86 EIGHTY-SIX
a review by satorublue
a review by satorublue
I've been watching anime for many years now but during the fourth quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2023, I unfortunately had to put it aside due to school and exams (aside from some weekly anime episode releases). So when I finally had free time this summer break to start watching anime again, I found myself in a little bit of a lull. I would start an anime series and like it, but it would just be at most an 8/10 for me. I wanted to find an anime that I loved so much. The type of love that reminded you of why you got into anime in the first place. And thats when I watched 86: Eighty-Six...
Now... lets begin.
86: Eighty-Six first introduces you to the character Vladilena Milizé, also known as Lena (Handler One), who is an Alba living in the Republic of San Magnolia. The citizens of San Magnolia all look the same which I found quite interesting considering the fact that most, if not all, anime characters are intentionally designed to have distinctive features. It doesn't take that long however to realise that having the characters look the same was intentional because in 86 Eighty-Six, anyone who doesn't have light blue eyes and platinum blonde hair (the Alba) are segregated and forced to fight in a war against the Legion, also known as the Eighty-Six.
Alba are considered to be human and live comfortable regular lives whereas the Eighty-Six are stripped of their humanity and are nicknamed "pigs". This is because, to the Alba, the Eighty-Six aren't human. It is prefaced early into episode 1 that despite the fact that the Eighty-Six constantly sacrifice their lives in the battlefield everyday to protect the Republic, to the Alba, there are "zero casualties". However this couldn't be further from the truth.
86: Eighty Six explores the themes of racism, segregation, war, child soldiers and what it means to be human through the different characters we are introduced to. Each character provides a different perspective to the conversation, which is constantly challenged and discussed extensively. I have seen some people say that it almost feels spoon fed and yes an argument can be made that it could have be done in a more nuanced way. But I still really respect the fact that 86: Eighty-Six is even willing to tackle a heavy subject like racism in the first place. What I really respected about 86: Eighty-Six was that it made a point to show that racism affects everyone in different ways. This is especially shown through Lena and how despite being an Alba, she is actively trying to find a way around the current system to help the Eighty-Six. However, this is not possible until she is able to confront how she herself is playing a hand into the racist system. This is most evident in the end credit scene of episode 3 where Theo calls Lena out on her hypocrisy. It really drives the point that Lena will never understand what they are going through and their experiences. This scene also makes you realise that before that point, she hadn't even thought to ask them their real names (which is typically something you ask someone when you first meet them) but she asked what their cat's name was when she immediately found out they had one. That one interaction opened a whole conversation about Lena's role as an Alba, who although has good intentions, still benefits from the system that is actively persecuting the Eighty-Six. It also gave insight into what the Eighty-Six themselves think about their circumstance.
And as much as Lena tries afterwards to make a significant change to the system, no other Alba around her, aside from Lena's friend, want to do anything because like Theo called out, it is a system that greatly benefit the Alba. This puts Lena in a position to question if anything can even be done and as the viewer, you really do feel her frustrations and guilt. But she also understands that in order to help make change and help the Eighty-Six in the best way she can, she needs to make some changes in herself.
Hands down, the best part of the show is the characters and the interactions they have with one another. 86: Eighty-Six is a character driven anime and it does an incredible job making you feel so attached to the characters. It hurts watching the characters you care about go through so much trauma at such a young age. There is so much loss in this anime and it really shows how high the stakes are for the Eighty-Six. This is most evidently shown when the perspective is flipped back to the Republic and you see Lena eating cake with her friend or the Republic drinking and having fun while the Eighty-Six are grieving over the loss of another friend.
The most notable and stand out episodes for me were episode 9-11. Those last three episodes in particular were outstanding in my opinion and they were what solidified my opinion on this anime. It is honestly a testament to the directing and writing. It is obvious that the team behind 86: Eighty-Six cared about what they were creating and it helps that the anime had a strong foundation to rely on through the light novel.
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