If this show deserves any credit, it's probably for being the most underrated anime of 2021 thus far.

Back Arrow is a quirky series that may be a hard sell for audiences only interested in following the hottest modern anime trends, but its craziness can become quite charming and enjoyable for those with a more old-school sensibility and openeness for the mecha genre in particular.

Which, to be sure, is exactly what you should expect from the combination of Kazuki Nakashima and Goro Taniguchi, since they are creators whose styles and tastes are reflected in the kind of low-intensity madness that Back Arrow has embraced.

At its core, this was a Super Robot action/adventure show with a frequently whimsical bent. Unsurprisingly, there is a rather high amount of suspension of disbelief that necessarily comes with this specific category of Japanese media. Do you believe that guts, belief and emotion can be more important than pure logic and reason? If so, then there's a good chance you'll appreciate this anime.

That approach describes me perfectly, so I was consistently entertained by Back Arrow on a weekly basis.

Admittedly, I would say a part of me still wonders what would have happened if a more talented animation production studio such as Trigger, Sunrise or Bones had been in charge. While the series can provide some exciting sequences when required, it is undeniable that relative newcomer Studio VOLN was the weakest link and this, more than anything else, kept Back Arrow from achieving the recognition and appreciation it would arguably deserve on paper.

But enough talk. Let's dig in and get to the other side of the wall of text.

STORY: 7/10

The fictional world of Lingalind, where an individual's conviction can manifest in the shape of giant robots known as Briheights, was thrown into chaos by the sudden appearance of a person named Back Arrow: a strange man from beyond the world wall that surrounds and protects the land.

Without any memories, Arrow wishes to return to the other side. As the narrative develops, our protagonist encounters a very colorful cast of characters who will react to him in different ways, becoming either friends or foes. Conflicts will inevitably break out and various mysteries about his own nature and the world itself will be gradually revealed.

That's it, this is the story. Not too complicated, at least on a purely structural level, when you take a step back and look at it with the benefit of hindsight.

All in all, you could say it's something of a road trip setup. Naturally enough, most of the fun is in the ongoing journey and the anticipation for whatever comes next.

The first half of the series does have a somewhat laidback and uneven pacing, to be sure, and the initial couple of episodes may seem especially awkward, but everything does build up over time. Once we're done with the various character introductions, the second half manages to raise the stakes and quickly escalates the action in several unexpected ways.

In the end, the twists and turns of the storyline can provide plenty of room for excitement and entertainment, which may turn out to be more important than the ultimate destination.

That isn't to say the scriptwriter doesn't care about the details. It may be difficult to believe at a glance, yet the writing has enough internal logic to hold itself together. Realism will remain absent, of course, although there's a considerable amount of early foreshadowing. That may be easy to miss or forget in the heat of the moment, but in retrospect seems almost too obvious at times. Even so, I was actually quite happy upon realizing just how well the big picture stands up. Again, you will not find any super profound meaning in this story, aside from some thematic commentary, and convenient power-ups are entirely fair game in a world fueled by conviction itself, in both the meta and the in-universe sense.

Having said that, another essential element found within Nakashima's script is the comedic touch. Back Arrow is not a dark, heavy and pondering anime, but a rather lighthearted one that may slip into drama on occasion yet doesn't take itself too seriously overall. Not every joke will be equally funny for every viewer, especially given the fragmentation of audience tastes, yet I would say it was a key ingredient during my personal experience. If you can assume a similar stance, you'll likely get the most out of this series.

CHARACTERS: 7/10

Surprisingly enough, Back Arrow himself turns out to be more of a catalyst or source of support for the rest of the cast than a typical anime protagonist at the end of the day.

To be fair, Arrow does undergo a certain amount of characterization and changes, but it is correct to say his initial portrayal as the powerful hero who is an ignorant yet well-meaning person will remain relatively static until the second half. I believe that approach works for this type of story setup, personally speaking, yet it's not really a central focus point for the most part.

As mentioned above, there is a sizable cast. Many of them have silly names that will make you smile.

Predictably enough, not everyone in the series will get the same amount of attention in terms of development. I think most of the villagers never really progressed, with Elsha and Atlee being the honorable exceptions. Still, I would say several of the characters can be quite appealing in their own right, whether they're playing secondary or tertiary roles. I won't bring up every single one, but will mention a couple of them in more detail.

For example, there's Shu. He is literally the smartest person in the show and that makes Shu a lot of fun to watch. You could call him a mastermind, on paper. Truthfully, I'd argue that he's more of a clever trickster. Or, if you will, you could call him an outright troll, in the best possible meaning of the term.

Although there are opportunities for dramatic tension when it comes to his shaky relationship with the warriors Kai and Ren, perhaps Shu's most important role is as a vessel for comedy. His voice actor knows exactly how to play the part and it does wonders for the feel of the show.

On a slightly more serious note, Shu's mentorship of Bit is simultaneously amusing on an extremely superficial level and yet also leads to some interesting places late into the story. Shu also has a pretty decent dynamic with Back Arrow, given his endless curiousity and desire to obtain knowledge of the unknown, but I ended up wishing to see more scenes between the two of them.

Speaking of Bit, he's a good example of how you can take a foolish jerk mostly used for comedic relief and then make him into a better person by going through a character arc of his own. I wouldn't have cared for him at the start of the anime, but by the end he became quite likeable.

If we had to name a rival character for Arrow, particularly when it comes to the many action scenes, then that would be Kai, the strongest warrior of Rekka....well, he would be the strongest with one notable exception. I'll get to that shortly.

Let's be honest. Kai isn't very deep as an individual. He's usually angry at Arrow for obvious reasons and eventually also becomes angry at Shu, which is an occasional source of drama. Nonetheless, it's not an irrational type of anger. Kai does gradually develop as a character and, while the total change may not be great, you can come around to sympathize with him.

It's hard to write an emotionally sincere review of Back Arrow without bringing up the Emperor of Rekka, Zetsu Daidan.

If you're a fan of old-school martial arts action movies, or if you ever saw Mobile Fighter G Gundam, then you'll understand exactly why he's the coolest character in the show. I will not listen to any arguments to the contrary.

Now, it's quite easy to initially dismiss Zetsu Daidan as just another dictator who is hungry for power, yet there is a thematically valid reason behind his actions and that makes him not only fun to watch on a visceral level but also more interesting than you'd think at first glance. And again, you can see him interact with the likes of Arrow and Kai, particularly during the second half of the storyline, in a way that elevates him as a character above his stereotypical archetype.

Fine and Prax have the sort of relationship that is natural to see between a knight and her princess in anime. I'd say that duo was the most relevant around the mid-season point due to all the court intrigue involved, thus I can easily imagine some viewers may not enjoy the so-called Lutoh arc, but for me that was still an early highlight since they were more dynamic and represented a change of pace from the initial village setting.

Specifically, Fine herself receives more characterization than you'd expect after looking at her character design. It's hard to address that without spoilers. For me, there were multiple surprises, even after the most obvious one was revealed to the viewer, and it was a very effective way to use the range of her voice actress.

Finally, I would point out the series does take quite some time to properly establish a real antagonist for our heroes. Sure, we get to see a number of different enemies, rivals and foes, corresponding to each individual faction of this world, but there doesn't seem to be a true villain at first.

This, like many other aspects of the story, changes for the better during the second half. The process of consolidating the cast into different sides gets going and, by the last arc, a particular character serves quite well as exactly the type of villain you simply love to hate.

ART AND ANIMATION: 6/10

If there is one thing that makes Back Arrow look like an anime from about ten or twenty years ago, it's the visual design work involved.

I would say my feelings towards this aspect of the series are going to lean positive, since I find the character designs to be quite distinctive for the most part and easy to identify from a distance, but they don't reflect what is normally considered to be "cool" in the year 2021. Stylistically, this is not what current anime fandom eats up.

The mecha designs are quite wild and wacky in a manner that isn't orthodox yet, in a way, turned out to be refreshing. Not every one is a winner, surely, and I may not rush out to buy any of the merchandise. Yet once again, I think Muga and Gigan, among others including a few Briheights that show up later in the story, did their job well enough and they can look impressive during the best action sequences.

To be clear, Studio VOLN doesn't have a lot of experience with making original anime and this may be their most ambitious project yet. I think they did a reasonable job, considering the circumstances and, in particular, I believe it is a very good thing for studios to grow and learn over time. You can't get better without even trying, can you?

Even so, a more talented or at least more experienced crew of animators would have made the excitement come across in a more powerful way, visually speaking, and certain episodes make heavy use of stills and other animation tricks to hide their limited resources.

This doesn't bother me too much, as someone who grew up watching many older TV anime from the 1980s that also resorted to cost-cutting measures, but it is a weak point that shows a clear area for improvement.

SOUND: 8/10

This was an understated yet highly effective musical score.

Yes, I think the two opening sequences will be the most memorable pieces of music from this anime even long after the fact, but I found several of the background tracks as well as the occasional insert songs to be pretty good.

Not to mention that the sound director was fully aware that music shouldn't be constantly used every single moment. Certain scenes benefit from taking a step back and allowing silence to be used to great effect. I realize not every individual viewer feels this way, yet for me this is something that deserves praise.

More importantly, the Japanese voice cast is absolutely stellar and brings the characters to life very well.

ENJOYMENT: 9/10

Did I have a fun time every week? Hell yes, and this is what matters the most to me.

Of course, every single opinion ever written, whether positive or negative, is going to be inherently subjective. Entertainment value cannot be measured objectively. I know all of that and so do you, kind reader.

That is why I will be frank and say it: Back Arrow made me feel nostalgic for another era of anime and reminded me that there is more to this medium than simply following the most popular trends.

If you've read this review, you should already know whether this series is for you.

I do not criticize audiences for jumping on the bandwagons of the big and popular shows every season, but a part of me still wishes the anime community as a whole would be kinder and more open-minded to Back Arrow. Perhaps that's asking for too much, at the end of the day? Oh well.

For me, it's the little show that struggled against all odds and, in a sense, that's enough to merit consideration. I felt that my personal expectations for Back Arrow were either met or surpassed in almost every area...except animation quality.

This may not have been a successful experiment from a purely commercial and financial perspective, sadly, yet there is more to fictional media than sheer profit. Sometimes you just want to join a cast of characters on a crazy adventure and enjoy yourself. After everything is said and done, life, just like the journey, will continue to move on.