English Title: The Fable
Japanese Title: ザ・ファブル
Director(s): Takahashi Ryosuke & Nakajima Daisuke
Screenwriter(s): Takashima Yuya & Morita Mayumi
Studio: Tezuka Productions
Released: 2024
Runtime: 25 episodes, ~23m each.
Starring: Okitsu Kazuyuki, Sawashiro Miyuki, Hanazawa Kana
My Verdict: Moderately funny but can be dark and serious in parts. Measured and balanced in most respects. Entertaining.
● Based on the manga by Minami Katsuhisa, it follows the hitman referred to as the “Fable” (Okitsu Kazuyuki). Very few know his identity. Even in the criminal underworld, some think he does not exist. He is told to lay low for a year and not kill anyone, so he and his assistant (Sawashiro Miyuki), now as siblings Sato Akira and Yoko, try to settle into an “ordinary” life in Osaka in a house provided by the Maguro gang. Of course, staying low is not easy when criminals are near…
● I have not read the manga but I have seen the two live-action films.
● One of the reasons to lay low is that Akira’s adoptive father and boss want him to blend in better. Akira, given his unconventional upbringing, is somewhat unaware of social norms and is completely deadpan. Thankfully, he is not the cliched “honorable killer with a good heart”. He is almost amoral in the sense that he is simple-minded and childishly unaware. That, of course, is difficult to accept for an adult because everyone has a conscience.
● That being the case, Akira mostly works as a main character because he is still a likable guy. He takes a certain pride in his job as a professional but he is not a cruel person.
● Also, he is not alone. His “younger sister” Yoko, who is more-or-less normal, provides some balance.
● As part of living an ordinary life, Akira gets a job as a delivery man at a small graphics firm called Octopus. So, over time, he gets involved with people, particularly a young lady named Shimizu Misaki (Hanazawa Kana), his colleague. The series spreads its focus to other characters too.
● The premise and Akira’s character obviously lends itself to comedy. One might expect lots of black comedy, possibly in the form of accidental killings but that is not the case. Whilst it is appreciated that it is not a complete farce that cheaply relies on “accidents” or slapstick, it can use more black comedy.
● When Maguro captain Ebihara Takeshi’s underling Kojima Kenji is released from prison, he aggressively tries to re-assert his position by upsetting the status quo and threatening multiple parties. Against Akira’s boss’s instructions, Ebihara involves Akira, practically begging him to help keep Kojima under control. This arc forms the first half of the anime series and is basically the first live-action film.
● The arc for most of the second half of the series involves a fraudster named Utsubo Rei. Using a detective agency as a front, he plans and executes fraud, kidnapping, extortion and murder. He has three employees under him, including assassin Saba Hinako. This conflict is basically the second live-action film.
● Utsubo is more calculated and more of a strategic thinker than Kojima, but both are sinister. Whilst Akira is so highly skilled as to achieve mythical status and therefore no one is truly a threat to him, his “weakness” is those close to him. It is no surprise that in the first arc, Misaki is the “damsel in distress” he has to save.
● The problem is that the second arc simply repeats the same tactic even if the threat is shifted to a different character. Despite the moderately comedic elements, the series can be quite dark and tense as criminals plot and threaten innocents. Akira can take care of himself but there is a sense of dread for others.
● As already mentioned, the series spreads its character focus. Unlike films with limited runtime, a 25-episode series has way more to work with. For example, there is more on Yoko throughout. She is so bored that she goes out to drink and feign picking up guys/getting picked up just to laugh at them. Whilst she is funny, the story would be fuller if she is more involved, whether it is the main plotline and/or having her own arc.
● Related to the above, the first five or six episodes can be tightened. To those who have seen the live-action films, it may seem a little slow but it does better establish the characters and setting as well as giving the characters time to develop.
● The live-action films, obviously due to limited runtime, simplistically have Akira’s identity tightly sealed. He is “legendary”. It is interesting that in this series, people are curious and try to find out more about the “Fable”. [Minor Spoiler] One particular character even works it out and a few episodes focus on that as he admires Akira and wants to be his student.
● The voice acting is excellent. Okitsu as Akira is consistently deadpan and Sawashiro as Yoko is flippantly… well, flippant. As anime, both visual and vocal expressions can be simplistically exaggerated without coming across as overacting and this series pushes it as far as it can get away with.
● Visually, the designs are nice. It is very clean with nice linework and solid colors. However, the actual animation (motion) is arguably awkward. That is the style and it comes down to personal taste.
● On balance, it is moderately funny and entertaining. Despite the comedy, the criminal activities, particularly when they threaten an innocent, are serious and dark. It has drama, a touch of thriller and even a hint of slice-of-life. It is not heavy on action or gratuitous with the violence, it is measured. Whatever its weaknesses, there is enough character focus, plot and decent pacing to keep it sufficiently interesting and entertaining.
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