I really enjoyed reading this. What stayed with me most wasn’t only the themes of war or discrimination, but how carefully you showed that 86 is ultimately about recognizing another person’s humanity.
I also loved your observations about the contrast between intense battle scenes and moments of quiet. Those peaceful moments made the emotional weight even stronger.
Thank you for reading and for sharing this appreciative comment 💜. We completely agree that the questions around how we keep or lose our humanity is at the heart of this story. We’ll be writing more about that in our longer piece.
And like you, we also believe that moments of quiet are so impactful because they enable the viewer to digest and respond to what they are experiencing. ✨
This is a beautiful and deeply insightful review! You completely captured the essence of 86 Eighty-Six. The final episode gets me emotional no matter how many times I rewatch it. As an anime fan, I especially love how you highlighted the brilliant soundtrack. The way Hiroyuki Sawano's music elevates the desperate struggle of humanity against an overwhelming, absolute threat is just masterful—much like his work in Attack on Titan or Aldnoah.Zero. The premise of 86 actually reminds me of classic Japanese sci-fi masterpieces that depict humanity on the brink against an absolute enemy, like Zegapain, Fafner in the Azure, Muv-Luv Alternative, and Gunparade March. For anyone who loves that deep, high-stakes military tension, 86 is an absolute triumph. Thank you for this incredible write-up! 🎧🔥
We appreciate this comment so much 💜 and especially to hear from another fan of this incredible soundtrack.
I watched this again shortly before the licensing was lost and my skin started crawling in the first 30 seconds. It was like my body was viscerally responding to what it knew was coming. And as much as I love the ending, it is Fido’s montage of footage when they have to leave him and Theo’s outburst to Lena earlier when one of the 86 dies that gets me every time.
And thank you for including those additional anime. It helps us keep making connections the more are shared. 💜
A long essay on 86 Eighty-Six is coming in 3 weeks so looking forward to your thoughts on that!
Your article has reminded me of many things I forgot about this series, or rather, things I was only unconsciously aware of. Your descriptions of the "sterile...hypocrisy" of Lena's world, the omnipresent "resetting hope" of the natural world, and the emphasis on just how lean and mean the narrative is (no fat to trim) are all convincing me I should return to the story and finally finish it. I remember vividly being gripped by Lena and the Reaper's audio-only exchanges, both during combat and during downtime. The show manages those tone shifts with surgical precision. Terrific insights and summary (like always)!
When I first watched 86, it didn't really make much of an impact on me. Then I rewatched it. And rewatched it again. It really grew on me! There's actually a LOT to appreciate in it.
As you touched on, one of its major fortes is in its visuals. If you pay close enough attention, there's a lot of clever cinematography done between shots. Hmm... I may need to dig up that analysis/appreciation piece of 86 that I never got around to publish...
I really enjoyed reading this. What stayed with me most wasn’t only the themes of war or discrimination, but how carefully you showed that 86 is ultimately about recognizing another person’s humanity.
I also loved your observations about the contrast between intense battle scenes and moments of quiet. Those peaceful moments made the emotional weight even stronger.
Thank you for another thoughtful essay. 💜
Thank you for reading and for sharing this appreciative comment 💜. We completely agree that the questions around how we keep or lose our humanity is at the heart of this story. We’ll be writing more about that in our longer piece.
And like you, we also believe that moments of quiet are so impactful because they enable the viewer to digest and respond to what they are experiencing. ✨
This is a beautiful and deeply insightful review! You completely captured the essence of 86 Eighty-Six. The final episode gets me emotional no matter how many times I rewatch it. As an anime fan, I especially love how you highlighted the brilliant soundtrack. The way Hiroyuki Sawano's music elevates the desperate struggle of humanity against an overwhelming, absolute threat is just masterful—much like his work in Attack on Titan or Aldnoah.Zero. The premise of 86 actually reminds me of classic Japanese sci-fi masterpieces that depict humanity on the brink against an absolute enemy, like Zegapain, Fafner in the Azure, Muv-Luv Alternative, and Gunparade March. For anyone who loves that deep, high-stakes military tension, 86 is an absolute triumph. Thank you for this incredible write-up! 🎧🔥
We appreciate this comment so much 💜 and especially to hear from another fan of this incredible soundtrack.
I watched this again shortly before the licensing was lost and my skin started crawling in the first 30 seconds. It was like my body was viscerally responding to what it knew was coming. And as much as I love the ending, it is Fido’s montage of footage when they have to leave him and Theo’s outburst to Lena earlier when one of the 86 dies that gets me every time.
And thank you for including those additional anime. It helps us keep making connections the more are shared. 💜
A long essay on 86 Eighty-Six is coming in 3 weeks so looking forward to your thoughts on that!
Your article has reminded me of many things I forgot about this series, or rather, things I was only unconsciously aware of. Your descriptions of the "sterile...hypocrisy" of Lena's world, the omnipresent "resetting hope" of the natural world, and the emphasis on just how lean and mean the narrative is (no fat to trim) are all convincing me I should return to the story and finally finish it. I remember vividly being gripped by Lena and the Reaper's audio-only exchanges, both during combat and during downtime. The show manages those tone shifts with surgical precision. Terrific insights and summary (like always)!
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment, and it makes us happy that the piece resonated. 💜
I joked with my writing partner how many edits we made in this piece and she said she was just so excited about it. 🤭
You both covered so many intricate details and developments in the show deftly in this piece :) Thanks again!
When I first watched 86, it didn't really make much of an impact on me. Then I rewatched it. And rewatched it again. It really grew on me! There's actually a LOT to appreciate in it.
As you touched on, one of its major fortes is in its visuals. If you pay close enough attention, there's a lot of clever cinematography done between shots. Hmm... I may need to dig up that analysis/appreciation piece of 86 that I never got around to publish...
Thanks for the read, you two! 💙
Thank you for the thoughtful comment! We definitely hear that 86 Eighty-Six brings up a range of responses. 🥹
We appreciate you giving the post a read. 💜
And we wholeheartedly support you digging up writing about this anime. 🤭