It was an ordinary day. For average schoolboy Ganta Igrarashi, a run-of-the-mill day changed his life forever. A mysterious being in red invaded Ganta’s school and, with a single stroke, butchered every one of Ganta’s classmates, except him. Framed for a horrific crime he didn’t commit, despised by the people in his community, Ganta is assigned to spend the rest of his life in the most chaotic insane asylum ever known. That is how Deadman Wonderland begins and Ganta Igarashi, this anime’s protagonist, is developed as a character with an incredibly irritating voice that cries, complains, and cowers with a passion (I’m obviously not a huge Ganta fan). Accompanying Ganta in the asylum is Shiro, an unnaturally naïve albino girl dressed in white that serves as the always-positive, shining symbol of hope in the dark and depressing dungeon known as Deadman Wonderland. In the first episode, Ganta unknowingly uses his newfound ability (known as “Branch of Sin”), the power to transform his blood into a weapon, and he promises to murder the being that obliterated his friends, the being Ganta dubbed the “Redman”.

The opening for Deadman Wonderland is one I think is mediocre, but it epitomizes the disturbing randomness of the show. The music that’s presented in Deadman Wonderland is good-but-not-great (It ain’t Cowboy Bebop by a long shot), just as unsatisfying as the opening, except for that beautiful piano piece that plays in climatic scenes. This anime, as a whole, is one I assumed was average (like the opening and the music), an interesting but subpar series, until I witnessed the fifth episode. Episode 5 was the moment where Ganta temporarily resigned from his incessant whining, the battle between Ganta the inexperienced rookie and Senji the hardened veteran, the definition of what this anime was about up to that point, and the heartwarming triumph of an underdog with a ton of spirit. It is after Episode 6 that Deadman Wonderland changes, from focusing on “I Will Survive” to “Fight the Power”, from consistently intense to sporadically passionate, from above-average to simply average.

Besides the amazing animation, one of the few consistently great aspects of Deadman Wonderland is the characters. There’s Makina, the sadistic and cold-hearted enforcer of the asylum who has a disturbing relationship with her glasses-wearing subordinate Kyoko, and who acts (and sounds) like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s General Armstrong. There’s Genkaku, the main antagonist, an easygoing serial killer with a toothpick in his mouth, a lethal guitar in his hand, and an exceptionally disturbing past in an anime filled with them. Throughout Deadman Wonderland, I’ve tried to find a favorite character. First, there was Tamaki, a businessman with an obsession for toys (He was quickly revealed as a despicable jerk). Then, there was Yoh, a laid-back pickpocket who knows too much (He disappeared around episode 8). I briefly considered Senji (The man is amazing!) before settling on Nagi, the tormented rebel leader with powers similar to Ganta’s, an unforgettable man who was tragically killed. I don’t like Deadman Wonderland’s plot at all, but the characters are different.

I really wanted to enjoy Deadman Wonderland. I thought it had an Attack on Titan-like feel to it (mostly because of Ganta biting his thumb), but that Deadman was better than AOT. It’s not. Sure, Attack on Titan left the audience with unanswered questions, but nowhere near as many as this series. Who is the old man that is said to be Tamaki’s father and was seen sparring with Shiro in the dark? Why can’t Shiro leave the asylum? What did Toto do to make him (her?) the most feared inmate? What caused the earthquake ten years ago? What is Shiro hiding (There was one scene where Shiro dons the Redman costume with a frightening grin)? I think these questions would’ve been answered if this anime wasn’t 12 freakin’ episodes long. On Amazon.com, I typed in this anime’s name and discovered it was “Deadman Wonderland: The Complete Series”. It sure doesn’t feel complete.