Pacific Rim: The Black is not only the franchise’s first foray into animation, it’s also a marked departure from the films. The films were mostly cheesy affairs, optimistic about the heroes’ chances at defeating the kaijus and fending off the threat of the Precursors. The series, however, fast-forwards past multiple conflicts to a point where the Pan Pacific Defense Corps (PPDC) has abandoned Australia to kaijus. It follows a brother and sister duo left behind by their parents as they discover a training Jaeger and try to find their parents.
Taylor (Calum Worthy) and Hayley (Gideon Adlon) have to venture out of their home after accidentally attracting the attention of a kaiju called Copperhead when they activate the training Jaeger Atlas Destroyer. As they journey through Australia, they come upon a mysterious child inside a vat, who they promptly name Boy, and then a group of humans working for a dangerous man named Shane, who tries to claim the Jaeger for his own ends. One of the soldiers working for Shane is Mei, who we later find out has been brainwashed by him. Eventually, they come upon a hybrid Jaeger named Apex who forms a bond with Boy.
Pacific Rim: The Black spends a lot of time on worldbuilding, especially how ‘drifting’ works and can be used to confront hidden memories or even rewrite them. Then there’s the aforementioned hybrid Jaeger, which was infected during the ‘Uprising Wars’, when kaiju secondary brains took control of drone jaegers and eventually evolved into a bio-mech entity. Lastly, we find out Boy is more than he seems to be, leading to a fight scene that’s reminiscent of early Attack on Titan episodes. There’s also a mysterious faction called the Sisters, who appear at the end of the finale, setting up their presence in the second season.
If you haven’t guessed it yet, the series is more gritty and darker than the films, which might make or break it for viewers.
It’s hardly the first animated series to feature massive mechs fighting monsters, and even on Netflix there are plenty of contenders like Ultraman, Gurren Lagann and Neon Genesis Evangelion. The series doesn’t always strike the right balance between plot and character development. It definitely would have benefitted from a higher count of episodes. As dark as it is, Pacific Rim: The Black does have moments of fun, such as when the main characters find a working jukebox in an abandoned cafe and start dancing to it. However, it does take a while for the plot to really get going, which is especially dire for a seven episode season.
Pacific Rim: The Black has already been confirmed for a second season. Let’s hope it will have better character development and pacing. At the moment, the series feels less than the sum of its part. Hopefully, that will change in the second season.