If you have even a passing interest in Japanese hip-hop, you have undoubtedly heard of the fantastic project Paradox Live, also known as Paralive, which was recently (in 2019) co-created by Avex Pictures and GCREST. With 29 (so far) voice actors, including Yusuke Kobayashi, Gakuto Kajiwara, Ayumu Murase, Natsuki Hanae (Tanjiro Komado and Kousei Arima), and many more, the project is essentially a rap battle between members of several teams. Hip-hop is the primary factor that unifies the teams and their members, despite each having unique traits, song styles, and histories of their own.
According to the official narrative, hip-hop originated in Japan in the early 1980s and was referred to as "freedom music" like it was in other nations. The first series that springs to mind when considering a connection between the anime business and hip-hop is Takashi Okazaki's Afro-samurai Fuminori Kizaki, which more overtly conveys the idea of animation to the audience at the price of hip-hop flair. Hip-hop serves as the foundation for Paradox Live; all of the musical groups that surround him are drawn to it, and all of the project's participants adore it.
Concerning the storyline The metal known as "phantom metal" is discovered by humans, and in not too distant a future, hip-hop musicians begin to utilize it to create enchanting illusions that are connected to their emotions. To do this, they employ accessories that contain the same "phantom metal," which has its own DNA. What is the cost of employing deceptions? The price is rather impressive: side effects up to and including the user's death. Nevertheless, there is no stopping the creative servants. As previously said, the anime shows the initial phase of Paradox Life. Several teams face each other in battles after the unexplained return of CLUB PARADOX for a great sum of money and the privilege to obtain a duet with the famed missing group.
Don't hurry to satisfy your musical soul just because an anime falls under the "music" genre; it still features drama and delves into deeper issues. Despite being a component of a musical endeavor, the anime nonetheless focuses more on the character tales than the music. Yes, you will witness and hear performances, but be aware that there won't be as many as in other musical anime, such as K-On or Love Live! The anime does a fantastic job at depicting drama, but it doesn't feel like all the characters are equally vital to the plot because some are revealed over the course of a whole episode, while others are just given a minute or so.
Paradox Live also has the benefit of animation, which has 2D graphics that are colorful even though the show was made by a small studio. But, the 3D used throughout the performances is quite inadequate; it would be preferable if it didn't exist at all. If it wasn't as apparent during The Cat's Whiskers performance, it was clearly seen during Akanyatsura's Bad Boyz performance, which Pine Jam struggled to manage.
This presentation had less music than I would have preferred, but what is there is cool and varied. It's difficult to refute Paradox Live's skill with tunes.
Taku Iwasaki has done a terrific job, and despite a few flaws, the show is a great addition to Paradox Live that will excite fans and not only them. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of the "music" genre in anime, I like this effort after seeing it. In fact, while I write this review, the BAE track is currently playing in my headphones.
