Netflix's Pacific Rim: The Black..... A Few Words
March 2021 belongs to the giant monster fans. With Godzilla VS. Kong releasing on HBO Max and in theaters at the end of the month, I’ve been eager to get more kaiju-related media, and Netflix was happy to oblige with Pacific Rim: The Black. A new entry into the Pacific Rim franchise, The Black carries out the promises of Uprising while improving on it and providing the sequel I truly feel the original deserved.
Pacific Rim: Uprising was the first piece of media I had the honor of reviewing here at RGN99. At the time, I was simply thrilled to have another kaiju film out and about and so I gave it an enthusiastic 8/10. However, as the years have gone by, my opinion of the movie has soured a bit. The treatment of Mako Mori’s character, as well as the overall lack of weight to the giant robots known as Jaegers and the absence of truly awe-inspiring moments has diminished the sequel in my eyes. While the film definitely has its merits, it pales in comparison to the genre landmark that is the first Pacific Rim. So admittedly, I was skeptical when an anime project was announced. I’m happy to say that any apprehension I may have had toward this new venture was dispelled within a few episodes of Pacific Rim: The Black.
Jaegers
L to R: Taylor & Hayley Travis
This new seven-episode anime season expands on the concepts introduced in both Pacific Rim and Pacific Rim Uprising, exploring the concepts the franchise has used since the first film. Our story follows two siblings, Taylor and Hayley Travis, as they make their way across the barren wasteland that was once Australia, now known as “The Black” after protocol dictated the country be abandoned due to being overrun by Kaiju. Together, Taylor and Hayley search for a way out of The Black, as well as answers to what happened to their parents, who left them to find help five years prior.
Jaeger: Atlas Destroyer
As the series goes on, we are introduced to new Jaegers and new possibilities, like the series main Jaeger Atlas Destroyer and its AI, Loa. In the films, the Jaeger AI was voiced by Ellen McLain, who famously voiced GlaDOS in the Portal franchise, but outside of a familiar voice, the AI had no character or even a name. Loa, by contrast, is a central character capable of sarcasm, wit and genuine care for Hayley and Taylor. It’s a vast change from the films, but a welcome one given the limited cast the series has to work with. Another character key to Pacific Rim: The Black is Boy (Kaiju-Boy), a mysterious mute child Hayley and Taylor pick up during their travels. His true nature has huge implications not only for the second season, but the world of Pacific Rim as a whole.
Pacific Rim: The Black also expands on the concepts the earlier films introduced, particularly Drifting, the act of melding minds with one another to control Jaegers. In the series, Drifting can be seen used for darker purposes like interrogation, and people can even Drift with memories of dead pilots, known as Ghost Drifting. Physical and mental effects of Drifting are explored as well, with one character learning all sorts of new skills thanks to sharing memories with dozens of others due to Drifting. There’s even more to be discovered, but I’d rather not spoil it for you if you have any interest in viewing this series. I will place an example here below.
Pacific Rim: The Black | Ghost Pilot from Villa
Pacific Rim: The Black doesn’t require seeing the two films to enjoy, as it serves as a stand-alone piece of media within the Pacific Rim universe. However, that’s not to say there are zero connections to the films here, but the ties that are, are simple nods to characters from Pacific Rim and Uprising, outside of an extended sequence with Herc Hansen, one of the pilots of Australian Jaeger Striker Eureka who you may remember from the first film. However, this sequence functions as something of a retcon, given that it reimagines his final moments as a pilot – different from how we saw them in the film. Additionally, The Black actually expands upon the coolest element of Pacific Rim Uprising – the Kaiju-controlled Jaeger Drones, in a way that I won’t spoil but is absolutely worth the price of admission alone. You don’t need to have seen the films to enjoy Pacific Rim: The Black, but it certainly adds to the experience.
Taylor Travis in Jaeger
One of my biggest disappointments with Pacific Rim: Uprising was the action, specifically how light it felt. In the original film, every Jaeger and Kaiju moved with a force that made them feel as big as they looked. Uprising traded that weight out for lighter, more anime-like giant monster battles. The director of the film, Stephen S. DeKnight, cited “advances in technology” as the reason for why the Jaegers move faster in the sequel, but that never sat right with me. Ironically, the anime follow-up to Uprising brings back the slower, more deliberate movement of the Jaegers from the first film, and as a result the action feels more satisfying. Every hit feels more realistic at a slower pace, and thus I find myself more invested in the battles in The Black than at any point during Uprising.
Overall, Pacific Rim: The Black is a superior sequel to the original film, in large part due to the format it’s presented in. By making the show a television series, it allowed us to really dig deep into the Travis siblings, Boy, and the other characters we meet along the way. The Black doesn’t rely on exaggerated stereotypes to produce compelling characters like the first film, and its breadth of content prevents any of the shallow characterization that plagued the second one. Pacific Rim: The Black provides a unique follow up that stands on its own and stands out, with a gripping story and several mysteries that remain unanswered by the season’s end. I’m thrilled to report a second season has already been confirmed and is currently in production.
I certainly look forward to next season’s release and I can’t wait to return to The Black to see what answers lie in wait.
