[WT!] Birdy the Mighty Decode

Studio: A1 PicturesGenre: Sci-fi, action, comedy, gender-bender, romance, ecchi, drama series with an idol episode thrown in because… reasons.Episode Count: 26Watch Order: Birdy the Mighty Decode season 1 -> Birdy the Cipher -> Birdy season 2Year: 2008-2009MAL ; Trailer Warning, each link gives one mild episode 1 spoiler that I personally think is better to not know going inWhat is the story?The story follows the intergalactic police officer Birdy Cephon Altera, and the mostly normal high school student Tsutomu Senkawa as Birdy attempts to track down some criminals who have taken refuge on Earth. In the process of capturing one of the criminals, there is an incident that forces Birdy to share her body with Tsutomu and create a gender-bender action comedy. Tsutomu continues to go to high school in the day trying not to expose Birdy to his family or friends and Birdy takes over at night to continue to track down the criminals.Why should I watch it?Well-choreographed and over-the-top action sequences with fluid animationIf there is one thing this series gets right, it’s the action scenes. The fights are almost entirely hand to hand combat and the choreography is nothing short of stunning for some of them. The battles carry a lot of weight that I don’t think many other shows do well. You are left very aware that whoever loses the fight, in all likelihood, will not be around for the next episode. Even short and/or one-sided battles are often memorable just because of how well put together they are.Strong female lead and well-handled character developmentBirdy Cephon Altera nicknamed “Berserker Killer Birdy,” is a snarky, impatient, reckless, badass whose recklessness often gets her into trouble. She’s a bioengineered super soldier who was made to fight intergalactic criminals but still does modeling during the day in her human disguise Shion Arita to pay for food while she’s on Earth. A lot of the story is spent on her growing into the role of the super soldier as she deals with her mistakes as well as many difficult tasks that come with her position making her a memorable and multi-dimensional lead.Tsutomu Senkawa is nothing too special as far as MCs go but he’s not generic either. He’s self-centered, arrogant, a little reckless, but cares for his friends and family. I liked him for his snarky yet reserved attitude towards everything going on around him and it differentiated him from many characters who fill somewhat similar roles as him. Like Birdy, he also learns to accept his role in everything and make amends for his own failures that allowed him to grow as a person.Great character dynamics that change over timeMost notably between Birdy and Tsutomu who both grow into a stronger, deeper friendship with each other. As the show progresses, you really see how important they are to one-another and how they use each other for emotional support when things are going poorly. Though both strong people individually, they are strongest when together, and though subtle, it’s very apparent how much they mean to one-another.Many of the side characters have a good dynamic with the mains as well. Tsutomu’s friends have a very similar joking/nagging friendship with Tsutomu that keeps the show very upbeat and funny when it could easily go into a slew of spiraling depression. The character chemistry keeps the show fun even at the darkest points, and that's a good thing for a show like this.Unpredictable plotThough more true for season 2, both seasons manage to provide a seemingly simple plot done in a non-straightforward way. The show consistently keeps either the characters or the viewer in the dark on the bigger picture which some may not like but I personally enjoyed. It has a recurring concept of terrorism and large scale attacks on a forefront and just like actual terrorist activities, they are highly unpredictable which keeps the viewer on their toes. This keeps the plot highly engaging even during the slower parts because you’re never aware of what will happen next and I personally enjoyed that.A romantic subplot that progresses at a rather fast rate and doesn’t feel tacked on, but rather adds to the drama in a meaningful way.There are two romantic subplots, one for each season and main character, and they both add something to the stakes of the series as they try to protect them. This romance provided a nice subtle parallel between Birdy and Tsutomu’s characters that I really enjoyed as well. Tsutomu/Nakasugi and Birdy/Nataru have romantic relationships that are well handled and really add to the character drama presented. I would not recommend this show as a romance though. Action and drama come first, while romance comes second.Excellent and extremely diverse soundtrack.Composed by Yugo Kanno who made the OSTs for Psycho Pass and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, I believe Birdy is his best work. Birdy’s OST is comprised of blood pumping rock and jazz music very similar to Jojo’s and to a lesser extent, Cowboy Bebop’s. It’s filled with some sexy saxophones and electric guitars that make the fight sequences high energy and very fun to watch. Later in the series, Kanno throws in every instrument in an orchestra adding choirs, cellos, trumpets, acoustic guitars, organs, drum solos, you name it. It also has more somber piano and violin pieces for the dramatic parts and opting for complete silence for other sequences that make the scenes feel all the more tense and heartfelt. I also have to post the second OP because, well, just listen to it.And most importantly, because it’s fun to watch.The show isn't thought provoking or some form of a critical masterpiece, it’s fun. It's got badass women, badass men, villains with actual reasons for what they're trying to accomplish one of whom is absolutely ruthless, and some damn good action scenes. This isn't to say the show is pure dumb fun though. There's quite a bit of symbolism and parallels throughout that I actually missed my first time through as well as a lot of subtle foreshadowing bits. All in all though, this show was made you make you laugh, make you cry, and just give you a fun time and that's what I think it does best.TL;DR Birdy is a fun watch with well-choreographed action scenes and a very strong female lead character. It has a high energy soundtrack and likable characters with a good dynamic between them and a seemingly simple plot that’s highly enjoyable.I should also mention that the show has a pretty solid dub for those who prefer them.(This was my first WT! so feel free to give me some feedback on what I did well and what I should work on.) http://ift.tt/1PjZLcz