86

According to the Republic of San Magnolia, their ongoing war against the Giadian Empire has no casualties—however, that is mere propaganda. While the silver-haired Alba of the Republic's eighty-five sectors live safely behind protective walls, those of different appearances are interned in a secret eighty-sixth faction. Known within the military as the Eighty-Six, they are forced to fight against the Empire's autonomous Legion under the command of the Republican "Handlers."

Vladilena Milizé is assigned to the Spearhead squadron to replace their previous Handler. Shunned by her peers for being a fellow Eighty-Six supporter, she continues to fight against their inhumane discrimination. Shinei Nouzen is the captain of the Spearhead squadron. Infamous for being the sole survivor of every squadron he's been in, he insists on shouldering the names and wishes of his fallen comrades. When the fates of these young souls from two different worlds collide, will it ignite the spark that lights their path to salvation, or will they burn themselves in the flames of despair?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Milizé, Vladilena Main

Hasegawa, Ikumi Japanese

Nouzen, Shinei Main

Chiba, Shouya Japanese

Emma, Anju Supporting

Hayami, Saori Japanese

Kukumila, Kurena Supporting

Suzushiro, Sayumi Japanese

Rikka, Theoto Supporting

Fujiwara, Natsumi Japanese

Shuga, Raiden Supporting

Yamashita, Seiichirou Japanese

Taniya, Kaie Supporting

Shiraishi, Haruka Japanese

Keats, Haruto Supporting

Yamashita, Daiki Japanese

Penrose, Henrietta Supporting

Sugiyama, Riho Japanese

Nouzen, Kiriya Supporting

Uemura, Yuuto Japanese

Nakayama, Nobuhiro Producer

Fujii, Shouta Producer

Ishii, Toshimasa Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Aketagawa, Jin Sound Director

Reviews

Dec 9, 2025

Maddtiltanime

Recommended

This is a very underrated anime! I don't usually like mecha anime but this is a very special one with great emotional story telling. It doesn't focus too much on mechs which I aprecciate. The lore of the whole world is explained pretty well. The characters are all great and they all have a unique dynamic that I loved to see. The story focuses on heavy themes and they explore these themes in a way that is satisfactory. Every scene makes sense and isn't corny or anything. They do everything just right! Just please watch this so this will get a lot more seasons in ... the future ! It is well worth it!

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Dec 7, 2025

Stanis150

Mixed Feelings

86 - is a very dramatic, highly emotional, strogly teenage-oriented story where complex themes (war, genocide, etc.) conveyed in a simplified surface level plot and characters, but also with competent directing, nice visual and phenomenal music by Hiroyuki Sawano. It is simple and very emotional and usually this is enough to blow up brains of a young (or just inexperienced) audience. And since it was one of my first anime - I also got hooked on this. But later, when the emotions cooled down - the plot problems became a hundred times more noticeable.

The basic idea itself is simple (I like that it's a ... war against AI robots and not other people), but it lacks even minimal detalization and explanations. For example, why is that squad protecting the people who are literally committing genocide against them? Why don't they just try to escape or attack their oppressors if the alternative is guaranteed death anyway? Why, after all, with such technology, are pilots needed at all? Why in a normally functioning country does a 16-year-old girl (when I watched it, I thought she was about 25, lol) lead a military unit? And there are a lot of such questions, like really a lot .. and almost zero answers. As a result, the world and the characters here feel superficial and undeveloped. I don't even fully understand their basic motivation, not to mention something more complicated. Of course, I can just imagine/guess everything by myrself, but isn't that what anime is supposed to do?

The war itself is shown in a simplified, rather more symbolic form, at least compared to real life. The smell of blood, dirt, sweat, gunpowder, feces, and torn intestines is not felt through the screen. Everything is cleaned up for the perception of teenagers, but the dramatic emotions themselves are conveyed so strongly that they can bring tears to the eyes of many, including me.

The visuals are generally just good, nothing more, nothing less, the action is just good too. The only thing I can point out is that I like those semi-realistic spider tanks. They are definitely a better option than some standard mecha.

In conclusion, the perception of anime depends very much on your emotional involvement. If you have it, then you will probably be delighted with it and forgive the minuses, and if you not, then its extreme simplicity and schematic plot will be impossible not to notice. I personally went through both stages, giving it a 9/10 at first, but now that the emotions have evaporated, I can't give it more than 6/10.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Nov 19, 2025

real_hide

Not Recommended

Funny

I cannot understand that underrated gimmick around it. People say it was one of the best pieces of fiction, but they end up getting so disappointed. Don’t fall for the hype unless you love mecha anime so much and can handle second-hand embarrassment from the FMC throughout the whole show. The FMC’s personality is the personality I hate the most in an MC and an FMC.

Just to be clear, I haven’t touched the light novels, and I don’t plan to. I’m judging the anime on its own terms, without any attachment to the source material.

Story: 3/10
The society portrayed in Magnolia is supposedly obsessed with “pure-blooded” ... citizens, to the extent that they send people of the main ethnic group into mental breakdowns or death without consequences. But the show never addresses how such extreme actions aren’t investigated, punished, or even talked about. And it expects me to believe that not a single handler before Lena ever questioned what was happening? This entire secret system somehow stayed hidden from the public for years without a leak, whistleblower, or scandal? Meanwhile Lena openly speaks her mind and nothing ever happens to her.

Art: 7/10
Sound: 7/10

Character: 2/10

Yeah… this is where the show loses me the most.

There are way too many characters dumped on you at the start, and almost none of them leave an impression. I can barely remember more than a handful of names, and two of those are just call signs. When characters die, it doesn’t hit emotionally because the show never gave me time to connect with them. Their designs are also too similar—like background NPCs. Even the main cast looks a bit copy-paste with slightly different hair.

Enjoyment: 1/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Less Than 12 Episodes

by Gino99

50 Entries · 269 Restacks

Crunchyroll🍣 +8.0 MAL

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Short Anime Episodes/Movies

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Spring 2021 Simulcast List [Update 4/19]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of anime acquired for simulcast release during the Spring 2021 season. Anime series licensed for home video rel...read more

Mar 29, 2021 11:26 AM by Snow | Discuss (54 comments)

PV Collection for Mar 22 - 28

Here is a collection of promotional videos (PV), television ads (CM), and trailers for the last week. This thread excludes videos that have already been featured in ...read more

Mar 28, 2021 3:08 PM by Snow | Discuss (1 comment)

	Poll: 86 Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Jun 19, 2021	449 replies	by GX5000 »» Dec 11, 6:33 PM
	Poll: 86 Episode 10 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Jun 12, 2021	276 replies	by JUNGLE_FEVER »» Dec 11, 3:04 AM
	Poll: 86 Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Apr 10, 2021	403 replies	by CloverwithLover »» Dec 2, 9:54 AM
	Poll: 86 Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Jun 5, 2021	468 replies	by fedhyuga »» Nov 20, 9:55 AM
	Poll: 86 Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Stark700 - Apr 24, 2021	303 replies	by shingekiN0kyojin »» Sep 20, 11:07 AM