Wangan Midnight English Sub & Dub

About Wangan Midnight

Wangan Midnight (湾岸ミッドナイト) arrives as an action anime by A.C.G.T. (2007), and the premise is easy to summarize. The setup: Based on a seinen manga by Kusunoki Michiharu serialised in Young Magazine. One day, Akio Asakura, a third year high school pupil, is driving his Fairlady Z (Z31) and is challenged by Tatsuya Shima, a doctor, in his black Porsche 964 Turbo (nicknamed the "BlackBird").

Along the way, with a companion in the passenger seat and two girls in the back, Akio pitifully tries to win, but is defeated. Determined to become faster, he goes to the junkyard to buy parts for his car, when he sees a pristine, unscratched midnight blue Fairlady Z (S30) in the junkyard. Intrigued as to why such a machine is about to be junked, he buys it.

As an action title, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Voice work is led by Shun Oguri as Akio Asakura and Shinichirou Miki as Tatsuya Shima. This one is best suited to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. The run is 26 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Production sits with A.C.G.T., which means the visual identity of Wangan Midnight follows that studio's craft. Because it leans on action, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. At 7.2/10 it earns a solid reception, a safe pick for fans of the genre. On the casting side, Shun Oguri voicing Akio Asakura gives the lead role a recognizable voice. It aired in 2007, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.