2018 Anime Challenge ~ December 3rd ~ "Juni Taisen: Zodiac War." Every 12 years, a battle royale takes place, with 12 participants from clans based on the Eastern Zodiac. They have 12 hours to take out the other fighters until there is only one survivor and the winner gets their wish granted.
If you like a dark and edgy Death Game-style anime, you can't go wrong with Juni Taisen. Each warrior gets a special power with some decent backstory that explains their behaviour and motivations (especially for Tiger and Boar.)
Unlike other Death Game stories, the combatants here aren't being forced into it. Even if their lives are filled with tragedy at facing conflict and war, they know exactly what they are getting into and some even consider it an honour to fight to become regarded the strongest and the best.
It's a DON'T-GET-ATTACHED-BECAUSE-YOU'LL-SUPER-REGRET-IT show with a generous side helping of GREY SPECS. No one's safe from being taken out and the cast is more tinged in a cynical grey. Even Monkey and her enthusiastic idealism are less than perfect in a world where war is sadly unavoidable, and the conflicts keep coming regardless of her intentions.
That's what makes Juni Taisen as much of a detailed character study of people pushed to hardship during times of war and difficulty as it is a violent battle royale. Though don't let that deceive you because there's still plenty of action for the fighting fans in the audience too.
That is Juni Taisen: Zodiac War.