Review: Towa no Quon
Title: Towa no Quon (トワノクオン)
Release date: 18th June 2011
Studio: Bones
Director: Umanosuke Iida
Writer: Masashi Sogo
Towa no Quon is a series split into six one hour long films released in Japanese theatres mid 2011. They follow the struggles of Quon, a young man with extraordinary abilities channelled into a form known as Insania and the band of children who possess similar powers living under his protection from an organisation known as Custos, a group intent on wiping out these super powered people before they can infect and destroy humanity.
Set in a futuristic Japan, Quon struggles to find and protect the increasing numbers of ‘Attractors’, young people who possess amazing and deadly super human abilities putting himself between the armed forces of Custos and their crack team of Cybernetic soldiers but for all his effort the organisation is getting stronger and events are set in motion when the weight and fatigue of a millenia of existence, guilt and loss begin to take their toll on his spirit.
Initially you can draw some parallels between Towa no Quon and the X-Men series, groups of super power abilities/mutations hunted down by society and pushed to the point of breaking while trying to not only control their powers but find a place that they can live in without fear. Towa no Quon does not go down the same path as Marvel’s X-Men, mainstream society is for the most part unaware of the Attractors, the Custos organisation operates in secret covering up the appearance of these people with bogus information and staged accidents, preferring to carry out it’s work of elimination away from the prying eyes of the public and media.
Towa no Quon opens with the first film as Quon encounters a young girl who he believes possesses and ability of her own and you’d be forgiven for thinking the series will be all about this new girl Kiri (Kitty Pryde?) finding her place in this new world and coming to terms with her powers. Towa no Quon doesn’t have the luxury of a hundred episodes to deal with all that and instead you are drawn and dragged along for an intense ride, pushed into close quarters with deadly cyborg soldiers as the story unfurls rapidly in front of you and it becomes clearer that there is more at work in the shadows and Quon and his friends are in more danger than first realised.
Can Quon overcome his own guilt and protect those he has hidden from the Custos? Who is this Shun and what secrets does the latest member of of WTOC (Weaponised Terminator of Custos) keep buried in his sub-conscious?
Split into six one hour films, the pace of the series is pretty rushed and as a result you won’t be able to learn much about the others who aid Quon in his endeavours to hide and protect the Attractors instead the series focuses on Quon. That focus is never shifted from him, the actions of others, his allies and enemies are all centred around him and it works, as he reacts and the story is urged on, waiting for his next move. This manifests itself across the six episodes with many of his allies feeling completely useless and vulnerable when Quon is not there to guide them similarly his enemies wait and react to his every move, preferring to see what move he will make in the hopes of capturing and eliminating him. While it was a wise move shining the spotlight on Quon, you can’t help but feel you’re missing out on something as the lives and personalities of the other Attractors are hinted at with quick flashbacks or muttered words and in particular the lives of telepath Tei and speedster Yuri peak interest at different points of the story.
The hurried pace in the story also carries through the character development but you can’t help but be drawn into their world and while Quon is our focus, Shun and his secrets and relationships are given their own moments in the spotlight and he sees the most of amount of growth over the six films as he comes to terms with his own past.
The animation in Towa no Quon can’t go without mention and the films are certainly not short of intense battles and special effects, in particular Quon’s transformation scenes from his human body to that of Insania are a visual feast for the eyes and the first time it happens you might find yourself tingling with goosebumps. The Anime employs the use of a lot of colour, in particular the home of the Attractors is a bright and colourful building offering a sense of life, home and happiness and is starkly contrasted with the dark and clinical operation room of the Custos.
As said above it’s not hard to see similarities between Towa no Quon and the X-Men series and any fan of Marvels mutants or any super powered teams will find that these films are just as appealing and moving. That said for anyone looking for something new that offers both action and heart can add Towa no Quon to the list, six hours of adventure, chaos and mystery fly by as you just begin to engage with it. This series is definitely worth checking out for any Anime fan!
[easyreview title=”The Arcade Verdict” cat1title=”Story” cat1detail=”Split cross six episodes, it is rushed but still engaging and will draw you in!” cat1rating=”7.5″ cat2title=”Animation” cat2detail=”Some brilliant fight scenes executed perfectly, a great blend of traditional animation and computer effects!” cat2rating=”9″ cat3title=”Music” cat3detail=”Given the focus of the first two episodes would have expected more!” cat3rating=”5″ overall=”true”]
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
