Something that’s always made my day whenever I’m cosplaying from an unpopular anime, is when someone gets excited and points at my costume. It makes me happy to know that there are people who appreciate the same Anime that I do. Back in March, I had this experience first-hand when I cosplayed Yuna from B: The Beginning.
An original digital release, B: The Beginning was released March 2018 on Netflix. The story tells of a mysterious case of murders, stemming from a singular culprit that they dub “Killer B”. Getting nowhere, the Royal Investigation Services, also known as the IRS RIS, which would be equivalent to the FBI, recruits a retired detective, Keith Flick to help solve the case. With another personal case on his hands, the two seem to be intertwined with each other. With the added supernatural element of artificial humans included, there’s more than meets the eye.
The show itself is of the crime genre, focusing well on each characters’ motives and thought process as the case comes to a close. The detective, Robert Downey Sherlock Keith is one of many detectives in Anime that can make the viewer understand his perspective while analyzing them all the more. Reading in-between the lines is a huge theme in B: The Beginning, especially when you take the plot into consideration. No one knows who’s who, who to trust, who to suspect, etc. Like any good mystery, it’s up to both the viewer and the main character to solve the case.
Production IG is my all-time favorite animation studio, and if there’s one that I would choose to animate my stories, it would definitely be them. They did a stellar job with B: The Beginning, making the scenery feel so real that sometimes you feel like the wind is blowing straight out of the TV.
Lily is both cute and badass
The characters themselves etch themselves right into your memory with their facial expressions and upbeat personalities. The character, Lily especially is passionate and is like the string that ties all of the characters together with no loose ends. Dare I say, the characters have more in-depth personalities than most anime I’ve seen. Koku, the prominent supernatural element of the show is a young man bent on revenge but still manages to maintain his moral compass. He won’t hesitate to help others and will even take the time to visit a friend with food.
One of my favorites though is Boris, an old man who’s been in the detective business for years. He’s an old man and acts like one, quick to misunderstanding situations and having trouble with his smartphone – something that I like most of us who’ve been around our grandparents can relate to. He also sticks out from the stereotypical “dirty old man” you often see in anime. Just simple characteristic changes to steer away from common trope goes a long way. Characters are arguably the strongest aspect of B: The Beginning.
Before I wrap up though, how about that theme song? Who other than Megadeath‘s Marty Friedman and Man With A Mission‘s lead vocalist to take on the job to make one of Anime’s greatest songs? If you haven’t heard it, at least take a listen!
Every year, Netflix releases new content and 2018 was one of their best. Here’s to looking forward to season 2’s release in the US!