Concrete Revolutio

Episode 11

As of episode 11, one thing is becoming clear about Concrete Revolutio's themes: the U.S. is responsible for everything bad. At least, that's true of the U.S. military. The latest plot involves a submarine they designed called Antares, the first "superhuman submarine." Of course, it turns out that this designation involves some creepy human experimentation, not unlike the kind we saw attempted in last week's episode (which takes place in the future of this one, as this is in summer 1968 with Jiro still a part of the Superhuman Bureau). The submarine is "superhuman" because it's using people as a part of the machine.

If that sounds pretty gruesome to you, you're not alone. One superhuman, Claude, has taken it upon himself to warn the world. This brings him to Japan when Antares arrives on their shores, and he falls into the crosshairs of the Superhuman Bureau. Claude also doesn't seem to have much regard for life, if he deems his victims to be on the wrong side of his moral code. Claude believes that superhumans fight—or should fight—for "freedom, peace, and justice" and that involving themselves in the affairs of countries or other superhuman factions is wrong. In doing this, he separates the other superhumans around him into black-and-white categories of "good" (Kikko) vs. "bad" (Raito) ones, allowing him to adjust his behavior accordingly. The Superhuman Bureau clearly doesn't live up to Claude's simple three-pronged guidelines, but it's hard to imagine how he does either given his methods.

In fact, this whole episode focuses on the role that superhumans "should" play in the larger world. If you hadn't guessed from the reappearance of Angel Stars, the infamous Imperial Ads who engineered the kaiju craze and tried to use chocolate to steal activist youngsters' powers are back. Jiro talks with them and finds out more about why they do what they do. Imperial Ads opposes the Bureau less because they hate superhumans and more because they have a very specific idea about what superhumans should be. They see them as a "next stage in human evolution," believing they evolve from ordinary people. So they're disgusted that the Superhuman Bureau lets in yokai, ghosts, witches, and other "non-human" creatures who happen to look humanoid and have powers. Their chairwoman thinks she can tell Jiro this because he's one of the normal "human" types, but then Jiro drops a bomb on her assumptions: he doesn't have any powers. This was foreshadowed by his helplessness without Equus, but it's a big turning point for him to state it that plainly. He may be part kaiju, but having monster lineage does not necessarily lead to monster powers.

All of this raises anew the question of what superhumans really means in Concrete Revolutio, and what the larger "message" of the series is. I still don't think that they're a general reference to nuclear weapons. The show's conclusions about superheroes and their loyalties, along with those of some other "monster" groups (like the kaiju), are too human for these powers to symbolize machines. Luckily, this episode drops us a big clue in the form of Imperial Ads. Both their name and stated aims suggest what they might symbolize.

My theory is that the "superhumans" are symbolic of Japan's changing elements in the 1960s. Imperial Ads' name is a reference to the older imperial rule that ended with WWII, especially considering their closed-minded attitudes toward other beings and desire to use "superhumans" to advance their own race (humans). The show suggests that returning to that past is not the answer for Japan going forward. Neither, of course, is joining up with the Americans and their Cold War power-plays against the Soviet Union. The series is resolutely anti-military, so Japan building up its own military forces isn't the answer either. Japan has to find its own way, looking forward rather than backward without getting caught up in the aims of sinister outside influences. I could be completely wrong about this in a week—Concrete Revolutio is nothing if not full of surprises—but based on what we've seen so far, that's my best guess. This also makes the 1960s setting a perfect choice. Japan was emerging as a major world economic power at that time, but the scars of the war and occupation were still too fresh, leaving the country unsure of its place in the world.

With that in mind, Claude's story adds an even more interesting twist to the mix. He's the boy who cried wolf, trying desperately to sound the alarm on the Antares's dark secret, but continually being dismissed as a one-note villain. Kikko tries to see through this enough to sympathize and negotiate with him, but when she reaches his house, it's full of freshly murdered bodies. It's such a disturbing sight that Kikko transforms into her evil form. How does that fit into the series' political messages? What does it mean that Claude turns out to have a past with Jiro and Emi? What does this mean for Jiro and Emi's confirmed romantic connection?

Concrete Revolutio still has plenty of open ends. Luckily, they're increasingly less "essential" holes, as the show moves closer to its first season finale. We've been getting a better picture of what the series might actually be "about," to say nothing of the fates of its characters and world. If nothing else, Concrete Revolutio is truly unique and poignant amongst anime for its reflections on history. Even if the show falls apart, I'm sure its messages will remain every bit as interesting. My faith in Concrete Revolutio pays off more and more with each episode. I can only expect it to get even better as it rushes toward its season finale.

Rating: A

Concrete Revolutio is currently streaming on Funimation.

Rose is a music Ph.D. student who loves overanalyzing anime soundtracks. Follow her on her media blog Rose's Turn, and on Twitter.