At first glance, Deca-Dence seems something akin to recent popular hits like Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress or Attack on Titan. Man-eating monsters roam outside the city walls and only a select few using special technology are able to fight them. However, while the setup may seem familiar, it’s actually just a trick to lure you into a false sense of security.
[Note: This article contains major spoilers for Deca-Dence’s first two episodes.]
Image source: TVアニメ「デカダンス」公式 on Twitter
In the world of Deca-Dence, the remnants of humanity live on a giant moving fortress. Most people live deep within, doing the dirty work to keep the fortress running and supporting the hunters who go out and battle the monsters whenever they attack. The hunters are the lifeblood of the fortress–they collect the literal monster blood which is used to power it. This results in a rather rigid class system with only about 10% of supporters being able to work their way up into being hunters. Most hunters are born that way.
Image source: TVアニメ「デカダンス」公式 on Twitter
Natsume is a young woman who lost her arm when traveling with her father–a normal man who worked his way up to hunter. She wants to follow in his footsteps but her handicap seems to preclude her from service–despite her robotic prosthesis. Instead, she is forced to become one of the numerous people who clean and repair the outside of the mobile fortress while dreaming of becoming something greater.
All in all, it looks like just another story of humanity on the edge of extinction fighting monsters and trying to survive–hoping one day, to take back their planet. Here’s the trick though, it’s not that at all.
Image source: TVアニメ「デカダンス」公式 on Twitter
Deca-Dence is actually about the equivalent of an intergalactic video game–only without the virtual component that would imply. Aliens download their consciousnesses into near-human bodies and take on the role of the hunters. They then fight monsters, level up, and customize their equipment. If they die, they lose their character and have to start another one from scratch.
While the actual humans struggle to survive, giving their all to keep the mobile fortress running and supporting the hunters who give them hope, the hunters are just playing an MMORPG. And if the aliens are the player characters, this can only mean one thing: In Deca-Dence, Humans are the NPCs.
Image source: TVアニメ「デカダンス」公式 on Twitter
This whole setup is a great twist on an increasingly overused post-apocalyptic scenario. Humanity is never going to be able to beat the monsters–not because the monsters are stronger or because humans keep fighting amongst themselves but because the aliens have a vested interest in keeping the status quo. After all, if the humans won, the game would end. Thus, the majority of them are kept from fighting–kept from a place where they could conceivably make a difference.
What makes this even more interesting is that from episode two on, we, the viewers, know what’s really going on–even though Natsume does not. We know that the system eliminates any humans who try to upset the status quo (considering them bugs in the game’s program) and thus how much danger Natsume is really in because of this.
Image source: TVアニメ「デカダンス」公式 on Twitter
Worse yet, Natsume’s boss, Kaburagi is actually a former-player-turned-bug hunter who’s job is to hunt down problematic humans like Natsume. However, after forming a personal connection with her, he decides to keep her secret from the higher-ups and train her to be a hunter. Thus we’re basically watching a player try to help out an NPC without the admin staff (or her for that matter) noticing what’s actually going on.
It’s a fantastic twist on an established genre and two episodes in, I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
Deca-Dence is currently streaming on Funimation, Animelab (AU/NZ), and Wakanim (EU)
Top image source: TVアニメ「デカダンス」公式 on Twitter.
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