Deadman Wonderland (2011) User Reviews

Can't believe they didn't made a season 2 for it.

[Spartan_1_1_7 · 8/10 · 4 January 2015]

Action. Gore. Brutality. Fan service. Craziness. Abuses/curses. This anime is definitely aimed at a more adult audience. It starts off with a bang so I was interested in it from the get-go. We don't get any explanation about the world, the setting, the event etc in the start. Instead, we get bits here and there in almost each episodes, this increases your interest about finding out everything.

The protagonist is your usual clichéd kid who gets some kind of special power but doesn't know how to work it yet etc. I thought he would be yet another wimpy annoying brat, but thankfully he didn't go in that department far enough and he grew on me. Aside from him, there are TONS of other characters, many who are pretty good, my favourite being The Crow (Shinji), who also has his own OVA, which was great.

There is a lot of good action, cool looking powers and techniques and LOTS of gore. Plus, the anime thrives at displaying it in a brutal manner. The soundtrack was decent too, which helped elevate some key moments.

It's a crime that this anime was only 12 episodes long. They could have made it 24 episodes long and fleshed out the large character cast a lot because it just felt rushed in the later episodes. Also, it is sad to see there is no sequel for it since we don't really get to see a proper end of the story, many of the stuff is just laying around, begging for a sequel. I hate it when this happens.

Even though it doesn't end the story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for some gory action and interesting setting.

8.3/10

One of my first seinen anime and one of my favorites

[erickjavier09 · 8/10 · 21 December 2014]

This anime is one of the best action anime in recent years, certainly not for kids because of the graphic violence but it's very good.

It has a very dark tone and even the characters you will like the have a dark side to them. The story is very good with great plot twists and with characters developed in very realistic ways.

There is only one fatal flaw that stops me from giving this a 10 and that is the fact that it is incomplete, what I mean by that is that the show ended in a cliffhanger and it was canceled after that, if you liked this,go read the manga with the complete story.It is certainly not for the squeamish and outside of the violence, contains some mature content, but it is strongly recommended for anyone who can handle it.

My Thoughts on the Show...

[boothrya · 8/10 · 26 February 2015]

Okay, so to start off, this show is extremely dark. I don't think I've ever seen a piece of cinema/film that handles topics of such maturity and extremity. Having said that, the darkness is what makes this show so great. Because of the unforgiving brutality, Deadman Wonderland seems almost realistic, and allows for you to connect to the characters and the storyline, so much more than a toned down, TV-14 version would. If you are AT ALL unsure if you're prepared to see this show, I would recommend reading the Parental Advisory, as it will detail the most brutal parts. Beware though, the Advisory might also contain spoilers.

One of the reasons that I couldn't give this show a higher rating is the main character, Ganta. He has little to no character development, and all of his "dramatic" scenes are of him complaining and whining about how weak he is. This continues literally up until the 11th Episode, when he finally begins to train and hone his abilities. If his character had sooner developed a "tough" persona that played off of Deadman Wonderland, it would have made the show a lot better. As is, Ganta drags the fast-paced story down and lost my interest as a viewer very quickly.

OVERALL, I would say that this is a great anime to watch. I recommend it with a warning; that you be prepared to have your boundaries stretched. The intensity of the show was at a level I had not previously experienced, but I still very much enjoyed it. If you're able to look past the violence and see those scenes as contributory to the realistic feel and contributory to the EXPERIENCE of Deadman Wonderland, it will push your experience to one that you won't forget for a long time...

Value in your entertainment

[martin_merelesc · 7/10 · 2 March 2022]

Deadman Wonderland looks and sounds great, and if all you're after is a series that has lots of violence, blood, weird characters and a storyline that requires you to disengage your brain, then this may be for you. The series may have its problems, but the concept is interesting even if the implementation leaves a lot to be desired, and it does retain a degree of entertainment value for its action set pieces.

this show is awesome!

[joelherro · 9/10 · 2 July 2011]

but definitely not for kids, what with all the ultra-violence n stuff...

Ganta is a school kid wrongly accused of murdering everyone in his class, and he is convicted and sentenced to this hell-hole theme park style prison where the inmates have fiendish games and tests that usually kill lots of them...certain prisoners have a special power enabling them to make weapons out of their own blood, and the twisted warden who runs the joint fights these special prisoners called 'Deadmen' against each other for paying guests in an arena style death-match. Ganta is trying to find the real killer of his friends while also trying to stay alive in this nightmarish place...

with awesome animation, interesting characters and an engaging and twisted story, plus copious blood and gore, this show is a real winner...as long as u are not easily offended...

Needs more time

[guywhitehead-19537 · 7/10 · 3 November 2019]

A good show but feels incomplete as doesn't adapt the whole manga. If the show was renewed and wrapped up the story it would easily be an 8 or 9 out of 10 but the ending with no resolution let's it down, I fully suggest reading the manga to anyone else disappointed by this.

Well done but were is the 2nd season?

[reftrout · 9/10 · 25 February 2015]

When I watched this show I got hooked and watched the rest of the shows. To my dismay I found out that it was only 12 episodes. Out of curiosity I read the manga for the first time in my life to find out what happened to the characters. To no surprise it was pretty good. So why haven't they made a 2nd season? The content is there but they didn't finish the anime. Leaving it half finished... I just hope that this show will get enough attention and out cry that it will get its ending that is deserves because if you are someone that read the manga like me you will feel the same. Plus, if they finish the show I think it would be the best anime out there.

awesome in a weird way.

[feuntjuhh_10 · 19 June 2011]

everyone has a little bit of bloodlust in them, this program makes you aware of yours, there are moments that you will see (for example) someone's eye pulled out or someone's arm cut of, it's pure gore, but it's fascinating in a way.

I really enjoy the show, the story, and the characters, in the first part of the first episode, you'll think that it's pure justice that these prisoners are risking their lives for the audience's pleasure, but once you start to know the characters, you will see that they have problems of their own. especially the boy, he's been put there unjustly.

overall a great thing, keeps me thinking :P p.s. bear with my bad English.

Promising but not a finished article.

[kelv-2 · 7/10 · 19 February 2013]

Violence is the name of the game for this anime.

But like a lot of anime the violence is only part of this entertaining show. The action is fast paced and the plot is simple and easy to follow. the characters are quite well developed and you do have some feeling when they eventually die or come to harm. There aren't too many huge plot twists like in a lot of other anime.

The only gripes I have are that i don't really like reading subtitles so i like English dubbed anime and they always use the same crappy voice actors. the main characters voice is especially annoying.

It was also disappointing to get to part 12 only to realise that it wasn't the last episode and there was a whole other series that they haven't finished yet

Underrated and overhated

[ataelosher · 8/10 · 22 November 2022]

Positives:

• great animation.

• great music.

• cool character designs.

• pretty interesting story.

• good fight scenes.

• cool powers/abilites.

• pretty interesting characters.

• great voice acting.

• gore.

Negatives:

• not a fan of Shiro's design and role in the show..

• I am mixed on the mc, Ganta. On one hand he has the motivation and will power to succeed and on the other, he can be very whiny.

• the story felt a bit rushed at times and the ending felt kinda underwhelming because it's an uncompleted show.

Overall, it's a good show imo. Give it a shot, it's super short anyway!

It is pretty good

[sheepnumber34 · 7/10 · 10 May 2020]

Very enjoyable watched the whole thing - it could have been better - I felt it was plodding a little in the middle- other than that it's a pretty harrowing tale, where you do feel for the little lad. Good.

It's a decent anime

[RecapAnime · 8/10 · 24 September 2014]

Deadman Wonderland is a anime that some might find a bit to dark and probably offensive in some ways. But this anime is really good for what its worth. I really liked the idea behind the story right from the beginning and the show did not hold back when developing the plot. What gives this anime bonus points is the violence. From a class room slaughter to decapitation, when push comes to shove this anime doesn't hold back. Also the characters are perfect in this anime and I personally thought the dubbed actors/actresses were excellent.

One problem I had is that the anime didn't feel like it was finished, the so called ending was good but so many questions were left unanswered and apparently this anime didn't do to good in Japan so its most likely this anime will end up being like "Highschool of the Dead". In other words not getting a second season.

cut short

[mll23 · 6/10 · 15 January 2015]

I really enjoyed this anime. It was action packed, interesting, and had a lot of engaging scenes.

The downfall... They cut the show short. I realize they never promised a second season, but I honestly believe if they answered the 100 questions they left to interpretation, they would have really created a fantastic show.

In terms of entertainment this show succeeds. the fight scenes are fun, and the powers brought from blood is a cool concept. Shiro is a fun and bubbly character and adds a bit of pizazz to the series.

Worth the few hours, but the ending may leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed and empty. Watch at your own delight, I give it a 7 out of 10, which would likely improve to a 9 or so if they produced a second season

Starts great, goes nowhere, ends with lots of questions

[mossfan18 · 5/10 · 1 July 2020]

I loved the start of this anime. A kid falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit who now has to live through a Gladitor type of atmosphere for the enjoyment of TV viewers.

That's when it gets bad, they completely leave this storyline. It goes from a cool futuristic Hunger Games/Bloodsport type of thing to a break out of prison storyline.

They quickly add a bunch of secondary characters that have zero development and then kill them off as quick as they are introduced...leaving the viewer feeling nothing.

The whole time you're watching, you're waiting for an awesome show down with the Redman, (Side Note: I'm still not entirely sure who the Redman is) but instead you get two of the worst anime villains I've ever seen, a guitar weilding rocker and a 10 year old girl with a 12 foot sword. It made no sense.

At one point they do a background story of a bear child and a human snake creature who are killed literally 2 seconds after we got their background...were we supposed to develop a connection with them in that 60 second segment?

The series quickly ends with more questions than answers...

Some of the questions I still have:

Who was the Grandpa? What was the point of the Chief Warden's "research"? Who is the Hummingbird? Why did we learn about the brother and sister at all? Why is there a bar in a prison that no guards seem to know or care about? What's the deal with the Earthquake? And I may be stupid, but I still don't know who the Redman is...

PRO'S:

enjoyed the Shiro character Some cool gore earlier on A few strong episodes in the first half

CON'S:

horrible villains A whiny main character A massively confusing plot Tons of cliches A hurried ending Tons of unanswered questions

Great on the visuals, but lacking in originality.

[bmcafee_98-257-960319 · 7/10 · 4 January 2016]

Synopsis:

In the near future, Japan is rocked by a cataclysm which wipes out most of Tokyo. Afterward, some people manifest an ability to control their own blood and use it as a weapon. This can take the form of blades, nets, projectiles, etc. The different blood based powers are called Branch of Sin.

The story centers on Ganta, a student who is about to go on a class field trip to Deadman Wonderland, a prison/theme park which funds itself by putting the prisoners through deadly sporting events for the enjoyment of the paying public.

Unfortunately, before the class can go on the trip, a mysterious, super powerful, 'Red Man' kills everyone in Ganta's class, except him. The Red Man also gives Ganta a red crystal in his chest which gives him the power to manipulate his own blood as a weapon. Since Ganta didn't die in the attack, he is immediately prosecuted as the obvious perpetrator. His lawyer is also the guy who runs the prison, so definitely no conflicts of interest here. Ganta soon finds himself as an inmate at the prison. He quickly learns how prisoners are kept under control. They wear collars which inject poison, which will kill them unless they regularly eat nasty tasting candy. The candy must be earned, and so the prisoners do what they are told.

In his quest to discover who the Red Man is, and who framed him for the murders, Ganta discovers a secret area of the prison, G Block, where others with the same blood based powers are kept and forced to fight gladiator style battles in a giant birdcage. There is also an albino girl who can kick giant robots and jump out of tall buildings and land on angry dogs.

Let's break it down:

Animation: 8 The use of color is done quite well. In the prison, many of the other colors are washed out, or subdued, in order to bring out the color red. It also adds a kind of depressed feel to the prison. Additionally, the opening credits are entirely in red, black and white. Fight scenes are well choreographed, and the blood effects are well done. The character designs will immediately remind you of Eureka Seven. This is because the manga for both Deadman and Eureka were illustrated by Kazuma Kondou.

Sound: 7.0 The music was appropriate for the feel of the show. The opening and closing songs were the highlight of the show. The opening song, "One Reason," is a high energy rock piece, with an almost grunge sound to it, which fit well with the feel of the show. The end credit song, "Shiny Shiny," is the best in the show, and doesn't fit at all with the feel of the series, but it plays over pictures of the characters before they came to Deadman Wonderland, and has an appropriate retrospective/nostalgic feel to it. The voice acting in the dub is done by many familiar names. Ganta is voiced by Greg Ayres, the warden Makina is Colleen Clinkinbeard, and Shiro (Ganta's albino girlfriend) is Monica Rial. All the voices are well done, although Ganta's constant whining is a bit hard to take. Rial is really the highlight here. The youthful and innocent voice she lends to Shiro is at times adorable, and at others comedic, and it's exactly what is needed to balance the seriousness of the rest of the show. It's no exaggeration to say Monica Rial steals the show. I have read other reviews which had a negative reaction to Kana Hanazawa's (normally critically acclaimed) voice for Shiro. She sounds good to me, but I have to admit she comes across a bit normal (if not serious), where Shiro should really sound quirky, which is why Rial gets so much praise for her version.

Story: 6.5 A disastrous cataclysm happens in Tokyo, destroying much of the city and leaving behind people with unprecedented powers, like in Witchblade, or Akira. And they are kept in a prison, where they compete in deadly games as part of their sentence, like in The Running Man, or Deathrace. Unfortunately, the basic premise lacks a bit of originality. Also, he show stops, not ends, abruptly, without any conclusion, because the series only covers about half of the story laid out in the manga.

Characters: 6.0 They do take the time to give backgrounds to most of the characters in the show, but unfortunately, I never really got too attached to any of them. The real exception here is Shiro. Without her, the series would be fairly forgettable, but her innocence and cuteness effectively create a counterbalance to the ultra-violence of the series, and the mystery of who and what she is keeps you interested.

Overall: 6.9 Unfortunately, the show tries really hard to be dark with the death games, gladiator combat, and the penalty phase where a slot machine decides which body part the losers will have cut off. I don't mind violent anime, but this was a little over the top. Why would the security robots spew acid? Couldn't they just shoot, electrocute, or laser the inmates? I guess because acid is more gruesome, and that's what the show is going for. The language was a bit of a shock too. I have never heard so many F-bombs dropped in an anime before. But hey, if that's what you are looking for, then this is your anime. I think I would have liked it a lot more if it had answered its own questions, but unfortunately, we are left with a story with no ending. Still, it has a good side too, so if you aren't turned off by the above, watch it for the fight scenes, the animation, and most of all, for Shiro!

10/10

[chahowson · 10/10 · 5 June 2021]

Amazing animation, insane storyline, awsome character develop ment 10/10 recommend.

Good start

[iBojhut · 6/10 · 3 March 2019]

The start of this show is great. I'm talking about the first three episodes, the other episodes are not of that level. The ending is just bad, really bad. The storyline makes no sense. If you would watch this, don't watch more than the first three episodes.

Underrated

[rashidmahar-38050 · 8/10 · 21 February 2022]

This show has a disturbing premise with characters that shine throughout and yet it does have that same recognition that a series like Tokyo Ghoul has.

They're pretty close in terms of quality and yet Deadman seems to always get the short end of the stick popularity wise. It definitely deserves more attention.

Not bad, not great. Another generic anime.

[TristanSilya · 6/10 · 21 February 2023]

Ganta's dub voice is something else. I know, why am watching dub, right? I like to watch while I work and dub is the best way for me to do that. I don't have time to sit down and actually read the sub version (how I actually prefer it).

Overall the show feels pretty generic. Nothing too special or different. My favorite part of the show is definitely the psychological elements, specifically the backstory of some of the inmates and why they're the way they are.

Shiro is extremely annoying and makes no sense. She act like a 7-year-old but due to plot armor that's ok I guess. Ganta is the generic over-the-top, no life experience, overly optimistic, 100% virgin heart of gold trope of a character. Not every relatable or humanly.

The anime also ends abruptly with no real conclusion or reason. I was hoping the show was more horror and psychological but it's more action and comedic. Not bad just not exactly what I'm looking for.

Loved it!

[HarleyRose1 · 9/10 · 14 January 2020]

I truly loved it. Brilliant main characters. Great story with some dark and wicked aspects in it. Loved the action and blood. Wanted to keep watching.

Deadman wonderland

[steveo7777 · 9/10 · 4 February 2020]

Love this but only 13 episodes hows that work? What happened to leave it at this. Need more to understand what's happening.

Frustratingly Bad

[Durdur752 · 1/10 · 25 September 2014]

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Like seriously, the first episode is kind of a giveaway as to how stupid the characters are. They accuse this kid of slaughtering an entire classroom and then sentence him. On top of that, these people watch other prisoners die doing these games and no one thinks it's real?? I got as far as halfway through the tenth episode when the main kid is saved from a bomb (disguised as a computer chip) and everyone sees that it explodes. THEY ALL GET MAD BECAUSE NO ONE REALIZED IT WAS A BOMB...EVEN THOUGH THEY ALL SAW IT EXPLODE...HOW CAN THAT BE A THING. Then the guy who betrays them shows up and shouts out that he betrayed them???? COME ON. I can't stand to watch any more of this crap.

Kitsch, Brutal, poignant and awesome even if there were a few too many episodes.

[GiraffeDoor · 8/10 · 31 May 2019]

I'm thoroughly glad I found this show. I picked it out of a list of Japanese cartoons on some website because it had "wonderland" in the title and I'm really into "Alice and Wonderland".

A story of immense humor, brutality and pathos, I'm a little disappointed that it stopped at one season but I have made a point of just reading all the comics one day. One day...

It really hits the ground running in a way that i was not totally prepared for; our protagonist is thrown into a desperate situation by seemingly no fault of his own into the amazing concept of a prison contrived into some kind of macabre reality TV show.

The whole thing uses an aesthetic of carnivalian grotesquery where lurid colours and stuffed animals are the gate way to execution by combat and weaponized blood. A full spectrum of characters convey the sinister and adorable (even at the same time); the design and execution of the world we are invited to is formidable, vivid and dazzlingly well imagined.

Our hero is a simple, cute little boy; the type Germaine Greer Dreams of. He's not too tough or macho, he's just an innocent thing, framed for something he didn't do, having to deal with a horrific situation. We have an excellent deuteragonist too but I want to leave that a surprise but suffice to say, I think you could watch the show just for them.

Not a comedy...well no more than any other Japanimation. But done with verve and whimsy. You're in a dark yet kitsch world that only relents for moments that will near enough tug at the heart as we dig deeper into this mystery.

The theme song is badass. It's not that genre most japanimation themes seem to come under (in my limited experience of them). It's some kind of alternative metal thing and it's awesomely done.

On the negative side, I think there are too many episodes for the story they're trying to tell and it feels a bit repetitive by the end but I know that's the executives fault, not the writers. My numerical rating is more of an averaging out of its episodes. It just gets tiring after a point.

Treat yourself to this brilliant piece of sugary terror.

Amazingly Original!

[mercfma · 10/10 · 4 May 2014]

I've never seen a show with this sick twisted concept, if you like blood, action, and sick fight scenes with amazing story line you'll love this show. I absolutely loved this show!! Its just out of the normal of a show, you just can't not love it. My only complaint is the main character, Ganta's voice over is pretty bad but i got use to it after episode 2-3ish. I REALLY want to see a season two, i don't understand why they didn't make it. This show has a lot of potential. I've also read the entire series of the manga, and its pretty good although i do feel the last few chapters were definitely rushed, to just finish the series. So i wont lie the ending wasn't done that well it was a bit confusing and i had to re read several times to make sure i knew what was going on, but if you really liked the anime i advise reading the manga to the end so it at least wraps up the story for you. People say there supper different but in actuality there minor differences and what wasn't shown in the anime at the same time as the manga could easily be added in the anime through a number of ways so ignore those people.

Overall Anime: I said 10/10 but thats due to me wanting a second season In actuality for the English dub version i have to say 4.5/5, due to Ganta's voice over just not fitting well at all.(I've heard from many that subed voice over are much better)(Praying for a second season!)

Overall Manga: 4/5, Ending seemed really rushed. But well enough that it gave closure to the series and wasn't to bad, for fans of the show i'd have to almost guarantee you'd be content with the ending.

Pretty good ,but needs a season 2

[saadurrehman70 · 9/10 · 7 August 2020]

I absolutely loved the anger of Ganta ,the falsely convicted young boy protagonist , at this wretched madhouse of a prison called Deadman Wonderland , and it was so emotional to see him cope with all the madness and cruelties , but since there are so many characters with unresolved goals and intentions ,this anime desperately needs a continuation!