Lazarus

So I watched Lazarus… and yeah, this one’s wild. I went in expecting some generic dystopian chaos, y’know, flashy fights and maybe some philosophical one liner dropped mid punch but nah, it actually had thought it’s way. Set in 2052, there’s this miracle drug called Hapuna that basically cures everything. Sounds great, right? Until the scientist who made it decides to go full Bond villain and announces, “Oh by the way, it’s gonna kill all of you in three years.” Like bro, what?

It’s Shinichirō Watanabe doing what he does best: making shit stylish but also making it mean something. You can literally feel how much real world fear he poured into this from climate collapse to the whole Big Pharma nightmare. It’s like, yeah, the end of the world looks cool in animation, but damn, it’s hitting a bit too close to home.

Visually? MAPPA’s got their foot on the gas. It’s slick, dark, almost too polished at times. But the fight scenes? You can tell John Wick director Chad Stahelski had a hand in it. Everything feels grounded. No flying ninjas or spirit bombs, just raw, kinetic movement like someone really could jump off a wall, twist midair, and land with a punch to your jaw. It’s anime, but not that anime, if you get me. The art style reminds of the classic shows like Cowboy Bebop, that being another reason that got me here, after all it’s Shinichirō Watanabe.

And let’s talk about that soundtrack. Floating Points, Bonobo, Kamasi Washington… yeah, they didn’t come to play. It’s got that weird, jazzy energy that creeps up on you and suddenly you’re vibing while the world’s ending.

It’s only the beginning, but Lazarus has that energy of something that could go completely insane in the best way. Not sure where it’s heading, but I’m strapped in. It’s one of those shows where you pause and think, damn, are we already halfway there in real life?