A modern war story

January 30, 2015 2:36 PM

FLAG is a unique anime series: a fictional war documentary told entirely through a camera lens.

Background
Wikipedia
TV Tropes

This post's first link goes to a playlist for the English dub.

FLAG is a thoughtful drama that covers many war-related issues, including the role propaganda plays in modern warfare. Most of the animation is intended to be realistic rather than stylized. Overt CGI is minimal, and even though it's described on Wikipedia as a "mecha-genre anime series" there isn't much mecha action.

All 13 episodes are shown through either a video or digital camera lens, photographic prints or webcam footage. This contributes to a documentary feel: footage looks as if it was compiled from multiple sources, captured as events unfolded.

Reviews
* The Anime Review
* Nihon Review

posted by zarq (9 comments total)

Thanks for this zarq. I feel like giving up on anime after seeing encountering so much junk lately but maybe flag will be different.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 2:49 PM on January 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

You're welcome! It's definitely a different kind of anime. Not flashy.

IMDb also has a couple of reviews. The first contains a minor spoiler. The second is titled "Everything I Don't Like About Anime Is Missing."
posted by zarq at 2:56 PM on January 30, 2015

Says it is, but does not seem to actually be, dubbed.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 3:01 PM on January 30, 2015

Japanese subtitles and no dub.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 3:34 PM on January 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

I remember this. I can't remember if it kept up with the promise of the opening episodes, but I know I liked it.
posted by figurant at 3:49 PM on January 30, 2015

Yeah that YouTube playlist is not an English dub, for me at least. Interesting concept- does anyone have an English dub link?
posted by Wretch729 at 8:41 PM on January 30, 2015

Directed by the same guy who did Gasaraki, which manages to be a thing I just-about-half-like. This looks like it has more of the realistic-approach-to-storytelling-about-conflict stuff with less of the "Let's be Evangelion-lite!" stuff, which I consider a good thing.
posted by Alterscape at 11:33 PM on January 30, 2015

Here's an english dub, although the audio sounds badly compressed.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:06 AM on January 31, 2015

First four episodes available elsewhere on youtube in dubs. And full series in English subs here.

And it's fascinating, artistically as well as conceptually. Thanks Zarq.
posted by Ahab at 8:07 AM on February 1, 2015