Episode 1 of Battle in 5 Seconds lives up to the series name, and it is glorious. If you love anime that gets right to the point, then Battle in 5 Seconds is a must-watch.
Violence Right Out The Gate
The audience meets the main character, Akira, for a couple of minutes at most before violence ensues. We learn right off the bat he’s a genius at his school and is growing bored with everyday life. Out of nowhere, Akira is chased down by a man after he leaves his house.
He goes into full big-brain mode and leads him to an abandoned building to where he ends it quickly. I won’t spoil how he does it. Just know, it’s brutal and it does the name of the show justice. So go watch it.
Akira is then met by Mion, the main antagonist. From there on, the game begins.
Rules Explained, Characters Introduced
An array of characters is given an introduction in the middle of the episode. Mion explains the situation.
Every contestant in the game is dead in the eyes of society, and each one now has special abilities. They have no freedoms or rights anymore. They only have the rules of the game and the rules are rather simple:
- Everyone is in handcuffs. When the light goes from red to green on their handcuffs, five seconds will count down before they release. This will let contestants use their abilities to fight.
- Contestants are free to use their abilities to cause harm or death to other contestants.
That’s it.
Akira’s Ability
Again, this episode wasted no time getting into the details. The first round of the game is classic 1v1 duels. Akira’s opponent, Kirisaki, a delinquent, seems to be able to transform objects. Nothing more was explained.
But Akira’s ability is more complicated.
In short, he has the power of illusion. Mion actually explains his ability perfectly for the audience, “He needs to arrange the right timing to voice the ability to his opponent and create an environment where they’ll believe it.”
Next Week’s Battle
Akira and Kirisaki’s battle end rather quickly leaving us hyped for the next battle to come. We’ll be watching Yuri, a high school girl and main female protagonist, fight. What are her abilities? We have no idea. But the previews look epic.
Battle in 5 Seconds episode 2 will air July 19 on Crunchyroll.
So, what did you think of the whacky and violent series premiere of Battle in 5 Seconds with episode 1? If you thought it was worthy of a top-10 spot, then make sure to vote for it in our weekly poll!
All images via Crunchyroll
© 2021 みやこかしわ，はらわたさいぞう，小学館/出会って5秒でバトル製作委員会
