Warning: The following contains spoilers for Undead Murder Farce Episode 1, "Oni Slayer", now streaming on Crunchyroll.
An immortal who has been decapitated journeys with her trusty maid to enlist the services of a half-human, half-oni cage fighter to help her with her predicament. With such a wild premise, one could hardly call Undead Murder Farce unoriginal, yet for a few reasons that shall be explained, I went into the premiere with caution and left feeling pleasantly surprised.
Based on the 2015 novel series by Yuugo Asaki, Undead Murder Farce comes to us from Studio Lapin Track, the creators of Sarazanmai and Re:cycle of the Penguindrum. It is directed by Shinichi Omata, the man behind the much beloved Kaguya-sama Love is War, and even more impressively, the underrated masterpiece Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju.
A Familiar Draw
Between a studio with just enough interesting credits to pique one's interest and a director who is nothing if not a proven talent, one might question what was worth being cautious of in the first place. The truth is, there have been a few shows that have felt similar to Undead Murder Farce which have turned out to be quite disappointing, though the line connecting them may seem hazy.
A lot of it comes down to the marketing and how the stories in question seem to cater the hardest to an audience that is admittedly niche. Specifically, historical series set in the late 19th century/early 20th century layered with a dark atmosphere befitting their violence or the presence of the supernatural. Two shows come to mind: Sirius the Jaeger and this year's Revenger.
Both were marketed on their grittier action and the creative minds at the forefront of the projects. In Sirius' case, it was director Masahiro Ando, who is beloved for their approach to action-heavy stories and how he applies a similar methodology to directing in other genres. Revenger, on the other hand, was banking heavily on the name recognition of Gen Urobuchi, the writer of Psycho-Pass, Fate/Zero, and more.
Unfortunately, both of those shows were met with mixed reception. Sirius expectedly excelled in action but dropped the ball in its storytelling. Revenger felt like such a generic story that it prompted some in the industry, like the writers at Anime News Network, to ponder if Urobuchi's name holds the same weight it used to.
At first glance, Undead Murder Farce seemed like another eye-catching historical drama in the same vein. Like Revenger, it depicts the economic disparity of the Meiji period during a time of intense Westernization, but like Sirius, it would also be a globe-trotting adventure, taking the story to Europe. Even the action in the PV looked similarly well-choreographed. But thankfully, the premiere showed that - just maybe - this story has a bit more to it.
A Farcical World
Tsugaru Shinuchi is half-human and half-oni, though it's only a matter of time before the latter half takes over completely. He spends his days drinking and his nights fighting against monsters in a cage for the amusement of a betting crowd. It's a life he is content living, at least until he gets the impression that he's being watched and makes a fateful encounter.
Aya Rindo is an immortal - presumably the only one in existence - and her body has been stolen. She's accompanied by Shizuku, a maid of few words and the protector of Rindo, who carries a rifle wrapped in linen on her back. The immortal detective has sought out Shinuchi in the hopes that they can help one another.
The word "farce" as it is applied to the story is fascinating, as the show itself is not particularly comedic, rather using the word to refer to the cruel irony of its world. Through Shinuchi's eyes, we witness how the abnormal is treated in a world where monsters are commonplace. Early on, the villagers demand that he kill a stray cat simply because it must be a monster when it's really just a hungry stray that's angry, and not content to be beaten around with a stick.
Shinuchi refuses to kill it, then ends up fighting a cat-like monster that same night. A cruel joke, but not one which validates the ignorant villagers' hatred of it. This helps place Shinuchi in the hierarchy of this society and informs his philosophy on it. Both Shinuchi and Rindo are content with death in the face of such a farcical world, but once they meet, they find in each other an opportunity to keep on living in spite of that farce.
The Immortal Head and the Oni Slayer
In the beginning, Rindo isn't even trying to find her body but rather to convince Shinuchi to kill her. He is the one who convinces her to try searching for it, albeit with the bonus of finding the man who turned him into a half-oni. For just being one episode, it accomplishes quite a lot, thanks to its theming, visual presentation, and especially the dialog.
Shinuchi and Rindo have great banter, each of them cunning in their own ways, discerning truths about the other and calling out their contradictions. Their chemistry is fun, and it feels like the audience gets to really know these characters before we're expected to care about the mystery they'll be solving. Even Shizuku, with as few lines as she has, makes a strong first impression, and it will be exciting to see how this trio plays off one another.
It's consistently engrossing thanks to the directing, livening up even the most simple exchanges by injecting both subtle character acting and bold visual metaphors alike. Fans of Kaguya-sama's directing will no doubt find a lot to love in the presentation and the sheer variety of visual techniques on display It never gets boring, and action is aided by this as well. The fight between Shinuchi andShizuku may be short, but it's cleverly constructed. Sometimes, less is more.
Whereas the aforementioned "predecessors" to this series were dependent on technical qualities and vibes alone, Undead Murder Farce puts its characters front and center. It opts for something a bit more restrained and sophisticated but no less dripping with style. It would be a stretch to call it the best premiere of the season, but it's crafted with care and makes a solid first impression in unexpected ways. This may be a mystery well worth solving this season.
Source: Anime News Network