High Rise Invasion, Episode 1: I Just Don’t Get This World

Yuri finds herself in a strange world where rope bridges connect the tops of skyscrapers and masked killers hunt her as prey.

Episode 1 – “I Just Don’t Get This World.”

First Thoughts.

High Rise Invasion (Tenkuu Shinpan) is a high concept bloody and ecchi suspense thriller that follows in the same vein as Btooom!, High School of the Dead, Triage X, and Killing Bites. The survival game genre feels like characters find themselves dropped in the middle of an action-adventure video game and they need to figure out the boundaries and rules of their new circumstances before they can escape and “win” against whoever put them there. Btooom! was certainly like that, as well as Killing Bites.

Like those other titles, High Rise Invasion’s strange world, and the violence that follows newly arrived main character Yuri Honjou, allows the story to explore moral themes of self-defense, the value of life, adhering to ethics in the middle of chaos, and suicide. People with a fear of heights should be careful of this show too since rickety rope bridges play an integral part in the thrilling action.

However, High Rise Invasion isn’t a serious slog through psychological problems. There’s an irreverent and light tone that captures the absurdity of a world of skyscrapers connected by rope bridges and the only way to reach the ground is a one-way trip off the side. Judging from the marketing posters, the main characters are two hot girls, there’s a sexy maid in a mask too, which points to fun themes of yuri romance, possible brother-complex comedy, and dress-breaking action revealing sexy underwear and bodies. High Rise Invasion looks like fun!

Also, Jason from Friday the 13th looks much better as a sexy maid.

Hmm.

High Rise Invasion’s first scene has Yuri calling her brother, but later, we see a masked sniper who has a wallet picture of Yuri. Is the brother behind the mask or is something else going on with these masked killers? When Yuri broke the mask of the maid, the unfortunate lady behind the mask spoke about mind control. We have a nicely constructed mystery about the Sniper Mask’s relationship with Yuri’s brother.

The marketing art on High Rise Invasion’s website suggests two high school girls carry the show. That’s good because it means we look at hot girls twice as much as we would with a male-female couple. I look forward to all the yuri notes, personality clashes, and passionate looks about to happen between these two.

Heh.

Splash of blood and a sword through a forehead. That’s not good. I’m not happy. Jason from Friday the 13th mashed up with Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre. High Rise Invasion sets its tone. The opening credits are spoiler rich. Looks like brainwashing light patterns behind those hockey masks. Hot girls, short skirts, busty and flat, hitting all the types for fans of culture. These masked people look like they escaped from a Halloween cornfield maze.

Blue sky, clean skyscrapers, spotty cell reception. It’s Hell. High Rise Invasion is set in hell for acrophobic people and those addicted to their cell phones. Big Brother’s contact name has too many hearts for a normal sibling relationship. This girl’s name is Yuri. That’s a sign, folks. Gather ye lilies while ye may. Yuri’s brother is here too! Not isekai, because there was no Truck-kun or reincarnation. Yuri blinked and the next moment she was on the roof of a high-rise building. “Onii-chan” knows about “this world.” Reunion arc, established.

Thank you for connecting to onii-chan so he can set up the premise of High Rise Invasion for the audience quickly. Can’t go downstairs. Rooftops connect via rope bridges. The only way down is to jump, and homicidal masked maniacs will help you find the rooftop exit. That raises so many questions, which means we just need to sit back and enjoy the ride as the answers slowly come to us. Fun! And bloody! The first question is that Coverall Mask stabbed a dude in the forehead which is a mighty strange suicide. Onii-chan might not be so reliable. Speaking of Coverall Mask, there he is! Ah. He just wanted to kill that cell phone. Also, panty shot.

Hoho. These rope bridges are scary. People with a fear of heights better watch out for High Rise Invasion. Yuri has a plan. Don’t die until she reunites with her onii-chan! This show likes armpit hair and nipples on men. Uh, respect? Coverall Mask has experience walking on these rope bridges. Looks creepy. Suddenly, a wild policeman appears. And a wilder one just killed his partner! Here’s your morality play. Those masked people aren’t the only villains in this odd world. Anime for mature audiences only… Gross. Grosser, the unethical policeman wants his way with a high school girl.

High Rise Invasion gives us a nice angle on that sword. Not suggestive at all. At all! Uh oh. Sniper scope on that attempted rapist. Chaos! Please stay sane, Yuri. Onii-chan was wrong again. That masked sniper didn’t drive that pervert policeman to despair. That’s assassination. Did he miss Yuri on purpose? Questions, questions, questions. Haha! He didn’t kill that policeman! The mind is blown. His, not mine. Onii-chan rises in my estimation. Caveat – Yuri thinks the masked maniacs will kill you if you want to survive instead of jump.

High Rise Invasion is an action-adventure video game now. Collect weapons, armor, and supplies wherever you find them. Yuri has a spine. She set fire to her attempted rapist to make a smokescreen diversion. Strong heroine. Eep. The Sniper Mask has a wallet picture of Yuri. I hope that’s not onii-chan under there…

Nice. The next villain is a bloody french maid with a sickle. Hawt. She’s featured on the official High Rise Invasion website, FOR REASONS. More morality themes. Yuri notices her devolution into practicing killing people. Do these Masks have superhuman powers? Har. Yuri has time to express awe at a maniac jumping across buildings to kill her. The tone stays light in the face of impending violence. This is popcorn horror movie violence with PG-13 adult situations.

Good. Yuri makes a good heroine! Fake a suicide and shoot an enemy in the face. Whoops. That’s a strong mask. Yuri only broke it. Whoa. That’s a nice busty lady under that mask. She claims the mask controls her mind. Don’t ever pick up a mask and look through it. High Rise Invasion’s opening credits already showed us that view. Nice to know. Terrible. If a mask becomes damaged, it makes the wearer commit suicide. It appears there are no natives to this strange high-rise world. Yuri realized there’s an ultimate enemy in this world she wants to beat and it’s not the Masks. It’s totally an action-adventure game. Yuri found a backpack full of food.

The rope bridges aren’t reliable either. That helicopter service is a trap! Remember, Masks aren’t the only villains in this world. That girl from the poster is a stone-cold killer.

The end credits make a big deal out of that Sniper Mask. Is the Sledgehammer Kid Yuri’s onii-chan? Is this how Sniper Mask got her picture? Guh. High Rise Invasion’s end credits are spoiler rich too. They insinuate Onii-chan and Sniper Mask are childhood friends.

The complete season of High Rise Invasion streams on Netflix.