9 times out of 10, whenever I see the words "Based on the best-selling trading card game" in the synopsis for an anime I immediately move on to something else. It's no secret that I'm not a fan of those types of shows. If I were into the card game they were based on that may be a different story. Rage of Bahamut: Genesis is the exception to that rule.
Thus far it has been the biggest surprise of the season. I generally make use of Anime News Network's handy seasonal preview guides to weed out the shows that I feel are not worth my time. I have a bad habit of trying to watch far too many shows at once so their guide is a very helpful tool in deciding what I should focus on. I was extremely surprised when I saw how highly rated this show was by all the reviewers so I had to check it out. I was not disappointed!
The show is a fairly traditional fantasy story. Not much has been revealed so far. All I know from the first episode is that in the past Bahamut was pissed and set about destroying everything and everyone (as he so often does). The main heroes are two bounty hunters Favaro, the lovable rogue, and Kaisar, a noble pretty-boy who has fallen on hard times due to something Favaro did that has yet to be revealed. The production values are easily the best I've ever seen for an animated adaptation of a trading card game. This is thanks to the amazingly talented Studio Mappa (Terror in Resonance, Kids on the Slope). The music is a bit generic but fits the show well. If I didn't know about the card game I would have thought it was just an exciting new fantasy series. Admittedly I don't know anything about the card game so I don't know how many references may or may not be present, the one fairly obvious nod seeming to be when bounty targets are captured they are turned into stone cards. I will definitely continue watching this show, it has the potential to be one of the best fantasy anime in recent years. With the talented staff it has I have big hopes for this show!
You can find it streaming on Funimation now and Hulu starting next week. Feel free to leave a comment below!
This title is officially my favorite of the
current season! Aldnoah.Zero being a very close second. Terror in
Resonance (Zankyou no Terror) is the newest work from the dream team of
Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space
Dandy), Yoko Kanno (Wolf's Rain, Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne), and
animation studio Mappa (an offshoot of Madhouse [Hunter X Hunter,
Redline, Ninja Scroll]). The production levels on this show are as
superb as one would assume with a pedigree like that! The very basic
premise centers around a pair of teenage terrorists and a female high
school student they manage to rope into their twisted plot for revenge.
Why they are willing to go to such extremes is the big mystery thus
far. This show may be hard for some people to watch, especially those
affected by the 9/11 attacks and/or the Boston bombing. One cannot help
but draw correlations between this series and those tragic events.
If that is not an issue for you then there's no reason you shouldn't
give this show a chance. It has its own twisted style that sucks you
right in and has you on the edge of your seat in a desperate need to
learn more about these disturbed individuals. What trauma could have
been inflicted upon them that would justify this level of retaliation???
It's a question that I can't wait to learn the answer to!
It is simulcasting on Funimation for subscribers with the free streaming popping up on Hulu a week later. Check it out!
P.S. I haven't forgot about SAO 2, I'm just waiting to see a couple
more episodes. It has started off rather slowly. Keep an eye out for
it soon!
Just
finished watching the premier of Sailor Moon Crystal. While I don't
have the nostalgia factor that many of my friends do for Sailor Moon, I
found it to be a pleasant little show. It has solid production values
and good pacing. I already like it better than what I've seen of the
original series (about 12 episodes). I don't love the original but I
certainly don't hate it either, it makes for
good background noise. Thankfully Usagi is nowhere near as obnoxious
in Crystal, that is the one thing I don't care for in the original
series. Crystal seems to have found a much better balance between the
comedy and main plot line. Admittedly I have never read any of the
Sailor Moon manga so I'm not sure which is more accurate (I would assume
Crystal is).
In summation: Sailor Moon Crystal is a must-see
for fans of the original. It has the potential to be a "gateway anime"
for a new generation of fans that will ensure this title remains
important to the medium. It is streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and
NicoNico.
Next up: Sword Art Online II
