Amazing myths and legends are in abundance in Asian culture. While some of this has been explored through horror and fantasy dramas, none have really taken the reins and created an entire living, breathing world around it. That is, until Trese, a six-episode Filipino gem.
Trese, a smartly written, exciting action romp that blends elements of sci-fi, action, and crime drama, leaves you wanting more even after the credits roll.
Trese is a show set in the heart of Manila that explores a world in which the shadowy underworld coexists with the world as we know it. The daytime is fine, but at night, the shadows come out to play. This loose alliance, which was formed in the past by a man named Anton, is weakening under the weight of restless dark forces.
Alexandra Trese, Anton's daughter, serves as a link between the two worlds. According to legend, she is the sixth child of the sixth child, a girl born to unite the realms and rule over the underworld. For the time being, she's content with her role as an Earthly detective.
Trese's best fantasy-realism crossovers nail the gritty energy and sprawl of Manila, making the anime feel both natural and magical. Humans are kept as pets by dwarfish earth elementals. Lightning elementals own and run power companies, their hands and eyes crackling with raw energy. Encanto horses live in densely forested headquarters perched atop high-rise buildings. Even monsters need an off-grid system to survive in this world, so the predatory aswang monsters have their own wet market for illegal human meat.
The Trese comics are known for their folklore elements in both the series' urban setting and story arcs. Those elements amp up the magical realism vibe in the anime.
Alexandra Trese stands at the center of Trese with the best reaction to the madness of her Manila: moody, sullen, and distrustful. She appears to be what any city-dwelling Filipino feels on a typical day, dressed in a Chinese-cut trench coat and ready to fight at the drop of a centavo. As a supernatural detective who is also the enforcer of the "accords" between the human and supernatural realms, she is a joy to watch.
Trese is engulfed in all manner of supernatural spookiness over the course of these six episodes, from zombie invasions to feral goblins and even a murdered ghost. The ideas are well-presented, imaginative, and the voice cast does an excellent job acting them out.
Trese is a well-written series and one of Netflix's better-animated releases this year. The world is fed by the unique aesthetic and clever use of myths and legends.
Trese definitely deserves a sequel based on this performance, but whether the show does so or not remains to be seen. For the time being, Trese has a solid six-episode run that is well worth watching.
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