Lazarus Episode 1 Recap and Review: A Chilling Start to Watanabe’s New Sci-Fi Thriller

Shinichirō Watanabe is back, and his new anime Lazarus wastes no time pulling us into a gritty, messed-up future. The first episode, Goodbye Cruel World, kicks off with a creepy monologue that immediately sets the tone—it’s dark, intense, and full of mystery. The world seems peaceful at first, but things are about to fall apart in a big way.

The Main Conflict of the Series - Dr. Skinner and Hapna

We learn about Dr. Skinner, a genius who created a drug called Hapna. At first, Hapna seemed like a miracle—no pain, no side effects, just total relief. People around the world loved it. It became a part of everyday life. But right when it looked like everything was perfect, Skinner disappeared. Now, three years later, he’s back—and his message is terrifying. Hapna wasn’t meant to help people. It was a trap. Skinner reveals that everyone who took the drug is going to die, and soon. He basically tells the world, “You tried to escape pain—but in doing that, you’ve already lost your soul.”

This changes everything. What was once a medical breakthrough turns into a global death sentence. The twist is brutal and powerful, and it makes Skinner one of the scariest villains we’ve seen in a while—he’s calm, smart, and clearly playing a long game.

For more Lazarus content, check out Screen Rant.

Epic Prison Break by Axel and Chaos Takes Over the Country

Next, we meet Axel Gilberto, who’s locked up in a cold, depressing prison. He’s got a ridiculous sentence, 888 years plus multiple life terms, but you can tell right away he’s not your average criminal. He’s confident, quiet, and clearly dangerous. Axel gets a visit from Hersch, a mysterious agent who wants his help finding Skinner. She shows him a clip of Skinner’s big comeback speech, but Axel doesn’t react much. Instead, he smirks and says, “You know how good I am at escaping prisons, right?” And he's gone.

His escape is fast, slick, and leaves the prison in chaos. In just a few seconds, we get everything we need to know about Axel: he’s clever, unpredictable, and way more skilled than anyone expected.  After Axel’s escape, we see the full video of Skinner’s message to the world. It’s chilling. He talks about how pain is a part of life, and how people relying on Hapna basically turned into emotional zombies. His calm voice makes it even creepier. And just like that, the world goes into panic mode. The drug everyone trusted is now a countdown to death. It’s not just a bad guy with a weapon—it’s the entire planet facing a slow, invisible threat they can’t stop.

Meet the Lazarus

Back to Axel, he doesn’t lay low after his escape. Instead, we get a wild chase through a city. He’s jumping across rooftops, running through traffic, clearly having fun with it. But he’s being tracked by Christine, a tough, no-nonsense agent on a bike who’s just as skilled. Their chase is fast, intense, and super stylish. It’s one of the best scenes in the episode and shows off that classic Watanabe flair—cool visuals, great pacing, and characters with strong energy. The chase hits a peak when Douglas corners Axel on a rooftop with his gun drawn. Just when it seems like Axel’s out of options, he pulls off a daring escape—grabbing onto a drone flown by a kid tied to the mysterious group after Skinner. After some wild swinging through the air and a near fall, he manages to survive.

Conclusion: Solid Start For New Watanabe Series

Episode 1 of Lazarus starts strong. It throws us into a dark, messed-up future, introduces us to interesting characters like Axel and Skinner, and mixes action with some real heavy questions—like what happens when we try to avoid pain completely?

The animation looks awesome, the music sets the mood, and the story already feels like something bigger is coming. Solid foundations with sci-fi twist and great potential. Until the next week!

Watch Lazarus series on Max.