REVIEW: ‘takt op.Destiny,’ Episode 2 – “Music -Reincarnation”

We can always count on MAPPA and MADHOUSE for gorgeous-looking anime, and takt op.Destiny Episode 2 certainly doesn’t disappoint. The anime original follows Takt, Collette and Anne as they travel across North America in the future in a sci-fi road trip to New York City. The world has been ransacked by otherworldly beings known as D2s, because the creatures react violently to the sounds and rhythms created by humans, music is all but lost to society. The only way to fight back is through the powers of Musicarts, beings who can harness these sounds, and their Conductors, of which Cosette and Takt are an oddball team.

After the basic world-building and character introductions from last episode, takt op.Destiny Episode 2 jumps back in time to show how this road trip to NYC began. It works well, sometimes long flashbacks can be a hindrance, but in this case it adds a lot of emotional weight and explanation. The initial odd couple comedy between Takt and Cosette in the first episode is given a darker context and explains Takt’s specific resentment for Musicarts. While Takt isn’t a drastically different person in the flashback, it is enough to be significant. The key element is how much growth we see for his character in the span of one episode, Cosette is slowly pulling him out of his shell. When tragedy strikes and he slams those walls back up, viewers will feel it. Seeing him slowly grow in his feelings for Cosette, from seeing her as a childhood friend to possibly something more, is subtle and refreshing. It feels very natural and realistic, even amidst the threat of aliens and societal ban on music.

The animation is stellar. The studios focus on the little details, which are so important in a show centered around music. Fingers fluidly move across piano keys, or a wrist smoothly flicks while holding a conductor baton. The use of color is also significant. Takt often dresses in grey, and the garage he locks himself away in to play piano seems fairly devoid of color. This is significantly contrasted by the light Cosette and Anne bring into his life. This is not just in their actions, but how they dress, how their house is decorated, and the music Cosette plays. It is smart sound design that is so crucial to make this story succeed.

If I had one tiny gripe, its that I wish that there were different gender pairings between Conductors and Musicarts. As far as I can tell, it is exclusively girls and women that can become Musicarts, which can get a bit uncomfortable in the greater context of them being used as weapons. It will be interesting to see if the show chooses to address this dynamic more since it is still very early on in the story.

takt op.Destiny Episode 2 begins a successful flashback arc that provides emotional weight and context for the character dynamics we witnessed in Episode 1. The animation continues to be beautiful, as well as detailed. This attention to detail expands to multiple elements of design in the show, making it feel like a full package experience very early on.

takt op. Destiny is streaming now on Crunchyroll, with new episodes premiering Tuesdays.