Introduction
Let’s see how each compares as we look at “86” light novel vs anime in this article. “86” is one of the best military novels to come out of Japan. When I first started reading it, I found myself immersed in the world. It’s hard not to root for the members of 86 to somehow survive and escape that terrible situation.
So when the anime was first announced at Dengeki Bunko Aki no Namahoso Festival in 2020, I was very excited! I got even more excited to hear that A-1 Pictures was going to be the one producing the adaptation.
A-1 Pictures is quite famous in Japan. You might have heard of some of their series for example, Sword Art Online, Blue Exorcist, and Fairy Tail. For those unfamiliar with A-1, A-1 Pictures is known for its clean and polished animation.
A-1 is also known for incorporating a mix of 2D and 3D animation techniques into its work. This sets them apart from other production companies.
I’m not a fan of the 3D animations, they tend to look somewhat clunky and not as seamless. Definitely has a cookie-cutter A-1 feel, but quite good.
The Plot
Before we dive into the differences, let’s first take a look at the premise of 86. The series is set in a dystopian world with two warring nations. The show starts off in the Republic of San Magnolia.
The Republic is attacked daily by automated drones called “Legion”, and to counter this threat they used their own unmanned drones. They issue propaganda daily about how they have taken 0 casualties, and that the end of the war is imminent.
At the start of the first volume, the war has been raging for over 9 years. To protect their people the Republic walled up their 85 districts with their white-haired Alban citizens. Anyone who wasn’t part of the Alba race got kicked out and labeled an “86.”
The pacing of the Anime was solid, but not amazing though. There is a lot of exposition in the first three or so episodes, which made it feel a bit slow.
It was kind of needed for this kind of novel though, as there is a lot of stuff to unpack about the world and society. They made an effort to showcase how poorly non-Alban people are looked at. This is reiterated throughout the series.
The episodes also feel somewhat rushed compared to the novel, but that comes with the territory I guess. There is no way they can fit in every detail, but the production team did a good job of minimizing this. They emphasized the show’s core aspects and the message it conveys to the audience.
The anime exposition was a bit disappointing when it came to character perspectives. The novel does a unique job of showing many POVs at one time. This gave an interesting way to see the character’s thoughts. The anime kind of does the POV of one character at a time, and this felt a bit boring.
Not in a bad sense, but there were a lot of long stretches of looking at facial expressions. Given the anime medium has the potential to show the multi-character POV more. I thought it was unfortunate that they went this route.
Characterization
Another slight difference between the 86 anime and the light novel is the characterization of some of the characters. I felt the anime adaptation did a good job of capturing the essence of the characters. However, some of their personalities and motivations are not as well-developed as they are in the light novels.
For example, in the light novel, we get a better understanding of Shin’s backstory and why he is so loyal to his fellow 86. We also get a better understanding of Lena’s struggles with the morality of the Republic’s treatment of the 86. While the anime does touch on these aspects, they are not explored in as much depth as they are in the light novel.
Alterations
As is often the case with adaptations, the 86 anime makes some changes to the plot of the light novel. Some of these changes are minor, such as the order of events, while others are more significant.
For example, in the light novel, the 86 are referred to as ‘colorless’ rather than ‘red’ like they are in the anime. This small change might not seem like a big deal to the casual fan. If you are more critical like me, you might find it a bit glaring at times.
The anime changes the timing of certain events, such as when Lena discovers the truth about the 86. While these changes don’t alter the plot of the series, they can be jarring for fans of the light novel.
Visuals and Sound
One area where the 86 anime excels is in its visuals and sound. The animation is top-notch, and the fight scenes are well-choreographed with intense moments. The music score for the 86 anime was composed by Hiroyuki Sawano.
Sawano is a well-known composer and music producer in the anime industry. He is known for featuring heavy percussion, electronic elements, and soaring vocals. He has composed music for popular anime series most famous being Attack on Titan.
In the 86 anime, Sawano’s music plays an important role in setting the tone of the series. The light novel excels at describing the action and events in detail. On the flip side, the anime does a good job of showing them. Paired with the soundtrack, the show setups a lot of the scenes for set pieces.
Extra Scenes and Episodes
The anime is pretty steadfast in covering the events of the light novels. They do also include some extra scenes that are not present in the light novels.
For example, the anime includes an episode focused on Kurena. This episode adds depth to Kurena’s character and explores her backstory and motivations.
There are other scenes like with Lena at the academy which I was not particularly a big fan of. Production teams tend to take some liberties when creating animes. In this case, they did a good job of not going too overboard.
Conclusion
“86” is a fantastic adaptation of a very popular light novel series and one of my favorites. If you are a fan of the military genre, I’m sure you have already either read or watched the series.
I’m sure I was unable to cover every single difference. That being said, I have no doubt would be more obvious upon a second viewing or reading. Whichever way you want to enjoy 86, it is a must-read/watch.
