Zankyou no Terror

A cryptic video of two masked teenage boys has declared that they are behind terrorist attacks in Tokyo. Nine and Twelve call themselves the Sphinx. Their goal? To wake the world and show them its ugly truths.

Detectives and policemen are frantic to solve the case. Sphinx caught the attention of metropolitan police department's Shibazaki Kenjirou who used to work in the investigations division. Currently working at the records division, Shibazaki might just be the one to crack the Sphinx mystery. It seems like Nine and Twelve found a match in the smart Shibazaki who was able to solve their riddles.

Apparently Nine and Twelve's past motivate their actions. Nine does all the planning and execution while Twelve does the dirty work. Nine's array of excellent skills complement Twelve's physical prowess. Their meeting with a sad Mishima Lisa could just be the change they needed... or not.

Nine

Twelve

Shibazaki Kenjirou

Sphinx sends a challenge to the police.

Mishima Lisa, another lonely soul, meets Nine and Twelve.

Set in an alternate Tokyo, Zankyou no Terror is a dark, sad story of two gifted young men with no families and identities. The battle of the brains between Sphinx and Shibazaki is entertaining to watch, as well as against a character who is introduced later in the series and is intimately involved in Nine and Twelve's past.

The beautifully animated 11-episode series is fast-paced, gritty, and is something that will linger in your mind for a time after that last episode. I expected it to be a series about two sides trying to outwit each other. It was that too, but it's one of the few anime that hits you right.

I wouldn't change the ending but I wish the series was longer.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10