First Impression: HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima

Hip-Hop isn’t just music; it’s culture. It’s not just about the music, but the fashion, street art like graffiti, attitude, lyrics, and counter-culture. One of the core aspects of the genre though are the rap battles! When I saw that a new anime was coming out this fall about rapping, I wanted to watch it since I’ve enjoyed listening to CHH (Christian Hip Hop) for many years. Plus, I knew that anime would do some kind of wild spin on it all, so I wanted to see how that turned out.

HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima is based in Japan, where a new government takes control and declares that all weapons are banned. The only weapon that people can use is a mic, so basically they need to rap and throw down some sick bars to fight back. There are various crews, often a group of three, who have their own style and method to battling.

The first episode is a traditional introduction to each of the crews, giving some screen time to each character and letting the viewer get to know them (The Buster Bros. are my favorite since I enjoy their clothing and rap style). Each crew has their own battle to defend themselves or make some spare change, and the series is going the way of a tournament where they will rap battle their way to the top!

I wasn’t too impressed with this first episode, as I hoped it would focus more on the hip-hop genre, but it was as silly as I thought it might be. I wanted something more serious and gritty, but that’s OK. Hypnosis Mic appears to just be a fun watch for those that are interested.


Watch HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima on Funimation. Read our thoughts on all the new fall anime series, in additional comments from our other writers, on our fall 2020 anime first impression master post.

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