English Dub Review: Chained Soldier “Homecoming, New, Resolve”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Yuuki finds a new reason to fight: to return Aoba to her original human form.

Our Take:

This has been quite an experience regarding Chained Soldier, not just from a critical perspective but also from an audience perspective.  It’s undoubtedly another action-packed fantasy anime filled with thrilling sequences and monsters, but the sexual content presented is what made this experience bizarrely unusual.  I was initially worried that its desire to ignite viewers’ fetishes would overshadow its story, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with its final few episodes.  While the characters’ “rewards” remain amid their fight against the humanoid Shuuki, they’re put aside in favor of bringing the show’s season narrative to a thrilling and rewarding conclusion.

The season finale of Chained Soldier continues this strategy with Yuuki and the Demon Defense Force battling Shikoku and the Eight Thunder Gods.  Of course, there’s also the matter of a brainwashed Unihorn Shuuki, making the showdown even more problematic for the DDF.  Fortunately, their perseverance gave them the strength to overcome the Unihorn, resulting in Kyoka being at peace with her tragic past.  Unfortunately, their victory isn’t without its issues that are left unresolved until the next season.  With Koko and Naon captured by Shikoku, Aoba decides to stay behind and look after the other victims of the DDF’s experiments.  This resulted in Yuuki and Kyoka having another reason to fight: to turn Aoba back into a human and dispose of the organization’s secret branch for good.

Once I got past the CGI effects commonly utilized in specific action-packed anime and some of its sexualized fetishes, I immediately found myself enjoying Chained Soldier a bit more than I previously thought.  Instead of overcrowding itself with its sex comedy traits, the show balanced them with a tried-and-true narrative about heroism and some enticing action to deliver a fun and sexy experience for anime fans.  Of course, the series’ concept will depend on your interest in sexual content in anime.  Personally, I think it had the proper balance of action, sex, and comedy to get me interested in its second season, which is animated by Passione instead of Seven Arcs.  Let’s hope that company can deliver that similar seductive vibe for season two like what Seven Arcs accomplished.