The first 7-8 episodes felt like a video game tutorial. A lot of exposition and a lot of rules and world building. After that it transitions more towards character development and that is when the story gets going.
This show is nothing special yet but it could become pretty good in the next couple of seasons.
Worth a watch if you dont have anything else.
84 Reviews
A gripping and brutal horror/survival story filled with intrigue and mystery
IonicBreezeMachine27 February 2021
16 year old Yuri Honjo finds herself trapped in a world of high rise buildings connected via suspensions bridges with no access to the ground and hunted by sinister characters called Masks. Yuri must now try to survive this world by gathering allies, finding her brother, and unraveling the secrets behind this world.
The latest in Netflix's stable of original anime productions, High-Rise Invasion is an adaptation of the Manga series of the same name published from 2013-2019. I'm pleased to say the end result is an engrossing horror thriller with a rich hook that keeps viewer engagement throughout its run.
As the show begins we're very much in the same position as Yuri Honjo. We're trapped along side her in these tall skyscrapers that seem to serve no practical purpose with no idea where we are or why. It isn't long before Yuri is unfortunate enough to meet the denizens of this world consisting of not only people like her who are as confused and scared as she is, but also the "Masks" whose purpose isn't to kill people in this world but drive them to a mental and physical state where their targets want to kill themselves. It's a horrifying idea and makes the stakes feel as high as the altitude of the titular high rises. Along side the Masks, Yuri also comes into contact with people who were once normal but have embraced the savagery and brutality of this world leading to interesting moral dilemmas Yuri is put into where she must determine what she'll do to survive. Tying all these points together is a solid mystery where questions are answered every episode, but the answers often lead to even more questions. My one gripe was what I felt was a bit too much "fan service", but aside from that small point I enjoyed everything else.
High-Rise Invasion is a solid horror/mystery series where the brutal and savage violence is complemented by rich characters, a solid mystery, and interesting explorations on the price of survival. Highly recommended.
The latest in Netflix's stable of original anime productions, High-Rise Invasion is an adaptation of the Manga series of the same name published from 2013-2019. I'm pleased to say the end result is an engrossing horror thriller with a rich hook that keeps viewer engagement throughout its run.
As the show begins we're very much in the same position as Yuri Honjo. We're trapped along side her in these tall skyscrapers that seem to serve no practical purpose with no idea where we are or why. It isn't long before Yuri is unfortunate enough to meet the denizens of this world consisting of not only people like her who are as confused and scared as she is, but also the "Masks" whose purpose isn't to kill people in this world but drive them to a mental and physical state where their targets want to kill themselves. It's a horrifying idea and makes the stakes feel as high as the altitude of the titular high rises. Along side the Masks, Yuri also comes into contact with people who were once normal but have embraced the savagery and brutality of this world leading to interesting moral dilemmas Yuri is put into where she must determine what she'll do to survive. Tying all these points together is a solid mystery where questions are answered every episode, but the answers often lead to even more questions. My one gripe was what I felt was a bit too much "fan service", but aside from that small point I enjoyed everything else.
High-Rise Invasion is a solid horror/mystery series where the brutal and savage violence is complemented by rich characters, a solid mystery, and interesting explorations on the price of survival. Highly recommended.
Weak plot, unimpressive characters, shoehorned tropes.
dameon_green6 March 2021
Cookie cutter characters, excessive and uninspired "Fan Service", below average musical score and a complete lack of drama highlight some of the major flaws in the cliched filled mess that is one of the most bland and unengaging show in 2021.
Overall it feels like a substandard Battle Royal style anime and it lacks originality to make it worth the slog.
This review seems to fly in the face of the majority of the currently posted ones, but have to be the dissenting voice this time around.
Pro's:
Con's:
Overall it feels like a substandard Battle Royal style anime and it lacks originality to make it worth the slog.
This review seems to fly in the face of the majority of the currently posted ones, but have to be the dissenting voice this time around.
Pro's:
- English Dubbing.
Con's:
- Predictable plot.
- Uninspired characters.
- Episode titles that lack imagination.
- Substandard "Fan Service".
- Inconsistent animation quality.
- High cheese factor (in a bad way).
- Excessive trope use.
It's okay-ish
nodlimax3 April 2021
The show is overall mostly enjoyable to watch. It has some action and the animation as well as the voice cast are okay.
The story and the power levels are rather inconsistent though. Characters go from overwhelmingly powerful to very weak within a matter of seconds at times which then conveniently pushes the story into the desired direction. So it doesn't feel natural.
Also the main character seems to be strangely unaffected by the aspect of having to murder people which then means I can't see her as person.
Anyway this anime is the kind you watch once, probably enjoy it for what it is and then you most likely will quickly forget it even existed.
The story and the power levels are rather inconsistent though. Characters go from overwhelmingly powerful to very weak within a matter of seconds at times which then conveniently pushes the story into the desired direction. So it doesn't feel natural.
Also the main character seems to be strangely unaffected by the aspect of having to murder people which then means I can't see her as person.
Anyway this anime is the kind you watch once, probably enjoy it for what it is and then you most likely will quickly forget it even existed.
Everything you could ask for from an adult anime
amsterdamien26 February 2021
It kept me stuck all the way through. Very entertaining and violent with tons of blood. Mixed well with elements of comedy and drama. Kind of a mix between Alice in Borderland and Highschool of the Dead, but definitely has its own identity. Likeable characters with good development. Definitely not for the fainthearted and children
Better than a kick in the hole, but not by much
beanslegit3 June 2021
Anime fans tend to either love something absolutely or despise it's very essence. That said I totally understand both arguments here.
On one hand this show is fairly entertaining with a unique (if completely bonkers) setting and plot, and it chugs along at a fair pace mostly.
On the other hand it's a complete narrative mess with so many characters that that none of them stand out. The story is all over the place and at times just plain badly written. The voice acting at times is just atroc
5/10 that being that it's okay. It took up a few evenings for me and I was curious to see what ridiculous thing would happen next. Definitely don't take this one very seriously and you'll get some laughs and some gory deaths if that's your bag baby.
On one hand this show is fairly entertaining with a unique (if completely bonkers) setting and plot, and it chugs along at a fair pace mostly.
On the other hand it's a complete narrative mess with so many characters that that none of them stand out. The story is all over the place and at times just plain badly written. The voice acting at times is just atroc
5/10 that being that it's okay. It took up a few evenings for me and I was curious to see what ridiculous thing would happen next. Definitely don't take this one very seriously and you'll get some laughs and some gory deaths if that's your bag baby.
Fairly standard fare.
jonfmac27 February 2021
This anime is unexceptional in any way but is passable fare. Given the rules of this fantasy world, everything is consistent. The characters are engaging but somewhat shallow. Don't expect any backstory or explanation for why the characters find themselves in the situation that they find themselves. The pacing is consistent enough to keep you engaged but season one ends unsatisfactorily, just like it was just another episode with lots of action but little consistent direction. The music track is consistent with the anime quality which is a little lower than the Japanese norm. Still overall, a great time waster if there's nothing else on.... And the girls are cute. North Americans will be the most likely to find engagement as there a no plot challenges, requirements to think or reflect, and little drama, in spite of the carnage. Just good old fashioned action not requiring an explanation or reason for being.
I expect nothing but 10/10 reviews for this Anime
nrgigaba26 February 2021
Made my day🔥🔥🔥Waiting for SEASON 2
tarpandas-970621 March 2021
I loved it from the first episode
iliashelpa25 February 2021
Everything you could ask for from a high-quality adult anime
Filmiarvustus29 March 2021
"High-Rise Invasion" is a fantasy mystery, where a 16-year-old Yuri Honjo finds herself trapped in a world of high-rise buildings connected via suspension bridges with no access to the ground while being hunted by sinister characters called Masks. Yuri must now try to survive this world by gathering allies, finding her brother, and unraveling the secrets behind this world. This is a gripping and brutal horror-survival story filled with intrigue, fan service, and mystery. The brutal and savage violence is complemented by rich characters, a solid narrative, and interesting explorations. We get very little details and depth on anything, so the focus is on blood, action, and drama. The show is a mix between Alice in Borderland and Highschool of the Dead but definitely has its own identity. Just good old-fashioned action not requiring an explanation or reason for being.
straight to the point, funny, but over-sexualised
maheerah19 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The anime was good and had a great plot line. The entire time I was at the edge of my seat and I liked the way they introduced the characters one by one. More kept adding to the plot line which was great, but the wya it was added could have been a lot better.
The characters themselves don't have backstories and if it does show a little, it just didn't get into it enough. It was a 12 episode anime, so I guess there wasn't enough time to fit their backstories into the anime, but the plot was definitely there. Just the execution of this plot could have come out a lot better than it did.
Another thing is that the women in the anime were mostly badass, but they were just so sexualised. It was awkward seeing a cool character have her panties constantly shown. AKA Yuri. Mayu's bra showing the whole time was alright, but when they showed her panties, too without any reason it was just weird.
It was also so random when the master buried his face in yayoi's breasts for no reason.
The characters themselves don't have backstories and if it does show a little, it just didn't get into it enough. It was a 12 episode anime, so I guess there wasn't enough time to fit their backstories into the anime, but the plot was definitely there. Just the execution of this plot could have come out a lot better than it did.
Another thing is that the women in the anime were mostly badass, but they were just so sexualised. It was awkward seeing a cool character have her panties constantly shown. AKA Yuri. Mayu's bra showing the whole time was alright, but when they showed her panties, too without any reason it was just weird.
It was also so random when the master buried his face in yayoi's breasts for no reason.
WORTH THE WATCH
nellybeaar23 March 2021
Worth a binge watch
billkmc27 March 2021
I sat down to watch this anime thinking I would watch one episode and see if it was any good, In the early hours of the morning I realised I was on the last episode. I won't give any spoilers but this is a fantastic show with a great combination of humour and action. Definitely a show I will be watching again.
Plain and Plot-less but Good Enough
schanzaysohail13 April 2021
Lacks plot, kinda plain but enjoyable. It way too fast very single episode there's various new things, new characters, new abilities. I'm used to this so it was easy for me to catch up but them put 130+ chapters into a 12 episode show wasn't right they could've easily dragged it. You don't expect much from anime's by netflix usual half-naked girls bad ass girls. The character development was kinda boring too but i guess if you're looking for an anime to binge watch and pass time this is it.
An abomination
fall198225 March 2021
No character development
hugohersel22 March 2021
When magically transported to a another realm, where a group of villains want to force you to the edge and try to get you to commit suicide, one of course continues to be a happy high school girl. No trauma at being in such a predicament, no worry and doubt. Just instant being a supper shot and unbeatable knife warrior.
If you like the characters to grow, skip this.
If you like the characters to grow, skip this.
Dumb
Number_One_Birdlawyer11 April 2021
As I sit here watching this with my teenage daughter, who loves all things anime, we mostly just laugh at the absurdity. At one point, I had to ask if this was perhaps the first AI generated script of our time. Crap writing, crap story, DUMB characters, and completely ridiculous with the gratuitous panty and bra shots. Then again, I'm 36 so maybe this appeals to teenage boys? 4 stars because it's made me laugh.
enjoyable
jespervanvoorst-838796 March 2021
It is a good series when you turn your brain of and want an easy watch. Dont expect a series with an insane plot or amazing characters. The series itself on the other hand is internally consistent and the animation is great. Its only lacking a bit in the plot and character department
Has a lot of potential
robertnichols-335106 December 2021
Like the headline states has a lot of potential the show overall plot and setup is good but it feels like they didn't know if they wanted to be a serious horror or a kids show honestly if they dial down the silly side of it then it could have been masterpiece but it was these elements that made a lot of scenes feel very cringey and overall took away the horror feel all together throughout the show. Overall I hope it ends up with a second season just hopefully they fix those issues when or if they get a second season.
The Acting though...
georgepigisraj9 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Don't get Me Wrong The Story for this Show IS AMAZING AND it's really fresh And unique, But the Way they Made these Charecters Respond to certain situations was just... A HUGE let down. I Mean for Anyone that's seen this show, You Know exactly what I mean. For example, The main protagonist Wakes Up On a Series Of tall buildings Out Of no wehere Which is already scary enough for someone to Be LOSING their Mind, Like just imagine, You Are Comfortably Sleeping At your House and BOOM Your On top of a Building with NO possible way to escape it. But here's when things get worse, some time after waking up on these buildings She then witnesses A Masked MURDER LITTERALLY make someone so helpless that they Jumped off one of the buildings because they didn't want to get killed by the killer. Now The Main charecter seems Kind of shocked and scared, BUT NOT nearly As much as how a Normal Person would react in this situation. I Mean, Just IMAGINE That Happening to you, how Woukd you React! And Litterally after the main charecter see's all this happening in a matter of minutes, Instead Of Freaking Out and recuperating herself she Starts Acting All courageous And says That she's Willing to survive at all costs Like she's Been through this type of ordeal from Before. LIKE WHAT!!??! Your On these Huge skyscrapers filled with masked Killers and a few minutes In your Ready To Start Exploring these Buildings And Continue with your day!? Now don't get me wrong I Loved the story but the Really Artificial Un-realistic acting kind of Ruined the show for me.
It was cool
zealioussplash26 February 2021
Wish The Action Scenes were Longer and Better
Movi3DO9 March 2021
A new anime series from Netflix. A girl got thrown into an alternate world with masked killers and now she and her new friends had to get out and return to the real world.
What I liked about the series was the premise. It's not the most unique as Netflix just released a series similar to this called "Alice in Borderland." However, there's still good enough world building and competition to make me invested. Some of the characters were also good. The sniper character was very cool and I was invested in his story of rediscovering his identity. Also for most action scenes there was one musical score used, and the score was quite dope and gave some excitement to the fight.
However, this series has many problems. Even though the animation was pretty good, the actions were mostly boring and ended too quickly. This took away the rush and excitement at the beginning of each fight. There were too many characters for only 12 episodes, with many were irrelevant and some just popped up out of nowhere. There wasn't enough time to invest in this many characters. Also, the main protagonist was pretty bland and generic for a shounen. There wasn't anything unique to her character.
Overall, it's an alright action horror fantasy anime, but I still look forward to season 2. 6/10
What I liked about the series was the premise. It's not the most unique as Netflix just released a series similar to this called "Alice in Borderland." However, there's still good enough world building and competition to make me invested. Some of the characters were also good. The sniper character was very cool and I was invested in his story of rediscovering his identity. Also for most action scenes there was one musical score used, and the score was quite dope and gave some excitement to the fight.
However, this series has many problems. Even though the animation was pretty good, the actions were mostly boring and ended too quickly. This took away the rush and excitement at the beginning of each fight. There were too many characters for only 12 episodes, with many were irrelevant and some just popped up out of nowhere. There wasn't enough time to invest in this many characters. Also, the main protagonist was pretty bland and generic for a shounen. There wasn't anything unique to her character.
Overall, it's an alright action horror fantasy anime, but I still look forward to season 2. 6/10
Great Concept Average Execution
zwjonas16 June 2022
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