At first, I've never known what Gungrave is (both anime and game). But since I enjoyed Trigun and found it from someone whose favorite animes are similar to me, I decided to check it out. And I was glad I did. Never had I been so engrossed with an anime.
Story:
The core theme of Gungrave is loyalty. To be loyal and never betray may sound easy, but in practice, it's more complex than one may think. It is an interesting concept to say the least, because when making choices, one will end up betraying someone. There are times when one will find it difficult to make
...
decisions if one tries not to betray anyone in life, and this is just perfectly portrayed throughout the anime. It shows how conflicted the characters are when faced with this problem.
The entire storyline is, to sum it up in a sentence, it's rags to riches followed with betrayal, revenge, and redemption. The rags to riches concept may just be something usual, but it doesn't end when the characters have reached the top. There's an incredible plot twist afterwards that one probably has seen it coming (even if the in medias res first episode is skipped) before it happens, but is still surprising and unexpected.
Now, how are those bare bones depicted? Through mafia drama and sci-fi elements.
The first half (barring the first episode) features mafia drama. One gets to see how a crime organization operates, which includes extorting people, shady business, etc. Despite the lack of action, this is probably the strongest part of the anime. Aside from being realistic, it develops the characters and introduces the rule of executing traitors when found, which just fits the show's theme in general: loyalty.
The second half features sci-fi wonders. This is where it goes downhill as the character development and the main theme are kind of left out (except episode 20, which actually leaves out most of the sci-fi elements and focuses more on the theme: loyalty). The genre shift is still rather abrupt even after watching the first episode. Why? Because it has been focused on the drama and character development for around 16 episodes, and then it becomes a full-blown action anime (and said action is not too great, because some fights are really one-sided). Gungrave is fine with some actions, but if they are too much and over-the-top, the actions will feel out of place, just like how the sci-fi elements are. Also, while I'm okay with the Necrolyzation technology because it still plays a role in the depiction of a character's ambition and the entire plot, it gets ridiculous when Superior is introduced. It feels out of place and just serves to move the plot.
However, the last few episodes reduce the sci-fi weirdness and return to the main theme: loyalty. This is when the show becomes better again. Also, the ending is just beautiful and satisfying. It just sits right with the concept of loyalty and doesn't leave one hanging.
The execution itself has some flaws. The first episode is in medias res. Not that it's a bad thing, but it starts out like some standard monster-shooting action anime. While this does make the genre shift in the middle of the show less abrupt, it can be off-putting due to its cliched and over-the-top nature. I first thought of dropping this anime because of the strange first episode, but I decided to give it more chance. Yes, the patience worth it, because the concept of loyalty is just portrayed very well until the finale.
Art:
The art is fitting to the realistic setting. There's no colorful hair and cute big eyes. Most of the characters wear suits, ties, and/or shades, and said outfit just fits the content of the anime because it's related to crime organization and whatnot. While there are exceptions about the mobster outfit, none of them feel out of place (except Grave's cowboy outfit, which is actually cool but borderlines being out of place). The art for the setting is fine too. Tall buildings for the city, rickety buildings for the slum; they are all fitting. However, the Superior is just too over-the-top, even more than the Orgmen. Okay, maybe a spider-like monster and a multi-armed swordsman are still tolerable, but a gigantic blob that flies with a propeller and shoots skull-shaped bombs from the stomach? I doubt it.
As far as the animation goes, it's just fine. It does feel rather forced at some places.
Sound:
The OP and ED themes are great, but the strength in the soundtracks of the anime is not there. While there are only a few soundtracks that play during the show, they can evoke powerful emotions. For example, the theme that plays at the very end of the series is especially effective in bringing the emotional value.
As for the characters' voices, I'll just talk about the sub since I'm not a good English listener due to having English as second language. They are just right and fit to the realistic setting and how the character is feeling. Most of the male characters have gruff voices, except for Brandon (still pretty deep though) and young Harry. I especially like Harry's voice; when he's young, he sounds rather laid-back, but slowly, a twinge of viciousness starts to show. As for the female casts, the voice is fine too. Maria sounds gentle and mature, while Mika is peppy but neither too childish nor loud (in short, it just fits her age and her character). The flaw in the voice is that the screeching of the Orgmen can get annoying at times.
Characters:
This is probably the anime's strongest point (to the point it can be difficult to determine who is the villain in the show). The main characters are easy to relate to, while the supporting casts mostly have just enough characterization to identify with. I won't go too detailed to keep spoilers minimum (if there are any).
Brandon Heat is a silent protagonist, just like some usual game protagonists (the anime is an adaptation from a game after all). But no, Brandon is not that bland. He's a very relate-able character despite speaking very little throughout the anime. He may be quiet and stoic outside, but he is a loyal and caring man inside. Simply put, Brandon's actions speak louder than his words; his entire personality is shown through how he acts and reacts. But of course, Brandon has a flaw in his character: he always puts others' happiness above him. He makes his decision based on how others feel, not him. Although his intention is always good, his decision is often terrible, but this is a flaw which makes him likeable and easy to sympathize with. Throughout the anime, one will see him grow from a gentle street thug into an unforgiving killer, although he still retains immense loyalty and some degree of gentleness.
Then there's Harry MacDowel, who is arguably the deepest character in the show. At a glance, he is like the opposite of Brandon: suave and nice outside, cunning and manipulative inside. Unlike Brandon, Harry does not bring how others feel when making decision, which makes him much better in deciding but can be ruthless in doing so. Harry himself has immense character development. He starts out as a laid-back street thug, but throughout the anime, he slowly grows into an ambitious man... A very ambitious and vicious man. Despite that, he remains as a fairly suave person outside, and behind his ambitious nature, he still has some kindness within. This makes him still easy to sympathize with despite not being as innocent and pure like Brandon.
As far as the supporting casts go, most of them are decent and have their own personalities, but the notable ones are Bear Walken and Bunji Kugashira.
Bear isn't just an intelligent and charismatic man in a crime organization; he is also a caring father to his daughter. While that doesn't sound like Bear is an especially deep character, how his character is portrayed throughout the show is amazing, which makes him a respectable character.
Bunji is a ruthless, lonely gangster, but that's just his exterior. He has a strong sense of honor and shows a streak of gentleness inside. Bunji having a pet cat of his own and viewing the show's silent protagonist as his 'big brother mentor' help distract from the fact that he is a cold-blooded killer. However, what especially makes him honorable is that, as stated by Bunji himself, he has no interest in kids. He truly refuses to hurt a child even though the said child has annoyed him.
The only weakness in the character section is the lack of characterization for a few minor characters, but since there are already a number of deep and relate-able characters, this is negligible.
Overall:
Gungrave may have some flaws and can be a test of patience sometimes, but it's very enjoyable nonetheless. The emotional ride of this show and the characters are amazing, so being patient worth it. I highly recommend this show for those who like drama with palpable emotion and relate-able characters.
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Apr 3, 2015
At first, I've never known what Gungrave is (both anime and game). But since I enjoyed Trigun and found it from someone whose favorite animes are similar to me, I decided to check it out. And I was glad I did. Never had I been so engrossed with an anime.
Story: The core theme of Gungrave is loyalty. To be loyal and never betray may sound easy, but in practice, it's more complex than one may think. It is an interesting concept to say the least, because when making choices, one will end up betraying someone. There are times when one will find it difficult to make ... |
