Synduality: Noir is a Summer 2023 Science Fiction original anime produced by 8-Bit and directed by Yūsuke Yamamoto. Part of the wider Synduality project by Bandai Namco, it is available in Japan by TV Tokyo and other Japanese-based TV and streaming networks. The anime is available worldwide under Disney+, while STAR+ streams it in Latin America and Hulu in North America.
It is the year 2242, 20 years after the end of the video game Synduality Echo Of Ada. Most of humanity is forced to live in domed cities called Nests due to the threat of a mysterious weather phenomena known as Tears of the New Moon, which give rise to mysterious monsters known as Enders roaming the surface, not to mention hostile groups of scavengers and mercenaries who use mechs known as Coffins to plunder and take robotic androids known as Maguses.
Kanata is a member of a Coffin team based in a Nest called Rock Town. During a routine mission, they find a slumbering Magus named Noir who has been offline for years. Not knowing who she is or where she came from upon her awakening, she joins Kanata and his friends Tokio and Ellie as part of their squad to find out about her lost past.
The anime's second half started broadcast on January 8, 2024.
Synduality: Noir contains examples of the following tropes:
- 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: The Cradlecoffins, their transports, and the Enders are animated with CGI.
- A Mech by Any Other Name: The mechs in the series are known as Cradlecoffins, often shortened to just Coffins.
- After the End: Takes place after a mysterious weather phenomena known as Tears of the New Moon kill off most of humanity and gave rise to hostile creatures roaming around the world.
- Appropriated Appelation: In "Wild daisy", the characters go on a job that takes them to a field of wild daisies. This inspires Flamme to call Kanata's Ogre-model Coffin "Daisy Ogre" after it helps protect the field from a group of Enders, which Kanata and Noir choose to accept, taking it as a sign of their growing partnership.
- Big Damn Heroes: The Coffin pilot Black Mask steps into the arena in "Dice is cast" to help Kanata take out Range's forces.
- Bittersweet Ending: "I am Noir.../Drifters again" ends with Well-Intentioned Extremist Weisheit's plans being halted, and humanity and Maguses living together and rebuilding Earth once again. To accomplish this, Mystere is forced to remain aboard Histoire; Weisheit declares humanity beyond rescuing and casts himself into deep space after hearing Histoire's responses regarding its views on Maguses; and as Range and Dorche find out, Enders still roam the Earth, with Macht and Schnee taking on the role as exterminators.
- Driving Question: Who is Noir? Where's she from? It is speculated between Alba and Ada that she's a prototype, but are uncertain beyond that. it's revealed later on that she's part of a Split Personality with Mystere.
- Future Food Is Artificial: With the Tears of the New Moon apparently toxifying most of the land, the majority of all food is synthesized and 3D-printed, resulting in things like block-shaped sushi and sandwiches with barcodes on the side. Amusingly, at one point Range eats several sticks of Cartoon Meat, and a closer look reveals the "bones" are just plastic tabs.
- Ghost City: Thanks to the Tears of the New Moon, all surface cities are forced to be abandoned. Most are used by hostile Coffin mechs as hideouts while others are used for training in Coffin combat.
- Hero of Another Story: Quite literally, Kanata and Noir meet Alba and Ada from Synduality Echo Of Ada in "Legendary Hero" (the video game was not released yet at the time of the anime's airing). By this point, Alba has become a legend among Drifters, whose actions in his own game have become the stuff of rumors and hearsay.
- I Call It "Vera": Drifters seem to have a habit of picking a first name for their Coffin, which is then followed by the machine's model-type as a sort of surname. Hence, you have machines called "Daisy Ogre", "John Gasmaker", "Leah Lid", and "Glen Shinobi". The one exception is Black Mask's "Gilbow" which further distinguishes him as not being an ordinary Drifter.
- Photo Memento:
- By "Dice is cast", Noir takes a photo of her, Ciel and Kanata to celebrate Ciel being free from Range after Kanata takes him down in an arena match.
- In"Over the limit", Noir has her photo taken with some of the Rock Town residents due to Kanata going up against Weisheit.
- Product Placement:
- Being a Bandai Namco Entertainment co-production means several games of theirs' show up from time to time, Pac-Man gets the most prominence.
- In the second half, Kanata's new transport is designed by car manufacturer Subaru, whose logos plaster the sides and rear of the vehicle.
- Scavenger World: Most of the Earth is turned into a scavenging area for various groups to secure areas of interest for valuable artifacts.
- Theme Music Power-Up: Ciel has to unexpectedly copilot as Kanata's Magus in "My dear..." when they come under attack by Enders and promptly proceed to annihilate them to the tune of her song "Desire."
- Wham Episode:
- "Dice is cast" has Noir uses her Magus Skill to shock Range. It's hinted that she just awakened to it.
- "My dear..." has Ciel speaking to an unknown party regarding plans to secure Noir.
- "Storm of A.I." has Weisheit allowing Ciel to observe Kanata and Noir instead of having her assassinate Kanata.
- "Greyish zone" has Ciel capturing Kanata by using electric shocks. Black Mask and (seemingly) Tokio ambush him too.
- "Body double" has Ciel perish after her failed reboot, and Noir being transferred over to her body in a last-ditch effort to save the latter.
