Ranked #243

Zetsuen no Tempest

I wouldn't put it past the second round of pleasure, but Zetsuen no Tempest (ZnT later on) is an anime that's overburdened with its black and white sides. It's not your so typical shounen, but, in the end, it is. It borrows themes from some great works like Hamlet and The Tempest and it isn't shy in quoting the named works. Still, for a shounen it tries to be a bit too heavy and to deliver more than can be delivered.

Logic. It's the word you'll probably hear the most besides the names in the entire anime. Everything resolves around logic, and logic of the world, that is. Logic and reason. Even though most people label those two the same, in reality they are not. If something is logical it doesn't mean that it's reasonable at the same time. And, well, ZnT doesn't seem to wage those accounts. You'll often see plausible reasons arising from illogical conclusions but, somehow, that's the magic of this anime. It keeps you guessing and pushing until you either figure it out or just drop it altogether. Another thing that ZnT does well and bad at the same time is a conflict between two sides. The irony is that anime quotes work which specifically have a conflict between two sides while here conflict is not that ... expressed, if you may, since it's never resolved.

When I said, at the beginning, that this is not your typical shounen but at the same time it is, I meant forwarding: ZnT is never sure of what it wants to be. Whether it's a tragic story of revenge, a story about saving the world, a story about the battle of fate, a story about illogical world - so it's basically all that. Still, regardless of how tempting and deep this sounds, it isn't. It's just that ZnT is somewhat perfectly executed that it makes you believe all those episodes were required whilst in reality the anime could've easily lasted only 12-13 episodes. In a department of "it is your typical shounen" we see the cliche happy ending regardless of the foreseeable tragedy occurring. It tries to put too much empashism on the logic of the things that occur disregarding their reasoning which is bothersome to say the least. Not to say that the logic is perfect, far from it, it's actually quite flawed a lot of times.

A story in itself is not a bad one but it is far fetched. As mentioned before, it tries to be a great deal of things at the same time and it doesn't work out that well. It simply can't bode with everything that's happening. Although, what I particularly liked, was the resolve of time-paradox through magic. Even though it was simple, at least they tried and didn't explain it by "well, it's magic, anything is possible". The story itself could've been told im a mere ten sentences (if even that many) since it contains a lot of half-filler episodes. By half-filler I mean the episodes which just stagnate the story itself and do not bring anything important to the table. Another thing I ought to mention is that the story in the first half, that is first 12 episodes, is way stronger than the later 12. First half of ZnT was actually rather good and enjoyable, but second half somewhat took itself too high and in the end didn't do anything. The best way to explain it, I guess, is if you mix ideology of the tragedy and reality of comedy and happiness. That said, second half is way too comedic to be taken seriously (especially with the addition of a new character, who is basically a tool) and you soon realize the outcome of the story. There are a few things that keep you watching until the very end, but, even after being hyped, they do not surprise you that much (if anything, they kind of disappoint you).

The strongest aspect of the entire series is its animation, without a doubt. I was really surprised with a character design; it was quite fresh and unique and each character had its own traits that would distinguish one from another. The sceneries are often beautiful but never boring or dull and the animation itself is fluid. It doesn't have many stiff scenes and the battle parts are designed to really keep your blood pumping. They're fast, flashy and things explode is a most fabulous fashion. Beware, your eyes will fall in love.

Where I thought I'd find a jewel, I find something that was barely above average. The characters are often (by the very series) connected to those of the Hamlet or The Tempest but there are only a few that actually work. Duo MC was a pleasant surprise; their characters aren't that blunt, they aren't boring or dense (well ... in a sense) and they often try to explain their actions through logic and reason (but, you know ...). A character that I disliked the most and firmly believe that is far too fetched is Aika. This occurs especially in the later half of the series, when the truth about her starts unraveling. Her character, in the end, actually weakened the story itself due to the rushed resolution of the story (since they had to end it, they ended it with pretty much the fastest way possible). Princess-sama, on the other hand, is likeable but all in all a cliche character. Firm wall of concrete outside, little girl that yearns for love inside. Again, as with the story and setting itself, she was mostly a tool for comedic situations in the later half while actually being a solid character throughout the first half. There are some other solid characters but I won't bother you with them since I've already dragged the review quite a bit.

ZnT can be seen as a dual edge within a single blade. First half of the story, somewhat tragic, dark and never-resolving and its second part, comdic, non-sensical and way too light-hearted settings. The anime took a major three hundred and sixty degrees turn in both, characters, story and setting. Not to say that it's bad, but it isn't that good either. So, in the end, ZnT falls into a group of half-bred shounen with themes borrowed from the various sources. Too many things done in a bad fashion and in a way too little time.
And, oh, the romance story of the first half deserves a thumbs up. read more

“What’s past is prologue.” - The Tempest - William Shakespeare

Nothing could say more about Blast of Tempest than Shakespeare’s The Tempest which is heavily referenced throughout the series. Blast of Tempest is a story about overcoming entrapment in the past, both figuratively and literally.

Story

One thing that can be said about Blast of Tempest is that it follows a logical premise that manages to feel legitimately inspired despite its fair share of twists. Even though the story involves magic, the series defines a strong logical framework that both empowers and entraps its characters.

Above all, our character’s personal history is a major factor in the series. It drives Mahiro on a vengeful path to determine who killed his sister and weighs down Yoshino to the point of near-detachment. It is only when these characters are able to accept fate and focus that they are able to allow a tragic event to become the means to a better end (saving the world). Moreover, past as a general influence is extremely well-realized. Events in the past, including Hakaze’s imprisonment, Aika’s death, and even further back to the formation of the Tree of Exodus as a means to end the Tree of Genesis’s purpose in resetting humanity are central to the plot.

Furthermore, the notion of order and chaos is thematically prevalent in the series. Even though the Tree of Genesis represents order, it is only with the chaos represented by the Tree of Exodus that humanity can thrive and even exist. Despite the resurgence of crime and inequality after the dissolution of the Tree of Genesis, it is easy to understand the necessity in the action and why the order imposed by the Tree of Genesis would eventually deem all of humanity unrighteous.

The only major flaw to Blast of Tempest‘s story is that it tends to use its characters as if they are actors in a play (perhaps intentionally). Each character plays his part, often without question. This is extremely noticeable in Aika’s casual acceptance of her fate despite what clearly would have been a difficult decision – but this may actually speak more to her character than to the show’s tendency to have its actors fill a role.

Characters

Character development is very important in Blast of Tempest - and all of its main characters, Hakaze, Yoshino, Mahiro and Aika, are a strong basis to the show’s central themes despite their differing personas. What enforces their strength is their intelligence – even in Mahiro’s case – the characters carefully and cleverly plan their actions.

Hakaze is a strong female lead that is open and direct, while sometimes being too upfront and occasionally becoming distracted by desire. What defines Hakaze the most is that, despite her attunement to the Tree of Genesis, she is far from unquestioning. Her actions are often fueled by her desire to seek her own path, even with opposition or without knowing the consequences. It makes her into a character nearly embracing chaos despite the order surrounding her – which accentuates her foil in Aika.

Aika, though appearing frail, is strong to a fault. Her character embraces the ideology of Exodus far too unconditionally which is but testament to her acceptance with being an actress in a play. She often quotes Hamlet and The Tempest because she feels that her only goals have already been previously scripted and she must play to those ideals.

Mahiro, on the other hand, represents another extreme of chaos with his absolute path of vengeance. His early ambitions are simply to avenge the death of Aika, but this actually drives him to greatness because of her involvement in much more crucial matters. When he is freed from this path, his goal has actually become to enact a plan to save the world. Mahiro is a renegade without being overly reckless and ambitious to a point where he is not clouded.

Yoshino, for a large majority of the show, is very detached. Aika’s death had an opposing effect on him in that he nearly lost desire to function after her passing. Even though he is tied down by her loss, he thinks clearly and keeps Mahiro in check when he is pushing himself too far. It’s important to note that Yoshino is the last character to resolve his past as a lesson in history, because he is too entrapped by it. Hakaze’s confessions to him cause him to break because he is not ready to continue his life until all others’ problems have been resolved.

Quality

Blast of Tempest is breathtaking visually and its usage of classical pieces in its soundtrack is excellently done. By now, this is what we expect from BONES, so it isn’t too unbelievable that this show lives up to BONES’s capability to generate quality in its production value. Particularly of note are the show’s excellent action scenes that accentuate brilliant animation along with well-utilized classical music.

Closing

While Blast of Tempest occasionally falls short of absolute excellence in its willingness to allow its characters to fill roles, it presents a story of past entanglements that is very well-realized and non-contradictory with a cast that synergizes their differing viewpoints.
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