Ranked #937

Golgo 13

To start with, this is an oldschool anime (of course that's to be expected, since the manga started publishing about 40 years ago). The drawing style clearly shows it: All characters have very serious and rough faces, showing each and every wrinkle. The scenery is quite good. Even though it might lack detail, it clearly isn't the type you would shove off as a picture-based-and-streched-over-the-horizon background.

What concerns the sound - it definitely is great. There's hardly any music, but the lack of it fits the style of the anime perfectly. The SFX (sound effects) cover every action that the characters make and are of high quality. No complaints about the OP (opening theme) or the ED (ending theme) either.

So far i have only seen 12 episodes and there has been no character development. However, it doesn't need any. I mean, what's there to develop, if the protagonist is an adult, possessing godlike sniping skills, having strict principles, an ice-cold mind and a barely ever changing poker face?

Getting on to the story...Well, to be honest, as of now (12 episodes) there has been no signs of an actual plot. Each episode is an independent one, involving a different target. I haven't read the manga, so i can't say for sure if there are any upcoming events that will lead to a longer story, but dragging individual episodes for a double-season (50 episode) series would surely get a part of the audience bored, so I'm guessing something's going to come up.

I rarely like an anime if it has no plot. However, this one has been quite enjoyable for me. It just has something in it, that makes you look forward to the next episode, wondering what kind of trick Golgo would show us next time. And when his enemies underestimate him or make wrong deductions, you just get the proud feeling: "That's my Golgo! Those bastards don't have a chance! Show 'em who's boss!"

To sum it up, if you're a fan of super-manliness, protagonists having nearly inhumane skills and an old feel wrapping it all up, this is one show you definitely have to watch. read more

Based off the Motion Picture and OVA, this series is a great stand alone series to watch. I really liked the Movie and OVA of Golgo 13 so the series is quite entertaining to watch. I have only watched 4 episodes so far, so the storyline and character development hasn't really begun yet. Each episode or "Target" is a seperate story each week so nothing too serious has begun in terms of a dedicated storyline as of yet. It's a great series to pick up, great animation, music and action. I hope it picks up more with a storyline and more development, but for now it's a great series to watch and see what happens. read more

This is without a doubt the anime's Chuck Norris. Hands down.

The anime world already have plenty of series that involve assassins. Golgo 13 is one of them and stands out. The story consists of a new arc per episode, which can be a good or a bad thing: The good thing is that you get variation, in terms of new interesting characters and new settings. Golgo can use everything from a pistol to more badass weapons which I will let you experience yourself. It's pretty nice going from environments such as cities to jungles, watching Golgo smack some real pwnage into his targets. The bad thing is that there are no real plot; no red thread that follows through the series, which for some can cause an inconsistency. There are some episodes that can be linked together very loosely, but other than that, you're in for a spin of standalone moments of deadly Golgo-ownage. Just don't expect Golgo to have character development. He's just living to kill for money.

The plot in each arc tend to be targets that Golgo has been assigned to kill. The cool thing about this series, is how they are performed. It's not just the matter of just pulling the trigger for him. He also needs to perfect conditions as in finding good spots to assassinate from, reconnaissance and such small things that make the series so awesome. He might even be the hunted sometimes, which is a good slice of variation. You can't go wrong with a smart, silent and a badass assassin, right?

The art may be rough for some, but it suits pretty well for me, due to the themes that the show represents. You get Golgo, a lots of guns, badguys and sea altogether, which I believe the rough style is quite fitting. I can't get enough of Golgo's look that can kill, haha. The sound is pretty nice too, with the OD sticking out. It's just as badass (I believe I've used that word too much now, but for all the good reasons) as Golgo. The ED doesn't stick out for me so much apart from the ladies, haha.

I absolutely recommend this series, as long you don't mind the standalone arcs. Too bad the sub-groups are taking their time on the episodes, though. If you guys are reading this, I thank you for taking time to sub this badass anime.

PS: Don't walk behind Golgo if you value your life. read more