With all its success, Attack on Titan has its fair share imitators. Over the past few years, numerous anime have tried to emulate the formula that worked so well for the smash-hit series, and the summer 2020 season has brought fans one more. It's called Deca-Dence. In fairness, the new anime is far from a mindless clone, and the "humanity being pushed to the brink of extinction" trope has been around forever. Still, with the Deca-Dence premise consisting of people living in a fortified society, giant monsters roaming around outside and steampunk soldiers zipping through the air, it's hard not to draw comparisons between the two series.
Deca-Dence is the first original anime by Studio NUT, a young, heavily memed studio founded in 2017. Many fans have hyped up the fact (and rightfully so) that it's helmed by Tachikawa Yuzuru, the director behind several visually stunning anime, like Mob Psycho 100 and, notably, a bit of Attack on Titan. Deca-Dence may not be wholly original, but it looks exciting, with Yuzuru bringing a unique coat of paint to the post-apocalyptic monster-fighting formula.
Deca-Dence takes place in a world where 90 percent of humanity has been wiped out by the Gadoll, unknown life forms that appeared out of nowhere. People now live within Deca-Dence, an enormous mobile fortress 3,000 meters in the air. Those who live inside Deca-Dence are separated into two categories: Tankers, who do work within the fortress, and Gears, who go out and fight the Gadoll (similar to the Scouts in Attack on Titan). With their sci-fi version of 3D maneuver gear, these soldiers fly through the air and take out the strange-looking Gadoll, which seem to attack the fortress regularly.
The anime follows Natsume, a spunky girl with orange hair. In the past, Natsume lost both her arm and her father to a Gadoll attack. She wants to join the Gears so she can fight the monsters head-on. Unfortunately, her prosthetic arm doesn't quite cut it, so Natsume is forced into a boring job in armor repair. It's rare for a Tanker to become a Gear, especially if they're not in perfect health. In her dull job, Natsume's boss is Kaburagi, a veteran repairman with some juicy secrets. The two characters are polar opposites, with Natsume determinedly trying to make it into the Gears and Kaburagi insisting she should give up on her dreams.
This all sounds a bit heavy. However, Deca-Dence boasts a lighthearted tone. The characters are colorful, the sci-fi setting is fantastical and even the would-be heartbreaking moments (like the disappearance of Natsumi's father) are quickly forgotten amidst the anime's fast pace and scattered comedic moments. There are also the Gadoll, which look like ridiculous dinosaur-alien creatures, often seen charging at the Deca-Dence fortress in a regrettable CGI rampage. They seem more goofy than intimidating, even if they are bloodthirsty monsters.
In contrast, Attack on Titan is serious, plot-heavy and works with a reserved color palette. Titans are unanimously terrifying, and comedy is sparse. So, while Deca-Dence does possess a very similar premise, it's nice to see the anime providing something that is tonally distinct.
With a distinguished director, some pleasing steampunk vibes and fantastic animation here and there, Deca-Dence is looking like a potential sleeper hit. Then again, the first episode's pacing was jarring, and the use of CGI leaves something to be desired. It's unlikely to reach anywhere near Attack on Titan levels of popularity, but its twists on a similar formula at least gives Deca-Dence a fighting chance.