watch:Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (Amazon Prime Video)

An explosive anime available only on Amazon Prime (read: domestic legal), is the Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, coming from Musashino, Japan.  It is (gratefully) streamed in its native language (though subbed) and all of season one is available (12 eps overall).

Mumei by WLOP

Kabaneri follows the story of a post-apocalyptic, steam-age universe where 'kabane' (glowy zombies) have spread their virus across industrial era Japan.  As a response, the people have walled themselves up (see the parallel's with Attack on Titan?) at strongholds that serve as railway points.  Their only lifeline to one another, for critical supplies and information, is to run armored trains to and from.  The lives of the people are governed by this mobile source of protection and information.

The two primary characters, Ikoma, an unappreciated engineer and creator of a weapon that better kills the kabane (who have only the heart as their weak spot), and, Mumei, a mysterious young noblewoman who can also dispatch the kabane with some ease.  What sets these two on the same path is they are both (little spoiler) a hybrid of human and kabane, thus the term kabaneri.  They still have their human wits about them, but hunger for blood, and have stemmed the spread of their disease.

Mumei by Guweiz

Where Kabaneri succeeds where I feel Attack does not, is that the story is more limited in scope, the characters not so world-weary (there are actual moments of happiness that are not broken by abject destruction).  The fight sequences are well thought-out and not as groan-worthy as some of the deaths of the Attack kids.

I'm including two great artists that captured Mumei's vulnerability and fierce warrior stylings - WLOP and Guweiz from DeviantArt.

"Reds" by Guweiz

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