Nippon Sangoku The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun ‒ Episodes 1-3

©松木いっか/小学館/日本三國製作委員会

The premiere of Nippon Sangoku: Three Nations of the Crimson Sun is the kind of episode that just completely wipes the floor with 99% of its seasonal competition. The quasi-post-apocalyptic twist on a Romance of the Three Kingdoms-esque chronicle of Japanese unification is already interesting enough, but the way that Studio Kafka has brought Ikka Matsuki's unique and stylish art to stunning life is what cements Nippon Sangoku's status as an absolute knockout. If all we got from this series was just that very first episode, I'd already be reserving a spot on my end-of-year rankings. The fact that it's maintained that standard of quality for three straight weeks just makes me more convinced: Anyone out there who is sleeping on Nippon Sangoku anime is making a grave mistake, indeed.

When it comes to the elements of the series that I can anticipate being divisive, there are only two real standouts. For one, I suppose I can admit that not everyone will like the exaggerated facial features and in-your-face stylistic choices that define Nippon Sangoku. I, for one, think that every second of this show is utterly captivating on a purely visual level alone, and I think it would be a shame if folks let themselves pass this series by because it doesn't stick to the mainstream aesthetics of a Shonen Jump adaptation. Still, I get it. The anime is often purposefully mixing masterful direction and animation with characters and violence that are meant to come across as, if not outright ugly, then at least off-putting.

The other sticking point that I can cede is the show's wildly shifting tone. I won't call it “inconsistent,” since the series makes it clear up front that we're embracing that chaotic mix of comedy, intrigue, melodrama, and nitty-gritty political theater that Japanese media loves so much. Still, the show begins as a mostly straight-laced tale of tragic murder and oaths of revenge, but our hero Aoteru doesn't have more than a few minutes of screentime to reflect on his grief before getting thrust into some truly bonkers shenanigans with his new best-frenemy and rival, Yoshitsune Asama. This is the show that spends fully half of its third episode on intricately setting up the schemes of the power-mad Lord Taira and his unauthorized declarations of war against the nation of Seii, and it concludes this ten-minute-long standoff of tense politicking and shocking violence with a visual joke of the young Emperor pissing his pants in fear.

So, as I said, I understand why folks might not get what Nippon Sangoku is going for, but my God, for an increasingly jaded Anime Old-Head like yours truly, this show is like mana sent from heaven to fill my starving belly. Consider just how many terrible sequences of endless exposition and flat dialogue exchanges that an anime fan must endure, even when we're dealing with otherwise solid programs. Too many series are either afraid to embrace the motion-picture roots of their art form for fear of deviating from the source material; that, or the teams producing these shows simply do not have the time and resources to indulge in niceties like decent cinematography and dynamic storyboarding. Either way, the sad truth of the matter is that most anime are actually pretty goddamned pedestrian when it comes to their visual storytelling. Nippon Sangoku, though, is absolute cinema.

Episode two alone is a perfect example of how Nippon Sangoku is just running circles around most other anime being produced right now, and without even breaking a sweat. This is an episode that consists almost entirely of two guys standing in a room and introducing themselves to each other before going to take a test, and yet it's some of the most arresting television I've seen all year. We immediately understand how Aoteru's careful and considerate nature contrasts Yoshitsune's arch performance as Queen Bitch of “We Must Reunify Post-Apocalyptic Japan” Mountain. The lush animation and stylish direction inject the whole scene with such palpable chemistry and drama that the least interesting beat is also the only flash of traditional action we get—a crazy dude gets his arm sliced off at the end of the pair's meeting.

Later, when the two face off against the intimidating Commander Ryumon so they can pass the Toryumon Exam and earn their spots amongst Yamato's military elite, the pair's dynamic creates an excellent climax for such an abstract test. The Commander tells his pupils that the only thing anyone needs to do to pass is bring him “to his knees.” Naturally, every other chump that tries to shove the guy down fails miserably, but Yoshitsune succeeds with his usual flair for dramatic violence, while Aoteru manipulates the Commander with the almighty power of a thoroughly researched treatise on agricultural reform. Between that and the hilariously deadpan thumbs-up that Aoteru gives his new bestie during the exam, I'm beginning to get the feeling that our hero is Special Agent Dale Cooper of this story, which makes me love (and fear) him that much more.

Admittedly, Episode three lags behind a little on account of the sudden two-year skip forward in the plot causing us to spend so much time on the political wheeling-and-dealing instead of with our protagonists. This is still a relative step-down in quality, though, which means that we're still outpacing almost every other cartoon on television at the moment. Besides, this mess with the nation of Seii that Taira has gotten involved in looks like it will introduce the badass lady with the sick face tattoo into the proceedings. It's not often that a series like Nippon Sangoku comes around to grab its audience by the throat and demand their undivided attention. I cannot wait to see where it goes next.

Episode 1 Rating:

Episode 2 Rating:

Episode 3 Rating:

Nippon Sangoku The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on BlueSky, his blog, and his podcast.