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NO GAME NO LIFE: A REVIEW

No Game No Life: A Review

Seth Joshua M. Ancheta

University of the Philippines Manila

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NO GAME NO LIFE: A REVIEW
What if every dispute was settled by games? What if major world problems could be solved
by just a simple game? Simply put, what if the world was run by playing games? This is exactly
how the world of Disboard is, the main setting of the anime No Game No Life.
No Game No Life (abbreviated by fans as NGNL) is a 2014 anime produced by the studio
Madhouse, known for their other famous works such as Death Note, Cardcaptor Sakura, and The
Girl Who Leapt Through Time, among others. NGNL follows the adventures of siblings Sora and
Shiro as they have been transported to the crazy world of Disboard. Originally, Sora and Shiro
were shut-ins in their world, and do nothing but stay at home and play computer games. They are
amazingly skilled, undefeated in fact, and affectionately refer to themselves as the the Blank.
They always play together, thinking of themselves as two parts of the same player and perform
exceedingly well as a team. Their monotonous lives are suddenly turned upside down one day,
when they are suddenly challenged by an anonymous player to an online game of chess. They
eventually defeat the challenger, and it is revealed that the challenger was Tet, the god of a world
called Disboard. Tet transports them to Disboard, a world where games decide everything, and
their quest to usurp Tets throne as God of Games begins.
The anime isnt all that serious plot-wise, and is quite light-hearted actually. The main
attractions of the show are the game strategies employed by the protagonists, as their brilliance
truly shines during game sequences. Other strong points of the show include the oversaturated and
brilliantly colored visual themes, the singular yet memorable theme song that echoes even during
episodes, and the anticipation for the protagonists next move. After you get to know Sora and
Shiro, you know its guaranteed theyll win every game, the excitement comes from watching how
they achieve that. The well-built and diverse world, fun adventures, and excessive fanservice add
to the overall flavor of the show, and might be enjoyed or disliked based on the viewers tastes.

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NO GAME NO LIFE: A REVIEW
On the other hand, some aspects of the show that might turn away some viewers include the general
predictability of the plot, the protagonists being somewhat too skilled, the relatively slow plot
developments and lackluster in-game expositions. Of course, the series good points greatly
outshine its negative aspects, its just that some viewers might be irked by those aspects. As with
everything of course, to each his own taste.
A recurring theme in NGNL is the fact that Sora and Shiro are mere humans compared to
the other races that exist in Disboard, and how they continuously beat opponents with better
physical, magical or technological abilities. In Disboard, sixteen races war with each other for
territory, and having no magical abilities or extraordinary physical attributes, humans are looked
down upon as the weakest race. This is why its amazing to watch The Blank in action, because
even though their opponents cheat, and often in crazy ways, The Blank always finds a way to
outsmart their enemy. This phenomenon is eloquently explained by Sora and Shiro themselves in
a motivational speech they give to the rest of humanity in Disboard. They proclaim that since
humans are the weakest race who have nothing, they can become anything, and that since they are
the weakest, they know how to make the strong lose. They say that while the strong sharpen their
claws and master their magic, the weak sharpen their wits. Their main idea is that the weakest race,
humanity, can beat the strong races by being crafty and outsmarting them. This is truly
inspirational not only to the people of the last remaining human city, called Elkia, but also to the
viewers. Their message implies that although we may be looked at by the world as weak, there is
still an inner strength in each and every one of us that defines us, and gives us our own special
ways of dealing with the world. At least thats how I, as a viewer, see it as an application to the
human situation. This isnt the only potential lesson or moral you can pick up from NGNL though,

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NO GAME NO LIFE: A REVIEW
as there are many instances of motivational talks and discussions which are often outshined by the
series other plot devices.
Overall, No Game No Life is an amazing piece of work, as expected from Madhouse, and
is a breath of fresh air in comparison to other recent action-genre animes with generally dark tones.
The protagonists likeable relations with the other characters, especially humanity, and their wild
adventures and games throughout the series are the main selling points of the shows plot. The
audiovisual aspects of the show are of course, also commendable. Some plot devices are not as
pleasant to watch as others are, but the series redeems itself with a plot thats structured to be
predictable but still have regular twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. I personally
recommend though, to stream No Game No Life as opposed to buying it, as the anime is still hitor-miss depending on your tastes. Not to worry though, as the series is available for legal streaming
at Crunchyroll.com. There you have it, what to enjoy and what to expect from NGNL. Whether
youll like it or not, depends on how much the first few episodes make an impact on you. Now go
boot up your computer, watch up on a few episodes and dont knock it til you try it!