Director: Tetsuro Araki,
Starring: Yuuki Kaji, Austin Tindle, Ai Kayano, Alexis Tipton, Yuichi Nakamura, Micah Solusod,
Running Time: 250 minutes
Certificate: 15
Guilty Crown may have lacked originality in its opening set of episodes, but it added genuinely surprising touches along with conviction. This concluding part of the series just constantly amazes, mostly due to the fact that the show can and does go off in any direction it damn well pleases. Not that these twists and turns are there for the sake of shock and awe, as each one makes sense given the development that the writers have put in.
Whereas the last collection saw Shu (Kaji/Tindle) finding his place while fighting for a resistance, we now find ourselves in completely new territory. Due to a possible virus outbreak, Shu’s school is now quarantined, and as you might imagine, we find ourselves in the midst of a Lord Of The Flies type situation with added political bickering. It essentially puts the heroes into a difficult situation in which they must make impossible choices for the good of all those involved. As things become heated the show even has the balls to turn heroes into villains and characters we’ve grown to love into hated figureheads. None of this is done without cause though, with sudden deaths and big mistakes resulting in extreme measures.
Most franchises look to expand their universe, but Guilty Crown decides to restrict its universe and instead expand on characters. There’s still plenty of room for complex plotting, especially towards the end, and although it could be argued the pace almost gets away from the story, it’s a brave and unforgettable ride that doesn’t let go of its audience’s attention. Guilty Crown also tackles the intricate workings of the mind very well, especially when it comes to trusting and following orders from those in charge. She soon realises that there is no such thing as a perfect leader and sometimes fear is the best weapon for everyone’s survival, even if it means turning into the very thing you hate.
Any show with the courage to twist its characters in such ways demands a viewing, especially for anyone who needs a challenging watch. The animation remains superb with epic scale revolts or simple conversations all given care and detail throughout. The vocal casts are also put to the test with much heavier emotional moments and scenes of extreme stress and trauma. The voice actors rise to such a challenge and really sell any of the dramatic changes made, whether it be to their own character or in their reaction to another character’s change. Action filled battles, beautifully crafted scenes of unique weaponry in use, sensational twists, and a plot that manages to stay focused for the most part and engage its audience. This is one hell of an end to a show.
[usr=5] Guilty Crown: Series 1 Part 2 is released on DVD and Blu-ray from 28th April via Manga Entertainment.
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