Despite my best efforts, I've getting into several things the last couple weeks since finishing inFamous. It all started with some manga reading on lunch breaks to devouring numerous volumes in two nights to get caught. (Air Gear Manga review coming shortly btw...)Then I attempted to watch some anime which if I can't marathon in a weekend is difficult for me to finish till the next weekend. It goes on and on... you get the idea. Well... with another review partially completed and more I want to post here. I seem to have caught an addiction, one known as 07-Ghost.
It all started on a whim with Volume 1 of the manga. Premise sounds pretty cool and the art looked nice. After reading volume 1, I immediately went to volume 2... at that point I had to know if there was an anime. I'm not the most up to date on shows airing or in production as I once was. I'll keep my eyes open for something like Black Lagoon and Shakugan no Shana sequels but unless someone prods me about it, I won't know. Needless to say I was very happy to see an anime was currently airing. I started to download the first couple episodes over the weekend. Finally, we're getting to the review eh? This will only be somewhat of a regular sized review. As the show is currently airing I'll post mini-reviews each week. This is something I haven't done in years, aside from Shakugan no Shana II on the anime boards I frequent. I used to do this when I was still writing for Cinescape Online, but we're talking several years here.
This show looks and feels phenomenal, the wonderful art from the manga is captured and rendered wonderfully by Studio Deen. This is one of the most beatiful anime series I have seen in some time. The animation is fluid and captivating. I tend to let my eyes roam the entire screen trying to catch all the little details. From the characters to background shots not one detail is lacking. In comparison to the manga, I feel like Studio Deen has truly brought to life everything I imagined from the fight scenes to scale of the world.
As far as sound goes, it's 2.0 on the computer but I'm not complaining one bit. I'm not a huge fansub person. No I'm not getting into that debate. The voice acting is excellent and fun. Each voice accentuates each character just right. The range is nothing short of excellent provide true moments of drama to the downright comedic moments in this series. What I love most in this department, is the amazing score and soundtrack. I, for one, am in love with the music throughout the series thus far. I think the OP, Aka no Kakera by Yuki Suzuki, is one of the best I have ever heard. It brings a certain edge to the beginning of the show each episode, which if you're watching this series... it can get pretty intense and dark at times.
The story has been developing at both a fast but yet methodical speed. The story doesn't really shift locations, so if you're hoping to see a lot of the world early on you're going to be disappointed. 15 episodes into the anime and we are familiar somewhat with Barsburgh Empire, the church in District 7 and flashbacks to the Raggs Kingdom. I personally like how stationary this is as it can focus on characters, relationships and plot development. The last thing a story this complex could do is start jumping around the world. This anime is by no means a kiddie show, it can get serious and dark. Teito is put through trials and tribulations unimaginable. He's constantly losing his loved ones, trying to remember his past and where to go in the future while bad things stay nipping on his heels.
Thankfully the comedic moments are well timed and break up the mood. They are not overdone as each character has a quirk about them that's not forced. Frau being into porn, need I say more? Each person has a lighter side to them and it's fascinating the relationships that are developing. While the anime has diverged slightly from the manga, I find it to be keeping the spirit and elaborating more on some of the finer points. Even to the point of making certain events darker than the manga.
Starting with the next reviews, I will start discussing plot points and only in these mini-reviews will there be spoilers. If you're watching the series I'll be posting these every Thursday night following the episode. This is your warning. There's too much to cover in 15 episodes. This most recent episode has Frau falling for a classic trap but at a time when Teito has made his decision on who his ally is. He's still in a fragile state after Mikage died and everything he's learning. I want to see more of this plot and what Aya-tan is up to. He's such a bastard... lol
If you like your anime fun, exciting, dark, moody and complex... Do you want something serious with some light moments? Do you want excellent animation and terrific music? Then what the hell are you waiting for? This... is the best anime you're not watching!
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