffhanger so massive even Alex Honnold would get nervous, The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace is a refutation of that thesis, as viewers can't even pretend it's deep. Shallow, stupid, offensive, crass and a plethora of other adjectives I’m too lazy to write out could easily describe this show – but that doesn’t mean it isn't fun, and it certainly doesn't mean it can't be one of my favorite shows in recent memory.
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