First Impression: Lazarus

It’s the year 2052. We’re now living in a time when, thanks to a genius scientist named Dr. Skinner, a miracle painkiller called Hapna has made the world much better. It’s seriously one of the best pharmaceuticals to come along in human history, thanks to its low cost and no side effects. Prodigious, right? What could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, there is one TINY side effect. Dr. Skinner announced to the world that Hapna will mutate and, because it stays in the bloodstream of those who consume it, will kill off everyone who has taken it in 30 days. See, this is why I stick with Advil Dual-Action. But there is hope. Dr. Skinner has the cure that can reverse this, but he will only release it if and when someone finds him. Cue the panic and anxiety. Enter Axel Gilberto, a prisoner serving 888 years in a correctional facility. Why so long? Because he keeps escaping jail, and they double his sentence each time! He started with only three years and is now serving SEVERAL CENTURIES in Jail. He is approached by a woman named Hersch, the leader of a group of experts in various fields known as Lazarus, tasked with trying to find Dr. Skinner and get the antidote. Of course, Axel takes advantage of this recruitment visit…by escaping from jail! Eventually, he is captured again, this time by other members of Lazarus. Will our jail-breaking bro work with our team to save humanity? Cue the Pharmaceutical Shenanigans!

Shinichiro Watanabe, we have missed you so much. And teaming up with Studio MAPPA for an anime that promises to be yet another feather in his cap? Yes, please! The creator of the revered anime Cowboy Bebop has given us a very well-done premiere episode. I must admit, I did find the premise of this one silly at first blush, and I found myself and others asking several questions: Did EVERYONE on Earth take this medicine around the same time? What about newborns? Will they die too? What about if you had something like a blood transfusion? Also, if they capture Dr. Skinner and get the antidote, will they seriously get this distributed to the entire WORLD before the deadline? Yes, I know this is just an anime, and I should sit back and enjoy the ride, and trust me, I am, but when you have a premise like this, it does leave the door open for so many questions. Just try to leave your realism at the door and enjoy the ride. I also enjoyed all the religious symbolism used in this premiere episode. Dr. Skinner refers to himself as the 7th Trumpeter, a reference to the Book of Revelations. And, of course, the title of our ragtag group, “Lazarus,” refers to the Gospel of John and is the name of the man who was brought back to life by Christ and healed of his afflictions. While to some, this might be a little on the nose, I do like the use. Another thing I love about this show is the variety of character types. In this one, we have people of different nationalities and colors—not everyone is just stock-standard Japanese. That’s one of the hallmarks of Watanabe’s works—he gives us a rainbow of humanity that reflects the real world, making everyone feel included and represented.

Speaking of colors, this show’s animation is BEAUTIFUL. Everything is fluid, and the fight/chase scenes are excellent. As with so many of Watanabe’s works, the music is yet another character in this one and is prodigiously used. The ending song, “Lazarus” by The Boo Radleys, is both very cool yet also unsettling with the imagery of dead people on the ground. We also have a well-done dub courtesy of Sentai Studios, with Jack Stansbury playing our leading man, Axel. He gives the character a Spike Spiegel-like arrogance while giving our jail-breaking bro a voice all his own.

So where does that leave us with Lazarus? Oh, this is going to be a definite follow for me. Even though the premise is more farfetched than a Pokemon, it’s still very intriguing. A Global Ticking Clock for Humanity, with the only chance being a group of ragtag misfits gathered from all over, is a storyline I can sink my teeth into. When coupled with gorgeous animation, a stylish soundtrack, and an excellent voice cast, I really think there’s a lot to like here, and from what I’ve seen, this has the potential to be yet another one of those memorable anime that Shinichiro Watanabe has graced us with. If you have a Max membership or if you are free late on Saturday night, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try!

Lazarus airs every Saturday at Midnight EST on Adult Swim/Toonami and is available for streaming on HBO Max the day after. In the UK, it’s streaming on Channel 4.

Josh
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2 thoughts on “First Impression: Lazarus”

  2. Hey Josh, great review! What’s your impression so far? I haven’t watched it yet since I don’t have Max, but I’m tempted to get a trial just to check it out.

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