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Gundam is one of the most expansive anime franchises in the medium. From the original series and universal timeline, to Build Fighters and the hundreds of gunpla, it is incredibly difficult for a new fan to get into this massive media expanse, to the point that anything that releases seems to be a bit alienating. However, rejoice new watchers, for this is a blank slate with no more than a few passing homages and one prequel episode, a gateway series for new fans looking to dive head first into a legendary franchise. Full of wonder and headlined by a veteran of anime production, along with ... a studio that has a storied history with both Gundam and mecha in general, and you have a glorious cocktail of potential and prowess. Now does it live up to that standard? Well, so far it certainly has been.

First off, the story is set immediately after the prologue episode. Witch from Mercury gives us a universe of politics and economics intertwined with action and potential romance. Our lead character, Suletta Mercury, has just landed at her new school after transferring from her home planet of Mercury, only to get caught in a storm of challenges after helping a fellow student. This already sets a different standard compared to the usual Gundam fare of a war-torn space conflict with child-soldiers and the horrors of loss, but the first few episodes do a good job at building off the political standard set in the prologue. It’s certainly no comparison to the likes of the U.C. Timeline or Gundam Seed in terms of politics and war, at least not yet, but it does establish a clear picture of how this universe works and who the major players currently are, along with their mindsets and positions of power. While it seems like this series will be a bit less gritty in terms of war, there is a clear conflict being set up and it seems like the production team will get a good balance between the school-life and harsher atmosphere Gundam fans might be used to without oversaturating the audience with to much of either.

The main characters already have given a strong first showing, coupled with our very first female lead for a main Gundam anime. Suletta is certainly different from previous protagonists you might know in the Gundam universe, especially with her much more meek demeanor. She has a clear lack of social skills, a departure from the usual fair of Gundam heroes already having a few companions, and her optimistic outlook on life despite a seemingly rough upbringing gives some extra layers to her character, especially after the prologue. Coupled with a somewhat unique motivation compared to other protagonists, Sulleta feels like a new take on the Gundam hero with wells of potential. Miorine(who has been affectionately dubbed “Space Weiss” by fans of RWBY) is a bit more standard for Gundam fans with a more realistic disposition on her life, but still carrying an air of honesty and individuality that helps define herself. The two have some good chemistry in their scenes and help define the tone of the show with their interactions. Oh, and of course there’s Chuchu. Nothing more to say there.

Our antagonists do feel a bit more stereotypical with what the Gundam franchise is known for, persons of interest with immense political and military power over both the protagonists and civilian characters. Delling feels like a character straight out of the original Zabi family, which isn’t an easy thing to do considering the legacy those characters have left. Despite this, it is still a bit early to get a read on Delling and the rest of the potential antagonists, as their only real character traits at this point are that of the power-hungry politician. Hopefully we get to see some other sides to these characters with more episodes.

The visuals thus far are just spectacular, clearly showing Sunrise’s experience with animating both giant mechs and smaller character moments. The dramatic flare of the motion combined with the vibrant colors makes for a sight to see, and while a few of the human character shots look a tad stiff, they are few and far between. The backgrounds feel properly expansive with the high scenery and contrasting outer space, making for a unique world that can only be found in a Gundam anime. You can tell that the animators are pouring their hearts and souls into this and so far, the results are really showing. Combined with the bombastic soundtrack and sound design, it feels like a proper Gundam series that holds nothing back on the production front.

Of course, this also extends to the action, and good god it is breathtaking. 2D mechs are something of a rare sight in anime these days, which makes the beautiful gundam frames stand out even more among the different series that are airing or have aired in recent times. When compared to CGI models, there is practically no contest in how the mechs move and flow on screen, with a graceful momentum and powerful impact that you feel from every strike and block. Coupled with some mobile suits already showing some unique aspects and fighting styles, this makes for some imaginative choreography along with some combat in interesting setpieces and backgrounds. Of course, it's Gundam, so this is to be expected, but considering the already high standards set by both classics and that of the previous decade, Witch From Mercury doesn’t just meet the bar, but is potentially setting a new standard of 2D mech action.

The Gundams and mobile suits aren’t the only things that shine with the splendid animation. The character designs are snappy with clearly defining characteristics and features that fit right at home in the franchise. Suletta’s red hair and slightly tanned skin, signifying her heritage of Mercury and somewhat hidden, yet clearly defined passion for her Ariel. Miorine with her snow-white hair and platinum eyes showing off a chillingly firm difference between her and Suletta in terms of appearance and personality. Other characters have a wide assortment of wacky and quirky designs that work wonderfully in both the Gundam universe and school setting, making almost every character look completely unique from one another.

Now Despite all these positives, there is something of a major issue that needs to be addressed, and that is this show’s glaringly similar aspects to that of “Revolutionary Girl Utena.” I have not seen the show myself yet, but I do understand where these similarities lie. However, it is still important to consider that the concept pushed by Utena is not exclusive to that show itself, just as Mecha anime is not exclusive to the Gundam franchise. Whether or not it will become a rip-off or “Budget Utena” is something to be decided after it has aired, not while we still have yet to see just what it has to offer. There is also the concern of Suletta’s personality becoming over dramatic and annoying to hear, especially with her stuttering. While it certainly isn’t the most pleasant to hear, Kana Ichinose gives the character’s voice an emotional wellspring that conveys her thoughts and emotions, for better and worse.

Mixing all of these things together creates a cocktail of potential, and it is certainly off to a pleasant start. It's hard to say if it will end up becoming a beloved entry to the franchise, or fall flat from a tragic downfall. Either way, The Witch From Mercury has been a fresh entry to the Gundam franchise that gives long-time fans something unique to sink their teeth in,while also granting newcomers an opening to the king of mecha anime. There are some kinks to work out, but the bar has more than been met for this future space opera.

No Spoilers


Looking at Edens Zero from a glance will usually garner one of two reactions. One: It’s Fairy Tail in SPACE!!! Two: Obligatory fanboyism or utter disgust at the mention of Fairy Tail or the artstyle. This is a certainty that no-one in the anime and manga community can reasonably avoid, and what does that mean for the series itself? Is it some sort of magnificent hidden diamond in the rough that only gets a bad rep because its author is the creator of one of the most divisive series in history? Is it just a flaming pile of complete sh%t that was left buning ... on your doorstep? Well the answer is a bit more complicated than just good or bad, and that all starts with your perception of Mashima’s work.

What do you value in a good anime series? Faithfulness to the source material? Good animation consistency? Perhaps an interesting cast of characters or an amazing soundtrack? These are things that Edens Zero will test from both an objective and opinion-oriented standpoint, especially since the anime only covers the first leg of the overall story so far. Combined with how the beginning of Edens Zero is easily the worst portion of the story at this point, and you will definitely cringe more than once watching the first few episodes. This is especially due to the generic opening and plain script, which is immensely standard for not just shonen, but Mashima’s works in general.

Let’s face it, there are many people who have problems with Mashima’s narrative style, especially his overuse of the ‘power of friendship’ trope. Unfortunately, the beginning of Edens Zero gives the impression that it will hold the same focus on friendship with how the story opens, which is not a good representation of the series as a whole, both the anime and the manga. While you get a glimpse of the series’ true colors in the last arc of the adaptation, it doesn’t make the first half any less difficult to get invested in. While the emotional character performances certainly make it sting less, the homages to Fairy Tail through background cameos and the obvious similarities in artstyle give the completely wrong impression to the audience in more ways than one. The real meat and potatoes of the story are not covered in this season, while the themes are also not properly represented in the beginning.

When it comes to the characters, they also suffer from the same problem, at least initially. On one hand, Takuma Terashima as Shiki Granbell works exceptionally well, especially during the emotional scenes of his character. The issue is that it doesn’t help to offset Shiki’s introduction and subsequent actions after, which seems to embody everything wrong with the stereotypical shounen protagonist. Coupled with how the majority of Shiki’s development occurs later, only giving us some smaller examples here, it doesn’t paint a good picture for the audience. Thankfully this takes a turn for the better around the halfway point, specifically the Guilst arc where we get to see more of what's to come for Shiki, as well as more complex sides of his character. Rebecca on the other hand is clearly defined in her introduction and immediately stands out from Mashima’s previous work with both her clear initiative and personality mix of awkward masochism and sadism. The rest of the crew introduced in season one have standard, but above average beginnings that tie into the story well, not to mention clear foreshadowing for things to come.

Moving on from characters, we go to the story. Mashima already hits you with an emotional gut punch in the first episode that sets a clear difference in tone from Fairy Tail(even if Shiki’s initial behavior says otherwise). Each story arc covered in the first season plays around with significantly dark themes and archetypes, especially the last arc. The anime adapts the source material clearly and faithfully, even throwing in some fun little bells and whistles for fans of Mashima’s previous works. The spotty pacing of the early material unfortunately translates into the anime roughly, particularly the Norma Arc not doing the best job at keeping interest for people not too attached to Mashima’s work. Afterward, it's smooth sailing with a plethora of interesting and twisted stories that toy with your emotions and take a spin of Mashima’s usual formula. The finale in particular is an incredibly rich emotional rollercoaster that emphasizes just how different Edens Zero is.

The animation is a mixed bag of mixed bags, oftentimes struggling to capture the best of Mashima’s action, but still maintaining the quality of more casual and somber scenes. One of Mashima’s best attributes as an artist is his ability to capture the momentum of a scene and carry it from panel to panel. The anime is able to maintain this somewhat, but the quality of the animation itself is questionable, especially in some scenes where CGI is present(although those are few and far between). Action scenes range from average to exciting, with the overall intensity of the manga adapted well on screen. Effects are used to convey the unreal nature of Ether Gear and their various attributes, such as the colored afterimages of Shiki to represent his gravity changes. Choreography is somewhat lackluster initially, though it picks up in the second half of the season. The visuals of the background and planets are all fittingly dreary or vibrant to match the specific planet, staying true to the manga’s setpieces with good accuracy.

To complement the high energy and visual entertainment is the soundtrack, which while not amazing, certainly fits the theme of space exploration and adventure. The series composition and music is handled by Yoshihisa Hirano, a well known and experienced composer in the anime industry who has worked on titles like “Death Note” and “Hunter X Hunter.” He captures the essence of Edens Zero wonderfully through a combination of high energy tracks and softer pieces that showcase the different sides of the series perfectly. When put together with the sound design, this serves to make everything feel strangely alive, especially when the animation kicks into high gear.

So, how does this overall compare to the manga? All things considered, while the manga is still the optimal way to go, the anime is a good starting point for people either looking to get into Mashima’s work, or are simply interested in Edens Zero. It may not live up to the expectations, but it is by no means an overtly bad show. While I would personally recommend the manga as it is easier to blast past the initial hurdles, the rest of the anime is a substantial adaptation, albeit not at the level one might expect.

No Spoilers

Anyone who has spent even the smallest amount of time indulging themself in anime and manga has undoubtedly heard of Hiro Mashima and his previous work ‘Fairy Tail.’ Whether you love the series to death or curse it to the deepest pits of hell, the impact of Fairy Tail will forever remain in the minds of everyone. Then this series was announced and suddenly the internet exploded and twitter collapsed into itself like a black hole, wondering if things like self-plagiarism and self-copyright infringement were real. Edens Zero already raises some red flags to Fairy Tail and Mashima haters who vehemently refuse to even ... think about the series having any sort of positive aspect to it whatsoever. However, this is exactly what they shouldn't be doing, since this series showcases exactly what Mashima learned from writing both ‘Rave Master’ and Fairy Tail, and what he can do when he is at his best in terms of production and planning.

Right off the bad, the art style needs to be addressed. First and foremost, a similar art style is to be expected as every mangaka has their own unique specialized way of drawing. Think how Kentarou Yabuki used a multitude of similar designs from ‘Black Cat’ in ‘To Love Ru,’ even the exact same character, but changed the circumstances and identity behind the characters to make them unique and their own. Mashima enjoys the aesthetic of Rave Master and Fairy Tail, so he carried it over to Edens Zero. While the designs of specific characters certainly bear strong resemblance to Natsu, Lucy, and Erza from Fairy Tail, All three show a stark difference in their personalities and how their characterization is handled, which in some cases is directly opposite of the way Fairy Tail develops its characters. The contrast is vividly apparent past the first two arcs, along with Mashima’s own growth as an author. This is not Fairy Tail, nor is it Fairy Tail in space. A YouTuber by the name of “Just Stop” made a good video addressing it, check it out if you want more on that front.

The story has been progressing at a fantastic pace, although it certainly didn’t start that way. The first two arcs are noticeably rougher in both dialogue and execution, while the pacing feels a bit too slow considering the exposition given at the time. However, each consecutive arc speeds up the gradually escalating narrative exponentially, coupled with the characters' individual plot threads intertwining with the situation at hand in a natural way. Furthermore, the characters' actions end up impacting the world and different planets they visit, which then have massive effects further that influence other parts of the narrative. The story and characters directly influence each other without the need to create artificial tension or introduce an outside plot point just for the sake of character involvement or convenience. The story progression itself flows considerably well from arc to arc excluding the first two. The beginning feels like it is still trying to find its footing and find a good direction to take the story in, but the road ahead clears up quite well from then on.

The tone and feeling of the manga begins in a similar fashion to many of Mashima’s other works, but after the beginning a noticeable lack of the overused friendship archetype. There is a significant focus on bonds between individuals not of the same blood and the consideration of family and friendship tied to moral ambiguity. Characters that seem trustworthy may have a significantly darker agenda while characters that seem on the wrong side of the law can end up being far more reasonable than expected. Edens Zero places a strong emphasis on differentiating between a genuine relationship with someone, be it family or friendship, and treating others as tools. The contrast between Fairy Tail’s ‘Everything will be okay’ agenda and Edens Zero’s darker storytelling is clear and deliberate. At the same time, Mashima also does a good job at not repeating the same plot points or few dark twists that Fairy Tail had, taking Edens Zero in a different direction. I cannot say the same for Rave Master yet, as I have not indulged in the series as of this time.

This is furthered by the Worldbuilding and expertly crafted locations that the Edens Zero crew visit throughout the adventure. Traveling across the cosmos is the main adventure of Edens Zero and Mashima takes full advantage of this concept to create exeptionally varied and interesting planets for the characters to experience. Almost every arc gives us a brand new location to discover that is completely unique in both scale and atmoshere, especially after the main crew is assembled. While some planets do hold vague imilarities, such as worlds with grasslands being made up of folliage and such, the circumstances surrounding each world are drastically different. Plus, the actuve approach the characters take on each planet cause massive waves throughout the civilization and cuture of the places they visit, creating an ever-changing universe that remains in motion even in areas where our main cast are not the focus.

From the well constructed story and emotions, you will find the characters to be out of this world(I am not sorry for this joke). While Shiki may seem like everything you don’t want to see in a shonen protagonist at first glance and reading the first couple of chapters, this is completely misleading. Despite the disastrous first impression, Shiki has continued to come into his own exponentially well with every story arc. His power set is interesting and unique with gravity-based applications along a progressing maturity that will surprise shonen fans. Rebecca is something between a sadist and a masochist, which surprisingly fits her YouTuber style and underlines an honest and sympathetic soul. Going into the characters any further would result in spoilers, so I will just briefly state that each member of the Edens Zero crew has good chemistry with our two leads and work from both a narrative and emotional standpoint… Most of the time that is. There are some instances where specific characters seem out of place or a bit convenient in execution, but not enough to drag the overall story down.

When it comes to the antagonists, Mashima took a different approach to them than he did for Fairy Tail. There are many sympathetic antagonists in Fairy Tail, many of whom in urn end up helping the heroes. However, for Edens Zero, this is the opposite. Most of the major villains are treated or developed as inhuman engines of destruction or sadism, made purposefully as hateful as possible. Of course to balance this, there are some other archetypes and more complex characters thrown in, but nowhere to the degree of Fairy Tail. The main antagonist, while tied to the story and characters in a similar fashion as Fairy Tail’s main villain, does not feel as interesting on paper as their personality does not have the same depth or complexity. This is partly since Fairy Tail’s main villain left such a high bar to meet, but there is still no shortage of time to expand on the groundwork laid. Drakken Joe (Who I am name dropping since it won’t really spoil anything) makes more than a few strong impressions upon his introduction, and stands in significant difference to the rest of the villainous cast in terms of personality and story. While some antagonists end up feeling like basic hero fodder, the villains with clear presence and significant build up feel genuinely terrifying when they step up to the heroes, especially in the ways they serve as contrasts to the protagonists.

Of course, no shonen battle series is complete without the titular action. Say what you will about Fairy Tail, the fantastic action sequences have been carried over by Mashima’s capable and clear understanding of a battle’s layout and progression. You can see the influence of Akira Toriyama in how he orchestrates his action sequences, using a strong understanding of character positioning and now space-faring assaults and clashes, which are then combined with his immense experience drawing fight scenes. Some battles only last a few seconds while others can extend entire volumes, appropriately scales by the situation at hand and the characters own conditions. While some of the space conflicts feel rough around the edges, they have continued to polish with each instance without breaking the established rules of the universe, nor the spaceships being used in battle.

What adds to the action even more is Mashima’s spectacular artwork. It is no secret that Mashima is a workaholic, given that he has managed so many different series over so long. Yet somehow, just like Fairy Tail, the man has managed to pump out a weekly serialization alongside all his other work and hobbies without losing any flare or detail in his artwork. As I already stated, Mashima draws immense inspiration from Toriyama, the author of “Dragon Ball,” and you can tell at a glance how that has influenced his paneling and page layout, especially in regard to how Mashima creates a sense of spatial awareness on the page with how the characters and landmarks are laid out. This is where you see the style Mashima has grown for himself in full effect, expertly using the momentum of a scene and carrying it from panel to panel. There is a good flow across the entire page and Mashima doesn’t hesitate to take a risk in how he spreads the artwork. There are some odd angles in the first 50 or so chapters, but they don’t impact the overall quality of the art.

So what does all of this come together to create? Well, a fantastic departure from the divisive series we both hate to love and love to hate… or just love or hate you can sort of pick and choose with Fairy Tail. The point is that Edens Zero is a massive step up from Mashima’s previous work for more reasons than one. It has the same charm of stories you’ve come to associate Mashima with, but a much darker and twisted focus that will rend your heart in the best way possible. Yes there are some problems, especially with some character dialogue and the early portion of the story, but Edens Zero has only been on the upswing for as long as it has been in serialization. I can’t say if it will turn out amazing in the end, especially since we still have a ways to go, but all things considered, the future for this manga is looking just as bright as the stars in the sky… assuming you live somewhere where you can clearly see the stars.

No Spoilers

If you have been immersed in the anime and manga community for around, let’s say a week, then you have at least heard the name Fairy Tail once or twice. One of the most divisive series in the entire medium, Fairy Tail has garnered a massive fan base that defends it to the last man and equally large legion of haters who will fight and die on their desire to see it burn in the fiery pits of hell. This ridiculous conflict between the fans and haters has created an extremely toxic environment surrounding the series, which severely discourages newcomers from even seeing why ... this has escalated to such a degree. For me, I am a bit more in the middle of the conflict. As a series, I appreciate what it did well, but I can’t just overlook the flaws either.

This manga is known for its extensive and awkward mix of childish storytelling and adult fanservice, which is one of the biggest points of contention. However, this was heavily exaggerated by the first anime adaptation, which censored most of the more violent scenes and somehow made the fanservice more in your face. The manga of Fairy Tail gives the reader a much greater sense of gravity to each situation, especially during the second half. At the same time however, this is contrasted by the lack of a specific story arc in the anime that covers important material related to events in the second half. While not a dealbreaker, it is certainly debilitating.

For starters, the story is a big dividing point in the fandom. The story moves at a considerably fast pace from the get go before slowing down around the halfway point. However, most of the story arcs are disconnected in the first half, usually for the purpose of introducing a new character or story beat for later. This brings up an interesting issue. Hiro Mashima wrote the story for Fairy Tail on a week-by-week basis. He would get ideas when out drinking with his friends and try to incorporate them into the greater story. The only thing he had preplanned was the backstory of Natsu, the main protagonist, while everything else was just added as the series went on. Fairy Tail was never meant to run for as long as it did, which is likely the reason for its incredibly odd pacing and story writing, especially with how some plot points are either introduced and fade into obscurity, or are barely foreshadowed at all until their execution.

Despite this, the strong points of the story stand tall with fantastic highlights that carve out an interesting identity for Fairy Tail. The first half is far more geared toward the adventure theme of the series, while the second half takes a more focused approach around the evolving narrative. While some pieces of the story are relatively predictable, whenever it takes a sharp turn it does so in an unexpected manner that adds a more flare and interest to the growing story. The most interesting stretch is by far the middle section, which brings together all the different moving parts of the story into what feels like a well oiled machine with how it is executed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t keep momentum into the final stretch, but the upswings are a blast.

One of the biggest complaints about Fairy Tail is the lack of character development, which is just a completely false statement. Most of the cast gets substantial development throughout the story, but Mashima’s own fear of killing off the wrong character and relying on the power of friendship archetype gives a bad impression and execution in places. Still, the characters are an interesting bunch that bring together all sorts of emotions and styles, with a crazy amount of different designs that reflect their personalities well.

The Fairy Tail guild serve as our main heroes with Natsu taking the role of protagonist. Natus as a protagonist is not one of my favorites, but he is serviceable. He has strong ideals and a basic, but well defined power set with some added quirks that give him more personal depth. Still, most of Natsu’s development in the first half is extremely subtle beyond some clearly big moments, and it is difficult to wade through his over-energetic personality sometimes. Lucy is initially a damsel in distress who gets more competent and relevant with each story arc. She can be a bit disappointing, but when she shines it is certainly entertaining and heartwarming. Gray is my personal favorite character with his interesting story and hilarious dichotomy with Natsu. Erza is called the queen for more than just one good reason, and Wendy is precious and must be protected at all costs.

The supporting cast is separated into major and minor characters. Most major characters are the other members of the Fairy Tail guild with some others from different groups or locations. A pretty good chunk of the supporting cast get strong development of their own, however their personal stories become more disconnected from the main story after around the halfway point. Despite this, most of the characters still are heavily involved in most of the story arcs. Each of the major characters feel like more than just a simple side character, oftentimes having moments in the peak of the story that enhance the already emotional highlights. Emotions are the focus here, and while the story itself doesn’t always work with the characters, the resonance of each personal journey they experience still hits home more often than not. While you won’t be seeing many of these characters dying throughout the story, it is important to note that the scarcity of character death enhances the few times in which it does happen. This works both to the series benefit and detriment depending on the scene at hand.

The antagonists are a mixed bag that feels like both an incredible accomplishment and heap of wasted potential. The main antagonist of the story is one of the few pieces of the story planned from start to finish, and is executed especially well throughout the series with an impact in almost every major story arc, to the point where I would argue that regardless of the series quality as a whole, they should be regarded as one of the best villains in shonen. Despite most of the other antagonists not being planned throughout the manga, a multitude of which are brought into the fold early on to become major players throughout the rest of Fairy Tail’s run in a positive way. At the same time, this cannot be said for one of the primary overarching villains. This is a character that lasts until the end of the story, and while his status and strength create a strict and constant power ceiling to measure other characters against, he is very one-dimensional personality wise, and by the time we understand why it is too little too late, at least for me. Some other villains that feel like they could become major players in the story turn out to be less impactful than previously thought, which is a pretty big letdown.

Another major complaint of Fairy Tail is that a large number of the story’s villains end up turning over a new leaf, which diminishes the gravity of both their actions and quality as an enemy. This is actually not as big of a problem as the fandom has made it out to be, mainly because of how villains that do end up turning good are given a proper story-basis for their morality change, or have been influenced by the protagonists to a degree that it feels reasonable or at least acceptable character-wise. To compensate for this, there is still a plethora of villains that remain evil to the core from start to finish, specifically in the second half. Even with the large emphasis on the ‘Power of Friendship’ archetype that Fairy Tail is famous/infamous for, the second half of the story brings out those that are as disconnected from that concept as possible to contrast them against our heroes and their own values, or sometimes the way it has been twisted into something of their perspective on the archetype.

The action is one of the consistently strong points of the series that never really drops in terms of quality in the manga. Complemented by Mashima’s own fantastic talent and skills with drawing, the action is presented with beautiful panels that show a strong understanding of the page and two-dimensional space. Combined with the manga’s willingness to showcase the gore of a scene and the spectacular art, the fights always feel properly grandiose in execution. The magic system and each character's individual powers are all taken into consideration for the large majority of the bouts, especially the fights with a heavier focus on tactics and outsmarting opponents. Despite a consistent weekly serialization, the quality of the art and action never seems to drop and is one of the few aspects of Fairy Tail that remains consistently fantastic from start to finish, although it would be more than a stretch to say there aren’t some… controversial choices on Mashima’s part for the way some fights end, but that is more up to the individual reader to decide.

This has been a fairly mixed review overall, which is pretty much how I feel the series is meant to be seen by each individual person. The highs of Fairy Tail are immensely high, but the lows are some of the lowest in the shonen genre. It is a mix of good and bad that leaves more up to the reader than some might find comfortable. It really depends on whether you think that the positives outway the negatives or the other way around. While my personal rating for this series is an 8, that is my own biased opinion, and as such, I don’t feel comfortable rating the series quality that high when the ending is such a controversial one. Instead, I will give it a relatively middle ground, but somewhat more positive rating due to the series having one of the best antagonists in shonen manga, a lovable (and sometimes infuriating) cast of characters, and some story arcs and action scenes that stand tall in terms of both quality and visual value despite all of these problems that the series suffers from. Anything else is your own conclusion.

No Major Spoilers.

Beet The Vandel Buster is an interesting piece of work. On one hand, this manga has been in serialization since 2002, before some of the modern gems like Black Clover that give a similar feeling. On the other hand, it has only around 50 or so chapters available in English after almost 20 years due to constant hiatus and serialization changing. To put it bluntly, this is a weird manga in terms of production. But despite that, this little shonen has a lot of charm under its basic exterior. A seemingly normal shonen world that harbors a plethora of action and potential to ... delve into.

The plot is very basic, sometimes infuriatingly so, but it does slowly get more immersive and interesting. The world isn’t just thrust onto you with tons of exposition or information drops. The series takes it’s time to let you know how things work and doesn’t rush its worldbuilding too much even if the story itself moves at a breakneck pace. We get introduced to the concept of Busters right away, and from there we learn more naturally as the plot begins to move. Instead of the system just being explained to us, information comes naturally as the story moves forward. Broad Busters are brought into the fold when the situation calls for a buster being hunted, that being a buster we are acquainted with at the time. Vandels and their society are given considerable attention when our motley crew of busters begin making a name for themselves taking out bigshot Vandels. The situation the characters are caught in at the given time progresses not just the story, but the world and our understanding of how it works. Each story beat (not sorry for that joke) flows naturally into the next… at least after Kissu is introduced.

Before Kissu comes into play, the story was prone to taking some sharp turns that felt partially rushed and unrefined. This is most noticeable with Slade’s abrupt introduction and exit. It gives the feeling that the manga was going to end somewhere around the 20 chapter mark initially, but picked up enough traction to stay off the axe. This also leads to a lack of foreshadowing for certain plot elements introduced later, which is not necessarily a bad thing overall, heck it works to the story’s advantage at a few points later, such as with the Vandel society and the seven-star Vandels. However it still brings down the presentation and makes the pacing move too fast.

The cast begins as simply serviceable for a shonen manga, but becomes more intricate and capable as the manga goes on. Each character initially fits the basic archetype that has become the standard for the genre. Beet is the somewhat naive, but kind hero who wants to save the world. He idolized the Zenon Warriors since childhood for their heroics and skill, and takes it upon himself to follow in their footsteps to end the Dark Century. Unlike most protagonists of the time, he is not entirely dense when it comes to romance, with a deep affection for Poala he knows is returned and constantly asks her to be his wife. The different roles each member of the cast fill are expanded upon quickly after their introduction, giving them more than what would be expected from the bog standard of shonen. Despite the weak first impressions, the development of the cast is strong up to the current chapters. Even so, this doesn’t excuse the clearly two-dimensional personalities of some characters such as Slade, who is portrayed as the typical rival character for Beet to compete and banter with. Attention is obviously focused on the main trio (and Milfa to an extent) and their development, but the lack of representation towards a proper supporting cast does cause some problems. Thankfully recent chapters are rectifying this issue, but the problem stands for the majority of content thus far.

The villains on the other hand range from interesting, to plain, to boring as all hell. Beltoze as the main antagonist is clearly the ‘Absolute Evil’ character archetype you would find in antagonists like Frieza, only much more one-dimensional due to his lack of appearances in the story proper. This normally is not an issue if the antagonist has solid build-up beforehand and a decent amount of history to explore, like Knives from Trigun, but Beltoze doesn’t have much aside from his encounter with the Zenon Warriors. Grunide is a much more engrossing villain with his interesting personality and relationship with his underlings, not to mention a simple, yet good character design that brings out his odd traits. Later chapters introduce other high-level Vandels that are pretty hit or miss. Sir Baron is a clear standout while Garonewt is like a copypaste of Beltoze in personality. Despite these problems, nearly every Vandel has a clearly defined and unique set of abilities and powers for busters to challenge, which keeps the action constantly interesting due to the way the series handles power scaling.

A huge problem with both old and modern shonen is power scaling. Dragon Ball and Naruto are easily the worst offenders of this, but this series takes a different and refreshing approach to it. Instead of going from being able to blow up islands to countries or just increasing the power output, battles are fought based on the equipment and powers of each character. Busters don’t just get more powerful with physical training, they need to train their saigas and personal abilities to combat the powers different Vandels possess. If they are at a disadvantage, then work together. The manga places a considerable emphasis on teamwork, but not in the ‘power of friendship’ sort of way. Different busters are encouraged to form teams and work together as groups, using their different unique abilities to synergize with each other to overcome Vandels. In Beet’s case, he has 5 saigas, so he can fight well on his own. But when working together with the rest of his team, the individual weaknesses of his saigas are less cumbersome and he can fight more naturally. The same with Kissu and his lack of a saiga, or Poala with her equipment.

The art is pleasing to look at with some stand out panels here and there, but it fails to bring that extra something that you see in manga like One Piece and Slam Dunk. Koji Inada previously worked on “Dragon Quest: The Adventure Of Dai." I have not read that manga yet myself, so compare as you will. The fight scenes play out well and feel developed in the page appropriately, but sometimes the framing is slightly difficult to follow from panel to panel. This is particularly noticeable in earlier chapters where it felt like the perspective just abruptly cut, but it sharpens with the progression of the series and is almost unnoticeable about halfway in right now.

The character designs feel like that out of a JRPG fantasy game, which given Inada’s work on Dragon Quest is the right feeling to get here. The colors used for each of the main cast compliment their personalities well. Beet is eager to move and fight, strong and confident with a bright red color scheme, while Poala is less forceful but still ready to go at a moments notice, a lighter but prominent orange along with light blue hair. Kissu is different with a clearly more reserved and analytic personality, and his somewhat cowardly nature is brought out by his blue clothes and yellow hair. Milfa is more relaxed and composed with an underlying passion in her darker red. Slade is a mix of black and white, being a dark loner with a good heart. The saiga designs are detailed well with an interesting mix of sleek and bulky. Thinner weapons go for the less is more approach while bigger more impactful types make use of their larger bodies to add more detail and complexities to their appearance and functions, like the Boltic Axe and Crown Shield.

All of this together makes an interesting shonen manga that, despite its fast and over simplistic beginning, finds its footing before it becomes a killing factor. Still, the lack of consistent chapters can make it somewhat difficult to get into for people. You will end up waiting a while once you are caught up, but to me, it is more than worth it to see where this series goes. I only hope it might rise to more prominence one day.

Mild spoilers, nothing too big.

This is my first review so please give me some breathing room here. The first season of Bakugan was certainly enjoyable in it’s own right. Fun battles and tactics, good use of the game mechanics, and some interesting characters (especially Alice). Unfortunately, it was bogged down by lackluster pacing, an inconsistent protagonist, and a child-friendly coating that kept most of the darker elements from taking center-stage.

This completely changes with the second season: New Vestroia. This sequel takes what season 1 did right and expanded in ... each of the areas. The improvements are plain as day, so much so that you almost forget it’s targeted towards kids… or is it? That is probably the biggest reason why this is such a great improvement over Battle Brawlers, the fact that New Vestroia makes it clear that things aren’t going to be as easy to digest as the previous season, a bigger stage for the characters and audience.

Airing just over a year after the completion of Battle Brawlers, the target demographic for this series remains largely the same, but with just enough development for kids to realize that this is going to be much different that season 1. The kid friendly coating is still present, but far less prominent overall. Instead of the basic good vs evil plot, this season focuses on the familial and extraterrestrial struggles between worlds.

Story

Let’s start with the plot. The story already fairs better from the beginning. Battle Brawlers had a good start, introducing us to the game mechanics right away, but dragged when it came to hooking the audience into the plot. New Vestroia immediately let’s us know just what is happening and what needs to be done to stop it, as well as showing us the changes to the battle system.

Afterward, the story builds on it’s new aspects and lore with new twists that provide a darker subtext to the series, more so than that of season 1. What makes it different from season 1 however is the way it’s presented and how it plays out. Every episode has a meaning beyond just introducing a character or playing a match, while the pacing appropriately matches the scene or battle at hand. The story is constantly moving forward without forcing itself through.

The focus of the Vestals and their inhabitants of Vestroia is a primary plot thread of the season, with their lack of understanding of the world and the conflict with the resistance providing an engaging storyline that gets better with each episode. Whenever the focus transfers back to Earth, it feels like the pacing slows down somewhat, but also serves as a nice break from all the intensity.

9/10

Characters

New Vestroia introduces a plethora of new characters, mainly because… well… aliens are a thing now and they need characters to fill those positions. New heroes and villains are present at almost every turn, each of which bring something different to the table, while returning characters have exceptionally strong development.

Let’s start with the returning characters. Dan is back as the main protagonist, and has significantly improved. His personality has been more streamlined with a greater focus on his impulsiveness and relationship with Drago. Marucho is relatively the same, but with some added quirks related to Elfin and Preyas, especially in the second half. Shun and Ingram are probably the strongest duo, especially with how Shun has developed from season 1.

The new brawlers are competent and fun additions to the series. Mira is tied to the story in a natural way, and functions as a morally complex individual that is easy to connect to. Baron is fun loving and the classic superfan type, already fitting into the group rather well. Ace is somewhat of a loner like Shun, but lacks the development of the other two. Nevertheless, he remains a competent addition to the cast.

The villains are the Vexos, each with a different personality and fighting style that compliments both their attribute and Bakugan. Spectra is the most complex, both due to his own desires and the story revolving around him(plus his design is just really good). Gus is a good second to Spectra, while Miylene is a good background manipulator. Shadow is just pure fun with his Joker-esc personality, and Lync is substantial as a developed child character who just seeks enjoyment. Volt is relatively basic unfortunately, but has some nice moments here and there.

Zenoheld and Hydron aren’t very prominent throughout the first half, but get much more time during the second. It is sad to say this, but they are pretty one-dimensional as far as villains go, especially Zenoheld. Hydron does somewhat come into his own during the last portion, but it didn’t really stick with me personally.

The supporting cast is about what you would expect. The old brawlers return as background characters initially, but take a more prominent role as the story goes on. Overall, the supporting cast fills the role of secondary characters well, but sometimes they feel purposefully undermined for the sake of spotlighting the brawlers.

8.5/10

Battles, music and animation

The battle system has gained all sorts of new quirks and additions. Only one gate card is active at a time now, while abilities can be chained together. Bakugan traps make their debut, which would later go on to inspire the battle gear and mechtagons of following seasons.

These additions are mostly positive, with each bringing something new to the battle without overcomplicating the system like Mechtaniam Surge did later. The additional usage of multiple abilities makes battles even more intense, with every turn changing the course of the battle dramatically even with the nerf to gate cards.

The life gauge is a system adopted from YuGiOh, with brawlers losing when it drops to zero. People can also win Bakugan from opponents now with how the system works. Every battle has a sense of suspense, especially with how vicious the Vexos can be with their battles and Bakugan. There is a constant worry that the battle could end in disaster, especially with how skilled each member of the Vexos is.

The animation is an unfortunate black smear, but it has gotten better from the previous season. While many of the character and Bakugan designs are pleasant and downright fantastic, the animation style itself is simplistic and screams kids show. The same can be said for the english voice acting. Japanese is fine, but english ranges from average to bad. The animation does significantly improve during action and battle sequences, especially during climaxes, and it certainly isn't overall bad, but it doesn't compare to other shows of the same genre.

There isn’t much to say on the music of Bakugan because it isn’t that memorable. Some tracks amp up during emotional sequences but the overall soundtrack is pretty forgettable outside of action.

7.5/10

Final verdict: 8.5 out of 10.

New Vestroia is an amazing upgrade from Battle Brawlers. The story, characters, and action have all improved dramatically while the music and animation are still very much lacking due to the low bar set by the target audience. If you don’t mind these issues, then I recommend giving this season a chance, especially if the first season turned you off with it’s lack of direction and Dan’s infuriating personality.