91 Days Episode 1 [First Impression]

91 Days begins a story of revenge in the most typical way possible: a young child watches his family be murdered. Don’t let this lackluster and predictable opening plot fool you, 91 Days has only one episode under its belt and already seems like it might be a contender for one of the best anime titles this season. Don’t get me wrong, I am already trying my best not to eyebrow raise because of the typical plot, but who can hold it against mobsters to kill an entire family when there’s a power coup? Okay, the family really should keep guns since they’re a mob family but. . .you know. . . it was one against three.

The main character is Angelo, a young man whose entire family was murdered 7 years prior to the plot. He has essentially become a pickpocket and in the beginning of the episode receives a letter with a picture of his brother in it. He had since moved away from the district where the tragedy occurred, the Lawless district, and the look he gets on his face really shows something special. Instead of the emboldened anime protagonist look where someone genuinely wants to get revenge but has goodness in him, the look on Angelo’s face is utterly empty. He seems perfectly capable and willing to kill someone and gather revenge and this impression strikes the viewer before we even know why he’d want it: this is the first scene of the episode.

I think despite the cliche of the episode the way they framed it helped it succeed. Add that the animation is fluid and the OST is off to an amazing start and I’m invested in how it will progress. It will be interesting to see Angelo as the little I know about him leads me to believe he values almost nothing. He reappears to his old friend and immediately wants to compromise the friends desires in order to sell his alcohol to the family he despises, in other words he wants to use his friend’s craft in order to obtain his revenge. But you know? I kind of respect that. If the anime is truly making Angelo out to be a heartless murderer whose only joy is revenge I might admire that approach. I’m very used to the Tatsumi of Akame Ga Kill approach, where a death haunts someone and the revenge is a different type of matter. Tatsumi seemed angry and bitter, Angelo seems twisted. Then again this is only episode 1 and we might see him at the orphan factory next episode liberating the amazon babies from their oppressive rat men overlords. It could happen.

It is worth watching 91 days to see the moments that impacted Angelo: Seeing the moment where he fails to grab his brother’s shirt as he runs to his mother to save her after she is hurt, the moment that he loses him and knows he will die, was impactful. Angelo’s most feeling moments are during his loss and his desire to become ingratiated with his enemies works immediately well: by episode one he is in a car with his sworn enemy, Nero Vanetti.

I will be covering this show for the season and I can’t wait to see what the supporting cast will do. Did I mention I am extraordinarily fond of secret identity reveals? I’m ecstatic.

Possibility of Watching: Guaranteed

Possibility of Coverage: I’M GOIN IN!!!

Oki