While it was turned on Hulu In just a few weeks, Eight Bit’s new original anime, Synchronicity: Noircould be the perfect gateway to the mecha genre, more than Mobile SuitGundam: The Witch From Mercury with it high school context. While anime doesn’t employ all of the usual genre traps, the familiar plot rhythms of the anime that replace them may be the secret to attracting new entrants.
Mobile SuitGundam is a commonly recommended starting point for anime mecha due to its popularity. But the casual audience can be overwhelmed by the visual noise of the machines on display or exhausted by the nonstop war stories commonly found in the series. In such a case, Synduality offers a simpler alternative to a boy-me-girl adventure that also involves mecha, here called “Cradlecoffins”.
Synduality has the right mix of Mecha’s anime and action conventions
On the official website’s staff page, Hajime Kamoshida is credited as the original story writer for the anime. Given his experience with both serious mechanical war stories (Mobile Suit: Iron Blooded Orphans) and character-focused dramas (Rascal Does Not Dream), he’s a clear choice. clearly to make Synduality focus as much on the characters as it does on science-fiction. Even the Disney+ synopsis points to this:
Kanata dreams of becoming a Drifter. While exploring some museum ruins with the famous Drifter Tokio, he discovers a Mage named Noir who has lost all his memories. Noir has difficulty with daily tasks but she excels in the fight against Enders. Kanata teams up with Noir as he discovers exactly what it takes to become a Drifter.
Synduality’s premise should have sounded painfully cliché: A sly boy trying to find his place in the world finds an amnesiac with a dangerous past and powers, who along with many Other archetypes — childhood friend, self-styled big brother, comedic bully recurring, more mysterious and talented viewer, etc. — will discover a supposedly lost utopia. ages ago long ago. It’s a common setup, almost lamentable for predictability, but the cast’s suitability and the familiarity of the plot go a long way in getting newcomers to the industry. instrument representing the main character of this genre: giant robots.
Synduality’s Cradlecoffins have unique visuals and are associated with each Drifter. This helps keep machines – and their users – memorable. Other shows like to fill the screen with all sorts of robots to show off their popularity, but for first-time viewers, it can be difficult to parse one machine against another. Likewise, stories of war may not be what one wants, but because machines are armed, they become commonplace. Even the inventive The Witch From Mercury, although it initially tries to soften its tone with a school setting, sets it up against the backdrop of an ongoing corporate war by using mass-produced weapons of war.
Kanata and Noir’s quest for Histoire may not be the most inventive storyline, but it’s certainly more accessible than GTA’s restless tone and it could be the ticket for newcomers. Furthermore, Synduality is perfectly positioned to lead 2023 as a year for mecha, as a tie-in video game is also in development. Synchronicity: Noir is the perfect program to attract new fans of mecha anime, making it easy for them to transition into a vast and complex genre.
Synchronicity: Noir currently streaming on Hulu, as well as Disney+.
