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Ex-Arm

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Ex-Arm (エクスアーム, Ekusu Āmu) is a Japanese science fiction manga series written by HiRock and illustrated by Shinya Komi. It was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Grand Jump beginning in February 2015, later moving to the digital platform Shōnen Jump+ in December 2017, and concluded in June 2019, with its chapters collected into fourteen tankōbon volumes. The series is a remake of Komi's earlier work Ex-Vita and centers on cyberpunk themes involving advanced AI weapons known as Ex-Arms. An anime television series adaptation produced by Visual Flight aired for 12 episodes from January 11 to March 29, 2021, directed by Yoshikatsu Kimura with series composition by Tommy Morton. The story is set in a near-future where Ex-Arms—powerful cybernetic weapons powered by human consciousness—have become central to criminal activities and conflicts. It follows Akira Natsume, a high school student in 2014 whose brain is preserved after a fatal traffic accident and later integrated into an Ex-Arm. Awakening in 2030, Akira, now existing as a disembodied AI, allies with the police's Ex-Arm countermeasures division, including officer Minami Uezono and her android partner Alma, to recover his memories, reclaim his body, and combat threats posed by rogue Ex-Arms. The manga received praise for its intricate world-building and action sequences, collected into 14 tankōbon volumes, with the final volume released in August 2019. However, the anime adaptation was widely criticized for its poor animation quality, disjointed storytelling, and deviation from the source material, earning low ratings and being regarded as one of the weakest anime productions of its year. A sequel manga, Ex-Arm Exa, illustrated by Shinya Komi and written by HiRock, began serialization in Grand Jump in August 2019 but ended prematurely after 10 chapters in February 2021.

Plot

Synopsis

Ex-Arm is set in a future in the year 2030, where advanced technologies such as neural implants and AI systems are ubiquitous in , enabling neural-linked exosuits and raising ethical questions about human-AI fusion. The story centers on high school student Akira Natsume, who in 2014 dies in a traffic accident, only for his brain to be secretly digitized by unknown parties and repurposed into an advanced AI weapon known as an "Ex-Arm." Sixteen years later, police officer Minami Uezono and her android partner Alma retrieve Ex-Arm 00 from a , discovering that it houses Akira's , though he has lost all memories of his past life. As Akira interfaces with robotic bodies and exosuits to assist the police's Ex-Arm countermeasures division, he grapples with his fragmented identity while they confront criminals wielding similar neural-linked Ex-Arms for acts of and . The central narrative follows Akira's efforts to recover his memories and reclaim a sense of self amid intense battles against a shadowy organization that deploys these weapons, highlighting the dangers and moral complexities of digitized human consciousness in a high-tech world.

Themes

Ex-Arm explores the central theme of human identity in the digital age, particularly through the concept of consciousness transfer and the profound loss of the physical body. The narrative delves into existential crises faced by entities whose minds have been digitized, questioning what constitutes the self when divorced from biological form. For instance, the protagonist's reduction to a housed in a container, capable of interfacing with electronics, underscores a deep internal conflict over remaining human versus becoming machine-like. This motif is evident in the series' portrayal of characters yearning for normalcy, such as expressions of desire to return to a "flesh and blood body," highlighting the psychological toll of existence. A prominent anti-technology sentiment permeates the work, critiquing humanity's over-reliance on cybernetic enhancements. The story contrasts characters' pre-digital aversion to machines with their post-transformation dependence, illustrating the irony of technological salvation becoming a form of entrapment. Akira Natsume, initially afflicted by and discomfort with electrical devices, embodies this shift, as his phobia evolves into necessity after his is preserved in an advanced system. This duality serves as a cautionary commentary on how society chains itself to innovation, limiting creative potential through enforced adaptation to mechanical augmentation. The of weaponry and control form another core philosophical layer, raising moral quandaries about Ex-Arms as dual-edged instruments—potential tools for or vehicles for exploitation. These neural-linked devices, capable of and enabling acts like bombings, exemplify the perils of weaponizing human consciousness, blurring lines between defender and perpetrator. The series interrogates corporate and criminal manipulation of such tech, portraying Ex-Arms as artifacts of doom that amplify ethical dilemmas in and warfare. Social commentary in Ex-Arm addresses inequality in a future stratified by access to neural technologies, alongside the erosion of through pervasive . In the 2030 setting of a restructured , mega-corporations like Iriya Heavy Industries dominate technological distribution, exacerbating divides where enhanced individuals hold power over the un-augmented. Themes of undervaluing cyborgs and androids reflect broader societal prejudices, while the integration of surveillance tech critiques the loss of in a monitored world. Sociopolitical elements, such as national projects tied to global events, further illustrate how tech access reinforces class and power imbalances.

Characters

Main characters

Akira Natsume is the primary protagonist of Ex-Arm, depicted as a shy high school student in 2014 who suffers from a phobia of machines yet possesses an innate talent for repairing and diagnosing electronic devices. After being struck by a truck in a traffic accident, his brain is digitized by unknown parties and integrated into Ex-Arm #00, an advanced AI superweapon designed for combat. He awakens 16 years later in 2030, his consciousness housed within a mechanical body, where he grapples with loss of memories and identity while serving as a tool for law enforcement against cyber threats. Throughout the story, Akira's arc focuses on reclaiming his humanity amid his forced role as a weapon in a dystopian world dominated by technology. In the 2021 anime adaptation, he is voiced by Sōma Saitō. Minami Uezono serves as a key protagonist and the designated handler for Ex-Arm #00, operating as a skilled officer in the police's Ex-Arm Countermeasure Division. Characterized by her hotheaded and brash personality, she is driven by a strong sense of justice within a corrupt law enforcement system plagued by corporate influence and technological overreach. Her background in specialized police work equips her to manage high-stakes operations involving Ex-Arms, where she deploys Akira in battles while navigating ethical dilemmas posed by weaponized AI. Minami's interactions with the Ex-Arm highlight her determination to combat crime syndicates exploiting advanced tech. She is voiced by Mikako Komatsu in the anime. Alma functions as Minami Uezono's android partner and a core member of the police team, engineered as a prototype with a programmed four-year lifespan to ensure obsolescence and prevent long-term autonomy issues. Despite her artificial nature, Alma demonstrates unexpected emotional depth, including loyalty and empathy, which positions her as a vital intermediary between human officers and machine-based weapons like the Ex-Arm. Her advanced combat capabilities complement Minami's tactics, enabling coordinated assaults on enemies wielding rival Ex-Arms, while her design underscores the series' exploration of AI sentience. In the anime, Alma is voiced by Akari Kitō. The main antagonists in Ex-Arm are enigmatic figures and organizations responsible for developing rival Ex-Arms, driven by ambitions to monopolize destructive technologies for profit and power in a surveillance-heavy future . These creators embody the perils of unregulated innovation, often deploying their weapons against police forces and civilians to advance corporate or ideological agendas.

Supporting characters

Shuichi Natsume serves as Akira's older brother and sole remaining family member, offering a vital emotional anchor to Akira's pre-accident life and symbolizing the human connections lost during his 16-year stasis. He conducts research on androids at the Iriya within his , where he develops a crucial message for Akira that underscores themes of personal growth and familial bonds. In the anime, he is voiced by Kōji Yūsa. Kaori Munakata, Shuichi's girlfriend and the CEO of Iriya Heavy Industries, interacts with Akira in ways that evoke his past normalcy, providing grounding amid his transformation into an Ex-Arm entity; as a senior researcher on androids, she bridges the technological and personal worlds in early encounters. In the anime, she is voiced by . Soushi Shiga, Minami Uezono's superior and the section chief of the Ex-Arm Countermeasure Division, introduces bureaucratic friction through his military ties to the National Defense Force and inherent distrust of Ex-Arm enhancements, often prioritizing institutional protocols over field risks. In the anime, he is voiced by . Chikage Rokuoin serves as the head of operations in the Ex-Arm Countermeasure Division under section chief Shiga, delivering calm command during crises while expressing deep toward Ex-Arm tech as an existential threat to humanity, thereby amplifying tensions within the police structure. In the , she is voiced by . Kimura, a key ally in the Countermeasure Division, brings expertise as a former U.S. soldier who maintains and interfaces with Ex-Arm systems, providing essential exposition on neural linkages and tactics against enhanced foes. In the , he is voiced by . Minor villains, including henchmen and rival Ex-Arm wielders such as corporate operatives tied to arms dealers, recur across story arcs to generate conflict; these figures, often motivated by profit, deploy proprietary weapons and challenge the protagonists' alliances in high-stakes confrontations.

Development

Origins

Ex-Arm originated from Shinya Komi's science fiction manga Ex-Vita, which he wrote and illustrated and was serialized in Shueisha's Miracle Jump magazine from December 13, 2011, to April 30, 2013. The series, compiled into two tankōbon volumes released on August 17, 2012, and June 19, 2013, introduced core concepts such as brain-digitized artificial intelligence integrated into advanced weaponry within a cyberpunk framework set in a near-future Tokyo. These foundational ideas centered on the ethical and existential implications of human consciousness transferred into mechanical forms, laying the groundwork for the expanded narrative in its successor. In 2015, Komi collaborated with HiRock to and significantly develop Ex-Vita into the full series Ex-Arm, where HiRock handled the storyline while Komi provided the artwork. This partnership shifted the format from a compact two-volume story to a serialized production spanning 14 volumes, allowing for greater depth in exploring themes like corporate intrigue, technological augmentation, and the refinement of the AI transfer mechanic from its prototype form in Ex-Vita. The debuted in Shueisha's magazine on February 18, 2015, marking a deliberate evolution to capitalize on the original's innovative premise in a longer-form medium. HiRock's contributions to the scripting process helped broaden the scope, incorporating more intricate world-building and character arcs absent in the shorter Ex-Vita.

Creative team

HiRock served as the scenario writer for Ex-Arm, for the narrative that debuted as his first major serialized work in Shueisha's magazine in February 2015. The story collaboration marked a significant step for HiRock in blending themes with intricate plotting. Shinya Komi provided the artwork for Ex-Arm, reworking his earlier Ex-Vita (2011) into this serialized remake and bringing detailed illustrations of and futuristic elements influenced by his prior experience in sci-fi seinen titles. Komi's continued serialization with following Ex-Vita informed the visual style of Ex-Arm, emphasizing dynamic action sequences and AI representations. The production involved close collaboration with editors at Shueisha's and later the digital platform Shōnen Jump+, where the series shifted in December 2017 to refine its balance of mature sci-fi themes and elements during serialization until 2019. Komi contributed significantly to the visual depiction of , ensuring consistency with the story's technological concepts.

Media adaptations

Manga

Ex-Arm was serialized in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Grand Jump from February 18, 2015, to December 2017, before transferring to the digital platform Shōnen Jump+ from December 2017 to June 26, 2019. Its chapters were collected into 14 tankōbon volumes. A sequel titled Ex-Arm EXA, written by HiRock and illustrated by Shinya Komi, was serialized in Grand Jump from August 28, 2019, to February 27, 2021, spanning 10 chapters collected into two tankōbon volumes.

Light novel

Ex-Arm the Novel: Deus Ex Machina is a single-volume published by under its Jump j BOOKS imprint on December 19, 2018. Written by Atarō Kumo, it is based on the original concept by HiRock and Shinya Komi. The novel serves as a supplementary prose work in the Ex-Arm franchise, expanding the series' universe through a self-contained side story. The story is set in Shin Kagurazaka, a vibrant spared from a terrorist attack during the Tokyo Olympics, featuring izakayas, sexaroid brothels, and underground gambling halls that cater to hedonistic pursuits. In this narrative, the EX-ARM Countermeasures Section dispatches the android Alma to infiltrate a girls' bar following tips about a suspicious courier, while officer Minami Uezono is enlisted by a desperate mother to locate her missing daughter in the same city. This plot introduces new elements to the Ex-Arm world, focusing on investigation and urban intrigue distinct from the manga's primary storyline centered on Akira Natsume. A manga adaptation of the novel, titled Ex-Arm Another Code and illustrated by Shinya Komi, was serialized in Ultra Jump from February 19, 2020, to November 20, 2020, and collected into two tankōbon volumes. Aimed at fans of the series, the novel provides additional context to the franchise's cyberpunk setting and character dynamics, particularly for Alma and Minami, bridging the manga's serialization with the impending anime adaptation announced concurrently. As of November 2025, no additional volumes of the light novel have been announced or released.

Anime

The adaptation of Ex-Arm was produced by Visual Flight and directed by Shingo Kinoshita, with series composition by Tommy Morton. Scripts were handled primarily by Tommy Morton, with contributions from Natsumi Kemuyama and Shintaro Shimoi. It aired for 12 episodes from January 10 to March 27, 2021. The series adapts the manga's storyline, following Akira Natsume's integration into an Ex-Arm and his alliances with the police division. A release by , including a collector's Blu-ray edition, was issued on May 19, 2025, in the UK, with subsequent U.S. distribution on June 16, 2025.

Reception

Manga

The manga series Ex-Arm received generally mixed reviews from critics and fans, with praise centered on its ambitious sci-fi elements contrasted by critiques of its execution and tonal inconsistencies. On , the series holds an average score of 6.35 out of 10, based on ratings from nearly 1,000 users, reflecting a polarizing reception among readers who appreciated its conceptual depth but found certain aspects underdeveloped. Critics and fans lauded the 's intricate sci-fi world-building, particularly its exploration of cybernetic enhancements, megafloat societies, and sociopolitical tensions in a futuristic , which provided a solid foundation for the narrative's high-stakes conflicts. Action choreography was another highlight, with well-illustrated fight scenes featuring dynamic battles and tactical combat that effectively conveyed the intensity of EX-ARM technology in action. Character growth, especially for the core trio of Akira, Minami, and Alma, was noted for adding emotional layers to the otherwise trope-heavy ensemble, allowing readers to connect with their struggles amid the chaos. However, the series faced for pacing issues in its later volumes, where continuity gaps and unresolved subplots led to a sense of meandering progression despite an initially well-paced structure. The prominent elements, including explicit fanservice and sexualized depictions of female characters, were often seen as overshadowing the plot's intellectual ambitions, alienating some readers who felt it undermined the sci-fi themes. The serialization's conclusion in 2019, followed by the sequel Ex-Arm EXA's abrupt end in February 2021, drew mixed feedback on closure, with fans expressing frustration over cliffhangers and incomplete arcs that left thematic elements like identity and technology's ethics underexplored. In terms of sales and impact, Ex-Arm was compiled into 14 volumes by between 2015 and 2019, indicating moderate commercial performance in without entering major bestseller charts. The spin-off Ex-Arm EXA, serialized from 2019 to 2021 and collected into two volumes, was appreciated by fans for expanding the lore—particularly additional on EX-ARMs and secondary characters—while avoiding some of the original's pacing flaws, though it too suffered from a rushed conclusion. Post-2021 fan discussions, often in online forums, highlighted the manga's thematic depth on human augmentation and corporate control, crediting it for sparking conversations on tropes despite its imperfections.

Anime

The adaptation of Ex-Arm, produced by Visual Flight and aired during the Winter season, faced widespread critical backlash for its subpar 3D , poor lip-sync, and rushed pacing, which rendered action sequences jerky and dialogues awkwardly timed. Reviewers highlighted visual glitches, such as unnatural character proportions and mismatched 2D-3D integration, stemming from Visual Flight's inexperience as a debut studio with no prior television credits. These issues contributed to its reputation as one of the lowest-rated series, earning a 1.7/10 average on from over 3,000 user ratings and a 1.8/10 on as of 2025, often labeled the "worst ever" in fan discussions. Story alterations further alienated manga fans, as the adaptation jumbled, cut, and added elements to the source material, resulting in an incoherent plot that deviated significantly from the manga's cyberpunk narrative fidelity in just 12 episodes. Amid the negativity, some praise emerged for the voice acting, particularly Sōma Saitō's performance as protagonist Akira Natsume, which provided emotional depth despite the production flaws, and the , including the opening theme "Rise Again" by AIRFLIP, noted for its energetic rock style as a standout in an otherwise mismatched score. The series' 2025 home video release by Anime Limited, including a collector's Blu-ray edition on May 19 in the UK and subsequent U.S. distribution, reignited retrospective analyses of its failure as Visual Flight's inaugural project, while spawning ongoing memes mocking its animation errors and cultural impact as a benchmark for anime production pitfalls.

References

  1. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=23365
  2. https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2019/8/19/sci-fi-tv-anime-ex-arm-confirms-its-summer-2020-premiere-in-japan
  3. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/ex-arm/.168402
  4. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=23364
  5. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/ExArm
  6. https://jotaku.net/2021/10/16/ex-arm-comparing-the-manga-to-the-anime/
  7. https://convolutedsituation.com/2021/04/13/on-the-bright-side-reviews-bs-reviews-ex-arm/
  8. https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2020/10/16/ex-arm-anime-adds-koji-yusa-and-y-kobayashi-to-series-cast
  9. https://otakumode.com/otapedia/anime/Winter_2021_Anime/Ex-Arm
  10. https://myanimelist.net/character/188512/Chikage_Rokuouin
  11. https://ex-arm.fandom.com/wiki/EX-VITA
  12. https://www.shueisha.co.jp/books/items/contents.html?jdcn=08879393879393345501
  13. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-11-20/ex-arm-another-code-manga-ends/.166485
  14. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-02-28/shinya-komi-hirock-ex-arm-exa-manga-ends/.170063
  15. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-01-18/ex-arm-spinoff-novel-gets-manga-adaptation/.155509
  16. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-12-18/ex-arm-science-fiction-manga-gets-tv-anime/.140981
  17. https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2020/5/24/new-ex-arm-tv-anime-key-visual-drawn-by-manga-artist-shinya-komi-released
  18. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2020-09-08/ex-arm-director-yoshikatsu-kimura-and-voice-actor-soma-saito/.163582
  19. https://myanimelist.net/manga/121599/Ex-Arm_Exa
  20. https://j-books.shueisha.co.jp/books/ex-arm_thenovel.html
  21. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2025-04-01/anime-limited-announces-release-of-ex-arm-collector-blu-ray-on-may-19/.223128
  22. https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Ex-Arm-Complete-Series-Blu-ray/385545/
  23. https://myanimelist.net/manga/90014/Ex-Arm
  24. https://myanimelist.net/manga/90014/Ex-Arm/reviews
  25. https://screenrant.com/ex-arm-worst-anime-ever-crunchyroll/
  26. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-11-09/why-does-the-crunchyroll-original-series-ex-arm-look-so-awful/.166117
  27. https://doublesama.com/ex-arm/
  28. https://www.anchorweb.org/post/ex-arm-an-unfathomable-incomprehensible-failure
  29. https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GQWH0MX7Q/ex-arm
  30. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12384506/
  31. https://apennyforadaydream.wordpress.com/2021/01/24/ex-arm-manga-vs-anime-comparison/
  32. https://vgmdb.net/album/108656
  33. https://www.cbr.com/ex-arm-may-physical-release/
  34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR3tlVtdquI
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