I’ll put it simply: this is one of the most fantastic anime I’ve ever seen. I’d even go so far as to put it in my all-time favourite top three. It’s a roller-coaster ride that takes you from comedy to drama to mystery, and grips you from start to finish. The story is at times so ridiculously comical that it’s obviously a parody of the genre, and at other times so deep and heart-wrenching that you’ll wonder if you’re even watching the same anime as moments before.

That’s not to mention the sheer fabulousness of all the characters, and the setting. Steer far away from this if you don’t like sparkles, because Nanbaka does not stop sparkling. Ever. Even at the climax of the story each character is surrounded by glitter and bright colours. Some people won’t like the stark contrast between the content and the setting, but I think it summed up the tone of Nanbaka perfectly. The series isn’t meant to be realistic, even though the characters are some of the most relatable I’ve seen in anime. The entire show is a parody, and the fact that it can be both satirical and emotional at the same time – successfully – just shows me how brilliantly it was done.

The story starts off as a lot of nonsensical fun; a bunch of wacky inmates who constantly try to escape from the most secure prison in the world. This is an arc that’s purely comedy, you’re introduced to the characters and the setting, and get a taste of their daily life. The type of comedy is something I would describe as similar to Gintama or Nichijou, it’s very self-aware and basically just random. There are a lot of references, the gag humour is hilarious, and there’s a lot of witty dry humour too. It caters to most areas of comedy at one point or another (although it doesn’t tend to be crude). It’s awesome if you like that kind of thing.

The second arc veers off topic slightly, dealing with special events in the prison. The tone starts off similar to the first – very heavy focus on pure comedy - but shifts near the end and becomes altogether more serious.

This leads into the third arc, which is a masterful depiction of the main character’s mental state. There’s some amazing character development in this arc, and it’s what cemented this anime as a favourite for me. Sure, it’s very different to the previous arcs, but the shift was actually needed at about this time – it’s just when the audience starts to get tired of the endless humour and want a more fleshed-out story. The mystery element was also expanded on here, and was quite frankly unusual and really intriguing. It provided an understandable explanation of the MC’s reasons for his actions, and served another purpose in that it allowed for some meaningful interactions between the inmates and the guards which added more depth to all their characters and the story.

Almost all of the characters are good. And I don’t mean that in like a ‘righteous’ kind of way. I mean that they’re done really well. Each and every character has some sort of ridiculous but memorable design and quirk, which makes watching them really fun and ensures you don’t constantly have to check who’s who by referring to previous episodes. Minor characters get development that can change your whole view of them, each challenge plays a major part in understanding or developing a character, and the no one is introduced and then never seen again.

Juugo, Nico, Uno and Hajime felt like real people, despite how exaggerated their characters were. The way they cared about each other was strangely relatable, and very touching to watch. The concept of family was presented beautifully. Forget Fairy Tail and the power of Nakama, this anime shows how a group of misfits can become family in an incredibly heart-warming way which somehow still seems realistic. (Odd, considering that it’s meant to be a parody and all, but that’s part of what was nice about it.)

The art is…unique. All the characters have these elaborate multicoloured hairstyles, long painted nails and weird eye colours. If you can get used to that, or find it entertaining, you’ll enjoy the anime much more, because bear in mind the art is a big part of this anime. It’s a part of the anime’s identity – Nanbaka wouldn’t be Nanbaka without the art.

The animation is captivating, particularly around the action scenes, and the sound is superb. I absolutely loved the opening, ending, seiyuus, and sound effects. They added so much to the anime.
Okay, hold up. So I’m aware that I haven’t been strictly objective. It’s hard to remain unbiased in a review when I actually love the show so much. So now I’ll try and list a few of the things the anime could have done better in, for the sake of being fair:
• Rock really needed some more development; all the other characters were explored beyond their basic hobbies but he stayed a one-dimensional foodie to the end.
• The mood shifts – I personally liked this but it could be confusing at times, and the heavy parts were a big leap from the comedy it proclaimed itself to be. The sparkles also really shouldn’t have been in at the more emotional points.
• The warden’s crush was irritating after a while, too much time was spent on it without any progress.
• There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end (although there is a second season which I’m assuming resolves this).

So, what do I think about Nanbaka?
It’s wacky. It’s zany. It’s sparkly. It’s utterly ridiculous at some points, and deep and thought-provoking at others. It will make you chuckle, snort, laugh and show other expressions of joy. It might also make you smile sadly, clutch your heart and wipe away a tear or two (although the last is unlikely).
Overall, it’s a reminder of why anime is a medium unto itself; for better or for worse. Where else would you find something like this? I can’t recommend it highly enough. XD

NB: Obviously, I’m talking to fans of comedy and the like here. Don’t come hear looking for a realistic slice-of-life, romance or thriller. Duh.