Ranked #869

Peace Maker Kurogane

Peace Maker Kurogane is one of very few anime series actually based on the Shinsengumi, despite them being a huge part of the Edo period and Japanese history. If you're looking for a decent historical samurai anime, then you've come to the right place.

Peace Maker Kurogane follows a young boy (Tetsu) who joins the Shinsengumi (the Japanese police force during the Edo period) to seek revenge on the man who killed his parents two years ago. It all sounds so typical and what you would expect in the samurai genre, but Peace Maker's story is that little bit more interesting because a lot of it is historically accurate. The story follows an actual event, that being the Ikedaya incident, as well as many other things that actually happened during the Edo period. Not all of Peace Maker's episodes contribute to the story however. There are a few filler episodes because the manga was too short to adapt into a full 24 episode anime. They do seem unnecessary, but half of them are actually worth watching, and the other half are okay. Most of the filler episodes are usually comedy based, and Peace Maker easily succeeds in making you laugh. The beauty of Peace Maker is that one episode could be a continuing joke that contributes to the story in no way at all, but the episode after that could be dramatic and action packed. A sudden change, but it always feels right. It always works. Some of the episodes may be unnecessary, but there isn't a time when they feel out of place.

One of the most amazing aspects of this series was the animation. It easily adapts to whatever mood is conveyed and it never fail to impress the audience. During the first action scene I thought holy crap this is amazing, but it kept getting even better, and then even more better! It's easy to tell that Gonzo's samurai anime is quite a bit above average animation wise, with the likes of Afro Samurai and Samurai 7. Gonzo obviously do not lack on the action side either, with the likes of Gantz, Hellsing and Last Exile. There is a scene in one of the later episodes where one of the main characters is slashing down enemies while the camera is panning around him. It's hard to explain it, but when you see it, it will amaze you straight away.

The sound effects are what you would expect to hear in a samurai based anime. Blood splats, sword slices and stabbing sounds to name a few. The soundtrack is made up of various different songs. Each one suiting a different type of moment or mood. The music, I thought, was actually quite good. I found myself listening to various different tracks a couple of time. I wouldn't say that it is very memorable though. You'll have forgotten about it in a week or two after finishing the series.

There is a wide assortment of characters in Peace Maker, and much like the story, nearly all of them are based off of real people that actually existed during the Edo period. The members of the Shinsengumi are all historically accurate, and all have very similar personalities and appearances to how the history books describe them. You can tell that the creator is obviously well educated on the Shinsengumi and the time the series is set, and has also done her research. Well done and thank you, Nanae Chrono! Moving on from the fact they're historically accurate though, all of the characters are unique in a good way, and you'll most probably have a few favourites. The villain in Peace Maker is also such an interesting character, and even more interesting because the guy was actually a real person. It's insane to see and know about some of the things he attempted. Being based on real history really adds a whole new element to the characters of Peace Maker, as well as a whole new element to the story. You'll most probably find yourself researching the characters real life counterparts after you've finished the series - you'll want to know more!

I started and finished Peace Maker throughout three nights, and there was never a time where it didn't fail to impress me. I mentioned the sudden changes that can occur in Peace Maker earlier, but it really does work excellently. One episode you can be in tears laughing, then a few episodes later you can be in tears crying. Later on the series gets very serious, and very dramatic. Which is usually the case in samurai anime, but it totally took me by surprise. I loved everything about Peace Maker, and I'm left wanting more! Since the manga does have a sequel, there could be a possible sequel to the anime in the future, so I'm looking forward to it if there is, but unfortunately I can't confirm anything. I personally would definitely recommend Peace Maker to a fan of samurai anime, or anyone looking for an action/comedy series. If you watch it, believe me, you won't be disappointed.

If you enjoyed the anime, you might also want to check out the manga. The story is basically the same, however it's still worth reading. The unnecessary filler episodes that are in the anime are no where to be found in the manga, and the manga is definitely a more serious and direct approach at the story. It doesn't have a moment where the plot isn't moving, unlike in the anime, and in some respects the manga is even better than the anime. I've also reviewed the manga, so please look at that if you want to know more, and thank you for reading this review! read more

Wanna hear random? I was voting in a hot anime guys poll and I didn't recognize one of the candidates, so I looked him up (it was Susumu). And stumbled here. I read the synopsis, glanced at the rating, read the review... and thought, "Eh, why not give it a chance?" I think you should be thinking the same thing. ;)

Right now, I think my opinion is a little colored by how surprised I was by this anime. As I chain-watched episodes of this show, I kept on thinking things like: "Wow, I am actually really enjoying this"; "Why didn't I hear about this before?"; and "This is really good" in this surprised tone. I mean... I had never heard a peep about it before and I was just checking out a character picture to see decide if the guy was hot or not. But it ended up being really good. Funny, huh?

Story: I'd categorize it as a historical drama that uses action as backdrop, meaning that the plot and the characters are firmly in the forefront. There's definitely action (and it's exciting and occasionally graphic) but it isn't the central focus; it just helps fill in the finer details... it isn't action just for the sake of having action, you know what I mean?

When I first started watching and I saw Tetsu trying to join the Shinsengumi, I thought it was going to be like History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi -- a lot of training, a few fights, some comedy beats... and what I got instead was a compelling drama about identity and coping with your demons, along the lines of Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen (but younger, louder and generally more light-hearted). Set in the same time period as Rurouni, the era itself already is soaked in questions of identity and tradition vs. progress. It was surprisingly mature and well developed in both the depth of the characters and the breadth of the issues they tackled: the burdens of violence, the cost of peace, what shape do the scars of our pasts really take? And though I was personally rooting for one side, I don't think either side was actually labeled good or evil. I appreciated that the show seemed to be acknowledging that there isn't always a right or wrong -- sometimes there's just a conflict. There's also a nice serving of funny moments and conversations scattered throughout the storyline that are well used by the author. They either let you get to know the characters better or help make them more cute and loveable. Sometimes they break the tension so you can finally exhale. And most importantly, there was a weight to the story, which I attribute to good craftsmanship, that sucked me in. Things that mattered to them mattered to me too and I really wanted things to work out and go their way and... I just felt really invested in their story and I don't think that happens without really good storytelling.

The only nitpicky thing I could complain about, story-wise, might be the way that some of the storylines resolved. But I don't really want to go into detail because it might give things away... so, I'll leave it at that.

Character: A lot of the generic sort of stereotypes when it comes to a group of soldiers/police/etc. are represented here as well. Those familiar cliches rear their ugly heads again. I didn't mind, to be honest, because I did really like two pairs of characters particularly and those characters were executed well enough to keep me occupied. The first and most important is definitely the brothers, Tetsu and Tatsu. Their relationship was so interesting to me because it was different from anything I had seen before and yet so completely plausible for their circumstances. (I never know how much detail to go into or not go into and what constitutes a spoiler -- sorry!) Sure, it was exaggerated sometimes, for humor, for emphasis, whatever, but the heart of it rang true and when you realize what the root of the relationship actually is, it's, like, "Whoa. That really makes sense." ;) The second and much more ancillary relationship doesn't actually exist in the show, it's more of a similarity of character (that the show actually points out as well) between Hijikata and Yoshida as leaders of opposing factions in this turbulent and vicious time period. I thought it added something nice to the balance and the honesty of the story and the absense of "right."

Animation: Generally, I liked it. I wouldn't say it was outstanding. Or even above average. But it good. And it suited the story and the characters, I think. It's actually a pretty decent collection of good looking guys... too bad about the mullets. ...Did they actually wear mullets or was this just some very peculiar style choice by the mangaka? Some the action sequences were well done, I thought. No where near the caliber of the action in Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen, but as good as or better than the usual anime fare, I think.

Enjoyment: It's an odd thing because I feel like I was more interested and invested in the show than I can adequately explain. Maybe it's just me and my taste and this anime just happened to hit the right buttons. I don't know. But after I finished one episode, I immediately wanted to see what was going to happen next. And then I wanted to watch the one after that. And I didn't want to watch anything else. So even though I might not have done a great job explaining myself, I would probably suggest that you watch the first episode and see how it strikes you. If you like it, keep on watching -- I don't think it will disappoint you. If you hate it, well... at least you know, right? If you're ambivalent, watch another... and maybe another after that, until you make up your mind. ;)

P.S. The only thing about the voice acting I have to say is that it was fine minus two guys who were doing their impressions of Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter. I kept on checking to see if it was the same guy on MAL (it isn't) and it was driving me nuts just because they weren't as good at it as Hisoka's actor, Hiroki Takahashi. read more