Eighty Six

In a Republic where only citizens with silver hair and eyes are considered "human", the rest of the citizens are located in an area designated 86, where they are used to man supposedly autonomous Juggernaut fighting mechs designed to protect the citizens of San Magnolia. The machines they're at war with are AI remnants of the neighbouring Giadian Empire that now fight without masters, wiped out in combat. For two years they will continue to attack until their automatic shutdown engages.

Here, we follow the handler of the Eighty Six's Spearhead unit, Vladilena (Lena) Milize as she gets to know the squad under her command, operated by Shin, aka "Undertaker". Unlike her fellow San Magnolians, Lena believes that the Eighty Six are indeed human and longs for the day when they will be reunited. Until then, she communicates with her squad via long-range radio - she proves to be a highly skilled military tactician and the story follows the difficult choices she has to make, as well as the effects on those under her command during wartime.

I'm not usually attracted to dark stories, but if the writing and characterisation is on-point then I do find them deeply fascinating. Such was the case with Eighty Six, the final temptation being a rather ludicrously pretty Steelbook release, a format I'm particularly fond of.

Produced by Aniplex, they prove to have a deft hand at balancing the shock and awe of high speed military combat against the devastating impact to those involved. It takes the sort of dour view of Gundam but keeps it far more grounded - there are no space battles or superhuman abilities here, just child-soldiers forced into a war with no benefit to themselves, used as tools by elites to essentially fight and die to manage a nuisance, their status as non-human allowing the mainstream media to declare the conflict results in the loss of no human life. 

The series does a great job of showing how youthful the Eighty Six are, finding joy in bathing and gossip between missions. It makes the eventual casualties all the more devastating when their hopes and dreams are swept away knowing that the only ones who knew or cared wouldn't be far behind. Normally this would depress me into switching off, but I have to say the writing keeps just enough hope alive that there might just be a better tomorrow for the survivors, bolstered no end by their new commanders dedication to improving the fortunes of her soldiers.

I was hooked by episode 3 - in a clever reversal, we hear a battle with the focus on Lena in her command room, but don't get to see it. Everything is relayed through her monitors, her troops reduced to markers on a board. The jovial nature of the episode, where everyone seems to be quite taken with their thoughtful handler who calls daily, is flipped on its head once one of the Eighty Six is lost and Lena is fiercely reprimanded by one of her troops - reminding her that despite playing nice with the squad, she never once thought to ask them for their real names. It's a real gut-punch, especially as the girl who died seemed most taken with Lena during their calls. Her last words, "I don't want to die", are heartbreaking and even more so when you find out the secret of the attacking AI Legion.

When we do see them, the battles themselves are well animated and thought-through, the tactics employed seeming feasible for the sort of missions being undertaken. The science is pretty advanced, but the well-worn state of the mecha and the area in general shows how hard life is in the 86. Subsequently the grudges, emotions and relationships feel urgent, deep and raw - for example, Kurena, the leader of Platoon 6, hates Lena, taking out the death of her parents on her handler, who she can only see as pretentious and insincere. For others though, she's the first handler to show a genuine interest in her squad and wins over many of those under her charge. The conflicting emotions toward the voice on the radio after so many disinterest and abuse is telling.

The Eighty Six are basically children, destined never to reach adulthood.

As an older viewer, I was especially touched by just how young everyone was - one of the tragedies of war is that often it's an older generation sending the next to fight and die, and Eighty Six represents this well - we're basically dealing with child soldiers and it's desperately sad, especially as there was so little in their lives worth surviving for - they aren't even fighting for their own futures. All we can do is wait for them to die on the battlefield, or survive and be scarred irreparably. This is compounded by further revelations that are not just cold but also incredibly callous and cruel - I won't place spoilers here, but if you don't feel genuine emotion toward their plight, you aren't paying attention.

The show does suffer from two episodes recounting the "story so far", but generally the series maintains a high-stakes narrative with unrelenting tension and no idea of who, if anyone, will make it to the last episode. Lena's genuine desire to save as many lives as she can really is the hook here, she knows every death is a result of the orders she chooses to give, and therefore it is her duty to command to the best or her ability. She makes an earnest and engaging lead.

Overall it's beautifully animated, the level of detail and thought put into characterisation and the weight of the decisions made gives it a real gravitas beyond most fantasy war anime series. The soundtrack, by Hiroyuki Sawano, is one of his very best - and that's saying something. His beats drive the combat and elevate the drama on screen, there are few composer's working today at his level, which is indicative of the talent working on the show in general. Everyone brought their A-game here, it makes the series feel very special as a result.

I can't promise a happy ending, but the ride is riveting.  Combat certainly isn't glamourised, nor should it be, but there's a level of depth to Eighty Six that makes it stand out. Highly recommended, just have the tissues ready.

Eighty Six is available to Stream of Crunchyroll and is now available on Blu Ray.