- Seis Manos is an original adult anime series on Netflix that combines Mexican culture, Chinese martial arts, and supernatural action in a love letter to 1970s grindhouse films.
- The show follows three orphans trained in martial arts seeking vengeance for their master’s death, involving a mix of demon possessions, cartel involvement, and collaboration with law enforcement.
- Seis Manos offers entertaining exploitation-style content with a plot that is exaggerated for entertainment value, earning a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and catering to fans of the genre.
Netflix has built a strong library of adult anime, balancing adaptations of beloved manga with original series that take creative risks. One of its most overlooked originals is Seis Manos, an explosive blend of Mexican culture, Chinese martial arts, and supernatural action that feels like a love letter to the grindhouse and exploitation films of the 1970s.
Unlike most anime throughout the history of the medium, Seis Manosisn’t actually based on any kind of manga content; instead, it’s an original adult television series created by Brad Graeber and Álvaro Rodríguez, co-produced by Viz Productions and Powerhouse Animation Studios, which dubbed and distributed Naruto, Bleach, and Inuyasha in North America. Admittedly, neither of these companies has previously ventured into original content, but their risky step forward paid handsomely, and Seis Manos,in all its glory, is the result.
The Idiosyncratic Dream Team
Seis Manosfollows the story of three now-adult orphans named Isabela, Jesus, and Silencio who were trained by an old Chinese Daoist named Chiu in the ways of martial arts. Of course, the three are incredibly different from one another; Isabela is a reilencio is an aggressive warrior. The teammates live their lives in happiness and peace until, one day, a monster kills Chiu, sending the trio down the path of vengeance
But Seis Manosisn’t just a classic tale of vengeance in which martial artists take on forces seemingly greater than themselves. The Mexican cartel is also involved in Chiu’s death, so our protagonists have to work with the local police, but also with an American DEA agent and a policewoman, to bring down the drug lord responsible for their master’s death.
Needless to say, the narrative is set against a backdrop of of bullets and flying fists, demon possessions, and a severe amount of dismemberment; you know, all the good stuff you’d find in all the similar anime, like Black Dynamiteand Fist of the North Star.
Entertaining Exploitation Of The Highest Order
This also means that Seis Manoshas all the strong points and flaws of the aforementioned anime, but anyone who watched them will tell you that their flaws add to the overall charm of the content. So, if you really like the exploitation genre of the ’70s, you’re going to love Seis Manos, if for nothing else, then for its entertainment value.
It’s not plot-heavy as some other anime, like NieR: Automata Ver1.1a,where you can’t even blink, lest you miss something, so you can watch it without worrying over details.
All in all, Seis Manosis a fantastic anime whose story is exaggerated by its very nature. That doesn’t mean that the story is poorly written; quite the contrary, Seis Manosis actually an excellent piece of entertainment, and its 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes attests to the fact.
For those interested in watching Seis Manos,the anime is currently streaming on Netflix.
