Akudama Drive

Akudama Drive is an anime I can best describe as Danganronpa meets Suicide Squad. Before you ask, I’d say the anime has the aesthetic of David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad film coupled with the general tone and likeability of James Gunn’s entry.

Produced by Danganronpa series creator Kazutaka Kodaka, the cyberpunk anime series is set in a dystopian Kansai where criminals are called Akudama (which literally translates to “villain” or “bad person”) and are hunted vehemently by the city’s elite police officers, called Executioners.

The story follows a young woman who is mistakenly classified as an Akudama. She and six other Akudama are contracted to do a string of impossible heists with the promise of a large payday, all while Executioners are hunting them down. This series was a standout anime during the Fall 2020 season, and I think fans of Squid Game would enjoy its political commentary and balls-to-the-wall action.

Akudama Drive is available to watch on Funimation