Trigger had a lot to live up to before they’d even made a huge hit series, primarily because of the high expectations built off the creative staff’s history at GAINAX. And while it took some time, Trigger lived up to the hypethanks to projects likePromareandCyberpunk, but one particular project has slipped under the radar compared to its peers:BNA.
BNA: Brand New Animalwas a Netflix Original Series released in 2020, directed by Yoh Yoshinari, whose last major undertaking was the TV run ofLittle Witch Academiain 2017. Fans around the globe were high on Trigger fever afterPromare’s glorious theatrical run a year prior, and the show seemed primed to appeal to weebs and furries alike. And yet, in the wake of Trigger’s recent successes, be it their far more successful Netflix SeriesCyberpunkortheir work on Disney’sStar Wars: Visions,BNAfeels forgotten. Is it simply a case of being overshadowed by more famous works, or was something holding this show back compared to its peers?
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Welcome To Anima City
BNAgets off to a pretty strong start, establishing the core conflict between humans and Beastmen, who can alter their form into that of an anthropomorphic creature. The prejudice against them is seen through fresh eyes as poachers nearly kill Michiru Kagemori as she makes her way to Anima City, a Beastmen sanctuary. A sense of danger is immediately felt, just as quickly as the relief upon reaching safety.
Michiru is unique in thatshe was a normal human until a strange encounterturned her into a tanuki, forcing her out of her comfortable life and into a search for safety. This puts her in a great position to learn about this new way of life and gives her a compelling perspective on the tension between humans and Beastmen. Plus, her unique power to adopt the physical characteristics ofanyanimal gives her versatility in the action.
Even more perfect is that she doesn’t totally blend in with Beastmen either, because it turns out that most Beastmen can turn into a regular human form, while Michiru is stuck in Tanuki form. The choice for Beastmen to choose a human form even within the safety of Anima City is a fascinating one. One might ask “why not just hide it?” but that’s part of what’s clever.
Sure, Beastmencanappear human, but that doesn’t change the fact that a part of them is different, andthat part of them deserves to be expressedwithout discrimination. The suggestion is that there are reasons people would trigger their beast form and social norms tied to what it means to be in beast form, divorced from humanity’s prejudice.
The early episodes ofBNAare exactly what fans of Trigger expect in terms of action and spectacle. Yoshinari’s storyboards in the premiere start the series with a bang and the action throughout the show is a masterclass in excellent posing and character designs, even when the polish declines. But even more impressive than the action is the show’s foray into its supporting cast and their own experiences with discrimination.
BNA’s baseball episode could have just been an exercise in one ofthe medium’s most delightful, tried-and-true tropes. Instead, the coach’s past brushes with prejudice in his own baseball career give the episode an extra bit of heart that propels the climax. And the Beastmen’s ability to change form becomes a central source of tension in another episode.
An influencer known by her human form reveals herself as a Beastman and while at first, her human friends seem accepting, their misconceptions about Beastmen are projected in ways that end up harming her. These are small moments that add some appreciable weight to what is otherwise a fairly outrageous action show.
Shirou Ogami is the other protagonist ofBNA, a beastman with a very complicated past, whose hatred of humans runs deep.They’re a specialist that helps the policeof Anima City deal with threats, from terrorists to rampaging Beastmen exposed to a dangerous serum. He’s rather understated in the first half while Michiru is the true heart of the series, but he’s got a great design and makes for a striking action hero.
A Packed Story
Trigger stories often move quickly, a by-product of the studio’s lineage, but this is just as much a result of Hiroyuki Imaishi, the director ofGurren Lagann,Kill La Kill,Promare, and recently,Cyberpunk. His style is what many fans associate with the studio, but it’s only one part of what makes Trigger… Trigger.Akira Amemiya, for instance, has a completely different styleand is changing the way people see the studio.
But Yoshinari is a special case. Their name has popped up so much in the industry that it’s almost shocking thatLittle Witch Academiais one of the first things he’s actually directed, besidesGurren Lagann Parallel Worksfrom 2008. He’s an animator more than he is a director, and has worked side-by-side with Imaishi on almost every major project.
It wouldn’t be fair to expect Yoshinari to simply produce something the same way as Imaishi, but Imaishi’s methodology is worth taking notes from. He is very good at creating chaotic stories that are focused on a central idea.A lot of Trigger’s biggest shows have been huge, often starting small and then getting bigger and bigger, but there is typically a strong thematic throughline with a visual identifier.
Gurren Lagannhad the drill, which tied into messages about evolution, humanity’s enduring spirit, and maturity.Kill La Killused clothing and nudity as metaphors for the duality between oppression and freedom and so much more. Unfortunately,BNA’s biggest issue is a wealth of ideas that don’t feel properly or meaningfully explored by the end, all in far too little time.
Whereas some argued thatKill La Killcould have been half the length it was, BNA could have benefitted from more episodes. It tries to conclude with a big finale that brings in as much of the supporting cast as possible, but the audience hasn’t gotten to know them very quickly. Additionally, the conclusionfeels like a rehash ofPromare’s conclusionfrom just a year prior.
Perhaps that feels unfair given thatPromareitself was blatantly an homage toGurren LagannandKill La Kill, using metaphors of fire to say similar things. However,Promarewas a film, not a television series. Therefore, the priorities have to shift for a smaller runtime. Besides, even with the similarities, Promare still managed to forge its own identity.
BNAcould have just been about prejudice and in a lot of ways it is, but it mixes in so many ideas like religion, fascism, and genocide, that it all feels a bit too cluttered. There are ideas that feel left on the cutting room floorin favor of revelations about the lorethat viewers might struggle to become invested in.
BNAwas by no means a failure. The ideas core to its concept are interesting and expressed through some very fun visuals like the beast transformations and all the various animal character designs. Visually, this has everything that makes fans love Trigger’s artwork. Compared to what came before and after it though, the story couldn’t quite hit the mark.
