Special 7 First Impressions

“Whether by luck, chance or fate, I think you gained some kind of miracle. Treasure it.”

Tokunana or Special 7 or more appropriately Keishichou Tokumubu Tokushu Kyouakuhan Taisakushitsu Dainanaka: Tokunana did several things to irk me over the course of its first episode. That’s not to say it’s bad, but it does leave me feeling a little annoyed, partly due to the fact that I’ve taken it upon myself to review it. Had I simply watched the first episode to pass time, the elements which grate on my sensibilities may not have held as prominent a place in my consciousness as they do now. That name definitely isn’t helping. Someone evidently decided they should make an original series, but slap a name long enough to convince people that it might just be a light novel adaptation in disguise. Anyway, Tokunana is evidently the next in a recent string of buddy cop anime series. I considered faulting this show for essentially having the same plot as the first episode of Double Decker!, but fortunately none of the characters in Tokunana are even half as abrasive as the cast of Double Decker!. If you’re looking for a supernatural series about a special law enforcement division filled with quirky characters, then this may fit that niche, but, unfortunately, that isn’t really my cup of tea. Tokunana is inoffensive, but it feels a bit dated in terms of its narrative traits, and I’m not sure it will be much more than a footnote when people look back on the season.

Tokunana takes place in a world that looks almost identical to ours, but is home to a variety of metahumans including elves, dwarves, vampires, etc. Our main character is Nanatsugi Seiji, a fresh-faced detective who finds himself a hostage in a bank robbery while he’s off duty. He’s not alone though, as fellow officer Ichinose Shiori is also caught up in the incident. Ichinose is a member of a special unit referred to as Special 7, and I know I wasn’t going to compare this to Double Decker!, but the more I talk about it the more stark the similarities become. Fortunately, Tokunana favors a more subdued tone and aesthetic than Double Decker! did, though I’ve seen Mardi Gras parades more subdued than that title. I mentioned that Tokunana felt dated, and that’s mainly because it’s tone reminds me a bit of titles from the early aughts like Get Backers where we’re provided with an almost obscenely diverse group of misfits with little consideration for how they all mesh together. The narrative is more in line with something like Witch Hunter Robin though. We’re given hints of some greater conspiracy, but I wouldn’t be shocked to find most of the episodes to be procedural one-offs.

There are a few aspects of the production that I can’t help but nitpick. The first, and most notable detail is that I know nothing about the production studio for this one. I suppose that isn’t entirely true. I have a name, Anima&Co., and that’s more than I had last week. This is the only anime Anima&Co. has ever worked on according to MAL and AnimeNewsNetwork. Considering the extremely limited filmography of this studio, Tokunana is actually a surprisingly impressive work. There are still irritants to be sure. The backgrounds rely rather heavily on a texture of horizontal lines which I believe are used to give the backgrounds a rougher quality but can get a little wearisome to look at as it leaves the already muted background feeling washed out. Also, the opening leans on the implementation of high speed live-action cityscape shots, occasionally with a blue overlay. This may lead certain viewers to have unnecessary W’z PTSD flashbacks, so be warned. When looking at the episode on the whole, I would characterize it as competent, but also clunky in its execution.

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• I remember jokingly comparing last season’s Cop Craft to Bright, but I think it would be more appropriate to liken this title to that infamous Netflix misstep. Tokunana presents its fantasy elements early on in the episode via an awkward bit of exposition, but, afterwards, whenever a supernatural element shows up or is referenced, it feels thoroughly out of place with the narrative. The setting doesn’t feel disconnected enough from our regular mundane modern world for the sudden appearance of an elf or vampire to not feel jarring.
• It’s odd to think this, but I wonder what an anime set in the Shadowrun universe would look like. It’d probably be the low-budget CG version of this blended with a bit of Ghost in the Shell, but still…
• We’re sort of introduced to the members of Special 7… that name really doesn’t work for me…, but they barely register as anything more than broad archetypes at this point, if that. This is largely forgivable problem, for the most part, as one could argue this episode’s priority was to tell a story rather than introduce each and every character, but given that each of said characters gets a brief character moment later in the episode, it seems to be a story of half-measures in that regard.
• The full title translates to, “Metropolitan Police Department Special Division Heinous Crime Task Force 7th Unit: Special 7“… How has Law & Order not scooped up that title, I wonder? Ugh. I mean, that’s just a word salad.