English Dub Season Review: Scissor Seven Season 3

Overview (Spoilers Below):

After surviving the ordeal of the Blood Demon, Seven settles back into his life on Chicken Island as a hair dresser. It’s a good life, but he soon realizes that he can only bring danger upon those he cares for, and so decides to go after the head of the assassins in Xuanwu.

Together with his friends and compatriots, he slowly makes his way there, encountering multiple setbacks along the way such as an island of uggos and a medical emergency for Cola. Eventually, Seven winds up in a deadly final confrontation against a shadow assassin called Manjusak and one called Blackbird. Luckily, Thirteen is there to lend him her strength and together they’re able to triumph…at least for now.

Our Take:

Scissor Seven isn’t a name I’d heard of before, and honestly after watching this season I’m a little surprised at that fact. It’s the kind of quirky show that possesses that unique sort of frenetic energy that seems perfectly produced to attract a dedicated fanbase online. And yet, it seems to be flying by under the radar despite already having three seasons under its belt. Even though I’m surprised at how unknown it is, it also makes sense why it hasn’t exactly been super popular—it’s full of colorful battles and unique characters, but it’s also very scattershot and confusing at times.

Season three is a great example of the pros of Scissor Seven. There is no shortage of exciting side quests and intriguing allies and villains. As Seven travels to his final destination, the show gets a chance to show off a variety of new people and places. It’s a great opportunity for world building, and the show goes all in on exploring the world it’s set in this season. From an island ruled by an ugly leader who in turn makes everyone else ugly to a superpowered country where Seven meets a boy with mind controlling abilities, this series thrives on taking its viewers out of the ordinary.

For all the interesting powers, abilities, and lore, this series is just as much a comedy as it is an action adventure. However, the kind of comedy it is may not appeal to everyone. It’s less about smart punchlines and more about wacky trippy-ness. I personally wouldn’t call it a comedy show, but that’s what Netflix lists it as, so fair warning to those who go in expecting more laughs.

The first half of the season is more self-contained, with individual episodes about different locations and characters. The last handful of episodes are where the show starts to put more story together, much of it surrounding Seven and Thirteen. They care for each other, but neither one has had an easy time in life. Thirteen couldn’t protect her family as a kid, and that trauma has stayed with her over the years. Having her play the hero for much of the final episode is a cool choice, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of their dynamic play out in future storylines.

Season three of Scissor Seven is an explosion of colorful action sequences and loud noises. It does look breathtaking for much of its runtime, but in the end I can’t help feeling like there’s not really that much going on beneath all the glitz and glam. There’s so many characters and so few episodes (and these are pretty short episodes) that probably half the overall runtime is just characters fighting. It’s fun and all, but it doesn’t leave as much time to actually get attached to the characters and learn what they care about. Scissor Seven is a really unique ride, but even after finishing the season, I’m still not exactly sure where it’s leading. Although I would hope it’s going somewhere, since the ending teased not only a movie but the return of a major player. Season three was pretty okay, but I could see a more focused, movie-length adventure being something Scissor Seven could pull off really well.