User reviews

Huh! From where to start about this one?

I am a huuuuge fan of Blame! manga. It's the best manga I ever read and I always present it as a reference point to something different, original, breathtaking and ultimately enjoyable. Though, not so much for mainstream audience.

What about the anime? There must be two points of view in reviewing it. Why? Because First one from a perspective of someone who read the manga and second one from a perspective of a first timer who hasn't got a clue about original material.

As someone who read the manga I was expecting the full story with deep development of main character(s) and much better representation of vast areas of Megastructure and everything else what can be found in it. What did I get? A spin off story of a small village in Megastructure with characters which are almost irrelevant in the original story. We didn't get to see a lot of characters, Silicon beings are missing, it's even hard to tell that Killy is main character, not the villagers. Many, many details missing not to mention that original story is spread through huge time period. I would lie if I would say that I didn't enjoy it. It's solid SciFi anime if you don't take into consideration the original work.

As for second point of view, for someone who never read the manga.... Watch it. Maybe there will be sequels/prequels. Maybe even pushes you toward reading manga. It's a great slice of Blame! universe where much more can be told in future movies (hopefully there will be more)

***sorry for a bit fragmented review, this is my first ;)

I haven't read the comic series and I have gone through some of your negative comments. I just watched this movie and I must say it was pretty awesome!

The environment in which it was set was mind-blowing and very creative, the plot seemed pretty good and it left me wanting to see more.

All in all I can say that, if your not a die hard fan of the comics, you'll probably enjoy this movie!

I suppose after the gigantic Netflix logo spins around on the screen, announcing yet another copycat production, the expectations drop considerably. Fortunately but it seems (I didn't bother to check) like Netflix just signed the cheque to purchase the title, I doubt they could have much to do with this movie. Firstly, it's anime made by the Japanese in Japanese language and everything about it is Japanese, it feels way more genuine than Appleseed. The story was excellent and the visuals were absolutely stunning, I think that's why I'm giving it 7 stars. Otherwise it wasn't a masterpiece but still very solid and enjoyable. The characters were a little bit flat, for example they don't seem to be bothered much when dozens of men and children get ripped to shreds or lose limbs, they all mostly stare at the camera with their fakely large eyes. But well, it's mostly an action anime, so there isn't much time to develop any depth. So yes, there is a lot of shooting, running, action but the balance is right - there is also a lot of suspense, story, sci-fi, dreamy cityscapes, exoskeletons, cyborgs, monsters and heroes. However, it's far away from the American superhero movies with happy ending, the overall mood is gloomy, post apocalyptic and the ending is more of a "walk into the mist" rather than "drive into the sunset" which I personally like.

The animation style plus the "world" really hit the mark with me and the story is unique enough to immediately capture my interest, but the characters need additional development, hopefully the promised sequel will flush out and fill in what's missing.

No spoilers. Worth a watch, and delivers what it should, but it's another "movie" without resolve. In the days before the machines took over (our world, not this movie), movies used to have endings and complete themselves. Now, everything ends on a continuing story.

I thought this like a great stand alone sci-fi anime, and stuff happens and stuff completes happening, yet it doesn't "End" with a solution. Just sets up for potential series, I suppose. Might not have watched it if I had known it didn't have an ending. Maybe this will save others. Still, it was very good in what it did. If it had an ending, I would have given it an 8 or 9. As is, 6 is all I could muster.

Blame! throws us into an unknown far-future post-apocalyptic setting that's unlike most post-apocalyptic settings we're used to. Natural formations like land, sea, sky, plants, and rocks are completely non-existent and what we are left with is a colossal, cavernous, metaled mess of a megastructure. Any adjective with the basic meaning of "large" that I could have chosen to describe this structure should be seen as an understatement since - according to the manga from which this film is based on - the megastructure itself, which initially started on Earth, now extends past the orbit of Jupiter.

The massive labyrinth interior of the megastructure is created and maintained by "Builders" (giant skeletal, mechanized creatures who slowly roam around)and to us humans, their design theory can probably be best summed up as ordered chaos gone amok. The viewer is overwhelmed with scene after scene of grand metal-type architecture. One can't wait to see what fresh, new, metallic gloomy backdrop is waiting around each and every corner. The animation used to depict this cold and miscalculated world is phenomenal. Based on this reason and the given "nature" of the setting, any viewer who is attracted to films because of their dark atmospheres should give this one a try.

Not to say the story is dull by any means. Plot elements include a tribe that's on the brink of destruction who question whether they are the only humans left, hyper robots with spider-like bodies and ultra-artificial human faces who eliminate humans upon detection, a wandering protagonist with a synthetic body and a super gun, a female engineer sidekick with Netsphere (cyberspace)insight and the ability to transfer her consciousness into reanimated forms, and that's just to name a few. This is a sci-fi nerd's wet dream.

Some might criticize the protagonist's quiet and shadowy attitude, but I suppose it fits since who knows how long he has been wandering around for. Maybe thousands of years? I found myself longing to know more about his own history, the sights he'd seen, and the experiences he'd had along the way.

My own point of criticism would be the children characters' "coming of age" story whose names, faces, and personalities seem to all run together. Their part in the film should probably be included, but maybe with a little less focus and their characters a little more distinguished.

One warning I give to the potential viewer is there are some sci-fi concepts in the film which are unexplained and rely wholly upon the audience's familiarity with sci-fi in general. Some examples of these concepts are transhumanism and theoretical replication technology.

Have fun watching Blame!. I thought it was a blast!

Quite compelling film and with a particular story and quite branched with a very high dose of action especially in the final parts of the great fight, even if it failed to convey a real feeling of danger.

POLYGON Studio continues to amazed us with its wonderful CGI pictures. the Director Hiroyuki Seshita did a good job, he moved the image well from the source. I think the story still have more beautiful things, but this doesn't prevent us from enjoying this good movies. Now i'am going to read the manga to discover the whole story. . So enjoy it

"Blame!" is an intriguing and thought-provoking anime that delves into the complexities of existentialism, humanity, and technology. Director Tsutomu Nihei's vision is breathtakingly brought to life through stunning animation and meticulous world-building. The film's atmospheric tension and haunting soundtrack perfectly complement its philosophical themes.

However, the pacing is slow and deliberate, often testing the viewer's patience. The narrative's focus on atmosphere and world-building comes at the expense of character development, making it challenging to emotionally invest in the story. Killy, the protagonist, remains an enigmatic figure, and his motivations are unclear.

The film's themes are undoubtedly its strongest aspect. "Blame!" raises essential questions about humanity's relationship with technology, the consequences of playing god, and the search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. These philosophical musings will resonate with fans of sci-fi and existentialism.

Despite its flaws, "Blame!" is worth watching for its unique blend of sci-fi and philosophy. The animation is exceptional, with intricate details and a blend of industrial and biomechanical elements that create a captivating visual experience.

*Recommendation:* For fans of atmospheric, introspective anime and sci-fi, particularly those who enjoy philosophical themes and slow-burning narratives.

*Positives:*

• Stunning animation and world-building
• Thought-provoking themes and philosophical questions
• Haunting atmosphere and soundtrack
• Unique blend of sci-fi and existentialism

*Negatives:*

• Slow pacing may test patience
• Limited character development
• Narrative focus on atmosphere over character growth

*Target Audience:* Fans of sci-fi, existentialism, and atmospheric anime, particularly those who enjoy philosophical themes and slow-burning narratives.

The visuals and the overall concept are great. The world is believable and explorable. I wanted this to be as wonderful a film as it looked.

Trope alert: They took the basic villagers against an overwhelming outside threat from Seven Samurai or Princess Mononoke, and the "system" seeing humans as the problem, from basically every science fiction film or book.

Cliché anime characters fill the world. The tough, spirited young teen; the wise old leader; the guy who is afraid; the wimpy young teen that everyone protects even if they die to do it.

Add the handsome, battle-scared loner who has traveled the unsurvivable depths of the city. He doesn't blink, he doesn't emote, he says about ten words in the whole film, yet let him in with his superweapon and let him walk behind you. You can trust him, he has intense blue-eyes and hero hair.

What made me go ballistic were the endless dramatic pauses. They could have tightened it by fifteen minutes. The standard time is running out, war is here, people are dying in horrific explosions. Oh, I know, let's walk slowly to do the only thing that might save everyone from a gruesome death. Cue the extended standard hero fight.

Other characters stop to stare at each other or talk. If our base/home/village is being overrun and you stop and want to talk about your loss or tell each other about how much you love them, I am going to slap you until you wake up.

Hint: If you come to a vast factory that can make hundreds of football stadium-sized batches of anything in a few seconds, how about creating some automated weapons systems, powerpacks, weapons, vehicles, or hover tanks? I understand that is too easy. If your plot is destroyed by something simple, then your plot is too weak.

Here's my suggestion. These films take years of incredibly hard work by thousands of extremely talented people. Several months into the planning, ask some of your staff if the plot or characters reminds them of another film. If so, change it or you risk this becoming another cookie-cutter trope anime film.

This movie has stunning visuals, however, there are too many holes in the plot and everything was happening way too fast. This is a good one time watch kind off movie. The script is just too shallow, sit could have bee way better than it was. It just seems like all they really focused on was the graphics and visuals and the script was done in like thirty minutes. Definitely would consider another movie with a more in depth story.

A possible horrific scenario, where AI takes over and a post apocalyptic world becomes reality. Now I have not read the Manga and had not previous knowledge before watching this. But it looked good and I thought I'd give this a shot. And it does not take any prisoners (literally), which means there will be blood and violence (fyi).

For an Anime it's also relatively easy to follow, without having a giant backstory attached to it. The ground rules are set early, and even though we can't see the faces of the humans at the beginning, we will get attached to them. One major twist may be a bit too much for most people. It's a bit stretched to say the least, but you got to have something crazy in there ... well something over the top crazy. Good action, nice Science Fiction/Robot story, good animation

This movie starts promising but very soon somehow fails. Too much remains unclear. The film contains a number of surrealistic elements but I'm not sure whether surrealism was the intention to that; it rather appears like there are some elements of the story missing.

Some strong characters and a solid aesthetic cannot save this film from a pervasive sense of averageness.

The film starts promisingly with a tense sequence conveying just how hostile this world feels towards humankind. The robotic designs are equally horrifying and sleek, and the suits of armor used by the humans give a rugged warlike appearance to even the likes of young teenagers.

Where the movie goes wrong is its excessive exposition. Story beats are given essentially at random with long gaps between any action and characters wear their motivations on their sleeves leaving nothing to surprise the watcher. One comes to no deep revelations about the nature of this world and although I constantly expected my expectations to be subverted, they never were (which I guess in a way was a subversion I suppose). Despite spending so much of the run time having characters mull over the big plan and introducing two mysterious android characters the movie just never deviates from what one would expect from a generic post-apocolpyic film.

Moreover, characters will speak thoughts aloud and say things that could easily be left unsaid. So much of the world remains a mystery by the end of the film I wonder why they even bothered explaining what they did. Leaving more gaps and using some visual story telling tools would have gone along way to make the experience more fluid.

I don't want to make it sound as though the film is all bad, because there are definitely some things to like here. The characters seem genuine and the voice performances are solid. There are some beautiful shots in the film as well. I loved the look of the larger robots, menacing in a techno-godlike sense, and there is a sequence where one of the characters enters this worlds version of the matrix that was tastefully done. When it is not excessively cgi-ed the film can be quite breathtaking, just don't stare to much at the stiff character faces.

Blame! has a bit of romance, a bit of action, and a bit of intrigue, but I would not say it executes any of those elements superbly, certainly not in comparison to the titans in the sci-fi animation genre. Ultimately I would say the package just ekes ever so slightly above average. If you are a fan of post-apocalyptic sci-fi and won't mind a few underwhelming moments it's worth a watch, but if you are expecting Blame! to surprise you and take the genre in interesting directions, you are best giving it a pass.

I stumbled upon this having never seen the original series and knowing nothing of its history. It was simply presented to me upon logging into Netflix as a new original. In fact I thought I was watching the first episode of a multi-part deal but it turned out to be a whole movie ... and I am so glad I stayed up late to finish it.

Quite simply Blame! has the best art I have ever seen in anime, topping even that of another recent favorite, Knights of Sidonia. I don't know what to call the computer assisted methods they use (digital rotoscoping?) to add such realism to the art -- while still having it look hand drawn -- but it's amazing.

The story was instantly engaging and the action was spectacular. The fight scene physics were chaotic but believable in context. There were a couple of spooky scenes that put a chill in me and that's when I knew I was hooked. I congratulate all involved in this project for creating a masterpiece. Bravo!

This movie was much better than I expected.

As a fan of the Blame! manga, I think the film keeps the same pace and atmosphere as the original.

The movie has no deep development of characters or the universe, but it gave enough details without destroying the original pace of the narrative, what many screen adaptations are often do trying to explain everything in a limited time.

It's definitely worth watching.

I have only owned one Blame manga vol some time ago and I appreciate the unique art style would not translate well into modern anime and so I think the studio did a great job with the animation. After seeing the visual disasters that Toei produces (Dragon Ball Super, Sailor Moon Crystal) this is high quality animation to me, personally. I have read the rest of the manga online a very very long time ago so I don't remember the full story in detail, I know it's not ideal that they haven't created the story from Killy's pov but I understand their choice due to the limited time. It would be best for this to be a series imho the story is complex and they haven't introduced Silicon Life yet which I would have liked to see. Regardless, I still very much enjoyed it thanks to the atmosphere and the fantastic music score. I hope they can make a sequel where we can see more of Killy.

An automated city continues to grow inexorably. A glitch has caused the pest control system to classify humans as vermin to be exterminated. The huge, lifeless city sprawls on for ever with only a few humans surviving a meagre exist.

I loved the premise of this film. The first half an hour is excellent and really immersed me into this juggernaut of a system that has gone runaway.

Then some new characters appear with some very special talents. These newcomers "break" a lot of the world's set up and make the main characters survival seem a bit trivial.

What really let this down for me was the pace. I am accustom to Eastern films having a more considered and careful approach and normally enjoy it. But here it feels like nothing happens for really long stretches at a time.

Then when the action does start, someone pushes a button that fixes the situation. I feel this time could have been spent on more action or better characterisation.

I enjoyed the bits I enjoyed very much, but feel it could have been condensed to a much, much shorter film.

I was surprised to so see such a low rating on IMDb. It's clear that those who follow this manga feel it was butchered but for me, it was a really fresh concept and pretty epic by all accounts. Would love to see more ! If you enjoy anime, this is definitely worth watching.