Akame ga KILL!

Episode 11

Appreciating Akame ga KILL! depends at least partly on understanding what it is and isn't. Although it sometimes intimates that it wants to be taken seriously by raising topics like social injustice, the over-the-top, heavy-handed way it handles such content borders enough on farce that it belies any such intentions. Although it does make at least some effort at character development, the disappointing way that it handled Sheele's exit showed that such is not its strong suit, either. No, this is a series all about dumb, bloody fun dipped in a rich sauce of cheese, and it functions best when it remembers that and plays it to the hilt.

Such is the case with episode 11. It doesn't try to do anything fancy; it just has a bunch of bizarre, super-powered bad guys infiltrate the base of Night Raid at night and try to catch the heroes off-guard. Mayhem naturally ensues as the heroes capably fight back but are eventually put in dire straits. Then powerful new help arrives which allows them to catch their second wind and go for taking out the boss bad guy, a stereotypical mad scientist-type who, unsurprisingly, was not above experimenting on himself. Various good and bad guys get incapacitated, killed, or even eaten (and yes, that's meant literally) in the process, and much blood is spilled. That's really about all there is to the episode, and all there needs to be for it to be a rip-roaring good time.

Okay, so that is not an entirely fair statement; a little bit does actually happen beyond that, like the revelation that Imperial Arms can appear in humanoid form and the addition of two new Night Raid members, although only one – Susanoo, a physical powerhouse – actually sees action this time. (The other, an as-yet-unnamed young woman, will apparently be featured next episode.) We also see further evidence that Tatsumi, despite giving every vibe of being a typical shonen action male lead, has a little bit more to him. Though his naiveté and idealism still sometimes get him in hot water, unlike so many other shonen heroes he actually has a functioning brain and uses it rather than being endlessly hotheaded. He showed that last episode, when he actually prioritized his objective of escaping over having a knock-down, drag-out fight, and he shows again here that he actually appreciates teamwork; him serving as Akame's legs to keep her in the fight when she becomes poisoned, rather than just be the one to protect her, and the way that becomes a key part of an all-around team effort in defeating the big baddie, is a great touch.

The series' visual panache is out in full force, with a passel of bad guys who mostly look like rejects from a circus freak show and a good sense for dramatic visual flair; sadly, one is left but to wonder just how much cooler still the series would look if it actually had a serious animation budget. The offbeat sense of humor is fully in evidence, too, although Dr. Stylish quickly gets more obnoxious than funny with his antics.

So yeah, the series has all of the depth of a wading pool so far, but it definitely entertains. For fare like this, that's all that really matters.

Rating: B-

Akame ga KILL! is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.