Created by Legendary and Netflix, Pacific Rim: The Black returns us to world where monstrous Kaijus invade the Earth, seeking destruction on behalf of the aliens known as the Precursors. Humanity is desperately trying to fight off them off with their mechanical giants, the mighty Jaegers.
This series takes place some time after events of Pacific Rim Uprising, in Australia where the Kaiju have ravaged the continent entirely and have brought any humans living there to a constant fight for survival. We follow two siblings, Hayley (Gideon Adlon) and Taylor Travis (Calum Worthy), who are searching for their parents and end up stumbling upon a Jaeger, named Atlas Destroyer, that they end up being able to pilot together. With their new find they meet new allies, enemies and creatures that all put them to the test, as they travel the ravaged continent that used to be their home.
I will be honest, I never really had a big attachment to the Pacific Rim films, despite my huge love for Kaiju flicks. I definitely liked the first film directed by Guillermo del Toro for its interesting premise, awesome action, unique monsters, high stakes and decent characters (Idris Elba being my favorite in the first film). The second film, Pacific Rim Uprising, was a load of crap. So when this new series popped up I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
That being said, Netflix has had a pretty good track record with anime originals in the past, and seeing what it had on offer made me want to give the series a shot. And I’m very glad I did because this was a really solid series with a compelling story, a dark and serious setting, incredible animation, epic action and an expansion on the lore and world of Pacific Rim. I was really surprised by just how engaged I was through this seven episode series and how it was able to hook me. Right from the first few episodes this series perfectly establishes its mature tone and sets up the high stakes. It was a lot more graphic than I was expecting and the body count is high, really showing the horrors of the Kaijus’ hold on the world.
Coming off a PG-13 series that mostly just had graphic Kaiju kills, it was surprising to see that many humans getting horrifically killed in various ways, especially by new and improved Kaiju we have never seen before. It really gives a more post-apocalyptic vibe to the world and shows how humanity was truly on the brink, a lot more compared to what was established in the first film, as well as the things they would dare to do in the end of times.
The characters were also really well established and I felt more invested in them compared to the characters of the films. The siblings both have good voice performances and serve as interesting leads for this series. Both are flawed in their own ways but also share similar issues that they both try to deal with on their travels, and they make mistakes that cost lives. They also learn to trust each other and work together in order to survive and be true Jaeger pilots. They deliver some really solid emotional scenes and I was invested in their story completely, which was something the films didn’t really do for me. Even though they touch upon some sibling tropes we’ve seen before they were still good regardless.
There is the AI of their Jaeger, Loa (Erica Lindbeck) who definitely brought some great sarcastic humor that balanced out the seriousness of some scenes. There is humor present throughout, but it feels more natural and not forced, unlike what the films offered. And there are softer moments in between the darkness that do allow the characters be actual people and offer some light to the dark world around them.
I also really liked the character Mei (Victoria Grace) who was probably the most complex and fleshed out character of the series. She was given an excellent performance and really had some strong scenes and a past that is dark and intriguing, especially when it is tied to one of the main human antagonists of the series. I really wasn’t expecting a character like this in the Pacific Rim world but I’m glad we got her. It’s honestly shocking to be invested in humans in a franchise that many people felt should just be all about mechs vs. monsters.
The narrative was really grounded and brutal, not holding back on intense themes, and giving us a violent survival story. It also expands upon various concepts introduced in the Pacific Rim films, like the dangers of Jaeger piloting, the behaviors of the Kaiju and more.
I like how we got to see a new visual take on the neural handshake, making for some trippy but cool scenes that far exceeded the original neural handshakes in the films. There are also some interesting mysteries and surprises that change up the lore of Pacific Rim in huge ways. However, some of them are left open ended, especially one big one involving the mysterious kid the siblings meet in their journey, that sets up a season 2. It really makes me eager to see what happens next for these characters and this story.
The animation is outstanding and honestly very fitting for the Pacific Rim universe. Not only does it give life to the various landscapes, from the untamed wilderness to ravaged cities, but it also allows epic action to take place without the limitations of live action. It’s like Pacific Rim was meant to be an anime, especially since the films appeared to have had various anime inspiration both in style and looks. The action is smooth and vicious, similar to the films, and is guaranteed to give mech vs. Kaiju action lovers a great time.
The Kaijus in this series are all awesome, having unique designs and abilities just like the films but expanded with new species. They even brought back them having their own categories and codenames, with one of my favorites being Copperhead, which ends being one of the major Kaiju we meet in the series. They are all terrifying beasts that bring the same great amount of menace they had in the first film, but also add some additional horror elements as well, which I wasn’t expecting. They even had smaller wolf like Kaijus present that would hunt down any humans unlucky to traverse through city streets on foot, and that was something I really liked that added more tension.
The music was kick ass and was definitely inspired by the music of the first film, which again seemed much more fitting for anime than live action.
For a first season this new Pacific Rim installment has made an excellent impression and has me more hooked than I thought I would be. It took what was established with the films and expanded upon them, while also making much needed changes to give us way more compelling characters and story. Everyone should definitely give this series a shot, whether you were a fan of the Pacific Rim franchise or not. There’s a lot of amazing potential here and it shouldn’t go unnoticed. I’m going to give Pacific Rim: The Black an A.
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