There was a problem with identification establishment in the early half of High Card. The show seemed unsure of the kind of tale it wanted to portray, which was my main issue with the first few episodes. Was it intended to be a multi-episode adventure series with diverse locales? Was the intention to create a character-driven story with separate arcs for each member of the cast? Did it wish to concentrate on eliminating one particular troublemaking mafia family? Or was it simply intended to be about the brotherly bond between the two major cast members? Mixing up all these plot points should have made for an interesting series, but instead it resulted in one that was somewhat uneven. Unfortunately, the problem persists during the second season.
One show that seems to abide by the cool rule is High Card. It is highly stylized and features an amazing music that skillfully combines a variety of instruments to capture the wide range of diverse characters that make up the program. It’s a really well-animated series for the most part. Action set pieces are a staple of almost every episode, making use of the unique settings and card powers to create compelling scenes. While I think some of the card skills—such the capacity to permanently connect people’s hands together—are ridiculous, High Card works well as an action show. Other card abilities, like the ability to kill someone after thirteen days of communication, feel really special. Although season two chose to concentrate more on the cards’ general mythology in order to conclude its grandiose tale, I would have rather to see more of what the cards had to offer. On the surface, that shouldn’t be a problem, but the High Card mythology isn’t always all that fascinating—at best, it can be confusing—at worst.
There are numerous instances where the program continuously changes its past in real time. I don’t only mean that the cards themselves and the world they live in are being updated for the characters. Rather, there are times when the narrative makes a point without providing a clear chronology. The fact that the cards are now in the wild and that there is a mounting sense of urgency to retrieve them back in time for a particular event is something that High Card wishes to emphasize heavily. Subsequently, the program also demonstrates that the cards have always been visible and in the possession of a small group of people. In order to recover all of the cards and make sure they don’t end up in the wrong hands, we’re tracking a group called High Card, although they’ve also been there for a while. I wonder whether the cards have been in the open from the beginning.
Plus, it’s still quite unclear how the cards gain their abilities. Certain powers appear to be connected to particular cards and even possess their own will, while other powers just so happen to fall into the hands of individuals whose characteristics or personalities align with the card’s ability. The show is incredibly careless with the details, and if it weren’t for the fact that I get the impression that the show wants me to be concerned about those issues, I wouldn’t be as concerned. I was never interested in High Card because of its lore—I was drawn to it because of the characters—but it still causes me to become very sidetracked.
It is successful for season two to complete several character arcs. Some are clear, like Finn and Chris reaffirming their fraternal relationship, while others, like Leo, eventually establish themselves as more capable leaders. I hope Wendy and the other members of the core cast received the same level of attention because the story handled those arcs so brilliantly. Too quickly was her character arc resolved. Compared to Vijay, who was merely present, at least she had something. Simply said, I wanted to see more of these people since their interactions and the emotional beats they produced were some of the best parts of the whole series.
Their exchanges also touch on the main theme of High Card, which is family. Family is made up of the relationships you have with other people, not only the blood you are born with. How much will you give up for those relationships, and how far will you go to keep them intact? Although there is authenticity here, there are times when it feels like I’m watching a Fast and Furious movie, and the intense action didn’t help with that. Despite its flaws, I never got tired of the show since it puts its heart on its sleeve.
Original anime is hard to find these days, especially action episodes that require meticulous presentation. High Card may have used a few more rewrites and a little more concentration in the beginning, but overall, I was happy with how it turned out. The characters are likeable, the action is entertaining, and most of the talents are intriguing. The main thing I dislike about it is that I wish its mythology and history were less important and more concentrated on those aspects. Perhaps it’s simply a matter of taste, but I found the moments when the program was having fun wrapped in such earnestness to be the most enjoyable. You can’t go wrong with High Card if you’re searching for a good action series, and I would love to see more original animation of this caliber.
