Why Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode Is Awesome

Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode is, without a shred of doubt in my mind, one of the best anime I have ever seen. So much so that it managed to bump Black Lagoon, a show that I love dearly, out of my top 10 anime of all time list.
If you know me personally or have been following my channel since the very beginning, you will know that I've never been a huge fan of anime that have art styles and character designs that lack not only detail, but, actual solid forms.
I guess one could say that the only reason I've been able to watch and even enjoy anime that go for this kind of visual approach would have to be thanks to series like Konosuba or Serial Experiments Lain because of how well these shows capitalize on the advantages of having a style like this from it's directing, animation, atmosphere, and storytelling.

However, it's not just about the visuals. There was something about this show that, after viewing it, left me scratching my head while trying to rattle my brain, doing my best to determine why I enjoyed this series as much as I did and why I want more people to watch it.
I mean, this series, despite having very favourable reviews and ratings on multiple websites from a variety of critics and even having a profound impact on the works of certain Hollywood directors, doesn't seem to be talked about or even discussed much, if even at all anymore.
Once I completed this series, I came to the conclusion, after much thinking and rewatching most scenes, that this series is all about having fun and enjoying yourself through it's, for lack of a better description, cartoonish visuals, while having a strong, gripping story that keeps you hooked on each episode and invested in both the characters and the plot which I shall explain how and why in just a little bit.

What prompted me to watch this amazing series was the original four episode 1996 OVA series which was produced by Studio Madhouse and directed by the legendary Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who is most known for being the creator and director of Ninja Scroll and his directorial work on Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and the short segment, Program, from The Animatrix.
The OVA, while charming, entertaining, and visually spectacular, left much to be desired in terms of plot thanks to only having four episodes and being based on a Masami Yuuki's brief original run of the story which ran during the 1980s. It's limited number of episodes, sadly, also didn't allow a lot of time necessary for world building and character development either.

Decode, on the other hand, is loosely based on Yuuki's 2003 manga reboot titled Tetsuwan Birdy: Evolution which ran for several years before concluding in 2012 and is actually known for being slightly more bloody and violent than either of it's anime adaptations.

Anyways, Decode definitely delivered, in most aspects, on many of the things that weren't present and sorely needed in the original story, however, there were some minor areas where it still felt incomplete which I shall address later on in this video.

So, what was it about Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode exactly that made me come to the conclusion that I have? Why was I having fun while watching it? Why did it seem to keep my attention and encompass not only the things I look for in an anime as a whole, but, within the many genres that make up the show? Why, despite it's simplified visuals, was it able to captivate me and leave me spellbound by what I was witnessing on screen? How did all these things result in a story that was able to visually, aesthetically, and narratively keep a consistent tone throughout it's entire run and keep me genuinely entertained?

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Why Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode Is Awesome (and why you should watch it).


1. Tone & Aesthetic Through Plot

The plot for Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode follows the adventures of the interplanetary Space Federation Police Officer, Birdy Cephon Altera, who has been living undercover on Earth for the past six months as popular model and idol singer, Shion Arita. Her mission is to track, pursue, and capture a pair of criminals who have stolen and made off with a highly dangerous weapon from her home planet of which they intend to use on the unsuspecting population of Earth for their own research and experimentation. She is also tasked with retrieving this weapon and ensuring it is returned safely to her superiors within the Federation before such an event can occur.
During an intense battle with one of the suspects, she accidentally injures a young high school student by the name of Tsutomu Senkawa, who was used as a human shield by the suspect so he could make his escape. Senkawa's injury is, unfortunately, a fatal one and he finds himself on the verge of death. However, Birdy saves him by transferring his consciousness into her own body until such a time that her superiors can have his body healed and restored.
Now Senkawa is forced to balance his school life and both the lives of Birdy and her alter ego while helping her to stop a massive plot that could result in the end of all life on Earth as we know it.

The synopsis alone should give you an idea of the genres of fiction that make up the show's identity. The main genres being sci fi, action, gender bender, and comedy while genres like that of romance and even superheroes play a significant, yet, subtle role within the show's atmospheric framework.
As I mentioned in my introduction, the things that really make this series work from a plot perspective is it's ability to keep a consistent tone throughout all the episodes while providing a fun, lighthearted, and hopeful experience to it.

The plot does this by letting the sci fi and action elements serve as an anchor for the comedy which, as you can tell from the synopsis, is mostly based on the idea that our two main leads, who are both of the opposite gender, have to share a body for a certain period of time.
Most anime that are of the gender bender type, especially those where the characters are of opposite genders, tend to fall into the typical fan service and ecchi type of stories that tend to rely on many cliched jokes and over the top acting.
However, Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode takes a more unique approach in letting the comedy manifest itself in a more organic and natural form through elements of dialogue and very specific plot situations.

In terms of  the dialogue, I am referring mainly to the constant back and forth quips and conversations between Tsutomu and Birdy within their shared consciousness. While there is most certainly a lot of comedy in the more usual dialogues and interactions with the rest of the cast and the chemistry at play between them, these inner conversations are definitely where the spoken comedy really shines. Depending on the situation, you will either see either Tsutomu or Birdy give each other a hard time about their individual bad habits like Tsutomu's constant awkward behaviour or Birdy's insane appetite for food and taking long baths. Other examples include when either of them screw something up in an interaction with another character, or simply the hilarity of Tsutomu's friends thinking that he is now a crazy person for talking to himself in public.

As for the situation comedy elements, I'm afraid I cannot really address them without heading into some spoilers for one of the episodes in the second season. So, either click off the video now and watch the series before watching this video, or, if you're like me and spoilers don't affect your enjoyment of a series, then by all means, continue watching.

The second season is basically one that deals with the aftermath of the events that took place at the end of the first season and shifts the focus more onto Birdy and her past while Tsutomu and his friends take the backseat for most of this story arc.
In the fifth episode of this season, after Birdy is lured into a trap and sustains a life threatening injury, Tsutomu basically wakes up the next day after having a strange dream that appears to be a mix of his and Birdy's memories only to discover that he is now trapped in Birdy's body and is unable to change back into his one.
The worst part is that Birdy doesn't seem to present in their shared mind at all which provokes fears that mind fusion has already begun and that Birdy's personality could be completely overwritten and lost forever.
So, until Birdy's superiors can figure out how to solve the problem, Tsutomu is forced to ditch school and spend the day as Shion Arita handling all of Birdy's modelling gigs and other public appearances.

What makes the comedy in this episode great is seeing how Tsutomu's more awkward personality conflicts with the more confident public image of Shion Arita and how his lack of experience with girls causes him to not have the faintest clue or idea on how to act, behave, or dress like a girl without lapsing into his typical male characteristics by accident thus causing Birdy's alter ego to potentially lose her job or have Birdy's true identity revealed by journalists like Keisuke Muroto.

It is this episode specifically that reflects what I was talking about when it comes to Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode's ability to keep a consistent tone. While the first portion of the episode, especially the fight between Birdy and the villains, is rather serious, the second portion of the episode still manages to carry that same sense of urgency and danger into the predicament that Tsutomu finds himself in. With the comedy now feeling like a natural reaction to what is currently happening at this point in time with the story, it gives the viewer time to breathe and let the laughter reassure you that things will turn out alright in the end regardless of what happens in between now and the end of the episode. It also helps to prepare the viewer for what is a nail biting, adrenaline fueled, and emotional two part follow up before things get better. It is this writing formula that allows Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode to tell a serious story, but, one that is hopeful as opposed to being dark and brooding.

However, it's not just the plot that creates this kind of atmosphere throughout the story which leads me to talk about the characters of Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode.


2. Tone & Aesthetic Through Characters

The cast of Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode are some of the most fun, lovable, and memorable ones that I have experienced in a while. Admittedly, there are some characters, especially on the villains side, who could have used a bit more screen time in order to flesh out their personalities and motivations more, but, for the most part, the series does a decent job at making you invested in their relationships and the general chemistry between them.
The characters who really make the series shine is, of course, you guessed it, our two main protagonists, Tstutomu and Birdy.

Tsutomu and Birdy are almost the complete opposite of one another not only in the physical sense of them both being of the opposite gender, but, mostly in terms of their personalities and how they tackle and approach the situations they find themselves in.

Tsutomu is just an ordinary high school kid with a small group of trusted friends and the same worries and troubles as any kid his age. He prefers his own company most of the time and is very shy and awkward most of the time.  However, he isn't a total pushover and he will act should the situation call for it though, unlike Birdy, he tends to handle things in a more calm and rational manner than on impulse. He does have his sometimes temporary lapses to react on impulse, but, that sort of thing usually only happens in really desperate and dangerous circumstances.
Tsutomu is also shown to initially be more concerned with just living a normal high school life instead of pursuing romantic relationships with the girls around him until he develops feelings and a romantic chemistry with one of his classmates.

Birdy, on the other hand, is a confident, outgoing, playful, and upbeat individual who mainly uses this side of her persona to mask the fact that she is damaged in may ways emotionally due the horrible things she experienced as a young child. These things namely being in the middle of a terrorist attack that resulted in her almost dying and also being discriminated against by other alien races because she is an Altan, a human-like species of alien.
This often causes her to act on a strong emotional instinct and  this can sometimes prevent her from viewing the consequences of her actions within the context of the bigger picture.
However, at the same time, Birdy is also shown to have a lot of empathy and sympathy for others and she always does her best to be kind and care for those who she meets and helps out.
This really adds a lot of interesting layers and a depth to Birdy's character that you just don't find within series of this kind and it really keeps you emotionally invested in her and what she does.
That being said, what I love about the series handling of Tsutomu and Birdy's relationship is how they have it evolve and mature over the course of both seasons.

The first season begins with the two of them having to simply tolerate each other for the time being, to the two of them eventually becoming the best of friends by the end of the season. The first season does this by making Birdy experience daily human life on a more ordinary level in contrast to her life as a supermodel and combat officer by having her experience everything Tsutomu experiences with his friends, classmates, and even his blossoming relationship with Nakasugi. This allows Birdy to learn more about Tsutomu and understand who he is as a person.
Then, about just over halfway into the series, when it is revealed who is the host of the Ryunka is and Tsutomu discovers the identity of the host, it's up to Birdy to take initiative and try to prevent him from doing something brash that could potentially put all life on the entire planet at risk.

What makes this moment of conflict between the two friends so interesting and emotional is the fact that, despite what they say to one another, they both know in their hearts that the other really does understand what they are going through completely since they have been bonded together for so long in both a physical and spiritual sense.

We then come to the second season which basically deals with the aftermath of the events that took place at the end of the first season and deals with Birdy having to hunt down and arrest wanted fugitives from the Federation who broke out of custody and our now living as refugees on Earth. However, someone is killing the suspects one by one and it turns out that the killer might have something to do with Birdy's childhood. When both Birdy and Tsutomu eventually deduce who the killer is, Birdy enters an emotional state where she simply cannot bring herself to arrest her dearest friend and, just like with the first season where Birdy had to persuade Tsutomu to do the right thing, Tsutomu does the exact same thing for his partner that she did for him.
This is an extremely touching moment and the fact that we've seen this same kind of situation play out before, albeit from a somewhat altered perspective, makes you realize just how much Tsutomu has grown as a character and signifies the shift in their relationship from being one of friendship to being one almost akin to that of family.

By having Birdy and Tsutomu deal with someone they love dearly from either their present lives or from their past and experience almost similar situations makes for great character development and really adds a lot of depth and dimension to not only to the characters themselves, but, to the overall narrative of the plot. This allows for plenty of interesting plot twists and moments where we learn how almost every event that has happened in the past is somehow linked to what is happening in the present time in which the story takes place.

We now move on to the next aspect of Decode which is the art and animation.


3. Art, Animation, & Camerawork

Like I mentioned earlier in the video, Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode is a show that takes a very minimalist approach with it's visuals. Especially when it comes to the character designs. As I have also previously stated, I am not normally a fan of these kinds of visuals as I prefer the art of any anime that I watch to at least have a certain level of detail and form whether we are talking about backgrounds, character models, vehicles, etc.

However, the way in which the team behind Decode decided to handle this series and make it one hell of a viewing experience is nothing short of incredible.
Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode was directed by Kazuki Akane who is most known for his work as the director of The Vision Of Escaflowne and Noein. For those of you who are familiar with Akane's work, you will know that he is a man who puts a lot of thought and effort into each of his projects regardless of the kind of successes or failures they endure.

Let's first talk about Akane's directing skills. Akane is known for depicting scenes that are able to convey very specific moods to them. His greatest strength, however, is his ability to create a sense of epicness and raw emotion in his action scenes that flow naturally and are easy to follow. The action scenes for Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode are no different. Each of these scenes are extremely kinetic and fluid in their motion and this is where Akane and his team of storyboard artists ranging from legendary names like Shinichiro Watanabe to the late Umanousuke Iida, it is no wonder that the series turned out to be the smash hit that it was and still is. This series had such an impact, that the final battle between Birdy and Nataru in the last episode of the second season, actually inspired the fight choreography and camerawork used by Zack Snyder for the battle between Superman and Zodd in Man Of Steel.
There is also the scene where Birdy rescues two kids from a group of thugs that looks as though it inspired the way Jay Oliva, director of the animated adaptation of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, chose to depict the iconic scene of Batman rescuing a baby and it's mother from members of The Mutants gang. Also, there is the matter of how Joss Wheadon's The Avengers seems to have used the news and commentary scenes after the events of the Ryunka's destruction almost shot for shot, but, that's at least from what we can assume anyways.

However, it's not just the action scenes. Even the seemingly more mundane scenes are handled with care and succeed in creating specific atmospheres within the context of a situation. Akane likes to use a lot of close up shots wherever it is appropriate so that the viewer can see the expressions on the character's faces whether they are reacting to dialogue, surroundings, etc.

This is where having minimalist character designs works best. Akane takes advantage of the flexibility these designs provide by using many elements of twisting, distortion, elongation, and more rag doll like movements to rev up the emotional weight of each scene while creating interesting and visually engaging battle scenes, hilarious comedic reactions, and moments of heartfelt drama.
While personally I do wish they had used more detailed designs like the original OVA had, for this kind of adaptation and the fact that it's an A-1 Pictures production, it just suits this style more.
Another thing I would like to briefly talk about is the colour palette. The colour palette for Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode is one that, while typical for an A-1 Pictures production, actually helps to create that fun and light hearted tone and aesthetic that I was talking about earlier in the video.
There is mostly a strong emphasis on using various shades and hues related to the colours that make up Birdy's look which is mostly white, blue, pink, and orange. However, the show does allow for other colours to have a place in it although it is mostly used to reflect the mood of a scene or a particular setting or location within the story.

The series will usually keep the palette bright and vibrant throughout most of the story to reflect the fun and hopeful tone of the story, however, it does make use of more strict and even more dull and muted colours in more serious scenes in order create a feeling of danger and tension which gives the viewer an idea of what is at stake. This happens particularly at the endings of both seasons.
At the end of the first season, as Birdy and Tsutomu try to stop the rampage and destruction being caused by the Ryunka, the episode uses darker shades of blue and cold lighting which gives the viewer the sense that if Birdy fails in her mission, this day will be the twilight moments for the Earth as it all comes to an end.
Then, at the end of the second season, when Birdy battles her childhood friend, Nataru, the colour palette goes dull, grey, and muted giving a cold atmosphere that reflects Birdy's sadness in having to battle the person she cares for the most and loves more than anything.

Now, as great as visuals are at telling stories, anime is, at the end of the day, an audiovisual medium of entertainment and what would this video be if I didn't mention the music of this amazing series.


4. Music & Sound

The score for Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode was composed by Yugo Kanno, who is best known for his work for his work on the current anime adaptation of legendary manga series, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the recent Batman: Ninja movie, Aijin, Blame, and Psycho Pass.
Kanno's music is mostly known for being able to paint an epic orchestral soundscape while incorporating a lot of electronic elements into his work, and, the music for Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode is no different. However, unlike most of his other works which tend to keep a sombre vibe to them, his work on Decode is almost the same as his work on JoJo's, where the instruments and the way in which he chooses to compose and arrange the music is meant to add an element of cool, but, fun aesthetic to it.
One just has to listen to the main theme for Birdy to get an idea of what I mean. That's not to say that there aren't any sombre tracks on the soundtrack. In fact Kanno utilizes his music to great effect by using it in a similar way to how DC used score in their renowned animated universe with shows like Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Superman: The Animated Series.
In the shows I just mentioned, DC would usually have little to no music play during dialogue scenes. When it came to action scenes, they would use the hero's triumphant theme whenever they arrived on the scene to save the day and more serious sounding music if the adversary the hero was facing was not your average street thug.

With Decode, during scenes of dialogue, we tend to hear music that is upbeat, catchy, and carries the vibe of the modern hustle and bustle of city and suburban life. Then, during scenes of action in which Birdy is more powerful than the enemy or enemies she is up against, we hear her theme song play which is triumphant in nature and gives the viewer the sense that the hero always wins in the end. Finally, in action scenes where the stakes are higher and Birdy's foe is as powerful if not more powerful than she is, the music becomes darker and more sombre in tone which makes the viewer feel concerned and worried about what the final result of the battle will be.
This mixed with all the superhero genre plot and trope elements of Tetsuwan Birdy's story give it that comic book vibe and actually help to sell the show to newcomers of anime looking to explore the medium more while remaining in familiar territory.
Yugo Kanno was definitely the man for the job and those of you who are familiar with his work can agree with me that the man certainly knows how to make every show he has worked on feel grand and cinematic scale with a touch of coolness and style to them.

Before I conclude this video, I think it's only fair to bring up some of the minor gripes that I have with the show. The first thing is the villains. Sure, while they are cool, interesting and pose a threat to our lead characters, some of them just feel flat.
This is most likely due to the fact that they don't get a lot of screen time in order for us to learn about them and their motives. Especially the supposed big villain of the story, Christina Revi. The series unfortunately, like with the OVA, completely under utilizes her as a character and she ends up not feeling like a genuine threat at all. Shyamalan didn't really have much personality or motivation other than he had an extreme case of an insane god complex, but, he was an okay villain albeit a bit generic.
The villains from the second season, on the other hand, feel a lot more fleshed out and certainly have a lot more depth and personality to them. Also the fact that they are all linked to events that happened in Birdy's past in some way only makes out for better plot twists and more reason to invest yourself in them as characters.

There is also the matter of Nakasugi's relationship with Tsutomu in the first season. They never really explain what their relationship was like prior to her accident and her sudden attraction to Tsutomu. Where they childhood friends? Was she just a classmate who Tsutomu had a crush on and was lucky enough to find out that she had feelings for him too? Did she only have feelings for him as a result of the Ryunka's effects on her body while she was it's host? We'll never actually know. It's probably explained in the manga somewhere, but, at the time of this recording, I'm only ten chapters in and most of the manga hasn't been translated into English yet, so, yeah. There's that.
Also, while I'm okay with the minimalist character designs since they were used to great effect, I do feel that the show could have gone with more detailed models like the OVA had. I plan on making a video sometime in the future covering the OVA more in depth, but, what I can say for now is that the OVA was certainly impressive and had a lot of the same heart and spirit behind it as this adaptation did and it had it was able to deliver on impressive and well animated action scenes and character expressions.

Other than those few gripes, I believe it's safe to say that A-1 Pictures did an incredible job in handling this series and it's definitely become an instant favourite of mine and I would definitely rewatch it as many times as I possibly can.

In the end, Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode is, simply put, a show that has all the fun storytelling elements from the glory days of comic book superheroes (before they went all went to hell as of five to six years ago) while combining it with all the best anime has to offer from it's brilliant visuals, memorable characters, intriguing plot, and hilarious comedy. It is able to be mature and lighthearted at the same time thanks to it's brilliant writing and visual ability to create such a well balanced atmosphere that not many shows can get right. This is a show that I would highly recommend to newcomers of anime, especially if they are fans of superheroes, sci fi, and action.
Accompanied by an amazing score and a team of the most talented individuals that the industry has to offer, it's no wonder that it is one of the most revered and respected works to have come out of anime. That and  it's ability to blend so many genres together while creating it's own unique identity is something to truly be admired.

That ladies and gentlemen, is why Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode Is Awesome and why you should watch it.