Under the title Project Scard: Scar on the Praeter is the last animated series produced by Frontier Works. Divided into 13 episodes, it is part of a cross-media project combining manga, anime and music. It offers a universe at the crossroads of science fiction, magic, martial arts and political intrigues. It is the studio Go Hands, to whom we owe the excellent animated film Mardock Scramble, which is responsible for its realization. A logical choice because he previously worked on the K series whose plot has similarities with this new project. After 3 episodes, it is possible to draw up a mixed assessment of this introduction. 
Akatsuki, battlefields
In the near past, the fictional Akatsuki district became aspecial economic zone in the heart of Tokyo. Self-managed, it welcomed large firms attracted by low taxes and the absence of state control. But utopia quickly became a nightmare where big corporations and gangs ruled and spread chaos. Overwhelmed, the state allowed violence to plague the streets and civilians to suffer daily violence. Until the appearance of the Scards, superhuman agents, marked with divine tattoos giving them superpowers. They restored order, drove out the firms and protected the inhabitants from the gangs ever since. Today, the neighborhood is independent. But this tranquility feeds strange power games. Indeed, three organizations employing Scards (Helios, Artemis and the Public Security Bureau) maintain security while fighting each other. At the same time, a highly organized gang, the dusk, continues its incursions into the area. To complicate the situation, a mysterious weapon, the deicide bullet, appears as well as a hero killer "Fenrir". Yamato Kai, a resident of the neighborhood, finds himself immersed in this struggle for influence.
Project Scard, Scar on the Praeter : a promising but confusing story.
In its narration, the Go Hand studio has chosen to use the so-called in media res process: immersing the viewer in the heart of the action and revealing episode after episode the stakes. This is a classic process widely used in fiction. It has the virtue of giving rhythm and dispensing with sometimes long introductions. Here, we have to wait for episode 2 to explain the historical context, episode 3 to discover the rivalries between clans and the magical dimension of the story. Unfortunately, however, these revelationsremain rather clumsy. The fault lies in a very confused definition of chronology, social and political context. We still do not understand if we are in a contemporary or fantasized Japan. We do not know what the political situation of the country is, why the government allows a neighborhood to become a lawless zone, what the scards are. For comparison, we can remember how Otomo in Akira (the film) managed in a few shots to plunge us into his Neo Tokyo in full economic slump, student protest, socially fractured and gangrenous by cults. This confusion prevents us from attaching ourselves to the characters. What adds to this narrative frustration is that Project Scard: Scar on the Praeter wants to go in many directions. The narrative first lays the foundation for a classic superhero tale. Superpowers that vary from person to person; Beings perceived as gods by the population as a threat by the authorities, powers inherited and that can be transmitted. The story is also fantastic by borrowing from Western mythology a mystical dimension illustrated by the character of Fenrir (wolf of Scandinavian legends, son of Loki and a giantess and who killed Odin during Ragnarök). The series is finally built as a police investigation around a child separated from his parents while they were trying to flee Artemis and which interests many groups. But after three episodes, the narrative gets confused without giving us clear elements about the origin of the powers, the mistrust of the authorities or the nature of the threats. The authors do not know which dimension to focus on. It distills a little fantasy, sprinkled with police and enhanced with superheroic without deepening one of the axes. It thus defuses the scope of their different story arcs.
Project Scard, Scar on the Praeter : a clumsy realization.
The visual aspect could have improved the whole. However, it may surprise and discourage many spectators. Indeed, the studio has chosen to mix classicanimation (2D) on 3D environments. However, if the idea is good on paper, the result on the screen is much more questionable. It gives off the impression of having characters stuck on 3D scenery. In addition, these sets have a very metallic texture that contrasts totally with that of the characters. This is very annoying in interior scenes (the café for example) and has the unfortunate tendency to take the viewer out of the story. 
It should also be noted that the environments are extremely poor. The streets, for example, are almost empty of people except the protagonists. This can be understood for the Akatasuki district, but for the city of Toyko, it is strange. This same "aridity" of the sets is found in the interior scenes: Artemis' office, hospital. Only Helios' coffee is an exception to the rule. What saves the realization is the chara-design of the characters "steampunk style" out of step with the realistic environment and the well-paced and numerous fight scenes. These first three episodes are therefore a disappointment. The story has potential spoiled by the studio's narrative choices. As if the anime should only suggest a universe rather than make us enter full foot in it.
