Japanese Title: Detroit Metal City
Similar: Aggretsuko
Watched in: Japanese
Length: 12 episodes (half length each)
Positives:
- Vulgar hilarity.
- The premise is perfect.
- Fast talking matches the humour’s pace and half-length episodes.
Negatives:
- Visual creativity doesn’t always work.
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College graduate Souichi dreams of becoming a wholesome popstar. Shame then he became a death metal frontman so vulgar that Satan himself would evict him from Hell. Johannes Krauser II of Detroit Metal City (DMC) is said to have killed his own parents and then raped them. Or was it other way round? Either way, he can vocalise ten rapes a second! He killed his parents and so should you.
Detroit Metal City has one of the most absurd premises I have ever seen and it is hilarious! The shift back and forth from meek-mannered Souichi to indecency incarnated Krauser had me laughing every episode.
Problems most often arise when Souichi tries to put the moves on his crush, only to have Krauser’s crazed fans enter the scene and bring out his inner Demon King. He can’t supress his alter ego at the sound of DMC’s music, and pity any fool that dares challenge his might. In the first episode, DMC fans attack him for badmouthing the band to his crush after she says death metal is horrid. As a defence, he must air guitar Krauser’s moves to prove that he didn’t really mean it. This turn into a head banging, air banding romp and blurts out a line from his song – to do unsavoury things to the girl. She runs off in tears. Each episode’s scenario is funny. The rap battle may be the best. When Krauser raps, he destroys your life with shameful facts about your past.
Possibly my favourite character would be the band manager, who gauges how well a performance went by how wet she is and how many orgasms the music gave her. If she’s as dry as sandpaper, then the performance was trash!
This dark humour won’t be for everyone. Certainly not. Out of context, this all sounds horrid. Fans of the darker side will be in pain, however. One of the best decisions the team made with Detroit Metal City was to have half-length episodes (excluding OP and ED) with accelerated dialogue. It keeps the pace quick and the jokes rolling.
I had a ton of fun with the hidden gem that is Detroit Metal City. And don’t worry; Souichi’s parents are alive and well living peacefully in the countryside.
Art – Medium
Like South Park, Detroit Metal City uses intentionally jank art and seems recorded by someone holding their phone vertically at times. Shame! SHAME! But seriously, the art adds to the humour, though more visual variety and quirky animation would be better.
Sound – Very High
The acting is sharp, fast, and hilarious – the manager’s random English swearing is great. The music sucks in the perfect way.
Story – High
A soft-spoken boy dreams of singing innocent pop music, but transforms into the Demon King of death metal against his will when inconvenient. This premise works far better than expected to hilarious results.
Overall Quality – High
Recommendation: A must watch for dark humour fans. Detroit Metal City’s compact size packed with vulgarity of ludicrous proportions is a hilarious watch.
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Awards: (hover over each award to see descriptions; click award for more recipients)
Positive:
Negative: None
Nefarious Reviews 
I watched this for the first time this year, and I have to say that I don’t remember the last time I laughed this hard while watching an anime… (maybe Fumoffu was the last true laugh I had?) Definitely agree with you that Detroit Metal City isn’t for everyone, but for those who like absurd, dark humour with a good dose of cringing, it’s a real riot. My only complaint about the series is that if you marathon it, the jokes get a bit repetitive towards the end.
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I agree with you there. Despite the 10-minute episodes, I watched it over three sessions to keep it fresh.
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This show had me rolling with laughter. It’s just so absurd and messy, but it works. I especially love the fact that Souichi tries to be a good guy, but he’s incredibly petty at the same time.
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Makes him a great character!
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