Heavy Object Part One Review (Anime)
Author Kazuma Kamachi is the mind behind the A Certain Magical Index series and its spin-off, and so it’s hard to go into Heavy Object without a somewhat high degree of expectation. It takes a while to get going and enjoys a good ol’ info-dump, but Heavy Object asks enough questions to keep your interest.
In the future, warfare has changed with the creation of Objects which are massive, almost impenetrable tools of destruction which can be piloted by one person. Due to these new weapons, all nations have split into four coalitions who wage war on each other where only the Objects fight as they’re believed to be indestructible. However, what’s made by man can also be destroyed by man and two soldiers who fight for the Legitimate Kingdom manage to take down an Object without using one themselves.
It feels as if the show could be more clever than it is.
With it proven that humans can destroy Objects, Qwenthur Barbotage and Havia Winchell find themselves thrust into suicidal missions to take down enemy Objects and to protect Melinda Brantini who operates the kingdom’s strongest Object. It can be a bit slow and isn’t as interesting as it likes to think it is, but it’s a unique concept — sadly, it is riddled with a bunch of anime tropes which feel oddly placed, and a fair bit of fan-service. It feels as if the show could be more clever than it is, but that the author or J.C.Staff were worried that it may under-perform without recognisable anime tropes.
You might know this already, but I’m a big J.C.Staff fan (they animated my favourite anime Golden Time) and Heavy Object is unmistakably their work. The Objects are CGI but they don’t look jarring, blending in well with the 2D characters and environments — it’s nice to see that we’re getting to a point where CGI and 2D can work well together, as opposed to looking awfully out of place.
Heavy Object is a good-looking show.
I spent a good few episodes wondering who was really the main character as the leading two males are rather plain looking, but this works in that they weren’t particularly talented or outstanding — the girls stand out more, but this again reflects that they’re already well-known and respected — it’s a different way of tackling character designs and it comes across as a breath of fresh air. Heavy Object is a good-looking show although not one of the best out there, and it remains consistent in quality throughout its run.
The script might leave something to be desired but its English dub is solid with a fair few Funimation regulars, and there’s little to complain about. The soundtrack isn’t particularly memorable though, and I can’t remember the opening or ending themes at all right now!
Heavy Object part one has a lot of unrealised potential.
Heavy Object part one has a lot of unrealised potential that I hope is ventured in part two, as it features a unique concept that I’d like to see more of. The characters are pretty flat and solutions come across a tad too conveniently, so despite the looming threats it feels as if there’s very little risk. Whilst far from a bad anime, it’s a perfect example of an average anime but I’m interested in seeing what happens next which is a good sign.
Heavy Object needs to focus on being what it wants to be rather than catering to what it thinks it should be, because there’s potential for it to be more complex but instead reverts to stereotypical anime tropes and jokes which don’t really fit in. Fingers crossed part two lets Heavy Object grow into its own thing.
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