Ask John: What Anime Shows Switch Gears Mid-way?

Question:
No. 6 seemed like a decent oldschool sci-fi at first, but as of writing it has devolved into constant and overt Boys’ Love pandering to the point of being intrusive upon the sci-fi story. At least with other pander-heavy niche anime, like bishoujo/moe and all those sub-categories (loli, tsundere, etc.), their nature is immediately apparent by glancing at their visual design. No. 6 is more insidious in the way it presents itself as a mainstream product for two episodes before taking a sharp turn into niche-ville. It makes me wonder if I’ve seen anything else that began mainstream and then devolved into niche pandering.

Answer:
Very few anime reveal a noticable shift in tone mid-series because such a move may seem creative in theory but rarely works in practice. Viewers tune in to a show becasue it piques their interest. Disguising themes or content at the outset can create an intriguing plot twist if handled naturally, as shows like D4 Princess and Madoka Magica have done. But more often revealing new themes or emphasis after first establishing a setting and tone merely annoys and confuses viewers. Creating false expectations is a tricky maneuver that’s difficult to do right and easy to do wrong, so most narratives simply avoid the attempt. Countless anime attempt to inject some dramatic tension by getting more serious during their climactic episodes. That’s such a common convention that I’ll exclude it and look at only shows which introduce a thematic or tonal shift early in their development.

The Puella Magi Madoka Magica television series begins as a stylish and ominous magical girl show but in its third episode shocks viewers by suddenly becoming far more grim and terrifying. Magical girl anime including Princess Tutu, Pretty Cure, and Lyrical Nanoha have been stylish, dark, and violent before, and while the first two episodes of Madoka Magica function on a similar level, the bulk of the show reveals itself to be much more serious and threatening than any prior magical girl anime. The shock in episode 3 is surprising, but the deepening of tone isn’t entirely unexpected or out of character for the show because even its first two episodes have a foreboding atmosphere.

The 1999 D4 Princess TV series is a more striking successful example of changing gears because the show appears to be a cheerful and goofy bishoujo action comedy and its early episodes are typified by slapstick humor and conventional action. However, a tragic event occurs part way through the series, changing the previously lighthearted show into a sombre, dramatic meditation on the necessity and stages of grief and illustrating the need for emotional strength to pass through and overcome tragic loss. The change in tone and atmosphere within the show is striking, but the way it presents a different, new challenge that that protagonist must face and battle through remains narratively consistent with the early portion of the show, ultimately making the show more substantial and rewarding to watch.

Mayoi Neko Overrun includes a limited but excellent example of changing gears within a series. The 13 episode show is a domestic romantic comedy except for episode 7 which is inexplicably an homage to late 80’s robot anime like Dangaioh, Zeorymer, and Leina Kenrou Densetsu. The episode is particularly polarizing, dividing viewers into camps of those who hate the abrupt and seemingly pointless digression and those who can’t explain it but love the mecha anime aside because it’s so respectful to its inspirations and so bizarrely unexpected.

A viewer that watches very early and later series episodes of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! may not recognize that the episodes are from the same series because Hitman Reborn! begins as a slapstick fumbling romantic comedy in the vein of To Love-ru but gradually evolves into a shonen battle anime reminiscent of Hunter x Hunter. While shonen anime including Hunter x Hunter and Dragon Ball likewise change from drama or comedy, respectively, to battle anime, they both clearly announce their evolution in advance. Even Yu Yu Hakusho seems to provide a bit more suggestion that it will eventually change focus than Katekyo Hitman Reborn! does. However, considering that Hitman Reborn is a shonen anime, the shift to fighting action can’t be entirely unanticipated.

Madhouse’s Rideback TV series begins as a loose remake of Production I.G’s 1987 mecha racing OVA Dead Heat (which Production I.G also loosely remade as IGPX) but turns into something else entirely. The series’ first four episodes suggest something like a bishoujo mecha Initial D in which a prodigy discovers her talent for racing. However, beginning in episode 5, series protagonist Rin quickly begins to get marginalized and subserviant to a political intrigue storyline that’s neither adequately developed nor exciting. The series’ remaining six episode struggle to find a focal protagonist and a narrative anchor. The story arc about Rin finding a new passion to devote herself to is abandoned while the illustration of a political coup is compromised by an effort to depict a national occurance from a very personal perspective without effectively introducing the people involved. In effect, the show tries to juggle several balls at once, never devoting its full attention to developing any of them.

The first story arc of the Ghost Hunt television series establishes an intriguing perspective of analyzing and explaining supernatural superstition with science and reason. However, with each new story arc the effort to unravel seeming supernatural mysteries with logic and science progressively declines until the 25 episode show’s final story arc is a ridiculous, sensationalist horror story filled with bloody murders, spiritual possession, onmyouji magic, and a literal zombie siege. The science and reason that characterized the beginning of the show are nowhere to be found by its end.