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The Spring 2021 Preview Guide

I dunno, 86 is kinda making me nervous, and I think it’s all the militaristic trappings that’s doing it. I’ve heard enough through the grapevine to know that this series’ main thrust is about racism, but color me skeptical. I don’t know that I expect this to really go much beyond most fantasy racism*, though I guess it’s a step in the right direction? Also I know we don’t have any say in it, but from the Preview guides alone, I’d be intrigued to see Richard cut his teeth on this.

*Fantasy racism being racism that’s explored just enough in-universe to be a compelling plot point, but typically with not enough depth or nuance to connect or relate back to real-life racism.

There is more to the 86, than just an essay on racism.

beyond the point where a single cour of anime would cover. There are one or two other major themes as well, but those won't be evident right away so I won't comment on them further here.

This isn't fantasy racism. The novels go to great lengths in elaborating on how the 86s define themselves by the racism as much as they are defined by the Alba through racism, and even makes the point that those subjected to intense racism can become racist themselves as a defense mechanism. The parallels to real-world cases of racism and ethnic cleansing will be apparent enough that some aspects of this series could be uncomfortable for some audiences.

Livechart and Anichart suggest that there are two cours [of 86]. If I had to guess this'll probably be one of those split cour thingies.

I also found Lena's uniform to be ridiculous in every way. It's totally impractical and garterbelt, which then got its own little close-up in case you missed it.

Or, coupled with the militaristic slant, it could run in an equally horrific but different direction and pull an Attack on Titan with a more anti-Semitic-flavored route, which is a topic I don't feel at all qualified to engage with.

Am I the only one who couldn't even make it through the first episode of 86? Didn't see any characters I really care about

That shot's in there because the original author is a fan of garter belts. (He even opens the Afterword of the first novel by stating that.)

Key wrote:

That shot's in there because the original author is a fan of garter belts. (He even opens the Afterword of the first novel by stating that.)

Are you sure it's a "he"? I've read in a different site that the author of 86 is a woman.

Hmmm, the fandom page for Asato Asato does classify the writer as a "she," so maybe I'm mistaken. If that's verifiable, then she does a remarkable job of producing a male-sounding perspective.

I see that the reviewers are saving their 5 star ratings for Fumetsu no anata e

Akukame wrote:

Quote: The thing 86 EIGHTY SIX (sidenote: why is it named that? Does this actually take place in the year 8686?) most reminds me of is the now somewhat faded trend of dystopian Young Adult novels. If anyone else is confused by this, the title is in reference to the slang term "to 86 someone", which means to kick out / refuse service to them. Its probably just written and spelled both ways to make it actually searchable.

It’s called 86 because the pilots of the Juggernauts are all from the 86th district of the Republic of San Magnolia although if you were paying attention to the newscaster she mentions there is only 85 districts. This should all become clear in the next couple of episodes.

The title:
While we’re on the topic of my pen name, I’ve been asked a few times about the origins of the title Eighty-Six . It comes from English slang, where to eighty-six someone means you designate them as someone who isn’t allowed to enter a store or as someone you refuse to give service to. But it also carries the nuance of ejecting someone, disposing of them, or murdering them.