Lazarus Episode 2 Review: The 2nd episode of Lazarus or Razaro (ラザロ) was pretty good action-wise. Let us see how this episode turned out.
Lazarus Overview
Lazarus is a gripping original anime series born from the collaboration between MAPPA and Sola Entertainment. It made its debut in April 2025 on TV Tokyo in Japan. It is directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, who is best known for the cult classic Cowboy Bebop. This series merges sci-fi storytelling with stylized action and a standout musical lineup. Action sequences are crafted by John Wick director Chad Stahelski. The soundtrack brings together jazz virtuoso Kamasi Washington with electronic music producers Bonobo and Floating Points.
Set in the year 2052, the story centers around Dr. Skinner, a genius neuroscientist who develops a groundbreaking painkiller known as Hapna. The drug promises to eliminate physical pain entirely, heralding a new era of human health. However, soon after its release, Skinner vanishes without a trace. Fast forward three years to 2055, and he resurfaces via a chilling online message. He reveals that Hapna is fatally flawed. According to him, the drug has a three-year half-life, and all who took it are now on the verge of death.
With time running out, a specialized task force of five agents is formed to track down Skinner and develop a life-saving antidote. This unit is known as Lazarus, symbolizing a mission of resurrection in the face of certain doom.
Lazarus Episode 2 Review
This episode gave us a bit more insight into Dr Skinner and what is really going on in this world. Axel wakes up to find he is now a part of Lazarus, and he cannot do anything about it. His location will be shared with the higher-ups via a band that he cannot take off. Axel tries to take Christine hostage, but that doesn’t fly, and he gets shocked into submission.
Later, at their meeting, we get to know how Dr Skinner was actually a bright individual who really wanted a better future for the world. In his lifetime, he achieved 3 Nobel prizes but donated all the money to charities. Not only that, he was also a big advocate for climate change and tried his best to convince governments from all countries to look into that matter, but they never cared.
No one took it seriously, and perhaps this is why, after getting fed up with humanity, he went missing, only to come back with the horrendous truth of his drug. Finally, the Lazarus team gets a lead on Dr Skinner, and they all rush to that place. Apparently, he bought a shelter that would have helped him stay hidden for this long. Reaching that place, things do not seem as they should, as the entire shelter company has gone bankrupt. Not only that, even the shelter where Dr Skinner was supposed to stay looks abandoned.
In this episode, we finally see how there are more people involved in this whole mess than we previously thought. All the members of Lazarus get involved in a huge gunfight where goons from multiple nationalities face off against each other.
Verdict
This episode was again action-heavy, but the series needs a lot of work in its plotline. The story is pretty simple where a bunch of misfits gather together to find the target. However, the way it is executed is not very polished. Things take time to get clear here, and that can be an issue for those who have no idea about what is going on.
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