Some anime seem practically impervious to failure by nature of the number of popular names attached to the project, which can be a slippery slope to fall down.No matter how promising the individual players are, it means squat if they can’t combine to create a sum larger than the parts, something thatGuilty Crownwas most certainly guilty of.
From Production I.G. and director Tetsuro Araki,Guilty Crownwas an original sci-fi story penned by Hiroyuki Yoshino and Ichirou Ookouchi. It tells the story of Shu Ouma, an awkward boy who gets involved with the terrorist group “Funeral Parlor” after being exposed to a bioweapon that grants him the ability to reach into people’s bodies and manifest weapons from their souls. To say that reception was mixed would be an understatement, and it didn’t take long for the cracks in the foundation to become apparent. Upon rewatch,the world-building and character writingdon’t give off the greatest first impressions. However, people did enjoy this series, and for what it’s worth, it’s not hard to see why.
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A Dazzling Dystopia
Guilty Crown’s initial appeal is admittedly because of how bizarre the series can be, and its mixture of so many elements seen in other science fiction works. In this capacity, it could be accused of being derivative, and it certainly bearsa striking resemblance toCode Geassin its broader premise.
After an event known as “Lost Christmas” when an outbreak of the Apocalypse Virus ravaged Japan, a UN organization took over the country, enforcing martial law. Forced to be a quasi-independent nation, life in Japan has become one of fear and paranoia. In retaliation towards the oppressive military, Funeral Parlor, led by the charismatic Gai Tsutsugami, fights back.
It sounds very reminiscent of Geass' premise, even down to Japan losing its independence, the biggest difference being that the protagonist isn’t Gai, but Shu, an awkward teenage boy. A relatively normal kid whofinds it difficult to connect with other peopleand pick up on social cues, Shu spends his spare time watching his favorite musical artist, Egoist.
That name no doubt sounds familiar because Egoist, a group branching off from Supercell, is a real pop group that was founded to create the theme songs and song inserts for the series. Chelly, the vocalist for Egoist, sang under the persona ofGuilty Crown’s female lead, Inori. The group continues to make music to this day.
Yes, Sawano is a hype machine when it comes to anime soundtracks, but around the time ofGuilty Crown, Sawano’s work could often be the saving grace in a lackluster production. Between this show andAldnoah.Zero, Sawano had a habit of making stellar music for shows that ended up being very divisive.
But in the first episode, where first impressions are important, that music in tandem with the animation drew a lot of eyes for good reason. In a pre-Attack on Titanseason 1 world, this show was Araki and Sawano’s collaborative spirit on full display, held back only by the script. Gai’s introductory fight scene in episode 1 alone likely had many viewers sold.
Even if the story was a collage of elements done arguably better in other shows, it didn’t change how striking this show’s presentation was.The scope of the dystopiapresented was so meticulous and grand that it begged to be explored and that’s likely what kept people watching. One can feel the promise and potential throughout its beginning.
Additionally, Shu’s power to reach into people’s “voids” and pull out different weapons had loads of potential, practically designed to reinforce connections with other characters. And as the series went along, the price of that power and the effect it had on Shu was entertaining for fans that stuck with it. But even fans that kept watching were a tad disappointed in the end.
A Crown With Thorns
The premise ofGuilty Crownis quite compelling, between the politics of Japan being policed, to the nature of the Apocalypse Virus, but everything moves a bit too quickly. The premiere hardly has time to establish a norm for Shu before he’s called to adventure. By the time he’s a member of Funeral Parlor, it’s as ifthe world-building is playing catch-up.
But that wouldn’t necessarily be a crucial detriment to the story if the characters weren’t such a mixed bag, Shu included. The members of Funeral Parlor range from ok to unlikeable, especially considering how they treat Shu as the first half of the series progresses. Despite obvious trauma and a need for support, the cast treats him poorly, making it hard to like many of them.
Amusingly, the poor treatment of Shu actually makes it a bit easier to feel for him, as he’s not the most enticing protagonist anyhow. And his romance with Inorirarely carries the kind of gravitasthat the show demands it to half, likely a consequence of the show’s pacing. There are too many ideas and not enough time is given to build strong characters around them.
The reason that so much of this is disappointing is that despite the limitations of the budget apparent later on, there is considerable effort put in on the part of Production I.G. and the team. Watch any major scene from the show out of context and the weight of the drama is easily felt through the direction and music.
It’s an exciting series froma team eager, willing, and more than capableof getting results, but without a better, more focused story,Guilty Crownended up being a dream of what could have been. Even with that in mind, plenty of people found enjoyment because the team behind it was so competent. There’s nothing wrong with having fun with a show created with such obvious enthusiasm.
For those who are interested in this world and perhaps wish it had been done better, the visual novelGuilty Crown: Lost Christmasis a worthwhile read. It was written by Jin Haganeya, the author ofDemonbaneandDra+koi, and it’s a prequel to the events of the series. It’s shorter, edgier, more focused, and has a lot of allusions toA Christmas Carol(the protagonist is literally named Scrooge.)
There are a few lessons to learn fromGuilty Crown. First, while an impressive staff list can help measure expectations, it doesn’t guarantee cohesion. Second - or perhaps “alternatively” - a relatively unknown staff doesn’t bode ill for a project. Third and finally, just because a project doesn’t go as planned doesn’t mean that the creators aren’t worth getting excited about when their name pops up again.
AfterGuilty Crownwas finished, Araki and Sawano both popped up together working onthe first season ofAttack on Titan, bringing in a whole new generation of anime fans. Egoist continued to produce banger pop songs for some of the biggest anime of the decade in addition to their original works. Even the writers have more or less “redeemed” themselves, and Ookouchi is writing this season’sGundam Witch.
