Anime
TL;DR
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad Season 1 (2004)
ベック (Bekku)
Synopsis
Tanaka Yukio, better known by his nickname Koyuki, is a 14-year-old who feels disconnected from life in general. Through the act of saving a mismatched dog, he meets guitarist Minami Ryuusuke and becomes involved in Ryuusuke’s new band BECK. Koyuki’s life starts to change as the band struggles toward fame.
Directed by
Written by
Screenplay by
Music by
Pros
Character development
Music
World building
Cons
Slow-pace
PROs CONS
Overview
BECK (Japanese: ベック Hepburn: Bekku) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Harold Sakuishi. It was originally serialized in Monthly Shōnen Magazine from 1999 to 2008. It tells the story of a group of Japanese teenagers who form a rock band and their struggle to fame, focusing on 14-year-old Yukio “Koyuki” Tanaka, who until meeting guitar prodigy Ryusuke Minami was an average teen with a boring life.
It was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series, titled BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, by Madhouse and aired on TV Tokyo from October 2004 to March 2005.
It was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series, titled BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, by Madhouse and aired on TV Tokyo from October 2004 to March 2005.
Alternative title
– BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
– ベック
– Bekku
– BECK搖滾新樂團
– Mongolian Chop Squad
– Бек
– ベック
– Bekku
– BECK搖滾新樂團
– Mongolian Chop Squad
– Бек
TL;DR Review
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad is a slow burn slice of life type of anime.
The animation style for Beck is a little unique. The colors are more muted but not to the point they all blend together. The character shading gives it an almost cell-shading look, and also feels flat. All the main characters are nicely drawn, while side characters are almost cartoonish in design. Zoomed out scenes display characters with almost no details. I am unsure if this was a design choice or just to save on cost.
The opening theme “Hit in the USA” by Beat Crusaders match the over series mood pretty well. Though the first few episodes will seem slow at first. Most of the music for Beck are rock songs.
This anime can feel slow in some episodes, as nothing seem to be happening. However, this is a great show if you just need to wind down and watch an anime that rely more on character development and plot over giant mecha action pieces.
I recommend this series, but it may not be for everyone. If you prefer a fast paced action type of anime, this is not the anime for you. Beck contains suggestive themes/dialogs and some foul languages. Intended for young adults.
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Featured Music
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad Season 1 (2004)
Playlist
A collection of notable music and song from this series.
Music
Opening Theme
– “Hit in the USA” by Beat Crusaders
Closing Theme
– “My World Down” by Meister (eps 1-20)
“Moon on the Water” by Beat Crusaders feat. Sowelu (eps 21-25)
“Slip Out” by the eponymous band (ep 26)
Play Video
Play Video
Play Video
Featured Video
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad Season 1 (2004)
A collection of notable videos, ranging from a fan-created trailer, music video, opening, and ending clip.
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Credits
Photo
All images are copyright to their respective owners.
Photo by Nicolas LB, Jon Flobrant, and Yvette de Wit on Unsplash.
