Directors: Kenji Nakamura
Starring: Kouki Uchiyama, Todd Haberkorn, Daisuke Hosomi, J. Michael Tatum, Haruka Tomatsu, Brina Palencia, Masami Kikuchi, Sonny Strait, Mayumi Asano, Martha Harms, Saori Goto, Monica Rial, Takahiro Sakurai, Scott Freeman
Running Time: 300 minutes
Certificate: 12
Anime and arranged battling often go hand in hand. Whether it’s the monster based strategies of Pokémon or the card oriented Yu-Gi-Oh, there’s always some way of solving differences without pulling out traditional weapons and going at it. In C CONTROL the weapon of choice is money. Set against a world where Japan has been rescued from financial ruin, certain members of society are now invited to an alternate reality known as The Financial District where they can get involved in fights in order to gain more money. It’s an attractive get rich quick prospect, but comes with a lot of small print.
The set-up is fantastic, and it’s quite infuriating there isn’t a game based on the mechanics highlighted in the show. We follow protagonist Kimimaro (Uchiyama/Haberkorn), who wants nothing more than a normal life. He’s very self-sufficient; living alone and working two jobs on top of his studies, clearly demonstrating he doesn’t exactly shy away from a challenge. He also shows great admiration for those struggling through the daily grind to support their family. This to him is a sign of great character, and as such, he longs for a simple life as long as he earns enough to get by. Despite his strong characteristics, he is soon enticed into a world where battles are fought for cash.
The battles all revolve around money, with the more money you have the better attacks you can afford. Each time an attack is landed on the battler’s asset (a warrior who can take on the form of anything from animals to people), money is lost. The metaphors are hardly subtle, with money being the driving force behind everything, but at least the show commits 100% to its themes. The lexicon used is all financial based, with fighters called ‘entrepreneurs’, battles called ‘deals’, and when you are defeated you are, of course, ‘bankrupt’. Even the opening credits shows a number of different silhouetted scenarios played against the backdrop of different currencies from around the globe. Obvious it may be, but it’s also a universal language we can all understand and relate to.
On top of all this is a distinct and intelligent style. The Financial District is all glitz and glam, becoming a dangerous world of seduction. Meanwhile, menial jobs in the real world are represented by the repetitive use of certain shots, clearly reflecting the monotony of regular life. This is in stark contrast to the bright colours of The Financial District, where epic battles are fought over sparse but engaging landscapes. Many will find it hard to get past the exposition heavy dialogue which explains the rules in the manner of a video game tutorial, but once that is over with, you’ll be treated to a rather emotionally charged and extremely fun anime.
C CONTROL is released on DVD on 14th October via MVM.
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