Back to MonsterZed's Profile MonsterZed's Profile

Bleach if it was Sci-Fi. Only better.

Do you like mecha? Do you like an extremely likeable cast of badass characters? Do you like fanservice? Do you like monster vs robots battles? Do you like time travel?

It doesn't matter what you like! Because this series does it so good (least so far) that it'll still please.
Take it from me - a guy that absolutely hates mecha genre, yet is super stoked about the mechs ("absolute weapons") shown in this series.

As mentioned in first paragraph, this manga gives very strong Bleach vibes. Not however in terms of story, art direction, plot devices or anything like that. ... But in terms of it's very core and essence.
That is: "Create a bunch of awesome, badass characters with a mammoth sized helping of love, and then go from there."

Meet Cosmic Censors - Matrix inspired unit of futuristic warriors here to protect earth from alien invasion...that they already fought before. But going further in would be spoilers. Suffice to say so far we get to see each one of them has their own quirks, character traits and awesome design, promising a very fun and likeable cast of characters to follow.

Meet Absolute Weapons - about the best use case of mechs I've seen in a manga.
Forget humanoid/angel looking mechs with soul/A.I. saving the universe with a chosen one - none of this crap.

Instead have a varied bag of human mind operated futuristic tools of war, each with very unique and varied abilities as well as form, which are frequently summoned only in small portion to suit the situation at hand and not to overburden the user.

This leads to some amazing story telling opportunities for the author. Instead of straight up revealing an Absolute Weapon in it's full glory and from there it's the same thing over and over, we're being fed tidbits of it's abilties and physical manifestations all until the big reveal, keeping readers on their toes. While some are straightforward (like MC humanoid "Centurion"), others keep you on the edge of your seat keeping you guessing and wondering "What the hell did I just see and what is that thing really?" - Ceasar being number one candidate for being an exampe with his "Gargantua" that so far has shown us him walking/STOMPING on air, summon a rift where evil gives enemies the look and then they're crushed/minced between two chainsaws/tank threads or just casually kick vans and buildings into submission with no visible assistance from his mech.

It's these kinda tidbits (and carefully crafted designs and ability sets) of absolute weapons that keep you invested and interested.
As mentioned before - this series isn't powered by something revolutionary or out of this world story telling. Least not so far. It's powered by clear and deep love for all the standard aspects that otherwise would make for a forgettable sci-fi/mech entry.

But this isn't an "otherwise" case. Despite it just picking up speed the quality is seen in every nook and cranny. Fan service that isn't obnoxious and does not detract from the storyline, well crafted characters, fun and silly moments and slowly building plot that promises more action and real plot twists at it unveils.

Give this one a go, it deserves more exposure and the love, as it's clearly a product of it.

With the release of Hakyu Houshin Engi i was reminded of this old gem. I personally view it as one of the bests of all time and a rare case when anime straying away from manga's storyline is not a sin, but an actual improvement.

Story:

Excellent. The plot (which takes center stage in this anime) takes place in ancient China, where a vastly superior, more advanced and culturally deveoloped world of immortals co-exists with that of mortals. However the relation is neither of mutual friendship nor subjugation. The immortals for most part avoid influencing the moral realm and keep to themselves, out of reach of ... normal men.

That however changes when an immortal demon fox Dakki bewitches the China's emperor and becomes de facto ruler of the empire. What follows is poverty, famine, misuse of power and hordes of immortal demons joining the ranks of now puppet emperor's army.

The society of Immortals from mountain Kun Lun can no longer turn a blind eye to these events that are caused by an immortal, and dispatch a special emmisary to go down to world of mortals, defeat and seal the souls of all evil immortals that descended on the world under Dakki's rule, along with the final job of sealing her as well.

However from the very first episode when our freshly baked ex lazy bum turned world savior Taikobo encounters the most powerful evil immortal of them all (and it's not Dakki!) you will learn things are not as simple as they look, and the mission may be way over his head and something different the any expected...

What follows is an engaging 26 episode ride, where each character has it's own story and few can be labeled as pure good or pure evil, with everyone having their own agenda and not everyone getting the ending the deserved.

However a strike is due, for the story being overly complex in certain parts without explanation. A lot of character's decisions and behaviours are based on their social standings, ethics and moral code of the era. However the show does little to explain to the viewer what the "rulebook" for this world and era is. Few western viewers would be well versed with traditions and customs of ancient China, which has huge influence over how things play out between the characters.

Art:

Great. It's the 90's and it shows...but in a good way. Anime of that time tended to be done with care, passion and it shows. If you compare it to 2018's anime adaptation...it's not even funny how this tramples upon the horribly designed and cheaply made "true adaptation". Much like Slayers, this is one of the animes that shows "how it's done" and not "look how old that shit is". With the current day anime "quality" of animation i feel guilty for recommending this one. It'll make you look at most animes you liked and loved and then puke out of digust at what you had to watch and thought it was well done. Once you tasted quality it won't be easy to go back!

Sound:

Great as well. Problem is the greatest gems in the soundtrack have the brutal habit of being played only once in the entire series during a particular badass moment! And then no more of that! Because of this scarcity of best pieces i give sound the 8 grade.

Characters:

Extremely likable and memorable bunch. No character felt bland or unncessary. Each one has their own story, and worldviews that save few cannot be easily condemned as absolute evil and made into "just die" type of villain or secondary character.

Taikobo is a big fat slacker that would just want to eat peaches and sleep...ekhum...medidate in the world of immortals. His decisions are often...dubious and morals questionable. Yet when push comes to shove it's his unorthodox ways that find the truth hidden behind the obvious and bring out the best in people around him.

Shinkohyo is the extremely powerful yet enigmatic "evil immortal" that due to being out of reach of anyone else, prefers the role of the story's narrator and ensuring things "don't get boring" on either of sides of conflict, rather then doing any actual "evil'...

The rest of the bunch is also no lacking in charisma and character, with especially honorlable mentions to "neutral" characters such as Bunchu (Venzon) and Kou-Hiko (Fun Faze). And ofc no 9 would be granted had it not been for Dakki. A good story needs a villain that is just as memorable and emotionially powerful as the main character. And here the anime goes above and beyond the call of duty to deliver. Dakki is an adversary you will both learn to hate and admire at first sight, with each subsequent minute she gets only deepening the impression. While posessing extremely powerful abilities as immortal, worlds beyond Taikobou's, it's her unmatched abilities in deception and manipulation that push many of the series characters to their tragic end without ever having to lift a finger as far as her magical abilities go.

She is the depiction of anime femme fatal that can display completely shocking levels of cuteness and feminity, only to push people to deaths, torture and insanity in mere moments when her plot comes to frutitionn and her true nature shows itself.

Enjoyment & Overall:

Epic. Something that stands on it's own, has not only loveable cast of characters in an excellent setting, but also a deeper plot that thickens till the very end and leaves you both satisfied and with something to ponder on once done with the series.

I have read the manga till the end and viewed this till the end, and i dare say this is one case of anime straying from manga's storyline that does the show good. Not that i have any problems with manga's storyline - but i feel the anime adaptation went the more deep and complex plot route with less shounen, achieving something really unique in the genre.