REVIEW: ‘Synduality Noir,’ Episode 1 — “My Name Is”

In the future, due to a toxic rain and hordes of monsters called Enders, humanity has been forced to live in domed communities called Nests. Drifters, those who travel outside these havens piloting armored mecha called Coffins, search the land for useable resources. Aiding humanity in its struggle to survive are synthetic life forms called Magus. In the small nest of Rock Town, there is a Drifter duo, Tokio and Kanata, along with their Magus Mouton, who are about to uncover something that could change their lives forever in Synduality Noir Episode 1 from 8-Bit.

Crafting a great introduction to a new series is tough under the simplest of circumstances. Getting the viewer caught up on what they need to know while not bogging the proceedings down in exposition is a tricky thing. Synduality Noir Episode 1 not only perfectly strikes the balance between telling the viewer what is necessary and showing them what will have them coming back, but also layers extra goodness onto its premiere episode to ensure viewers are eager to learn what will come next.

Of all the things I can gush over about this episode, the first thing we have to talk about is the soundtrack. This soundtrack is wild. With pieces from a number of strikingly different genres, it would be easy for the episode’s music to feel disjointed and all over the place. But thanks to carefully pairing the various pieces with the right moments throughout the episode, Synduality Noir Episode 1 sounds like a finely polished system of sounds that perfectly accentuates each moment. When music is paired perfectly with anime, great things come of it. And this is a great start.

The characters that inhabit this world bring a great variety of personalities to the show. Lead character Kanata provides a reserved energy that serves as a great foundation for the episode, while his partner Tokio provides a recklessness that plays wonderfully off Kanata. It feels like a great give-and-take that allows the viewer to instantly understand how the two would work well together, despite how initially different they appear to be.

The third piece of what looks to be this series triumvirate of characters is the mysterious Noir. A Magus found by the duo early in the episode, her purpose and capabilities are shrouded in a mystery where the first few clues provide just enough hints to make the character’s secret a tantalizing plot hook. Her lack of memories also gives her an innocent quality that helps prove the making of a great character waiting to be revealed.

The world of Synduality Noir Episode 1 is visually captivating as well. While much of the exterior world is wrapped in a drab blue that gives the cold weight of the world’s catastrophe ta perpetual presence, the bright colors and fast movements of the Coffins as they battle hoards of Enders pop out and feel even more present in these sequences thanks to the brilliant color contrasts.

Synduality Noir Episode 1 is off to a fantastic start. Strong action, endearing characters, and an interesting world combined with a memorable visual aesthetic and a baller musical score makes this an episode I cannot recommend checking out enough.

Synduality Noir Episode 1 is streaming now on Hulu.