This is such a good show for so many reasons, and it's not quite finished yet, but the next episode isn't set to air for a couple of months so I need to talk about it and this is my outlet. 86 takes place in a world where sentient war machines have taken over large areas of land and the remaining humans fight to keep humanity alive. When the war started, the republic made a pretty racist decision of collecting all the people who weren't Alba (didn't have silver hair and eyes) and putting them in concentration camps. Those people were labeled 86 and the Alba were told that the 86 were not even human. The 86 were then experimented on to create technology and then used to fight the war machines. The republic tells its citizens that the war is humane, that there are no casualties and so most of the Alba go about their business without even worrying about it. Lena, however, understands the true cost of the war. She is one of the handlers (Alba tasked with organizing the fights and leading the 86 into battle -- from a distance using powerful tech, of course). She knows that the 86 have human emotions and fears. She wants to change how society perceives them, but she is laughed at and scolded for her views.
Lena gets assigned to a specific team of 86 who have lost most of their Alba handlers to insanity. This team is called Spearhead and their self-appointed commander is Shinei Nozen (codename: Undertaker). Nozen has a unique ability to hear the enemy's communications with one another which helps the team out several times in battle. He is called Undertaker because, since the battle machines will take the brain of a living human to power more machines and they are multiplying by harvesting the heads of 86 who have been left to die on the battlefield, Nozen prevents this by killing anyone who is too badly injured to be brought home instead of leaving them for the Legion (the war machines) to find.
I should mention that the 86 are all children, kind of like a more messed up Hunger Games. The children are conscripted at age 13 and told that if they survive 5 years of battle they will be released and allowed to live outside of the camps where their families have been sent. Lena soon grows attached to the Spearhead team and does her best to help them survive. She also calls to talk to them every night. After a death, though, she is forced to face her own ideas and she realizes she might not have been treating them as much like humans as she thought.
The story has two parts. The first part follows mainly Lena, and the second focuses mainly on Nozen, although it does show glimpses of the other side, more so in the first half.
What I liked about this show: The characters are all very well-written, especially Nozen. The story is very dark and twisted but also moving. It tackles real world issues like war and racism in a dystopian setting. The relationships between the characters feel real and their emotions feel raw so the impactful scenes are that much more powerful.
If you like this show, I would definitely also recommend From the New World which has a similarly messed up world. There's a little bit bigger of a supernatural element in New World vs. this one, but the relationships, the setting, the story and the characters are all excellent. Both shows have some pretty effed up things that are revealed about the people in charge. Both shows focus on a few characters who have development. Both shows deal with loss and let beloved characters die. One of the biggest differences between the shows is the amount of time that passes over the course of the show. From the New World follows the kids from early childhood until mid to late twenties. 86 follows the characters for maybe 2 years max (unless the last few episodes that haven't aired yet have some time leap montage).
I am really looking forward to the ending of this show. The exposition of the world has been very slow and painful and I have so many unanswered questions about how the Legion came to be. I hope the last few episodes don't disappoint because I have really enjoyed the journey thus far.
Thank you for reading, Happy New Year! Here's hoping next year will be the one that sees my career take off (either as a teacher or a writer, preferably writer).
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