Appare-Ranman is an original anime by P.A. Works that has a lot of promise—it takes the premise of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run, the main character of Dr. Stone, the steampunk technology of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, and the pure chaos of that old Hanna-Barbera cartoon Wacky Races and ties them together with a distinctive style all its own. Fittingly, the story takes place in the early days of the Meiji era (1868 – 1912), which was characterized by an upheaval of traditional Japanese society and the integration of foreign concepts that would rapidly modernize and change the country for good. Let’s have a closer look at Appare-Ranman’s unique take on the Meiji era!