Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Anime » REVIEW: ‘Spriggan’ Brings Chaos and Thrilling Action

REVIEW: ‘Spriggan’ Brings Chaos and Thrilling Action

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez06/19/20224 Mins ReadUpdated:06/20/2022
Spriggan - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Spriggan - But Why Tho

Netflix Anime has been hitting it out of the park, with the new IP it’s landed and the remakes of existing ones as well. Spriggan may be new in anime series form (a feature film anime adaptation came in 1998), but the manga from author Hiroshi Takashige and illustrator Ryōji Minagawa is over 30 years old with the first chapters released in 1989. The balancing of 90s storytelling with 2022 expectations and technology is a rough one, but one that Spriggan mostly handles fine, ebbing and flowing between “oh no honey what are you doing” and “oh that actually works.”

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

To start things off Spriggan is produced by David Productions (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Diamond is Unbreakable) and is directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi. While this science fiction story deals with themes and historical events from reality, much of the constructed timeline is off—in an Ancient Aliens kind of way. In Spriggan, a great civilization once existed on this Earth. They possessed knowledge and scientific prowess which far exceeded that of modern man. This power was hidden in relics of this ancient civilization across this world.

As high-speed communications networks begin to cover the globe, satellites begin to expose all, leading the armies of great nations to clash as they seek to uncover and research these artifacts and claim an unfathomable “power.” But, with a message left in the ruins of the ancient civilization stating to “Protect our legacy from evildoers,” ARCAM is formed. A secret organization with one goal: to seal away the ancient powers for good. Known as Spriggans, the elite ARCAM agents track down evil, the relics, and more across the world for six episodes, with Yuu Ominae as one of the strongest and youngest among them.

Spriggan brings globetrotting adventure, some thrilling action sequences, and a lot of violence that doesn’t pull any punch. While the bulk of the animation is done in 2D and embodies that early 90s shonen aesthetic (for better and worse), the action sequences come to life with a small 3D addition that makes the fighting field come to life in an exciting way. Strong and powerful, each action animation sequence only gets better as the episodes go one. With super power, super suits, and a bunch of blood, the fight sequences are the best work of the series as a whole. While the bulk of the episodes feel flat and slightly too slow in the animation speed, the action moments are true highlights and worth watching on their own. But I mean, I expect no less from the studio behind multiple seasons of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.

That said, the sheer scale of Spriggan’s story makes the pacing absolutely chaotic—only one-uped by the nefarious plans of the people they’re trying to stop, a hot lead that is apparently a lycanthrope that only transforms when he sees his own blood, and a crystal skull that is of course linked to fascist assholes trying to bring around the Fourth Reich. It’s a lot. And in much of the execution, it’s a real mess, especially when you bring in the fact that the badass spriggan you’ve been following that is the best of the best, Ominae, is a high school kid.

Yes, a high school kid. So you get moments of fighting nazis with a crystal skull cut away to high school drama. The tonal dissonance between scenes is hard to overcome with the high school elements feeling absolutely out of place and a slog compared to the fast-paced fight sequences and danger in the mission segments of the episodes.

Another characteristic of the series is how much the 90s is blended with today. From overall aesthetic to the opening theme song, it’s all throwback—and so is the weird choices made in dialogue. Had the series pushed hard in on the nostalgia of 90s shonen animation, there may have been one cohesive story; but instead, there are bits of the contemporary world worked in, like social media and other everyday technology that feel extremely out of place.

While Spriggan is a muddled assembly of great action, conspiracy theories, and high school drama, it is a fun and wild watch. The action sequences alone are a bloody good time and the absurdity is something that, when embraced, can work. Messy, uneven, and ultimately a nostalgic note for past anime, Spriggan may not be worth a binge right away but if you find yourself with three hours to kill and are looking for chaos, go ahead and hit play.

Spriggan is available now, exclusively on Netflix.

Spriggan
  • 6/10
    Rating - 6/10
6/10

TL;DR

While Spriggan is a muddled assembly of great action, conspiracy theories, and high school drama, it is a fun and wild watch. The action sequences alone are a bloody good time and the absurdity is something that when embraced, can work. Messy, uneven, and ultimately a nostalgic note for past anime, Spriggan may not be worth a binge right away but if you find yourself with three hours to kill and looking for chaos, go ahead and hit play.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Over The Ropes,’ Issue #1
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie,’ Episode 9 – “Innocence and Clumsiness”
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

Marin in My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 9
8.5

REVIEW: ‘My Dress-Up Darling’ Season 2 Episode 9 — “Because I Don’t Intend to Sleep Tonight”

08/30/2025
Shiki in Tougen Anki Episode 8
5.0

REVIEW: ‘Tougen Anki’ Episode 8 — “The Unreliable Hero”

08/30/2025
DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 9
8.0

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 9 – “I Want to Rebuild the House”

08/28/2025
Sakamoto Days Episode 18
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Sakamoto Days’ Episode 18 – “Kanaguri”

08/27/2025
Captivated By You Episode 1
6.0

REVIEW: ‘Captivated By You’ Episode 1 — “Someone Adorable”

08/25/2025
Marin in My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 8
7.0

REVIEW: ‘My Dress-Up Darling’ Season 2 Episode 8 — “The Only Way I Can Think to Express That Gratitude Is With Money”

08/23/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here