0
0
Year: 2016
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Episodes: 12
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Prohibition Era. An era during the long history of the United States that saw a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages from 1920 to 1933. Just imagine today not being able to get your scotch, vodka, rum, or tequila. No Grey Goose, to make you feel loose. No J&Cs. No Jager Bombs. No Tequila shots. Think about how boring parties would be today without alcohol.
During the Prohibition Era, the iconic rise of organized crime spread throughout the United States. Bootlegging, the illegal business of producing, transporting, and sale of alcoholic beverages, gave organized crime the reason and motivation to be the Robin Hood against the government. Where else could people get their drink from after a hard day of work? Sometimes you just need a drink. Alcohol like moonshine became popular because you could make it in your own home. Who needs a brewery when you can make it in your bathroom! Maybe that should become my second job. Have a drink called “I’m Out.”
During this “dry” era, some major players that are idolized today came to the forefront. Al Capone, the poster child of organized crime and probably the most ruthless gangster on the planet ruled Chicago. My favorite gangster of all-time was legendary bank robber John Dillinger, who became public enemy #1 during the Prohibition Era. The Prohibition Era was a time where the mafia ruled with smuggling, robbery, bribery, assault, money laundering, loan sharking, weapons trafficking, extortion, murder, and many, many others
Many movies showed what the era was like. Movies like the critically acclaimed The Godfather, The Godfather Part 2, and The Untouchables, showed bootlegging, the American gangster lifestyle and how crime was conducted. The anime series 91 Days explores what happens when revenge motivates someone to destroy an entire family through that beautiful liquor.
Overview:
91 Days is set during the Prohibition Era in a town called Lawless, Illinois. As the name states, the law is nothing but a show while the mafia rules the city. Lawless thrives on the black-market sales from the illegal liquor that is brewed in the place called the Island, an area that is surrounded by water and connected by a small bridge. The central location where things happen is a church that was turned into a bar. A church into a bar? God must really love that one, but you must say it is a great place to hide and sell alcohol. Back to Lawless. Lawless is controlled by two families. On one side is the Vanetti family, and on the other is the Orco family.
The story starts with a young man receiving a letter, prompting him to return the Lawless to exact his revenge on those who took everything from him. The young man is Angelo Lagusa. Seven years before the story, Angelo, his brother Luce, best friend Corteo, and his mother were celebrating his birthday. Corteo decides to leave and go home with the snow coming down. Corteo passes Angelo’s dad, who is coming home from work. Angelo’s dad is being followed by an unmarked car. Angelo and Luce decide to hide in the closet from their father and play a trick on him. As Angelo’s father is looking, four men enter their happy home and start interrogating Angelo’s father over a ledger. Angelo’s father attacks one of the men with a knife, stabbing his hand and slashing his face. Angelo tries to hold back his brother when his brother runs from the closet into his mother’s arms. Angelo’s family is brutally gun downed by the four men. Angelo manages to escape from his house. As he runs, one of the men points a gun at him but lets him go. Angelo runs to his Corteo’s house. Angelo spends the night before deciding to leave Lawless.
Seven years later, Angelo returns to Lawless to exact his revenge on the ones who killed his family after receiving an anonymous letter from a friend of his father. Angelo meets up with Corteo, who is now a bootlegger. Corteo has invented the best liquor around through a complicated recipe. Angelo tells Corteo that he goes by the name Avilio Bruno and he knows the people who killed his family, the Vanetti family. Avilio sets his sights on the Vanetti family for revenge.
Avilio infiltrates the Vanetti family and sets his masterful plan of revenge in motion by first befriending the don’s son, Nero Vanetti. When the killings begin, it sets into motion more murders, revenge, and a power struggle the town of Lawless will hope to survive. The question is, will Angelo’s plan give him the results he wants, or will he become just another causality in a war for supremacy? What is he willing to sacrifice to see the deaths of the ones who took everything from them?
Review:
91 Days is an okay entertaining anime to watch but falls flat in many areas to make it a truly memorable anime. The amine grips you in the first episode. What more can you want in the first episode, then the murder of an entire family that feeds the soul of revenge. After that first episode, the story just falls flat until the final couple of episodes when shit finally hits the fan, and everything goes wild.
The major disappointment with this anime is with the story. Personally, I found the story a cliché gangster story. Person’s family gets killed for some reason. Person manages to escape somehow with their life and decides to leave and never come back or come back when the time is right. Person returns to find out that everything has changed and learns the lay of the land while learning about all the major players. Person hatches a plan to get whatever revenge they feel they deserve.
The whole 91 days concept could’ve been presented better. Not once through the entire anime did Avilio mention he wanted his revenge in 91 days. I guess the real number comes up when Nero indicates that the “playhouse” his family is building would be completed in three months, but even then, that is a stretch. With the anime being only twelve episodes long, it moves very fast. One minute, Avilio is saving Nero’s ass. Then the next, they are on the open road best friends with Avilion rising to be Nero’s, right-hand man. All in 91 Days! That is an upward movement to its finest. Literally, the dude comes into town, saves your ass once, shows up at your sister’s wedding with some great alcohol, and you make him your best friend and person to watch your back. The idea of a background check and recommendations out the window right there. What made 91 Days get the okay entertainment was around the last half of the series when all the backstabbing and killings started. Nothing like a more prominent gang murdering everyone you love.
The character development in terms of the emotions and weight they carry is a strong point in the anime. Seeing the depth at which Avilio goes to get his revenge showed that nothing else in the world matter. Even the people he cared most about were expendable. With each death that Avilio causes, that death shows on his face as he becomes more and more distant from the world. His once stern eyes that are focused on his task become heavy with bags showing underneath them. With Avilio’s revenge, the depth of the consequences his revenge had on others weighs on many others. Avilio’s revenge destroyed the one friendship and person he cared for the most. The weight of his revenge drove his best friend mad until, ultimately, one had to pull the trigger.
Overall, 91 Days is an okay mafia anime that is lackluster in a few areas. The overall theme of the story with revenge being the centerpiece is a great idea. Still, the story falls flat when trying to make it seem reasonable. The story moves rather quickly rather than making one believe all could happen in three months. Excitement does happen when people’s worlds start to fall apart, and the death count starts to rise. Even though not a terrible anime, 91 Days could’ve spent more time with character development to make us feel engaged with the characters. I only felt sad for one character.
Watch the Godfather, Goodfellas, or The Untouchables instead.
