Gungrave

Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel, two friends so close they could be called brothers, receive an abrupt and violent reminder one fateful day of how appallingly merciless the world around them can be. Their whole lives before then were simple and easygoing, consisting largely of local brawls, seducing women, and committing petty theft to make a living and pass the time. What they failed to realize is that in this cruel world, happiness is fleeting, and change is inevitable.

Enter Millennion, the largest and most infamous mafia syndicate in the area, which accepts Brandon and Harry into their ranks and starts them at the bottom of the food chain. Harry has ambitions to ascend the ranks and one day replace Big Daddy as the supreme leader of Millennion, while Brandon only wishes to support his friend and appease Big Daddy who has taken custody of the woman Brandon loves.

Based off the third-person shooter video game under the same name, Gungrave is an epic story of friendship, betrayal, and avarice that spans the course of several years, ultimately tying back to the gripping and foreboding first episode, all the while building up to the story's thrilling conclusion.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Heat, Brandon Main

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

MacDowel, Harry Main

Hamada, Kenji Japanese

Kugashira, Bunji Supporting

Tachiki, Fumihiko Japanese

Walken, Bear Supporting

Ootomo, Ryuuzaburou Japanese

Big Daddy Supporting

Kayumi, Iemasa Japanese

Poundmax, Bob Supporting

Chafurin Japanese

Asagi, Mika Supporting

Sakuma, Kumi Japanese

Lee, Balladbird Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Asagi, Maria Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko Japanese

Burns, Widge Supporting

Houki, Katsuhisa Japanese

Kitayama, Shigeru Producer

Gotou, Hideki Producer

Kubo, Tooru Producer

Tsuru, Toshiyuki Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Key Animation

Reviews

Feb 9, 2025

TheAnimeMobster

Recommended

Gungrave – A Hidden Gem That Deserves More Recognition

If you’re looking for an anime that blends intense action, deep storytelling, and raw emotion, Gungrave is the hidden gem you need to watch. Overshadowed by bigger names in the early 2000s, this masterpiece delivers a gripping tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of ambition.

What starts as a stylish sci-fi action anime quickly unfolds into an unforgettable crime drama, following the journey of Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowell—from street punks to high-ranking members of an underworld empire. The character development is phenomenal, with a slow-burn narrative that pays off in ways few anime manage.

Madhouse’s animation work ... is top-notch, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the show’s melancholic tone. The action is intense, but Gungrave’s real strength lies in its storytelling—deep, tragic, and beautifully executed.

i beilove most will get a sense of satisfaction not only from the anime itself, but from wondering what they have been missing!

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Feb 12, 2023

xOsiriaRose

Mixed Feelings

Gungrave has a unique flow to it that comes from being transcribed from a video game story and setting to an anime, and for the most part it navigates that pretty well. It can be very edgy at times with some over the top eye-rolling dialogue, but does what it sets out to do well overall. The strong parts of the show are it's narrative during the first section, and the payoff for it during the second. The art and voice acting (in the dub at least), however, are definitely the weakest aspect of the show, and are distractingly poor at times. Overall, I would ... only really recommend it to interested fans of westerns, action, and shonen.

*Light spoiler story synopsis*
The story is divisible into 2 major parts, past and present, following the main protagonist Brandon Heat. The first half of the story follows a starting-from-the-bottom mafia plotline which is well done, and the second half is a revenge story. Many supporting characters from the first half return after a time skip into the second, and it's done well enough to be enjoyable seeing how it's handled. The second half is definitely the weaker part though as it turns more towards action, you can tell that this was originally a game from how the fights play out.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Aug 2, 2024

airenaishen

Not Recommended

A long story of Brandon's bromantic devotion to Harry. This ultimate led to Harry murdering him, his benefactor, the woman who loved him, countless innocent and not so innocent people.

Even after Brandon is revived as an undead, he still ends up protecting the evil Harry, who was still seeking to murder the daughter of the woman who loved Brandon.

The story is probably written by someone with a twisted mind and necrolysed heart. You may enjoy this show if you have no sense of morality.

Story: 2
Art: 3
Music: 3
Voice: 4
... Characters: 3
Protagonist: 1
Science: 1
Enjoyment: 2

If you're hoping to see any redemption towards the end of the show, you're probably not going to find it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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Live Action Movie of Gungrave Announced

According to Gpara.com, Red Entertainment announced a live action movie of Gungrave at Anime Expo 2010. It will be produced by Convergence Entertainment and will be ...read more

Aug 9, 2010 2:27 AM by dtshyk | Discuss (36 comments)

	Poll: Gungrave Episode 26 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Tzuno - Jul 11, 2009	119 replies	by GakutoDeathGlare »» Mar 1, 4:28 PM
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	Poll: Gungrave Episode 8 Discussion cantius - Apr 14, 2009	43 replies	by bob8645 »» Feb 15, 3:26 PM
	Poll: Gungrave Episode 25 Discussion Tzuno - Jul 11, 2009	33 replies	by qwertyMrJINX »» Aug 31, 2024 12:33 AM
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