Yatterman Night (Review)

Several generations after the original Yatterman series, Leopard lives with her mother and guardians, Dorothy, Voltkatze, and Elephantus, just outside the prosperous Yatter Kingdom. She lives a happy if impoverished life, unaware of her ancestral ties to the infamous Doronbow Gang, until she discovers a mural of Doronjo, Boyacky, and Tonzura in a sealed off area of her home. It turns out that Dorothy, Voltkatze, and Elephantus are descendants of the villainous gangsters, which is why they have been forbidden from entering the hero Yatterman's Kingdom! At first, Leopard vows to never engage in villainous actions like her ancestors, but new circumstances may mean that she must go back on her word, donning the identity of villain in search of true justice.

I was a fan of the original Yatterman anime growing up as kid. The old school anime shows have a very special place in my heart. When I heard that this beloved franchise was getting a sequel I admit I was skeptical. Yatterman Night follows the story of the descendants of the antagonist from the previous show the Dornobow gang. I actually like this approach because it was something I wasn't expecting. It's rare to see a show do these from the perspective of the family of the villains. Watching this made me question who actually is the villain in all of this. The descendants of Dornobow gang have been cast out and place in isolation. When we're first introduce to the characters you have a real connection to them. You feel sorry for them that they have to pay the price for the deeds of something they weren't even around to take part of. This seen mostly through the eyes of Leopard who is the main protagonist in this story. Leopard was brought believing in the goodness of Yatterman and was kept in the dark of her true ancestry. It's when a situation happens with Leopard mother and she seeks help and doesn't get it is when she embraces the mantel of the Dornobow gang. If the story kept with this serious tone that it established in the first few episodes it would have been refreshing. However the tone of the show is the biggest fault I have with it. Characters are presented with situations, story arcs in a serious tone one minute and the next it's goofy and takes away from what is established. The inconsistency of characters and tone really hurt the anime. I will say that it does have it's fun moments but with the miss balance of tone it's hard to get a connection from the characters. 

The animation and the voicework does this franchise justice. The soundtrack is the just the right fit for the Yatterman universe and I find myself listening to the opening theme repeatedly. The cast is great Eri Kitamura does a great job playing Leopard. She adds more depth with her performance giving us something lighthearted to what would have been a serious character. Overall Yatterman Night has some good things and some bad things. However the inconsistency in tone really brings the anime down. It has a solid cast, animation and music which is saving grace but the show disappoints.

Final Grade: 2.5/5 Stars