Anime review: Cockroach genocide in ‘Terra Formars’

 

 

Nothing elicits quite the same gut reaction in even the bravest of souls as the cockroach. Despite its near-immortal hardiness, however, the cockroach is not exactly endowed with a means to fight back.

 

But what if it could fight back? What if for every squashed friend, and for every family member murdered by insecticide, the cockroach could pay its oppressors back in kind?

 

The anime, “Terra Formars,” posits a future when cockroaches have evolved – not only to become more powerful and intelligent, but ingrained with the same, instinctive loathing for humans as we have for them.

 

 

They who will inherit the Earth – or Mars

 

To kick-start the terraformation of Mars, 21st century scientists seed the red planet with two organisms: a special kind of algae, and cockroaches.

 

In the year 2620, a multinational expedition of 100 volunteers is en route to Mars. Their mission: to secure fresh samples of the alien virus that is now threatening mankind with extinction. There is only one complication: Mars is now infested with the giant, humanoid monsters responsible for the annihilation of two previous manned missions to the planet. But these creatures are no aliens; they are cockroaches, evolved after centuries to become the ultimate human-killing machines.

 

Expecting resistance, the team has come prepared. Each member has undergone a gene-altering operation allowing them to employ the lethal abilities of various organisms in the battle against the mutant roaches. The result? An all-out bug war for the control of Mars and the fate of both species.

 

Roach food

 

The first episode takes its time introducing us to Akari Hizamaru, a troubled young man with an unusual ability. It is his gift that calls the attention of two U-NASA officers, who invite him to join the Mars program.

 

Not long after, we come to know close friends Marcos Garcia, Alex Stewart, and Sheila Levitt – also prominent characters. Then there’s Eva Frost. Then Adolf Reinhardt and the other U-NASA officers. Then several of the 100-strong crew.

 

I understand the allure of a large, eclectic cast of weirdoes, misfits, and overachievers, but “Terra Formars” suffers from a rambling focus on too many characters. After a few episodes, you won’t be sure who the central hero is anymore, and without that anchor to tie the narrative together, the series seems to meander without a clear end goal in sight.

 

It doesn’t help that some of the characters are more interesting than the others, or that a majority of them are killed off before we can form emotional connections with them. After a particular someone dies, we are given flashbacks about their lives before Mars, as if to convince us why we should care or feel bad that they’re gone. It’s a tired anime technique that, sadly, rarely works.

 

Worse, female characters are routinely sacrificed just to further a man’s story, or to give him pathos. We see this in the inaugural episode, and it continues unabated in this regard long into the series.

 

Some characters seem pretty generic, too. There’s the big, hairy Russian, callous of attitude and impervious to pain. There’s the emotionless, hideously scarred sob story. Then there’s the idiot kid with spiky hair, and that weird dude without eyebrows.

 

After countless deaths, and the realization that the two characters named after dictators are barely instrumental to the overall plot progress, you will start to wonder if “Terra Formars” even has any main characters. Perhaps these random nobodies only exist as the vehicle through which the action and rampant gore is brought to audiences.

 

Painting the red planet redder

 

Though just a tad shy of achieving “gore porn” status, “Terra Formars” is nevertheless an extremely violent show. So for fans of that kind of thing, a bloody feast of ripped spines, exploding heads, and severed limbs awaits.

 

It helps that the visuals are wonderful. The art style is neither insufferably cutesy nor too realistic, sitting the fine line in between. It’s unique in a medium obsessed with cloning the simplistic look of “K-On!” The cockroaches themselves are designed to look caveman stupid – but therein lies the horror of these villains. Much like the giants in “Attack on Titan,” there is something unnerving about faces incapable of more than a few expressions coupled with the single-minded fixation on the eradication of humanity.

 

The animation is great, except for those occasional anime “cheats,” such as the quick panning of stationary images to fake a sense of action. The bigger problem is when “Terra Formars” gets formulaic. You get short bursts of high-octane fighting followed by lengthy flashbacks, dialogue, story exposition, or animal trivia. It derails the momentum of the action, and the pacing suffers as a result. Thankfully it isn’t as overdone as it is in “Attack on Titan.” For instance, we aren’t forced to suffer through identical flashbacks three to four times in a row.

 

Insectopedia

 

What I enjoyed the most about “Terra Formars” wasn’t the action, but, unexpectedly, the miscellaneous insect facts peppered throughout the series. It’s no National Geographic, but the informational tidbits do serve as primers on some of nature’s most exotic organisms. For instance, I now know there exists a species of ant in Malaysia that can blow itself up when threatened. Then there’s the Eumeta japonica, a moth that produces a string stronger than spider silk. When such abilities are transposed to humans, the results are super-powered heroes – individuals capable of blowing enemies up with a single touch, or generating strings so sturdy they can slice through the toughest giant cockroach carapace.

 

It’s true that “Terra Formars’ ” second major conceit – that a hybrid of human and animal DNA can give said human animal powers – poses a major challenge to the suspension of disbelief. Then again we’ve seen this trope multiple times in fiction, and in “Terra Formars,” it’s used to ridiculous yet exciting effect. It’s fun seeing the different, creative ways humans can off monsters, using talents borrowed from some truly intriguing creatures.

 

 

Guilty pleasure

 

“Terra Formars” is the kind of show where plot takes a backseat to action. The virus that’s supposed to be the very reason for the expedition to Mars? All but abandoned for bloody spectacle. The characters – when they’re not subjecting us to their lazy, done-before backstories – solely exist to exhibit cool superpowers and the carnage they were designed for.

 

If you think about it, it’s kind of like that dumb wrestling phenomenon, WWE. And like WWE, “Terra Formars” can still be a lot of fun despite its numerous flaws. There’s even the added bonus of bug trivia, so it’s not completely brainless.

 

At the end of the day, if the extermination of giant, mutant cockroaches with utmost prejudice is what you’re looking for, you’ll have a good time with the splatterfest that is “Terra Formars.” Just leave all other expectations at the door. — TJD, GMA News