English Dub Review: Hand Shakers “Live Lab”

Go live.

Spoilers Below

Hand Shakers follows teenaged Tazuna (Justin Briner) and partner Koyori (Lara Woodhull) in their evolving quest as hand shakers. “Live Lab” picks up where “Blade and Dagger” left off. Koyori and Tazuna battle fellow hand shakers Chizuru (Sara Wiedenheft) and Hayate (Aaron Roberts).

Although Tazuna and Koyori defeat Hayate and Chizuru, the losing hand shakers offer to help the victors. Despite guidance from Makihara (Anthony Bowling), Koyori and Tazuna don’t quite understand fully how the Ziggurat functions or how they should act. Holding hands constantly, Chizuru explains, makes it obvious that the pair is a hand shaker duo. Thus, Chizuru warns against this behavior.

Further, the exact rules of entering the Ziggurat are clarified. When two sets of hand shakers are within a one KM range, or target one another, they’re then transferred to the Ziggurat. It’s refreshing to hear the detailed backstory and understand this mysterious realm.

Further, Chizuru and Hayate blossom throughout the episode. During “Blade and Dagger,” a brief flashback shows Hayate and Chizuru talking and reveals the depth of their relationship. While the two bicker and Chizuru nags Hayate, it’s clear that both share an affection for each other. This becomes even more evident during “Blade and Dagger.”

At the onset, Hayate engages Tazuna in combat in the Ziggurat to save Chizuru. Later, after showing stoicism, Chizuru and Hayate admit to one another their true disappointment at losing to Tazuna and Koyori.

Hayate and Chizuru might me by favorite characters. They’re really well balanced and show remarkable emotional range. Chizuru and Hayate might be the most complex story elements. There’s a scene where, post-Ziggurat fight, they apologize for engaging in battle with Tazune and Koyori. Had they known of Koyori’s health issues, they wouldn’t have fought the pair. Although losing, Chizuru and Hayate agree to mentor Koyori and Tazuna.

I enjoy the expanded role Chizuru and Hayate gain in “Live Lab.” Additionally, the expanded Ziggurat knowledge keeps the series fresh. Episodes progressively develop both characters and lore. This successfully keeps my interest.

However, the music persists in its occasional awkwardness. Although I really like the score, there’s near constant music and moreover it’s often at times that feel unnecessary. But it’s the continued fan service that gets slightly overbearing. A bit of well-chosen fan service is fine, but the physicality between Koyori and Tazuna gets a bit uncomfortable. There’s a moment in the finale when Koyori puts her hand on Tazuna’s chest while he’s sleeping. This, like the bathtub scene earlier in the series, feels rather odd especially considering the characters’ young ages.

Tazuna sometimes feels slightly whiny. It’s kind of like the protagonist Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) in Spirited Away. Admittedly, I found Chihiro rather grating at times during the film. Similarly, Tazuna delves into a rather obnoxious angst.

However, the animation remains top notch, and the score while awkwardly timed is insanely catchy. Plus, there’s a magnificent flow to character arcs and hand shaker lore. This lends an exciting vibe, and simply put Hand Shakers is a safe, fun series. “Live Lab” persists in delivering on what Hand Shakers excels at, namely artwork, music, and character development. I just hope there’s more Chuizuru and Hayate to come.