Lazarus Episode 1 Review: Axel Gilberto Runs Faster Than Cinderella After the Clock Strikes 12

When you put Shinichiro Watanabe and Chad Stalinski in the same project, you’re bound to see magic in the making. That is what Lazarus was supposed to be and, for the most part, can be. The first episode definitely held the entire feel of something cool in the making. Yet somehow, there were parts that felt lacking if not completely bland.

For a project helmed by MAPPA, I will admit my expectations were through the roof. Think of it this way: the studio with Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan under its belt would justify anyone having exponential expectations. For a first episode, there was less to look forward to considering the kind of collaboration that the series was advertising in the first place.

For the series to actually pick up its pace, we’d have to wait for longer since the premise is far from boring. However, for any true substance, it would be important to outrun the attention span of the audience first.

Lazarus might be a slow anime with a fast runner

The first episode of Lazarus was just running. If I were to sum it up in a single line, it would be that Axel Gilberto ran way too fast for the plot to catch up to him. As we get introduced to the protagonist, we learn at a glance that he’s someone you can easily define as ‘cool’. It is a new trend I see forming: the cool character who must have snarky comebacks and one-liners.

While it works for now, this could slowly become old and obsolete. Axel’s character is a parkour pro jumping from building to building, flying “like a bird who escaped its cage.” While the entire sequence of his breaking out of prison felt genuinely fun, it should have stopped there. Unfortunately, as he leaps from one point to another, so does the series, unable to actually capture anything with substance other than his running.

Related

“We’ve never worked with Hollywood level budgets”: Shinichiro Watanabe Never Expected ‘Lazarus’ to Turn Into a John Wick Collab

The voice acting felt surprisingly bland, on the same level as “Oh my god I can’t believe my eyes,” in that one Genshin Impact quest. The dialogue and voice acting were falling off the mark in a way that made the entire episode feel detached and empty, despite the music that gave off a lively feeling. The drug that was initially supposed to help cure the pain of the people quickly became an involuntary death warrant signed by them.

Although a cure exists, it isn’t as easily attainable as the drug was. The entire chase to capture Axel begins as an attempt for Team Lazarus to get their hands on the cure and save humanity as a whole. There may not be any personal agendas in the play just yet, but the idea of saving the world falls into the hands of one man and his team feels like a film I’ve seen before.

Run boy run

Dr. Skinner’s drug, its introduction, and then its removal gave me a sense of oncoming social commentary, something I may not be too big of a fan of. Hapna, the painkiller that quickly turned into the bane of everyone’s existence, introduces a premise that is both refreshing and familiar at the same time. As good as the music of the anime is, the actual concept feels like something that would need time to take root.

My biggest complaint was how they decided to capture Axel for Team Lazarus. It was just him running and doing parkour. It became too repetitive too quickly. Although one would take it as the anime showcasing his skillset, too much of nothing feels good in the first place. When blending a classic animation style with modern execution, there is a way it could work and then there is a way that it couldn’t. For MAPPA, it would seem that patience is the real key.

Related

Lazarus Review – A Hauntingly Realistic Thrill Ride, Must-Watch TV for Sci-Fi Fans

The most I can do is sit back and trust the process, leaving the entire process in the hands of Shinichiro Watanabe. While the premiere wasn’t as strong as I had hoped, my fingers remain crossed in anticipation of something greater awaiting us as the audience.

Rating: 6/10

Lazarus is available to watch on Adult Swim.

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire