I’ve been pretty frank about my feelings concerning the Winter 2020 Anime season. To summarize, it sucked…pretty badly. I couldn’t wait for it to be over since I was met with disappointment over and over again. Tower of God was definitely one reason for that. If you’re looking for a new anime to watch then let me give you a few reasons why Tower of God is worth a shot for you.
One: Wastes No Time Getting Into The Story
The first episode of Tower of God surprised me in a way few anime have done recently. The first 5 minutes set up a the basic premise of the show, and then hit the ground running from there. Usually there’s a bit more setup in introducing characters, locations, plotlines, etc. This show wastes little time getting to some of the interesting hooks. The main character, Bam, is chasing after a girl, Rachel, to stop her from leaving him. Rachel says she’s entering the Tower and to “forget about her”. He screams her name, begs her not to leave him, then boom! He wakes up and is already in the Tower waiting to face his first challenge. Absolutely refreshing, and very much appreciated.
Two: Plenty of Mysterious characters and details to hook you.
While Tower of God doesn’t waste time getting into the action parts of it, it also leaves you wondering more about the deeper story. Having not read the manwha upon which its based, I don’t have the first clue about any of the lore. Who is Bam? Why is this girl so important to him? Why was he living underneath the Tower? Who is this mysterious gatekeeper? What’s the deal with the rambunctious Princess? How many levels are there to the Tower? So many questions, but no answers readily available. I like that, as so many anime rely heavily on tropes and become very predictable.
Three: The animation and character designs are slightly different than what you normally see.
Tower of God, as stated, is based on a manwha (the Korean word for comic) and it would appear that there’s been a conscious effort to retain the look and feel of one. From the color palette, which is somewhat flattened when compared to other shows out there; to the way the story flows, quick paced, one scene into another. Honestly, there’s probably nothing like it out there right now. It just feels, different to me in tone and pace than your typical anime. All things that work in its favor.
The first episode was pretty well done. Not the strongest per se, but enough there to make you interested in more of it. Check back here in a couple of weeks for my updated take on the show at the 3 week minimum mark.
