[DreamSword]

FINAL THOUGHTS ON PACIFIC RIM: THE BLACK

To be honest, I went into this show expecting to not like it very much.

Not only did I not have that big of a passion for the two movies that came before it, but me and "Netflix Originals" tend to not gel very well.

The Netflix Godzilla Trilogy, Netflix Ultraman, Legendary Defender... almost every Netflix Original I've ever watched has really rubbed me the wrong way, so my standards were set rather low when going into The Black.

Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised! While a bit rough around the edges, Pacific Rim: The Black ended up being a totally unique beast in and of itself. Not just in terms of the Netflix Originals that I've seen, but also in terms of the previous two movies and the mecha genre as a whole.

As I've said before, this one of the few Survival Mecha shows I've seen to never fully drop the Survival aspect of the show, and it also doesn't follow the trend set by the two movies: Following various tropes of the 70s and 80s to a T. There's so much subversion and surprisingly realistic outcomes to the scenarios presented in this anime that it almost verges on deconstruction.

Where the show really excels is in its character development and atmosphere. Sure, it's not the deepest or most intricate of this sort of thing, and the plot, for the most part, is very simple. But I'd be lying if I said that were a detriment. Alot of episodes really did draw me in just on the personal relationships and interactions between the cast alone. And a proper atmosphere helps out a ton in that regard.

Which is why it's such a shame that the anime as a whole kinda feels unfinished? It really feels like the creators were originally promised a third season, only for that promise to be taken back mid-production. Various character arcs and plot points are just outright dropped, and in season 2 especially the pacing feels rushed in places(especially the ending). There's other things too, like some early character inconsistencies, but really, I feel stuff like that is ultimately minor in comparison to the unfinished stories on some of our cast.

It really makes me hope that one day the anime will get a continuation or expansion of some form. But should that never happen, I suppose I can't complain about what we did get too much. I had an overall good time watching it, and I was always intrigued as to where it and its characters were headed next, and really, I can't ask for too much more out of a story than that, can I?

In the end, I give Pacific Rim: The Black a 4/6. It's by no means perfect, and I'm sure that anime and/or Pacific Rim hardcores could find alot of things to complain about in terms of its technicalities. But for me? I had a good time, and I recommend it to anyone who likes either of the movies or Survival shows in general.