Seis Manos is an American, action/martial arts anime series created by Brad Graeber and Álvaro Rodríguez and written by Álvaro Rodríguez and Daniel Dominguez. It began streaming on Netflix October 3rd, 2019.
Sometime ago in the fictional town of San Simon, Mexico, three orphans were taken in and trained by Kung-fu master, Chiu (voiced by Vic Chao). Although they came from various tragedies, the three orphans, Jesus (voiced by Jonny Cruz), Isabela (voiced by Aislinn Derbez), and Silencio (who is unable to speak, hence his name) along with their master, became a family. Now, in the 1970s, those orphans are masters of Kung-fu and still living happily alongside Chiu.
However, one day, disaster strikes San Simon and amidst the many others, Chiu is killed by a strange creature. Now, the trio must team up with an American DEA agent, Brister (voiced by Mike Colter) and the only police personnel in San Simon, Officer Garcia (voiced by Angélica Vale) if they want to understand where the monster came from and Chiu’s mysterious connection to it all. What they don’t realize is they’re going up against a very powerful man (physically, economically, and supernaturally) a crime lord known as “El Balde” (voiced by Danny Trejo).
The way characters are designed and with the classic animated show intro, Seis Manos reminds me a bit of Jackie Chan Adventures. Except WAY more violent and definitely not for little kids. But there’s something nostalgic about it. Even the characters are classic to this genre in a way, until you learn about their horrible childhood and how Silencio got his name (its rough). Isabela is strong, stubborn and clearly the leader of the trio, Jesus is the big, funny guy, and Silencio is the stoic rebel. All three of them bring something different to the table in a way that compliments each other and works to make a unique, entertaining story to watch unfold.
I think my favorite thing about the series is how well it’s done aesthetically. The plot and characters are great, but the visuals are just perfect. The overlay looks grainy and has moments where those classic film spirals appear in the corners, the animation is slightly jerky – no so much that it’s distracting, but enough that it makes it feel like an older show. Along with its clear aesthetic inspiration from older films/shows, it delves into the genres of Mexploitation and Blaxploitation, addressing important issues such as sexism and racism. Brad Graeber and Álvaro Rodríguez did a fantastic job with the representation of Mexican culture – religion, festivities, folklore, witchcraft, and daily life, it’s all here and even with the tragedies that occur, it’s a strong, positive representation of Mexican life.
OVERALL SCORE: 8 / 10
