# BNA: Brand New Animal Discussion



## Gemi42 (Jul 4, 2020)

So! One of the newest animes that has come out from Studio Trigger is BNA: Brand New Animal.
And yo, I'm so jazzed that they added it onto Netflix! I have always been a big fan of Studio Trigger stuff,
Kill La Kill being my favorite of their body of work. So, naturally when I found out that they were doing some furry-shit, I got super excited!!

Anyway, if anyone has seen it, feel free to drop your opinion down!


----------



## MainHammond (Jul 10, 2020)

Only watched the first episode.

It's pure TRIGGER beauty on screen.
I'm gonna watch the rest of the episodes on netflix tonight


----------



## Seth_Wolf (Jul 10, 2020)

I love the art style and the premise, but it was a bit predictable with who the wolf character is, so when the big reveal happened it felt like it wasn't as much of a surprise as the main character thought, and the last part was too Akira for me. I love slice of life stories that explore different worlds and concepts, and it's a bit disappointing when the writers think they need to make the already interesting world even more crazy.
It may also just be that I saw Beastars before it (and read the manga), and that ruined BNA for me, because it simply stuck to the world as it was and just made it interesting anyway.

I did enjoy BNA though, and hope it continues.


----------



## MainHammond (Jul 10, 2020)

Seth_Wolf said:


> I love the art style and the premise, but it was a bit predictable with who the wolf character is, so when the big reveal happened it felt like it wasn't as much of a surprise as the main character thought, and the last part was too Akira for me. I love slice of life stories that explore different worlds and concepts, and it's a bit disappointing when the writers think they need to make the already interesting world even more crazy.
> It may also just be that I saw Beastars before it (and read the manga), and that ruined BNA for me, because it simply stuck to the world as it was and just made it interesting anyway.
> 
> I did enjoy BNA though, and hope it continues.



Speaking of Beastars, the latest chapters have been so crazy.
They added like 20 more characters out of nowhere.


----------



## Seth_Wolf (Jul 10, 2020)

MainHammond said:


> Speaking of Beastars, the latest chapters have been so crazy.
> They added like 20 more characters out of nowhere.



They also dropped and forgot them just as quickly as poor Rokume. You remember San? WHAT HAPPENED TO SAN?!


----------



## MainHammond (Jul 10, 2020)

Mah girl Sebun is now just a background character T.T


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 10, 2020)

Hahaha! Dang! I completely forgot to check back with this thread!

Yeah, I confess. BNA story is not really all the surprising as I was able to see a lot of the plot twists miles away but I did enjoy it none the less.
The thing is, is that is how Studio Trigger handles their stories! It will almost always go over-the-top as it noticeable in the way that they use comedy and action.
Kill-la-Kill is the most obvious example of this.

I really enjoyed the ending! I was actually kinda surprised by how it turned out and that wolf villain looked really epic!



Seth_Wolf said:


> I love the art style and the premise, but it was a bit predictable with who the wolf character is, so when the big reveal happened it felt like it wasn't as much of a surprise as the main character thought, and the last part was too Akira for me. I love slice of life stories that explore different worlds and concepts, and it's a bit disappointing when the writers think they need to make the already interesting world even more crazy.
> It may also just be that I saw Beastars before it (and read the manga), and that ruined BNA for me, because it simply stuck to the world as it was and just made it interesting anyway.
> 
> I did enjoy BNA though, and hope it continues.



Well, after the Silver Wolf exposition that has happened several times and the fact that Shirou is literally the only wolf in the show-
I'mma sum it up. Studio Trigger can't do subtlety worth a damn. But at least it looks pretty af!


----------



## Seth_Wolf (Jul 10, 2020)

I actually didn't even realize that he's the only wolf. But there were a lot of characters who were the only ones of their species.
Guess now I'll have to watch kill la kill


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 10, 2020)

Seth_Wolf said:


> I actually didn't even realize that he's the only wolf. But there were a lot of characters who were the only ones of their species.
> Guess now I'll have to watch kill la kill


Yeah, From what I could see he was about the only one. There are a couple that look like a wolves but I dunno most of the time, they are smaller and dont really strike me as a wolf, ya know?
It could be like a coyote or something the like.


----------



## Miles Marsalis (Jul 11, 2020)

I have to said I like the series and this was the first Studio Trigger production I was actually anticipating seeing. Usually, I've watched Trigger's work and been impressed after the fact, like with Kill la Kill and Darling in the Franxxx, but Brand New Animal caught my eye from the promotional material. 

Being honest, the writing was average for the series and the characterization wasn't great though I liked the characters themselves, particularly Michiru and Rose. What I did like was the general design along the subtle 80's aesthetic, the alternative soundtrack, and the humor, particularly in the baseball episode. 

The ending was divisive in our household. I felt the ending was derivative of Studio Trigger's previous works, Kill la Kill with the reveal about the Big Bad. My girlfriend liked the resolution to the series and felt the villain's backstory was consistent with their outlook. Everybody's entitled to their opinion.


----------



## Seth_Wolf (Jul 11, 2020)

Oh, I completely forgot about the baseball episode. Why does every anime series seem to have a complete unnecessary to the plot sports episode? XD


----------



## Miles Marsalis (Jul 11, 2020)

Seth_Wolf said:


> Oh, I completely forgot about the baseball episode. Why does every anime series seem to have a complete unnecessary to the plot sports episode? XD


This was the rare type of that episode actually done well. It was funny, mixed things up a bit, and even had a good emotional subplot with the coach going on. It also ended in an atypical way that was satisfying.


----------



## Troj (Jul 11, 2020)

I liked it, but there were some dumb logic holes that definitely bugged me. There were also several moments that were just a bit too "kiddish" for my taste, where characters seemed to act below their intelligence, or where the expository dialogue was a bit too transparent and clunky.

But, the characters were fun, the plot was interesting, and I really enjoyed the overall style.


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 11, 2020)

Seth_Wolf said:


> Oh, I completely forgot about the baseball episode. Why does every anime series seem to have a complete unnecessary to the plot sports episode? XD


That and also, Baseball is actually really popular in Japan! So, out of all the sports, it made sense that this one was the one that carried over. I also liked the way that they handled the Coach's backstory. Although, for the longest time, I couldn't figure out his animal. I thought he was a donkey given the long ears but then with the finger, I guess he was an Aye-Aye. But I dunno.







Miles Marsalis said:


> I have to said I like the series and this was the first Studio Trigger production I was actually anticipating seeing. Usually, I've watched Trigger's work and been impressed after the fact, like with Kill la Kill and Darling in the Franxxx, but Brand New Animal caught my eye from the promotional material.
> 
> Being honest, the writing was average for the series and the characterization wasn't great though I liked the characters themselves, particularly Michiru and Rose. What I did like was the general design along the subtle 80's aesthetic, the alternative soundtrack, and the humor, particularly in the baseball episode.
> 
> The ending was divisive in our household. I felt the ending was derivative of Studio Trigger's previous works, Kill la Kill with the reveal about the Big Bad. My girlfriend liked the resolution to the series and felt the villain's backstory was consistent with their outlook. Everybody's entitled to their opinion.



If you are familiar with TRIGGER's previous work then you can see a lot of their pitfalls on display with this one as well. A lot of the story beats could've been handled way better and some of the characterizations is a bit over the top, but that is TRIGGER's style for the most part. I did like the bear baseball team though! They were all so cute!

As for the ending, it'd make sense to use some of kill-la-kill's story beats as that was one of their biggest titles that they had created. Also, I'm sorry but I'm with your girlfriend on this one as I was a fan of the resolution! It's one of those, 'Life is messy but we move on.' Kind feelings, as opposed to 'Yeah, they killed the baddy and now it's over!' Plus, the way that the evil guys body was animated during the fight between him and Shirou was very cool!


----------



## Troj (Jul 11, 2020)

I think certain things should've been explained, hinted at, or telegraphed earlier, so that they didn't seem like deus ex machinas or ass-pulls later, and so we had a sense of what the characters' limitations and weaknesses were, which would've given us a clearer sense of the stakes.

One glaring issue for me was that initially, it seems like beastmen are meant to be beings whose abilities and traits are basically grounded in faux-science, and the next minute, they appear to have supernatural or magical abilities that exist because reasons.

Also, 



Spoiler



Nirvasyl Syndrome


 makes little sense when you think about it. They could've easily fixed the problem with it by making it 



Spoiler



an bioweapon or disease engineered by Sylvasta.


----------



## Seth_Wolf (Jul 11, 2020)

@Troj agreed. The Deus Ex Machina was strong here.


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 11, 2020)

Seth_Wolf said:


> @Troj agreed. The Deus Ex Machina was strong here.


Yeah... It did kinda bother me how they kept breaking the rules around Michiru and Nazuna. It didn't ever give them set rules or anything like that.


----------



## Troj (Jul 12, 2020)

The first time Michiru officially "broke the rules," it should've been addressed in the narrative itself, so we, the viewers, knew it was a huge deal from everybody's perspective. I initially couldn't tell what was her just being a tanuki, what was her doing stuff other beastmen couldn't do, and pure artistic license that wasn't meant to be interpreted literally. BUT, I did like the idea of her and Nazuna being different from other beastmen.

Also, I felt like it was too easy to piece together how she happened upon her "beastmanitis," but it was played up as a big mystery.

The Basebear team was amusing. It was adorable and sad how Jackie called bread "white crust."


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 12, 2020)

Troj said:


> The first time Michiru officially "broke the rules," it should've been addressed in the narrative itself, so we, the viewers, knew it was a huge deal from everybody's perspective. I initially couldn't tell what was her just being a tanuki, what was her doing stuff other beastmen couldn't do, and pure artistic license that wasn't meant to be interpreted literally. BUT, I did like the idea of her and Nazuna being different from other beastmen.
> 
> Also, I felt like it was too easy to piece together how she happened upon her "beastmanitis," but it was played up as a big mystery.
> 
> The Basebear team was amusing. It was adorable and sad how Jackie called bread "white crust."



Yeah, it wasn't until I heard the evil guy go on about his monologue about being 'pure' n' stuff like that. Like that can explain away stuff like Michiru growing wings and transform into other animals but her stretchy arm bit is a little bit weird as far as I am aware there aren't any animals out there with arms that long or how her tail would go 'super saiyan' fluffy!

Jackie is my absolute favorite bear out there! Although, it bothered me how in the english dub they kept referring to Jackie as a girl, when in the japanese dub, Jackie is actually a guy but they specifically designed them to have both masculine and feminine traits. I dunno, I'm always about staying true to the original vision unless it ends in absolute hilarity.


----------



## Miles Marsalis (Jul 12, 2020)

Troj said:


> I think certain things should've been explained, hinted at, or telegraphed earlier, so that they didn't seem like deus ex machinas or ass-pulls later, and so we had a sense of what the characters' limitations and weaknesses were, which would've given us a clearer sense of the stakes.
> 
> One glaring issue for me was that initially, it seems like beastmen are meant to be beings whose abilities and traits are basically grounded in faux-science, and the next minute, they appear to have supernatural or magical abilities that exist because reasons.
> 
> ...


I agree they muddled the part you spoilered. That part of the plot was the most awkward for me and everyone in the household, really.


----------



## DreamSoul9999 (Jul 13, 2020)

I thought it was a fun watch. I thought the ending was kinda anti-climactic and I'm not a big fan of "chosen one" kind of plots, but I thought it was still entertaining at the end of the day.

SPOILER 


Spoiler



I also was kinda disappointed with the main Sylvasta guy just being some boring "I'm a better version of you" kind of villain. I thought it was a cool idea to have this big corporation keeping the island afloat being the villains.


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 13, 2020)

DreamSoul9999 said:


> I thought it was a fun watch. I thought the ending was kinda anti-climactic and I'm not a big fan of "chosen one" kind of plots, but I thought it was still entertaining at the end of the day.
> 
> SPOILER
> 
> ...



Yeah, I just really appreaciated the aesthetics after a while. I do really like the characters but like if they gave some concrete rules for Michiru's powers and fixed up some stuff then it'd go from 'Good' to 'pretty Good.'


----------



## DreamSoul9999 (Jul 13, 2020)

Gemi42 said:


> Yeah, I just really appreaciated the aesthetics after a while. I do really like the characters but like if they gave some concrete rules for Michiru's powers and fixed up some stuff then it'd go from 'Good' to 'pretty Good.'



Couldn't agree more. The aesthetics and the soundtrack are fantastic. I love the Splatoon-sounding opening theme, probably my favorite opening in the furry anime genre (2nd only to Wild Side, of course.) 



Spoiler



I just really wish they didn't shove the ending theme in our faces at the end. Don't get me wrong, I really like the ending theme, but it's kinda strange to have something like the ending song of an anime be a key plot point with Michiru's pop-star friend singing it at the end.


----------



## Seth_Wolf (Jul 13, 2020)

I finally watched some Kill la Kill, and I can definitely see what people say by Trigger Studio style. It actually really reminded me of another old anime called FLCL, and now I'm wondering if they're related, since wiki doesn't say Trigger did FLCL, but the animation quirks are exactly the same.


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 13, 2020)

Seth_Wolf said:


> I finally watched some Kill la Kill, and I can definitely see what people say by Trigger Studio style. It actually really reminded me of another old anime called FLCL, and now I'm wondering if they're related, since wiki doesn't say Trigger did FLCL, but the animation quirks are exactly the same.


Ahhh! FLCL! It's been so long since I thought about that Anime!

It's entirely possible that they could've used it as inspiration. As it is a pretty popular anime. That kind of zany wacky anime vibe is very unique to only a couple of titles.
Maybe some of the people that worked on FLCL now work at Studio TRIGGER?


----------



## Seth_Wolf (Jul 19, 2020)

Gemi42 said:


> So! One of the newest animes that has come out from Studio Trigger is BNA: Brand New Animal.
> And yo, I'm so jazzed that they added it onto Netflix! I have always been a big fan of Studio Trigger stuff,
> Kill La Kill being my favorite of their body of work. So, naturally when I found out that they were doing some furry-shit, I got super excited!!
> 
> Anyway, if anyone has seen it, feel free to drop your opinion down!



Hey, just wanna say thanks for getting me to watch Kill la Kill. It started out do weird and corny, but man it got good!


----------



## Toasty9399 (Jul 20, 2020)

Furries Vs Humans
Who will win?


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 20, 2020)

Seth_Wolf said:


> Hey, just wanna say thanks for getting me to watch Kill la Kill. It started out do weird and corny, but man it got good!


Oh dang! You're quite welcome! 
I'm always happy to see people enjoying my recommendations. :3



Toasty9399 said:


> Furries Vs Humans
> Who will win?


I dunno. What's the context of the fight because there are a lot of variables.


----------



## TrishaCat (Jul 20, 2020)

Gemi42 said:


> Ahhh! FLCL! It's been so long since I thought about that Anime!
> 
> It's entirely possible that they could've used it as inspiration. As it is a pretty popular anime. That kind of zany wacky anime vibe is very unique to only a couple of titles.
> Maybe some of the people that worked on FLCL now work at Studio TRIGGER?





Seth_Wolf said:


> I finally watched some Kill la Kill, and I can definitely see what people say by Trigger Studio style. It actually really reminded me of another old anime called FLCL, and now I'm wondering if they're related, since wiki doesn't say Trigger did FLCL, but the animation quirks are exactly the same.


FLCL was created as a codevelopment by Gainax and Production IG. A large portion of Gainax's employees left to form the two companies "Studio khara" and "Studio Trigger".
So some of FLCL's creators may have in fact worked on this.

Generally speaking the teams that did Gurren Lagann and Panty & Stocking joined Trigger, and the teams that did Evangelion joined khara.


----------



## Gemi42 (Jul 20, 2020)

TrishaCat said:


> FLCL was created as a codevelopment by Gainax and Production IG. A large portion of Gainax's employees left to form the two companies "Studio khara" and "Studio Trigger".
> So some of FLCL's creators may have in fact worked on this.
> 
> Generally speaking the teams that did Gurren Lagann and Panty & Stocking joined Trigger, and the teams that did Evangelion joined khara.



I knew it~! There are very few other animes that are willing to tackle that level of crazy-ness! In fact, I don't really know alot of other animes that are able to handle that level without having a higher budget.


----------



## Seth_Wolf (Jul 20, 2020)

Ha, that explains it! Thanks!


----------

