History Anime / DecaDence

Hundreds of years have passed since humanity was driven to the brink of extinction by the sudden emergence of unknown life forms known as Gadoll. The remainder of population is now limited to the Eurasian continent, where they dwell in a 3,000 meter-high mobile fortress called Deca-Dence, which was built to protect themselves from the Gadoll threat.

* HunterOfMonsters: Similar to VideoGame/MonsterHunter and VideoGame/GodEater, the setting of the story is about fighting off monsters that threaten humanity. The Gears and Tankers are soldiers who fight the Gadoll creatures using enlarged weaponry and use the Gadoll parts they retrieve as resources and fuel. However, the Tankers treat this as a real job, while the Gears only see this as a video game. [[spoiler:It's even revealed that Gadoll are purposely being created by the administrators of Deca-Dence to ensure their game continues on. But by the end of the series, the monster hunting game is finally dropped in favor of more family-friendly games.]]

* HunterOfMonsters: Similar to VideoGame/MonsterHunter and VideoGame/GodEater, the setting of the story is about fighting off monsters that threaten humanity. The Gears and Tankers are soldiers who fight the Gadoll creatures using enlarged weaponry and use the Gadoll parts they retrieve as resources and fuel. However, the Tankers treat this as a real job, while the Gears only see this as a video game. [[spoiler:It's even revealed that Gadoll are purposely being created by the administrators of Deca-Dence to ensure their game continues on. But by the end of the series, the monster hunting game is finally dropped in favor of more family friendly games.]]

* HunterOfMonsters: Similar to VideoGame/MonsterHunter and VideoGame/GodEater, the setting of the story is about fighting off monsters that threaten humanity. The Gears and Tankers are soldiers who fight the Gadoll creatures using enlarged weaponry and use the Gadoll parts they retrieve as resources and fuel. However, the Tankers treat this as a real job, while the Gears only see this as a video game. [[spoiler:It's even revealed that Gadoll are purposely being created by the administrators of Deca-Dence to ensure their game continues on. But by the end of the series, the monster hunting game is finally shut down in favor of more family friendly games.]]

* HunterOfMonsters: Similar to VideoGame/MonsterHunter and VideoGame/GodEater, the setting of the story is about fighting off monsters that threaten humanity. The Gears and Tankers are soldiers who fight the Gadoll creatures using enlarged weaponry and use the Gadoll parts they retrieve as resources and fuel. However, the Tankers treat this as a real job, while the Gears only see this as a video game. [[spoiler:It's even revealed that Gadoll are purposely being created by the administrators of Deca-Dence to ensure their game continues on.]]

* ArtShift: The cyborgs that control the Gears are far more cartoonish and [[ThickLinedAnimation thicker lined]] than the humans of the setting.

* ArtShift: The cyborgs that control the Gears are far more cartoonish than the humans of the setting.

* HunterOfMonsters: Similar to VideoGame/MonsterHunter and VideoGame/GodEater, the setting of the story is about fighting off monsters that threaten humanity. The Gears and Tankers are soldiers who fight the Gadoll creatures using enlarged weaponry and use the Gadoll parts they retrieve as resources and fuel. However, the Tankers treat this as a real job, while the Gears only see this as a video game.

* CommieLand: While Deca-Dence's world is described by some as a "capitalist dystopia," it is actually more of a communist dystopia. The "corporation" that rules this part of the world is an all-powerful government that owns all production, sets all rules and prices and allows no competition.

* MixAndMatchWeapon: The main weaponry of Gears and Tankers are various weapons that function like a HarpoonGun and PileBunker combined. The weapons were essentially made to launch large metal needles that are hollow inside so that when they are successfully penetrated in a Gadoll's flesh, it can drain the blood out of it like a syringe. The blood is then absorbed into the fuel packs of the Gears and Tankers to allow them constant flight in the Gadoll's zero gravity zone. The weapons come in different sizes and shapes such as [[ArmCannon Arm Cannons]], BladeOnAStick, and so on.

* TheAlcatraz: The Bug Correctional Facility is built at the bottom of a giant lake. If the atmospheric pressure doesn't instantly crush any cyborg's body then all the Gadoll swimming around and waiting for deployment to the game certainly will.

In reality, in the latter part of the 25th century, air pollution had reached lethal levels and society broke down. In the midst of all this, large {{Mega Corp}}s took over and developed cyborg bodies that quickly came to outnumber humans. Eventually, one of these corporations acquired the rights to the remaining unmodified humans, putting a gigantic dome over the continent of Eurasia and making it a wildlife preserve for humans with its own self-governing system... [[TrumanShowPlot and an entertainment facility for cyborgs]]. With humans none the wiser, they had become the {{NPC}}s in a bizarre mix of {{LARP}}ing and [[VirtualReality VR]] {{MMORPG}}, with Gadoll being genetically-manufactured monsters created to keep things interesting and Gears actually being the human avatars of cyborgs who now reside off-planet. Kaburagi is one such cyborg, a retired top player who was days away from [[DrivenToSuicide finishing starving himself to death]] before discovering that Natsume is actually a "bug" in the system; in this case an {{Unperson}} whose embedded tracking chip broke down shortly after the Gadoll attack that took her father and arm. But rather than kill her as per company policy, her strange existence renews Kaburagi's interest in the game and he decides it would be far more interesting to take her on as an apprentice. What follows throws the intended "storyline" of the game completely off the rails, for better and for worse.

In reality, in the latter part of the 25th century, air pollution had reached lethal levels and society broke down. In the midst of all this, large {{Mega Corp}}s took over and developed cyborg bodies for their workforces and consumers, with the robotic beings quickly coming to outnumber humans. Eventually, one of these corporations acquired the rights to the remaining unmodified humans, putting a gigantic dome over the continent of Eurasia and making it a wildlife preserve for humans with its own self-governing system... [[TrumanShowPlot and an entertainment facility for cyborgs]]. With humans none the wiser, they had become the {{NPC}}s in a bizarre mix of {{LARP}}ing and [[VirtualReality VR]] {{MMORPG}}, with Gadoll being genetically-manufactured monsters created to keep things interesting and Gears actually being the human avatars of cyborgs who now reside off-planet. Kaburagi is one such cyborg, a retired top player who was days away from [[DrivenToSuicide finishing starving himself to death]] before discovering that Natsume is actually a "bug" in the system; in this case an {{Unperson}} whose embedded tracking chip broke down shortly after the Gadoll attack that took her father and arm. But rather than kill her as per company policy, her strange existence renews Kaburagi's interest in the game and he decides it would be far more interesting to take her on as an apprentice. What follows throws the intended "storyline" of the game completely off the rails, for better and for worse.

* BreadAndCircuses: Deca-Dence mostly exists to distract Solid Quake's workforce from its miserable existence as literal property of a MegaCorp. That, [[AllegedlyFreeGame and to squeeze an extra bit of cash out of them through microtransactions]].

* CapitalismIsBad: Deca-Dence's world is a demonstration of late-stage capitalism at its worst, where private corporations amass so much power that they [[OneNationUnderCopyright they can buy out the entire human race]] to use as set dressing for an augmented reality game.

* CityInABottle: The human [=NPCs=] are totally unaware that the entire outside world is one giant playground for cyborgs, run by the Solid Quake Corporation.
* CrapsaccharineWorld: The world outside the "Zone" is actually a colorful dystopian hell controlled utterly by the Solid Quake corporation, with the Zone itself used to give its cyborg workers an out for the obscene amounts of stress the company puts on them.

* DeflectorShields: Gadoll generate a "zone" that acts like this, stopping long-range attacks and forcing Gears to fight at very close range.

* HellHolePrison: The Bug Correctional Facility is a miserable place that seems tailor made for deliberately stamping out any hope for their inmates. The majority of their days are spent shoveling Gadoll excrement into a giant pit in the center, they are refueled in ''extremely'' unpleasant manners using low-quality, "recycled" oxyone from said excrement then zapped to check for "bugged" areas, and are kept in cramped, lightless cells. Add on to the that the inevitable prison gang, guards that don't particularly care to keep things peaceful, and no hope of release in spite of the admin's claim.

* HopeSpot: At the end of Episode 5, [[spoiler:the HopelessBossFight mentioned above as well as an unfinished {{Kaiju}} encounter end up getting defeated thanks to Kaburagi removing all his limiters... however, as everyone revels in their victory, a bunch of gigalinds spawn not too far away. While the Gears revel in this new challenge, the humans are [[HeroicBSOD horrified to realize all they've done is for nothing]], and Kaburagi is removed from the game and sent to [[TheAlcatraz a bug correctional facility]] for changing the storyline]].

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Kaburagi manages to defeat [[spoiler:Gadoll Alpha at Mt. Everest, what was supposed to be a HopelessBossFight. The celebrations are cut short when its death forces an unfinished giant Gadoll to awaken early, forcing the administration to panic and force Deca-Dence to arm its cannon when it's already low on resources from the initial assault.]]

* PrivateProfitPrison: While the Bug Correctional Facility's ''stated'' goal is the rehabilitation of disruptive cyborgs for the reintegration into the Solid Quake company's workforce, it's more an excuse to squeeze even more labor out of them with even less compensation.

* {{Railroading}}: The administration [[DisproportionateRetribution does not appreciate]] players or [=NPCs=] acting outside of the storyline.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Minato, one of the game admins, is on friendly terms with Kaburagi and covers for him on multiple occasions, even [[spoiler:sparing him from [[KilledOffForReal being scrapped]] after he derails the storyline.]]

* RobotsEnslavingRobots: Being one of Solid Quake's legion of cyborgs and [=AIs=] does ''not'' mean you are any freer from them.

* ServantRace: Tankers are indoctrinated to believe the best course of action they can take is to keep their heads low and support the Gears, who have ever-so-generously offered their protection and the privilege of living in the Deca-Dence's fuel tank, through menial labor.

* Railroading: The administration [[DisproportionateRetribution does not appreciate]] players or [=NPCs=] acting outside of the storyline.

* HopeSpot: At the end of Episode 5, [[spoiler:the HopelessBossFight mentioned above as well as an unfinished {{Kaiju}} encounter end up getting defeated thanks to Kaburagi removing all his limiters... however, as everyone revels in their victory, a bunch of gigalinds spawn not too far away. While the Gears revel in this new challenge, the humans are [[HeroicBSOD horrified to realize all they've done is for nothing]], and Kaburagi is removed from the game and sent [[TheAlcatraz a bug correctional facility]] for changing the storyline]].

* Railroading: The administration [[DisproportionateRetribution does not appreciate]] players or NPCs acting outside of the storyline.

* BlackComedy: Fittingly for a series set in such a bleak, horrifying dystopia, there are numerous jokes where the comedy comes from someone or several someones getting injured, tortured, or humiliated. An example of all 3 at once is the Bug Correctional Facility, where the warden jams low-quality "recycled" oxyone into cyborgs' [[AssShove "rear ports"]] all while gleefully saying "Here you go!" as if he were a fast-food worker handing out orders to a line of customers.

* BreadAndCircuses: Deca-Dence mostly exists to distract Solid Quake's workforce from it's miserable existence as literal property of a MegaCorp. That, [[AllegedlyFreeGame and to squeeze an extra bit of cash out of them through microtransactions]].

* HopeSpot: At the end of Episode 5, [[spoiler:the HopelessBossFight mentioned above as well as an unfinished {{Kaiju}} encounter end up getting defeated thanks to Kaburagi removing all his limiters... however, as everyone revels in their victory, a bunch of gigalinds spawn not too far away. While the Gears revel in this new challenge, the humans are [[HeroicBSOD horrified to realize all they've done is for nothing]], and Kaburagi is seemingly killed for changing the storyline]].

* PowerSource: Oxyone powers everything in this world, from the city, the infrastructure, to the Gadoll themselves.

* TrainingFromHell: Kaburagi's unofficial training regime for Natsume involves exercise like strapping her to a kite attached to a jeep, throwing her into deep water to go spearfishing, and forcing her to fight a live Gadoll where she can and ''repeatedly'' gets injured.

** Episode 5: After Kaburagi [[spoiler:utterly derails the plot of the Mt. Everest raid and not destroying Natsume as he should have, Hugin kills his Tanker avatar.]]

* AlienBlood: Oxyone, which is green Gadoll "blood" used to power the equipment Gears used to fight them, Deca-dence's infrastructure, and the cyborgs that play the game.

* ArcWords: "We exist for the sake of the system." and "The world must be rid of bugs." Both are said by Hugin, the mysterious administrator that oversees the smooth operation of Deca-dence, and thus the all-powerful AI they serve alongside making sure that Kaburagi continues to do his job as a "bug hunter". [[spoiler:He later throws this back in his face as an IronicEcho: "The world ''needs'' bugs."]]

* BaseOnWheels: Deca-dence is a city on wheels.

* {{Kaiju}}: The gigalind of the first episode looks like a land whale with the shell of a sea snail that's nearly as big as the whole Deca-dence.
* MegaCorp: The Solid Quake corporation, which controls Deca-dence and appears to own at least a portion of the surviving unmodified humans.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Kaburagi manages to defeat [[spoiler:Gadoll Alpha at Mt. Everest, what was supposed to be a HopelessBossFight. The celebrations are cut short when its death forces an unfinished giant Gadoll to awaken early, forcing the administration to panic and force Deca-dence to arm its cannon when it's already low on resources from the initial assault.]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: The reason so-called bugs are so feared and hunted down is, aside from ruining the players' immersion, they can seriously disrupt the carefully constructed plots and events the administration designs for them. A key example of this is Episode 5, where [[spoiler:to save Natsume, Kaburagi defeats the HopelessBossFight Gaddoll Alpha and accidentally triggers a major, unfinished boss fight that almost ends up destroying Deca-dence and forcing the admin to scramble.]]

* TheAlcatraz: The Bug Correctional Facility is built at the bottom of a giant lake. If the atmospheric pressure doesn't instantly crush any cyborg's body then all the gadoll swimming around and waiting for deployment to the game certainly will.

** Natsume's [[TrainingFromHell Training from Hell Montage]] also counts, with the initial scenes being her just saved from drowning in water, getting smacked around by a tutorial gadoll, or screaming as she's strapped to a kite being pulled by Kaburagi's jeep.

* GlassCannon: A Gear becomes this if they remove their "Limiter." They gain increased fine control and sensory information with their Gear avatar at the risk of damage to their cyborg bodies should they get hit by the gadoll.
* HealingFactor: The gadoll's most dangerous ability is their extremely fast regeneration from wounds and dismemberment. So long as they have enough oxyone in their system, they can come back from anything.
* HellHolePrison: The Bug Correctional Facility is a miserable place that seems tailor made for deliberately stamping out any hope for their inmates. The majority of their days are spent shoveling gadoll excrement into a giant pit in the center, they are refueled in ''extremely'' unpleasant manners using low-quality, "recycled" oxyone from said excrement then zapped to check for "bugged" areas, and are kept in cramped, lightless cells. Add on to the that the inevitable prison gang, guards that don't particularly care to keep things peaceful, and no hope of release in spite of the admin's claim.
* HopelessBossFight: The [[spoiler:blizzard-generating gadoll at the top of Mt. Everest was created specifically to be this, as part of the admin's plans for a heroic comeback of retired top players after most Gears get wiped out by a powerful foe.]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Kaburagi manages to defeat [[spoiler:Gadoll Alpha at Mt. Everest, what was supposed to be a HopelessBossFight. The celebrations are cut short when its death forces an unfinished giant gadoll to awaken early, forcing the administration to panic and force Deca-dence to arm its cannon when it's already low on resources from the initial assault.]]

* PowerSource: Oxyone powers everything in this world, from the city, the infrastructure, to the gadoll themselves.

* TrainingFromHell: Kaburagi's unofficial training regime for Natsume involves exercise like strapping her to a kite attached to a jeep, throwing her into deep water to go spearfishing, and forcing her to fight a live gadoll where she can and ''repeatedly'' gets injured.

* RocketPunch: The Dece-Dence Cannon fires a mechanical fist (made up of the top of the fortress) the size of a battleship.

* CyberPunk: The world outside the "zone" is actually a colorful dystopian hell controlled utterly by the Solid Quake corporation, with the zone itself used to give its cyborg workers an out for the obscene amounts of stress the company puts on them.