Many of the Akame ga Kill fans have a complaint that the titular heroine does not get enough space in the story. Nevertheless, the complaint did not affect the popularity of the series. This anime that originally aired in 2014 has a very strong premise to it. The story of the rich exploiting the poor for their gains is what we see in the real world too. So, Top 20 Reasons to Watch/Read Akame ga Kill will give an up-close idea of why this series has been popular among fans.
Popular read Akame ga Kill! was written by Japanese author Takahiro and simultaneously illustrated by Tatsuya Tashiro from the year 2010 to 2016. The chapters of this manga a collected in over 15 tankobon volumes. Like all the other great manga convert it to anime the debate of whether the anime is better or the manga looms over this title too.
Action that has a fantasy (Plot Overview)
Akame ga Kill is an action fantasy that revolves around the journey of Tatsumi, who dreams of making big. The story also shows the uprising of Night Raid the assassination branch of the Revolutionary Army of which Tatsumi becomes a part and goes around killing the corrupt people. The life of people in the story specifically of the Night Raid assassins is driven by morals and a goal to have a better life.
Dark dominates
Akame ga Kill! Is shonen action series/manga that has a dark plot and lots of gore. The show is very similar to the stereotypical shonen anime but the fantasy element and other elements make it a little bit different from a contemporary lot of shows. For all the viewers who like a dark show with some action can get into watching or reading Akame ga Kill!
A mix of sad and savage
In terms of the overall tone Akame ga Kill has a sad premise with savage encounters. Although the story concerns the life of the assassins of Night Raid, the sad background of a falling empire and people struggling in poverty elevates the fights. The themes somewhere lack balance but have a significance of their own.
Political Undertone
Apart from action, the idea of a corrupted empire makes Akame ga Kill! Different from the other anime in the same genre. The lack of a benevolent leader add strong emperor leads the land to rot in ruin and poverty. The powerful impact of the Empire’s shortcomings leads to the brewing rebellion led by the Revolutionary Army.
Survival Story
Rather than being a story of good versus evil, Akame ga Kill talks of survival by fighting off whatever comes the way. The presentation of a distorted political setting leads the protagonist as well as the others to cope with the resultant problems. The assassin group and their goals are set to words making the empire survive through corruption.
Akame ga Kill!’s’ Worldbuilding
The world of Akame ga Kill is created with some fantasy elements that could complement the eternal fight between governing forces and the local public. The Imperial Arms are one of those old powerful weapons added in the story and are used to fight the opponents.
Main Plot is intact
The main plot of the story stays intact as the progression does not hinder it. The initial aim of the assassins to make their empire free of the tyranny of the cruel minister is one of the things that keeps you glued to the screen.
Focus on heroic as well as societal problems
Apart from concentrating on the heroic story, there is also a societal subject matter. Tatsumi and his friends have their own set of problems but the societal debate of moral values and the fight against the regime does not fade away. There are larger events of impact when the loss of loved ones intensify the direct effect of matters of royalty on the life of commoners.
Steady pacing compliments the twists
Manga Akame ga Kill as well as its animal adaptation has a steady pace. The pacing helps to bring in new characters and introduce more twists to the already complex story. The first few episodes are very crucial in the story in terms of pacing and building the interest of fans.
Realistic touch to loss
Anime Akame ga Kill has a very realistic aspect to the story. Specifically, the death of characters as depicted in this anime are climactic and when a character dies it impacts the viewer. The feeling of loss and death is presented in a very real way which is usually uncommon in other shonen anime.
Battles off the Ground
Akame ga Kill has many battles that happened on the ground but off ground, the emotional tension is no less than a battle. There are several moments of emotional turmoil that take place both within the story of the source manga as well as in the anime adaptation of Akame ga Kill. One of the heartbreaking battles of emotions takes place between Akame and Kurome.
Contradictory perception of Justice
Interestingly, the story presents two contradicting views on the idea of justice. Where Tatsumi and the members of the Night Raid group field that the Prime Minister honest has done wrong to the people On the contrary Seryuu has a very different perception of it. Seryuu believes in the toxic definition of citizenship that makes her believe that the empire is right and all that goes against the rulers is evil. This brings an altogether different meaning to the word justice in Akame ga Kill.
Victimhood leads to the development
Tatsumi believed that the Night Raid was outright evil until he falls victim to the problem they were fighting. Victimhood takes this boy from a village to fight and save the capital. The characters go through some emotional trauma directly or indirectly caused by the tyrannical practices of the government. Therefore, there is a motive that the people of Night Raid hold rather than just rebellion.
Villan Clan rules
In Akame ga Kill many of the characters seem to have a great shape to them. The Assassins were broken at heart but on the battlefield, there is no one as brutal as them. The empire’s Prime Minister ironically named Honest is one of the most sadistic antagonists. He is one of those typical ministers that we find in a political setting manipulating a young emperor for his interests.
Character development
In terms of character development, Akame ga Kill has a good graph for the characters in the center. However, the dark fantasy does not justify the development of side characters. Tatsumi and Akame’s journey back to the plot twists makes the series worth watching. The characters are likable and have great character designs. Initially it was impressive to witness a female main character as the titular protagonist of a story in shonen genre.
Bloody Combats
If you have loved anime like Attack on Titan or Chainsaw Man then the bloodshed in Akame ga Kill would be an enjoyment. The fights in the bloody setting are very gruesome and painful at times. As said earlier the death of the characters also is very painful but the sequences are very beautifully choreographed and the action looks perfectly amazing in animation.
Art of Illustration
Akame ga Kill might fall into controversy for its weak story progress are the shortcomings but the art in it is fabulous. Even manga readers are stuck on vibrant and fluid illustrations. While in the animation the art flows like water and compliments the dark setting of the story.
Spectacular Sound
The soundtracks in the show are decent and the background theme suits the intensity of the battles. The voice acting is one of the aspects that saves the show when the characters fall weak. The voice acting is powerful enough to create an impact even if the character development seems lost in the later half of the story.
Manga Over Anime
Akame ga Kill’s story put manga over anime. In the anime adaptation of the story, a lot of arcs have been omitted. The fans of the manga debate that omitting the arches and adding some comedic moments along with body shows serve as a diversion from the intense political premise of the story. The manga is far more fulfilling than the anime as per the reviews received. However, in both media the Akame ga Kill is enjoyable.
Believable Fiction of War
If you are tired of watching shonen anime with hyped-up fantasy wars and supernaturally inclined plots then Akame ga Kill can give you a real break. The believable fictitious creation of the world in Akame ga Kill makes the war believable. There are some disappointing points about the story but the tyranny makes the villains’ characters utterly hate-worthy and the protagonists heroic in an unconventionally dark way.
