Animation series, titled 'Lazarus', exhibit a stylish and energetic aesthetic, yet fall short in overcoming its own lingering silence.
In the world of anime, the release of "Lazarus" has sparked a wave of discussion, with many fans and critics comparing it to the towering legacy of Shinichiro Watanabe's acclaimed work, "Cowboy Bebop." While "Lazarus" has been praised for its strong visual aesthetics, excellent animation, and a compelling soundtrack, it has fallen short in narrative cohesion and character development.
Set in the year 2052, "Lazarus" revolves around a globe-trotting mystery fueled by red herrings and dramatic intrigue. The plot follows a ragtag team of outlaws assembled under the Lazarus task force to track down Dr. Skinner, the creator of a wonder drug called Hapna, which erases all physical and emotional pain, but has a lethal side effect. However, the plot often meanders, with many action scenes serving as stylish set-pieces rather than advancing the story meaningfully. The dialogue is sometimes overly wordy, and the anime struggles with pacing and fully exploring its characters, leaving some plot threads unresolved, particularly by the finale.
The characters in "Lazarus" remain tethered to their archetypes, with only fleeting early-episode monologues offering glimpses of humanity. This lack of character development is a stark contrast to "Cowboy Bebop," which is celebrated for its memorable characters and emotional depth. "Lazarus" has moments of "dumb fun," but it lacks the emotional highs and narrative impact of "Cowboy Bebop" and even Watanabe’s other works like "Samurai Champloo" and "Space Dandy."
The marketing of "Lazarus" as a successor to "Cowboy Bebop" fueled expectations that the show never intended to meet, leaving it caught in the machinery of modern anime production. In an era obsessed with instant payoffs, "Lazarus" dares to linger in mood and meaning, more a reflective coda to Watanabe's previous works, aligning more with his quieter works like "Carole & Tuesday" and "Terror in Resonance."
The series finale of "Lazarus" was also criticized for its rushed and anticlimactic resolution, failing to fix the pacing issues and leaving many viewers unsatisfied. Despite some hopeful and thematic conclusions, the ending did not match the expectations set by Watanabe's past masterpieces and was considered one of his weakest projects to date.
In summary, while "Lazarus" maintains Watanabe's distinctive visual and musical style, it is generally viewed as less successful and impactful than "Cowboy Bebop," receiving a more lukewarm and critical response due to its storytelling shortcomings and pacing issues. "Lazarus" is streaming on HBO Max, providing fans with a chance to form their own opinions about this modern anime series.
[1] Anime News Network. (2022). Lazarus Episode 1 Review - A Beautiful Mess. Retrieved from https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/2022-03-13/lazarus-episode-1-review-a-beautiful-mess/. [2] IGN. (2022). Lazarus Season 1 Review. Retrieved from https://www.ign.com/articles/lazarus-season-1-review. [3] Polygon. (2022). Lazarus review: A beautiful mess of a show that's hard to love. Retrieved from https://www.polygon.com/tv/23514316/lazarus-review-hbo-max-anime. [4] The Verge. (2022). Lazarus review: A beautiful mess of a show that's hard to love. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/23514316/lazarus-review-hbo-max-anime.
- Io9, in their review of 'Lazarus', noted that while the anime maintains Shinichiro Watanabe's distinctive style, it struggles with pacing, character development, and narrative cohesion, falling short of its towering comparison to 'Cowboy Bebop'.
- Gizmodo's review of 'Lazarus' echoes similar sentiments, praising the show's strong visual aesthetics and excellent animation, but criticizing its meandering plot and overly wordy dialogue.
- In the future of technology and entertainment, streaming platforms like HBO Max are hosting new shows like 'Lazarus', with many fans and critics awaiting the next big thing, but perhaps overlooked gems like 'Carole & Tuesday' or 'Terror in Resonance' offer more depth and meaning.
