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An absolutely underrated gem. While not technically anime, it's sure to capture the attention of any anime fan looking for a casual series to put on, and I'm frankly surprised it hasn't garnered more of a following.

It invokes the storytelling and pacing of Hetalia, while maintaining a far classier presentation both in taste in humor and visual style. The characters are fun and loveable (a wholesome demon? a buff dog boy? vampire gamer???), and are presented through stellar visuals. The animation is outstanding- it exceeds what you would expect from a typical animated series (let alone a web series), and uses its budget wisely between ... action shots and simpler shots for comedic effect.

If you have an hour to spare, I highly recommend giving season 1 a watch- that is, if you don't hop directly into season 2 right after!

I really wanted to enjoy this manga, I really did. I love the anime and it's honestly one of my favorites out there. Reading pieces of information from the Wiki made me eager to read the manga as well...

But there is one major issue: it's borderline unreadable.

Yasuhiro Nightow can draw, sure, but he seems to struggle when it comes to making a readable drawing, particularly in action sequences. There is no flow between panels and so many of the panels I honestly cannot figure out what they're supposed to be. Sometimes I can make up a mangled figure. Sometimes I can find a gun. ... But it's not enough to tell me what is happening.

The story is enjoyable when you can actually read the artwork, which is usually during non-action sequences. There's a lot more to the lore in the manga than there is in the anime, and I particularly enjoy learning about Vash's past... when you know, I can actually tell whats happening.

Non-Spoiler Review: 7/10
Ginga Nagareboshi Gin is arguably one of the most out-there animes there is. Don't let the cute puppy protagonist fool you; this show is full of violence and testosterone, and it's certainly not for everyone. However, if you can push past the rampant sexism and justified animal abuse, then this show might just provide you with a wild and fun experience. It's certainly worthwhile for anyone looking for a fresh and different anime.

The Story: 7/10
Ginga Nagareboshi Gin follows an Akita puppy on his journey to "become a man". It is in a way a classic shounen anime, but from the perspective of animals. ... The first third of the anime focuses more on the human characters' perspective, and then switches to the perspective of the dogs. The dog characters do not start talking until the perspective switches and this sort of causes a weird shift in the anime's tone. (It should be noted that in the manga, the author did not intend for the dogs to ever talk, but the publishers pushed him to change this, making it a bit of an awkward transition.)

The story never strays from the objective set at the beginning of the anime; defeat the man-eating bear Akakabuto. This to me is ideal, because many stories (anime and otherwise) often lose sight of the original objective and throw in distractions. This is never an issue in the anime, and is perhaps an improvement from the manga that awkwardly tacks on a second arc that contains major tonal shifts.

The Art: 7/10
Anyone who knows me knows I love the art style of Yoshihiro Takahashi, the author of Ginga Nagareboshi Gin and it's expansive universe. The anime does his manga style justice, adding that classic 80's anime flare to it. Despite this, it does not get a perfect score. With a low budget anime comes awkward animation and strange off model shots. Perhaps with a better budget, this section could have managed a 10.

Sound: 10/10
The soundtrack is perhaps one of the strongest parts of Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. Having originally watched this anime as a child, I still remembered the soundtrack many years later, even after forgetting integral parts of the story (Before rewatching it of course).

Character: 6/10
Characters are perhaps the weakest part of Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. This is not to say there aren't likable, memorable, and well written characters (and the interesting dog designs are certainly a plus!), but the series throws in more characters than it knows what to do with. This leads to a plethora of flat and forgettable cast along side the few that truly stand out. Not to mention, many of the protagonists (especially the less memorable ones) act and behave very similar, making only their designs and names the things that set them apart.

Enjoyment: 9/10
As I've mentioned before, this anime is probably one of the most unique anime you'll come across. Despite it's clear flaws, not many people can deny the entertainment the absurdity of this anime brings along with it, and the best part is you get immersed in it and you manage to take things seriously. Ninja dogs? Giant monster bears? Dogs spinning in the air? It's all there.