Ranked #464

Ga-Rei: Zero

*Powerful opening episode plus a strong ending makes Ga-Rei Zero a definite must see for action fans.*

“Will you kill someone you love because of love?”

Those who have already seen Ga-Rei Zero (GRZ) are probably sick of reading the quote above, but it is nonetheless an effective quote to advertise for GRZ. I still remember what initially caught my interest in GRZ, it was the amazing trailer. Boy, how misleading it was …

Don’t get me wrong, Ga-Rei Zero is quite fabulous indeed. The synopsis may sound generic, but the technique used to present the story that will eventually lead into Ga-Rei (manga) is what makes this gem a success in this recessional era. The excitement level of GRZ can be described by a simple parabolic function (think of the letter “U”), though the initial point stands out a lot more than the ending. This is analogous to say you drop a ball from great height and watch it fall down and slowly climb back up. But no matter how hard it tries, in the end it cannot go back to the initial height.

The plot of GRZ is extremely well thought out and well executed to say the least. Given the length of the series it is a very enthralling little show. Demon hunting may be the first thing come to mind after reading the simple summary of the anime. But what lies beneath that outer layer is the fragile little thing known as friendship and what happens to it when that treasure betrays oneself; that is the true moral of the story. Please keep in mind that GRZ is simply the prequel to the actual story in Ga-Rei (manga) thus you may find some unsatisfactory conclusion with regards to certain people or certain things.

Giant CG rolling dinosaurs on fire seem unnecessary but they served their purpose. The way some of the dramatic scenes were animated could have used a little more work. For instance it is possible to create a more nauseating scene by using a more unique camera angle/position rather than attempting to semi censor the scene with dull lifeless angles. On a more positive note, the animation quality is pretty consistent throughout the series and the characters themselves look great, especially when compared to the drawings in the manga. The battle animations are perhaps the most notable positive feature to the show. Fluid dynamic animation plus smooth scene to scene transitions also helped make GRZ one of the better animated shows of the season. It is evident that a lot of effort has been put into the show by the animation crew, even the backgrounds in each scene is very detailed.

As should be expected from an action oriented anime, the music is very outstanding. From the OP to battle BGM to ED, they all suit their theme well. The OP was nominated by fans as one of the top ten 2008 anime OP. Voicing-wise, Minori Chinhara was great playing as Kagura, and the unrecognizable voice change for the OP just makes it all the better. While there are not many superstar level seiyu (ie. award winners), it seems all characters received a suitable voice for themselves thus you will unlikely to have to clean your ears after watching each episode.

Unlike most single season anime, GRZ is not one where you should marathon through in a day. It is as if Ei Aoki (director of GRZ) just had an uncontrollable diarrhea. He literally dumps all the nasty stuff at you right from the start. You are bound to be confused after the first two episodes. Take it easy, we have all been through that stage. It will be tempting to keep on watching, but take my advice if you want to retain some sanity; stop there and think about what happened so far as things will go downhill from here.

If you don’t quite enjoy watching flying limbs or spurting blood, I suggest you stick to the TV release as they censored the “ugly” stuff in most cases. I also don’t recommend fans of Natsuki Kuga from Mai-HiME (or Natsuki Kruger in Mai Otome) to watch this as there is a certain someone here by the name of Natsuki Kasuga who also happens to be a motorbike chick with strong connection to dual wielding pistols. Though the difference here is how minor a role she plays and the cruel fate that awaits her.

One thing that I didn’t enjoy about GRZ is the sudden appearance of cheesy RPG-like weapons after episode one. Bullet shooting suitcase? Metal drill knuckle? Outrageous combat wheelchair? None of that were in the trailer! And none of those were anywhere near as exciting as the hot motorbike or the dual pistols. Now that I think about it, I feel like I got trolled by the trailer. Anyway, aside from the opening episode I wouldn’t call GRZ particular “groundbreaking”, but it is unquestionably one of the best (if not THE best) action anime for the fall season of 2008. read more

This review is technically spoiler free, but if the names, Yomi or Kagura, are unfamiliar to you, I would suggest watching the first two episodes before reading any of the reviews.

Admittedly, when I first read the show's description (which purposely reads generic), I didn't think the show was going to be that good. So when I gave it a shot, the first episode certainly drew my attention, but I expected once the shocking cliffhangers wore off it’d be a pretty generic, demon-hunting, hero-coming-of-age shounen.

Man, I was dead wrong. GRZ turned out to be biggest surprise of the fall season, and one of the best damn shows I’ve seen, hands down.

Story/Characters: GRZ has a simple story at its heart. The whole demon hunting setting is really just a conveniently action/guro-friendly wrapper for the real story: The making and the breakdown of a strong friendship. What makes the show so powerful is the great job the writers did in exploring and developing the relationship between Kagura and Yomi – that’s when the show really starts to become something special.

Unfortunately, the short 12 episode season doesn’t allow them to provide much background on the other characters and also leaves some loose plot ends hanging (which is probably to be expected, since it’s a prequel to the Ga-rei manga).

But all that’s forgivable, because everything is really all just a foil to Kagura and Yomi in the end. The dynamic between the two drives the whole show. The comedy, the action, the drama and ultimately, the tragedy – everything – hinges on how much you come to like their characters and relationship.

Art: The battle scenes were well-animated and ranged from stylistic to quick and brutal, which despite the fantastic setting, made the show feel more realistic. The character designs were streamlined and attractive, with particular attention paid to Kagura and Yomi's cuteness/hotness. The monster designs were pretty generic, but they make up for it by making the mythical creatures, Ranguren and Byakuei, look appropriately fierce and majestic.

Sound: The producers of GRZ took some bold sound design chances - such as forgoing the OP/ED in the initial episode - that helped to amp up the show's atmosphere. The music also stood out throughout the series, especially during the battle scenes: ranging from a rock/techno mix during the exciting, stylistic battles, to the haunting and emotional, vocal-driven arrangement during the final battle. It always seemed to hit the right chord. Voice work was very good with special kudos due to Kaoru Mizuhara (Misao in Lucky Star) and Minori Chihara (Yuki Nagato in TMoHS), as Yomi and Kagura, doing excellent jobs in roles that I wouldn’t have expected from them.

Enjoyment/Overall: If you're looking for a well-written, action-oriented show (admittedly, not for the squeamish) with really strong character development, I highly recommend GRZ.

Hopefully this review was helpful to you. (Positive/negative) feedback is always appreciated. Thanks! read more

Ga-Rei -Zero- is set as the prequel to Ga-Rei the manga. The manga, itself, is a supernatural action shounen so Ga-Rei -Zero- is set in the same way. While knowing the setting of the manga helps to understand the anime better, it is definitely not required to read the manga beforehand to enjoy Ga-Rei -Zero-. This viewer had never heard of Ga-Rei before the anime, yet was still able to enjoy the Ga-Rei -Zero-.

For those not familiar with the Ga-Rei setting, it is essentially about an agency that hunts rogue spirits using exorcists. A Ga-Rei is a spirit beast that exorcists use in addition to other exotic weapons and traditional swords to fight supernatural enemies.

Story: The storytelling for Ga-Rei was nothing short of amazing. The first two episodes occur chronologically towards the end of the series, but set up a conflict during which the rest of the series tries to explain how events lead up to such a conflict. This leaves the viewer constantly guessing throughout the series, giving enjoyment through suspense. At the same time, the viewer is greeted with several humorous scenes through the show that help lighten the mood and make you enjoy the characters.

Art: The animation for Ga-Rei isn't extraordinary or anything. It gets the job done. The supernatural enemies look disgusting and allow you to develop a hatred for them. The characters are drawn in a way that you develop interest in them. The action looks fluid and is pleasing to watch.

Sound: What really stood out to me in Ga-Rei was the sound. The background music really fit the mood well and after every episode, it left me questioning when the OST would come out. Furthermore, the Ga-Rei anime comes out with an amazing image and insert song CD, many of the songs which are used in fitting moments throughout Ga-Rei. Both the OP and ED fit the anime as well.

Character: Ga-Rei really focuses on developing the two main characters, Kagura and Yomi. While I feel that the other characters weren't developed as much as I would have liked, the story is really focused on Kagura and Yomi and only their development is crucial to the story. The way Kagura and Yomi interact together and towards other characters seems appropriate for their age and their past experiences and because of their interaction with each other, they change and part of the story is watching their growth.

Enjoyment: The combination of a great storyline as well as well-done action sequences put to an outstanding soundtrack makes this anime incredibly enjoyable for me. Once you start the anime, at least for the first couple of episodes, it's almost impossible to stop. The first few episodes demand the viewer to watch them one after another. Combined with the humorous yuri moments and other cute moments, Ga-Rei does its best to tell a story that can both standalone, but at the same time, persuade the viewer to continue the series into the manga. read more

After rewatching this series for the third time, I thought it was only fair to give Ga rei zero a proper review. Note that I’ll try to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

Ga rei zero was a pleasant surprise, defying my expectations of it based on its generic trailer and description. The first episode, in particular, was a “wtfwhathappenediwanttowatchmore!” attention grabber.

One of the better shows that aired in fall of 2008, Ga rei zero tells a tale of two young girls, Kagura and Yomi, their lives as they grow older, and the resulting tragedy that ensues.

Ga rei zero stands out for it’s well written plot, strong character development, and exorcism action. Ga rei zero can be depressing, somewhat disturbing, and very violent, yet overall has a very compelling story that keeps you going.

Ga rei zero is the prequel to the manga Ga rei. It provides an extensive backstory between Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura, who appear in the manga Ga rei. The true strength of this show is most definitely the story and characters. This anime plays out as a epic human drama, exploring how family obligations, social norms, revenge, friendship, betrayal, love, hate, and intrigue all intertwine, with sometimes tragic results.

What makes this story so powerful is how the writers deeply explore the heart warming (and heart wrenching) development of the relationship between Kagura and Yomi in painstaking detail; This fundamental relationship, and the conflicts that emerge from it, drives the entirety of the show. The story explores the making and breaking of a strong friendship, in this case the relationship between Yomi and Kagura. The sheer normalcy of the character’s personalities shines through, creating genuinely great characters. This makes it all the more heartwrenching when the relationships in this series slowly, yet surely, are torn asunder.

Ga rei zero is a simple, yet powerfully human tale at heart.

Ga rei zero proves that it can define characters that go beyond simple good or evil. Instead, it shows us characters with multi-dimensional, complex characters, somewhat similar to how Miyazaki portrays his antagonists; as being a mix of both good and bad.

As for art, Ga rei zero has quite a bit of flashy fight scenes and battles; This series is almost certainly an action series in that regard. Ga rei zero is filled with battles between majestic mystical beasts, exceptional swordwielders, and … a fighter who uses a clothes iron as a weapon?

Quite honestly, some of the weapons used in this show are the most unique weapons (such as a suitcase) I’ve ever seen. As dubious as some of these weapons are, the action sequences are solid. The quick, and brutal, action packed scenes will almost definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.

The music was somewhat generic, although quite fitting for the scenes in the anime. It always seems to hit the right sound when needed, contributing to the exciting, and sometimes haunting, scenes littered throughout the show. Soundtracks are always a crucial part of any anime, and I think it’s safe to say that the music definitely outdid itself in Ga rei zero.

Final Score: 8.5/10 (rounded up to a 9 on myanimelist)

Ga rei zero is by no means a perfect show, but it delivers where it counts; a solid plot that is unusual enough to catch your attention, but not so complicated that you get confused or bored of the series. If you’re looking for an action oriented series with a powerful, well developed story with excellent character development, Ga Rei zero could potentially fit the bill.

My expectations with this show went from little expectation, to curiosity, to awe as the plot culminated into a delightfully lovable, yet tragic story.

And for those who do watch, I leave you a quote oft found in this series to think about:

“Will you kill someone you love because of love?”

This is a copy of my original review, which can be found (somewhere ^.^;) at:
https://blogs.emory.edu/animec/

comments/feedback are welcome :]
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Ga-Rei Zero (directed by Ei Aoki of Kara no Kyoukai and Girls Bravo fame), is a prequel to Hajime Segawa's Ga-Rei, a manga in which two teenagers fight evil, may or may not fall in love, and mostly have a good time. Zero was obviously made to introduce more people to the series and get them to read the run-off-the-mill source material, but in the end, it entirely outclasses the manga itself.

Those are my thoughts on the entire Ga-Rei franchise in a nutshell. Like most viewers, I had never heard of the series before this animated prequel aired, but I tried reading some manga chapters afterwards to be able to put it all into perspective. Ga-Rei Zero starts off with two oddball episodes, designed to get the viewer hooked by means of suspense and gore. Those two didn’t turn out to be the show’s strongest points however. In the end, it was the for anime unusually convincing drama which makes it jump from the crowd. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and start with…

The story (Please note the story only starts come episode 3)
Zero takes place two years before the events of the manga. Here, Kagura Tsuchimiya is the heir to a powerful family of exorcists, who do battle with evil spirits and other such nasty supernatural things you don’t want to meet in a dark alley, or can’t because they wouldn’t fit in said alley. Why do they do this? Because it’s their duty! Moving on, Kagura moves in with another family of exorcists because her own father doesn’t have time to take care of his daughter and there she continues to grow as an exorcist (read: magical girl) with new-found sister Yomi by her side. But, evil has many forms! Dun-dun-duuun.

Yes, it’s thin, it’s standard, it’s not Jules Verne (in fact, I’d say it’s more like Shakespeare). But what Ga-Rei Zero does well is taking a simple premise which doesn’t need explaining (because it’s featured in at least 80% of the stories in this little industry) and run from there by covering subjects which the show’s biggest inspiration, Sailor Moon, leaves untouched. Zero is, besides a coming-of-age story, really about the bond between two specific characters, placed in an all too familiar (anime-)situation. The twist this show offers includes a lot of doubt, self-resentment and crying. Think of it as Evangelion if you will, though that might be a bit too extreme of an example.

The characters
Main cast – Kagura and Yomi, that’s what Ga-Rei Zero is about. I cannot stretch this enough. So, as one would expect, much time (of 12 episodes) is spent on the development of both main characters and it really, really pays off towards the end. Kagura fulfills the role of the empty shell (the Shinji) who has to deal with all sorts of stuff girls her age shouldn’t have to deal with, and though she finally makes some decisions near the end, she lets most of the show’s events wash over her completely. Which worked rather well, for me at least. One of the most vital aspects to Kagura’s personality is actually the extent to which she loves Yomi, and luckily, this is one of the things the creators got absolutely right. You will love Yomi, possibly more than Kagura herself. There’s just not a whole lot to hate about her; she’s a caring, endearing and beautiful older sister, who is strong in any conceivable way and will always think of her friends first without being a pushover. She’s the type of person the viewer can look up to, and that, again, is exactly how Kagura views her. As you can tell, it all comes together neatly. And because of that, it’s all the more painful when, well, certain things happen to our beloved duo near the end. Overall, character development on the two main characters is exceptionally well done and many key scenes are very well written. This is definitely the one part which carries the entire show.

Supporting cast – Good thing the focus is on Yomi and Kagura throughout the series then, because the supporting cast is absolutely laughable. There’s a half-naked guy here, with a white afro on his head ánd on his breast (think village elder from Hare + Guu) who speaks with an American accent and makes weapons out of teapots and refridgerators. There are twins here who both share the same name (Nabuu), have the vocabulary of a caveman, usually finish eachother’s sentences and present themselves in third person. It’s probably just me, but these are exactly the kind of characters I can’t stand, even if they’re voiced by Norio Wakamoto himself (the Nabuu brothers are, by the way). Other characters also seem to have been ripped entirely from a show with similar themes, Mai-HiME; a biker girl named Kasuga Natsuki and a certain mysterious, cynical, evil white-haired boy come to mind, but let’s not forget the magical girl squad team leader in a wheelchair and her female cohort either. It should be clear that this show doesn’t develop its minor characters, simply because it has only 12 episodes to fill. They’re a colourful bunch, I’ll give them that, but they’re absolutely not believable and I literally screamed in agony when the naked guy appeared in one of the most dramatic moments near the end.

Animation and sound
Animation – Definitely above average. The overall style is a little dark, but so is the story, so no problem there. The scenery is average, some CG won’t blend with the surroundings completely and stillscreens are being used a lot near the end, but the animation is almost flawless and everything looks consistent. As for character designs there’s once again a huge gap between the main cast and supporting cast; Kagura and Yomi’s appearances fit their characters spot-on while some other characters could’ve looked a little less silly. Then again, because of that, this is definitely not the sort of show where you have trouble telling the characters apart. Monster designs are a little uninspired at times, but the show doesn’t go into great depth as to what drives these enemies and where they come from anyway; they’re exorcist fodder and their appearance tells us the same thing. Overall though, Ga-Rei Zero is certainly pleasing to the eye.

Sound – Not really omnipresent, but the show definitely contains some carefully constructed tunes to amplify the many moments of both action and drama. Especially in the first two episodes the creators had some fun playing with sound effects and so these are also well done. I wouldn’t listen to the OP and ED songs on my iPod, but they’re definitely solid and go well with the show, not only because they’re sung by Kagura and Yomi’s voice actors. As mentioned before, Emperor Wakamoto is in this show and so I will have to give “sound” at least an 8, but the voice-acting overall is pretty solid. The only gripe I have with this aspect of the show may be Kagura’s voice, but then again there’s not a lot of teenage girls in anime whose voice I do like. Yomi on the other hand is really well done and so is her boyfriend, Noriyuki.

Enjoyment
Pure, old-fashioned enjoyment in this show comes from battle choreography. The fighting in Ga-Rei Zero looks absolutely spectacular; it’s fast, it’s clever, but also a little… underdeveloped. Most action anime spend a lot of time talking about strategies, specific moves, they discuss their enemies’ strengths and weaknesses, they get new moves, etcetera. Zero doesn’t have all that. Fights never take too long, either, as opposed to in many a shounen title (let me remind you again Zero only runs for 12 episodes). While some may be glad to hear this, it really has its downsides in that you never know what a character is thinking or trying to do. There are no rules. You just wait until one of two sides has been beaten to a bloody pulp, because before that, nothing is certain. If certain characters from this show would play Counter-Strike, they’d be kicked for hacking all the damn time.

So to sum it all up
Ga-Rei Zero suffers of two things. Firstly, it’s made as an advertising prequel to a pretty underwhelming manga series. Why that is a problem will be made painfully obvious to the viewer in episode 12, but I can already you that you shouldn’t expect to get satisfactory closure, as the producers want you to read the manga sequel as well. Second, the show only has time to fully develop two characters, which it does a great job at, but there’s a whole lot more to the Ga-Rei universe than Zero has a chance of presenting to the viewer (I mentioned the 12 episode limit several times before). The creators shouldn’t have had any problem filling up 26 episodes with Kagura and Yomi’s tale and in case they did, it probably would’ve have been one of my favourites of all time.

But hey, tough luck. Even if its drawbacks scare you, Ga-Rei Zero is still one of the best anime all year (2008) and I think despite its heavy focus on human drama, there’s still plenty to like here for viewers with varying tastes. Of course, there’s only one way to find out if the show suits your tastes and that’s just watching it yourself. I hope this wall of text has informed you well, I’m giving Zero a rare 9 out of 10 because I’m sure these 12 episodes of animation will stay with me for far longer than most.

If there's anything you did not like about this review, anything you did like, or anything that just caught your attention for no particular reason, I welcome all feedback on my profile. read more

First of all, I have not read the manga, but I am told that this is a prequel to it. Makes sense, since it is titled Ga-Rei "-Zero-."

Ga-Rei -Zero- is a series with many surprises. The first two episodes misled me into thinking that this was an action-packed anime with little drama or deep themes. But the entire series as a whole was deeply touching, focusing more on the friendship and love between two protagonists, Tsuchimiya Kagura and Isayama Yomi, as they go through thick and thin down a path that eventually splits into two.

I was deeply impressed with the presentation of Ga-Rei -Zero-. The first two episodes are almost unrelated to the entire story, but helps viewers to get a better understanding of the situation. Afterward, Ga-Rei -Zero- focuses on the central plot of the story with little to no episodic plots. There are some comedic parts to lighten the mood here and there.

Characters were skillfully designed and came alive in Ga-Rei -Zero-. Through various interactions, each character, even minor ones, developed and changed throughout the story.

The art and sound were good. Many of the fast-pace battle scenes were very smooth and exciting to watch as the characters and their surroundings changed constantly and smoothly. The many different background music fitted many scenes, whether they were comedic or serious.

Overall, Ga-Rei -Zero- was very impressive, and I suggest those who enjoy well thought out anime should definitely watch it. However, it is a bit melancholic and serious, so for those who enjoy a lighthearted anime, look elsewhere. read more

Most folk were hooked by Ga-Rei: Zero's extreme action first episode, I was bored. Demon hunting, poorly done CG monster of the week, zombie like creatures, guro blood splatter and flying limbs, crazy fan-boy weapons, comedy. yuri girls in school uniforms, and run of the mill music. Meh. Seen it all a zillion times. Watched a few eps, discovered nothing new and engaging and dropped it.

Picked it up again in dub for something to have on in the background while I multi-tasked and was totally unimpressed until somewhere around episode 6 or 7. THEN IT GOT GOOD. Make that Good with a capital G. Character depth, relationships, motivations, it all worked and engaged me and ultimately surprised me with the ending . . . . which is actually the prequel for the manga and yet the anime manages to stand on its own merits. Frankly, I found many of the supporting characters more interesting than the two lead girls but, given the fact that it was only a 12 ep series, there was no time to explore them further. As usual, many of them ended up cannon fodder.

With the exception of the awkward CG monsters (they really put me off), the show has a very good look - nice character designs, and a color palate that hints at foreboding events yet to unfold.

I wish they had given me enough of the sophistication shown in the latter half of the show a little earlier on. I would have enjoyed it in its entirety and not in fits and starts before I got to the tasty surprise inside. For me, the first half was little better than average. The last half an 8+. I'll average it out as a 7 which really isn't a bad score. 7 = Good and ultimately GRZ was indeed good. read more

One of the better animes I've ever seen. Top notch stuff. Everything about this anime was just really well done. I loved the characters, (even if most of them were portrayed differently from the manga). There was action, there was comedy, and there was sorrow. Everything really was put together beautifully.

Story- Very interesting story. I didn't read the manga so even when I started watching it, it wasn't outrageously hard to understand. I actually didn't know this was a prequel till later, so that's a good sign at how easy the story was to follow.What I have to say about it thought was about how misleading the first episode was. Not gonna spoil too much, but there's a hot chick on a motorcycle wearing a tight orange jump suit. Mmmmm sexy.

Art- Art was A+ in my book. I've never been big on the realistic look. I've always enjoyed the slightly cartooney and colorful art style, and Ga-Rei -Zero- had that. The fight scenes were great. They were easy to follow, and featured some really bad ass moves. Definitely the type of shounen somebody might like if they enjoyed giant monsters fighting each other and ridiculous fight scenes pulled off by little girls. Gotta see it to believe it, but once again, A+ grade stuff.

Sound- Sound was good. Loved the voice actors, they worked really well to pull off the characters emotions. Sound track fitted the situations nicely and I liked it alot. I'm never to picky with sound, but Ga-Rei -Zero- was good.

Characters- Awesome character development. I really felt for them in their times of peril, anger, and joy. They each fitted into the story nicely, and all played their parts. They had some love going on in their (which I adored cause pairings are what make animes worth watching when people aren't hacking each others heads off), and some slight yuri if you could call it that.

Enjoyment- Enjoyed this to put it simply. It was fun to watch, I rarely got bored (it had it's slow moments) but they were able to pull through with some gut busting fights. Still nice for those who enjoy the mystery and suspension of wondering what's gonna happen next. It had it's drama, and all in all, it was a really well rounded anime that I think a lot of people could easily enjoy, even if they don't like the whole shounen idea.

Overall- Definitely one of the best animes I've ever seen, like I've said before. It had everything I liked. A little love, drama, action, fanservice. It was awesome. I recommend it for anyone to watch. read more

Ga Rei: Zero’s high octane first episode introduces us to a troupe of interesting characters, filled with spirited action, a dark storyline and… death. Within twenty-two minutes, it offers a plot twist to shock the viewer. As a result, the quick pacing is disorienting, foreshadowing a show in love with combat and slacking on story.

Ga Rei: Zero is anything but that. From episode two, the narrative takes a decidedly steady stride after forcing our heads underwater. Letting us come up for air, its easy to take in the world. Set in an alternate version of Japan, the government is engaged in a secret war with the paranormal enlisting the help of exorcists. Being from a family of exorcists herself, Kagura is pulled into the struggle of ‘good vs. evil’. Now in any other anime this set up would be an excuse for large-scale battles between spirits and their hunters. But Ga Rei: Zero uses it as a frame to focus on the associations of its characters.

Centering on the relationship of the dark-haired Yomi and the younger Kagura, the story seems more slice of life than science fiction, as the two grow to love one another as sisters. At times it appears like the plot is having an identity crisis, focusing on the playful exchanges of the pair before shifting gears into a supernatural skirmish. While jarring at first blush, the writers took effort to weave the two strands together, carefully paving the heroine’s path to a momentous climax.

Midnight hues evoke a gloom that haunts over the cast. Colors are appropriately muted during moments of tension. These scenes feel almost like watercolors at moments, fluorescent lighting casting a thin haze over the crisp drawings. Serving as the perfect stage, these set pieces host seamless animation, though the action can seem a bit stiff at times when slow motion is used. The only major detractor is the obtrusive CGI, a blending of cell shading and realistic textures, which feels out of place. A glaring example is the gargantuan Kasha beast in the first episode. Its flames look plastic and the edges of grey skin are jagged from poor aliasing.


The brisk opening "Paradise Lost" by Minori Chihara has a tinge of pessimism while reflecting on the ties of love. It’s pleasant to the ear while tied to the motifs of the Ga Rei: Zero, which is what every OP should do. The ending theme "Yume no Ashioto ga Kikoeru" by Mizuhara Kaoru is filled with melancholy, sober when compared to the Chihara’s offering. Both pieces are excellent and are accompanied by an appropriate soundtrack that has a similar sound. The voice acting is done well, Kagura’s innocence perfectly captured while Yomi’s expressions are handled expertly from teasing to tender. Nothing really stands out from the supporting cast except for Mitogawa, the villain, whose innocent tone is both vacant and eerie.

Ga Rei: Zero offers the typical shounen tango of heroes and baddies as a young heroine comes to term with the assertive grip of ‘destiny’. Kagura questions if it’s acceptable to kill the possessed corpses who still look human. The protagonist’s vacillation is the girl’s tragic flaw that inevitably leads her to the footsteps of the stunning conclusion. Admirably maturing Kagura through the twelve episodes from vulnerability to independence, Ga Rei: Zero executes an effective coming of age tale.

Yomi acts as a foil to Kagura’s growth. As the story progresses, she becomes less and less grounded in reality. It’s disheartening to watch her mentally unravel, her transformation is perversely beautiful as the once a supportive guide becomes the antagonists.

Sadly, the supporting characters are an expendable commodity in this production. The audience is introduced to a whole platoon of faces, from those in the Minstry of Defense, to those in the Agency. The program has no shame, liberally murdering likable persona throughout the installments.

Taking a simple formula of mixing Ghostbusters, Men In Black, and a bit of high school drama, Ga Rei became a wildly popular manga in Japan. Ga Rei: Zero serves as a prequel to the drawn word, focusing on the relationship of Kagura and her adoptive sister Yomi. Narratives of this nature raise a few questions: Is it accessible to those who are not familiar with franchise? If so, does the program offer anything to those foreign to the series?

The answer to both is an emphatic yes. Ga Rei: Zero serves a powerful story, wrought with impact, memorable characters and excellent production value. Not only does it reinforce the happenings of the main storyline, it seduces you into the dark embrace of Kagura’s world, imploring that you give the manga at least a passing glance. read more

I LOVE this show. LOVE. this show. For the past couple of weeks I have been watching a bunch of anime, looking for one that would be as good as my past favorites, but after watching about four different, and highly rated, anime series, I was left feeling dissapointed and unsatisfied. I felt like I was losing my faith in anime. But then, I stumbled upon this anime while scrolling down the homepage of this site, and two episodes in I was captivated.

I tend to have very high expectations when watching anime, and I am proud to say that Ga-Rei Zero has fulfilled many of them.

The story's interesting. I haven't seen many shows about exorcizing demons so others might feel differently. The plot's nothing new, but I think they succeeded in doing the best they could with what they had.

In my opinion, art is one of the most critical aspect of a good anime. and I'm proud to say that Ga-Rei Zero blew me away. Their style of art is just the way I like it. The characters were attractive and detailed. The special effects were stunning, especially the epic battle sequences. The only irk I had was that the characters have this extra line at the bottle of their lip. I'm just not used to seeing that, but otherwise everything else was perfect.

The sound was excellent, very suiting. The opening and ending songs kick ass, really put you in the mood, if you know what I mean. Also, the songs they played during the show are perfectly timed and really enhanced some sequences.

The character development in Ga-Rei Zero is flawless, especially between the two main characters. Although I would've liked to see more between yomi and another certain man :) hehehe...Anyways, I think one of the strongest points in Ga-Rei Zero is their characters. I did harbor a deep, deep and real hatred for a certain character, but that only shows how good the characterization is.

Needless to say, I really, really enjoyed this series. The ending, although heart wrenching, is fully satisfying. This anime is action packed, dramatic, thrilling, funny at times, and UNPREDICTABLE, and SUSPENSEFUL.

Another strong point is how it leads viewers to assume things. All I have to say is...wait for it. I promise you will be as shocked as I was. Those brilliant and impeccably timed plot twists really did it for me.

This series is merely 12 episodes long and won't be having a second season. But for the first time ever, I'm actually okay with it. The ending was amazing.

Thank you, Ga-Rei Zero, for rekindling my love for anime. This isn't good bye, though, because I will be rewatching you over and over again. read more

I had gone into this anime with very high hopes, because I just love the manga, but my hopes were partly crushed, but I'll get to that later.

Story: The idea of a department specially for paranormal phenomens is special and great. It's absolutely awesomely made and well thought out. Basically that's it for the story. Of course they're mixing problems in to make it more interesting, which goes well with the anime. You probably won't find another anime such as this one.

Art: It was very good. The fights were animated pretty good and you can tell that the fights are meant to look better than the average, but it wasn't always top notch in the "every day life" scenes, but as I said, the fights are always first class in terms of animation.

Sound: energetic, powerful opening and ending, it fits the anime so well in terms of the theme and fights. The backgroundmusic adds the perfect tune to the atmosphere, it doesn't matter whether it is a fight, a more dramatic scene or a happy one. They always fit in, just perfect.
They seiyuus also did very well here. Yomi's seiyuu impressed me most though. Her voice was almost different in serious moments, when you compare them to happy, light ones.

Character: Kagura, Yomi and also everyone who is important for the story had some developement. Though their's is the most significant.
Kagura who was weak at the beginning showed strengh throughout the series, but fell back once again. With her it went back and forth, but in the end her character is well developed and strong enough to take a lead for a mission.

Yomi's character changed most in this anime. Her cheerful and open attitude changed into a dark and sometimes pretty scary one. Also, her change was the most important one here, for the story and also for Kagura's developement.

Enjoyment: You'll probably enjoy this anime. But you'll definitely enjoy it more, when you watch it, before you read the manga, for several reasons like the story. You might think it's been changed completely, but in fact it's the pre-story for the manga, which would be another reason.

Overall: a felicitous anime, which brings good action, decent comedy and a bit of shoujo-ai throughout the series. You'll meet great characters and an amazing plot. I can only recommend it to you. My score would have been higher, if I would have watched it before I read the manga.
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I saw some pics of Ga-Rei Zero tonight and rember what a good anime it is. I heard about it in a forum and my firts thouts were "Oh, well I run out of any good animes with little episodes, why not to watch this one, it is not much of an deal anyway". But then I didn't know that that's not another lazy, boring anime with fights here and there. At start I was a bit confused with the story and the first 1-3 eps but when the main story take place I was shocked. This fascinating, complex and still interesting story revolving around two friends and the human soul which can not overcome some things.
I think the 12 episodes where too little for a story like this.
But this can certainly be forgiven because all the attention may finally be concentrated in Kagura and Yomi. Dynamics around them, comedy, action, the bond between them that would strengthened with each passing episode and then simply merge with nothing and only the memory remains. The whole anime is a good example of what can be done only by one or even innocent-looking, human mistake and how fragile is the relationship between two people.

In the Art all that I didn't like were the "invisable" demons. However the main characters were beatiful and the battles - very well made.

It was a good thing that the OP and ED had comed around 3 ep and didn't show right from the begining the main characters. The music during the battles wasn't bad too.

Overall Ga-Rei Zero is a nice anime, with good sense and insight into human life and emotions, with not that little action and comedy too. Definitely worth watching. read more

My first review so ... here it goes :

Story

The story of Ga-Rei -Zero- is focused around Tsuchimiya Kagura , Isayama Yomi and a little on the Supernatural Disaster Prevention Office where they work as exorcists who " exterminate those who spread the taint of death to the human world " . You get to see during this anime some interesting and good fights, a slice of Kagura and Yomi’s sisters-like life their having with a little touch of shoujo-ai here and there and the conflicts that lead to how the manga’s story started ( from what I heard since I have yet to read Ga-Rei ) .

Animation

The animation is good in my opinion and it’s pleasant to watch. The fights are good and very interestingly animated with weapons you don’t usually get to see, but here are used as exorcist weapons. Everything looks well in place (even if sometimes the quality is not top notch) fit together to make a good show: characters, creatures, background … everything.

Sound

The sound … to be honest I can’t really talk a lot here besides the OP that is totally awesome and the ED is good also, and besides this the sound is well fit together with the scenes so I don’t recall anything sounding annoying. So I’ll just leave the sound to a good after this being said.

Characters

This is a good part of Ga-Rei –Zero- . There are a lot of interesting supporting characters that fill your episodes with joy and excitement (especially in the Supernatural Disaster Prevention Office where most of them are from). The main characters are also interesting and develop well during this anime, you learn a lot about their past and you see them grow emotionally and in terms of fighting power also.

Enjoyment

In terms of enjoyment I can say that I really liked this anime … interesting fights, weapons, creatures, characters and a catchy opening. Didn’t get bored during this anime at all and that’s good.

Overall this is a good anime that packs some good action, enjoyable slice of life with a little touch of shoujo-ai and comedy … and its good for a large variety of viewers and does not disappoint the audience after they finished it.
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Ga-Rei:Zero
"Will you kill someone you love, because of love?" just seeing the tagline used in the anime, Ga-Rei definitely caught my attention, and it REALLY suit the anime. I was like WOW. Just from the tagline you can know what the main conflict will be. Despite that you will still feel eager to watch each episode.

I gave this anime a 10 cause basically, I loved everything about it. From the pilot episode until the ending episode, I had my eyes glued on the screen, sitting at the edge of my chair, anxious about the what will happen in the next episode. I actually watched this in one sitting cause I can't wait as to what will happen next. I even finished watching it at like 2 in the morning even though I have class that day ^^

From my perspective, Ga:Rei's plot is its strongest point. It is something you don't see too often. Amongst few animes I have watched, Ga:Rei does not have any similarities in comparison to their plot.

I really liked how they developed the way the anime starts and end. The pilot episode is something that really caught my interest. For me, the pilot and ending episode are the most important factor of the anime. This is for the reason that the first and last episodes are the episodes that leaves impression to the viewers. And Ga:Rei did not fail in both. Ga:Rei started the episode introducing the main and major conflict in the story (which, did I mention, is REALLY interesting, and did not really introduce the main characters 'till midway) and then flashes back on how the conflict started. The ending episode covers some of the scenes of the pilot episode, and it was an epic ending (though bittersweet). Action scenes are quite good too. I especially liked the scenes where Nori and Yomi are all love-love and L.Q. ^^

The characters are also great. I liked how the characters' personality changed because something inevitable happened. Any way I like their personality. I can't really point out what I liked about them. I just do^^

Story-10
Art-10
Sound-10
Character-9
Enjoyment-10
Overall-10

*I really recommend this anime. You won't regret watching it. At first you might be saying to yourself "oh, another supernatural anime, etc" it does not actually quiet focus on it but focuses more on the bonds the characters have to the people surrounding them. Really nice anime, I even bought a DVD after watching it for free at some anime site ^^ read more

Story:
Storywise, Ga-Rei Zero (Abbreviated to GRZ from now on) does it very well. This was one of the highlights of the show, and definitely was a solid good plot backing it up. It engages the viewer not to drop the show and it was sure to please even the viewers who are not a fan of the genre. I know this since I am definitely not a huge fan of action shows, and I absolutely loved GRZ. The twists and turns of the plot was exceptional, and was entertaining but definitely kept you at the edge of your seat until the very end of the show. However, the ending for me was not very good, but I’ll let you judge that yourself ;)

Rating: 9/10
“Solid and good plot that was very entertaining and would keep viewers from watching. A deep storyline with lots of twists in it. If it wasn’t for the ending, I would have given it a full 10.”



Art/Animation:
Wow. Very exceptional designs. I absolutely adored the character designs. Not to mention the kick-ass animation that the producers did. I have no comments for this one, all I can say is that it is brilliant. Heck, even a Mio (K-On) lookalike is there!

Rating: 10/10
“Nothing else to say but brilliant. Not just the character designs, but the smooth and awesome animations.”



Enjoyment:
I definitely enjoyed GRZ. The characters were loveable, I truly loved all of them! :3 Nabuu FTW! The first 2 episodes definitely were the most memorable for me and was the reason I kept watching. GRZ has a little bit something for everyone, definitely.

Rating: 10/10
“An enjoyable show to watch. Definitely won’t get bored of it, that’s for sure ^^”


Final Rating: 29/30
GRZ is definitely a must watch anime. Trust me, YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT. At first, I hated Ga-Rei Zero before even watching it! You know why? Cause I thought that the name was horrible XD. But little did I know that this show was exceptional and I know that I would have regretted not watching it. That just goes to show that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover (in this case, not to judge an anime by its name XD). Definitely recommended for everyone, even those who aren’t fans of the genre.
“Solid and good plot that was very entertaining and would keep viewers from watching. A deep storyline with lots of twists in it. If it wasn’t for the ending, I would have given it a full 10.”
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Story: Ga-Rei -Zero- is a prequel to its manga counterpart. In the Ga-Rei universe, there are supernatural obstructions such as zombies and monsters. A group known as Ministry of Environment is set out to defeat the obstructions and protect the citizens. The anime mainly focus on the relationship between Kagura and Yomi. Its cool because you really see the development between the two.

Art: The art is great. Its pretty and colorful. The fight scenes are executed nicely and done in a manner that you won't feel a blow to the cranium. The character designs are nice as well. Its plain but in a way that draws your attention.

Sound: The OP is really catchy. Nonetheless, the ED was not as much. The voice actors fit the characters well, if not perfect.

Character: I believe the characters in Ga-Rei -Zero- is the crux of the show. You get a wide variety of characters from the cheerful Nabuu brothers to the cryptic white haired boy. But the HEROINES are the real deal. You fall in love with Yomi and Kagura as I did. They are too likeable.

I really enjoyed the show. It is suspenseful and comical in ways. There were yuri moments that made me smile. If you have seen a dearth of quality action anime, pick this up! Thats all. 9/10.

Oh and don't forget your Pocky!

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ART SECTION: 8/10 [Soldiers with Power Scouters that detect invisible ghosts and chicks with motorcycles kicking ass of a building tall spider freak.]

There are high production values in this one so the optical department does a great job in keeping you watching for more. The level of detail is quite nice and the colors have proper antithesis. Even lighting effects are used properly to hide or focus something important. As for eye-candy, there is a lot of it too. Semi-appearing phantoms? Check! Huge spirit ass-kicking monsters? Check! Japanese schoolgirls fighting and kissing in short skirts? Check! Secret organizations with high-teck gismos, and a hint of Feudal setting as aesthetics? Check again! Very well so far.

There is a high amount of eye candy in the series that exists purely for fan pleasing. There is a gay afro-hairdo exorcist, poke-eating pseudo-lesbians, kawai secretaries and so on. If you like this sort of thing in anime, this one will not disappoint you. I personally dislike this sort of treatment as it undermines anything serious in a series. Yet, this was not one of those series that you are supposed to pay attention to anything else but the action, the comedy and the yandere girls. So, it’s not really that damaging in this sort of series than it would be in a serious story series like, let’s say, Code Geass (Boy, did they went overboard there. I felt like watching an eroge at times and forgot there was a grand-scaled story in the series).

What prevented the section from getting the ol’ 10 is the finer details. Most ghosts and SWAT soldiers are copies of one another. The huge monsters are rather crude-looking while moving. The battles lack choreography and are practically random slashes, bulky monsters and energy beams. Still, even with those messing with your enjoyment, the animation is still very good.

SOUND SECTION: 8/10 [Huge chained hairy dragon, I summon thee!]
Nothing bad here either. Voice acting had no real problems, with everyone talking with proper pinch and tense that fitted the situation they were in. Music themes were catchy but not memorable in any way. Sound effects had strength and did spice the otherwise blunt battles.

STORY SECTION: 4/10 [Lesbians kissing and slaying ghosts; just for our pleasing!]

The story is actually the prequel to the homonymous manga. It is not an adaptation, as the events in it are not present in the manga. In fact, the series was made in order to explain the leading girl’s past that is only hinted in the manga. Thus, the anime series practically aims at the fans of the manga. By itself, the story is a simple demon-hunting duo where one goes to the dark side. It is nothing much by itself, yet the presentation is what makes it appear different.

This is another one of those series where the scriptwriters mix clichés from different genres in order to produce an original result. The results can be positive if the mix is done right. In this case, it didn’t. The general feeling is that of several inconsistent genres than that of a uniform story. For instance, they included school comedy, some ecchi and a lot of yuri innuendos. These elements had nothing to do with the story other than attracting the virgin audience with fan service. They included traditional feudal Japan elements, such as Miko priestesses and youkai along with modern multi-corporations and secret organizations. These elements did not combine at all, other than playing along some sexual male fetishes of pretty girls wearing kimonos and office ladies in short skirts. The contrasts did make the drama/gore in the end to look more shocking because of the contrast of how the story began and ended. Still, it was mostly fan pleasing than logically placed elements of a convincing world.

What saves the story from disaster is the smart flashback method, where the events of the first two episodes are explained by all the rest. That means the first two episodes are chronologically the last, with the rest explaining the events that led there. It is a smart way to warn the readers that the story is not some generic yuri/mahou shojo variant and does make you interested in learning how everything so cheery went to hell in the end.

Still, turns out the notorious change-of-heart of the female lead happened in a very forced way. Because, duh, the main villain was a demi-god that could bent human will; it wasn’t hard for him to do it. He could practically turn evil anyone he wanted; so the lead did not got disappointed or betrayed and turned to evil. She was just brainwashed, along with thousands of others into doing his bidding.

So, the feeling I got from the story was that of a massacre that happened out of the blue, followed by clichéd episodes of schoolgirls doing generic anime stuff and going by forced ways to dementia, just for the sake of adding the damn thing. Where was the big bad hiding all the time? How do those ghosts appear by the hundreds without a warning? Such plot holes easily turn the story to a mismatch of ridiculous genre-jumps and forced events that easily turned my interest down. In all, there isn’t much of a logical story at all. Not even a story you are supposed to add make-belief. It is just fan pleasing.


Anyway, the series is only flavoring the manga, so the story will mean a lot more if you are a fan of the title. If not, then it is nothing much to bother with.

CHARACTER SECTION: 4/10 [The ghost of Kannazuki no Miko returns to torment me yet again!]

There are about 30 characters in the series. How many do you think play a part in the main story? Three! The two leading girls and the big bad. All the rest were just stunts from various genres that simply existed to provide ephemeral comedy or drama to the lot, before jumping to something totally irrelevant to what they offered. Even the leading duo was just two sides of the same coin. Two demon slayers, where one is shy and the other one is out-going. The out-going gets evil and the shy one has to defeat her. How predictable is that? Not to mention the undeveloped side characters and the vague motives of the main villain. Phew, they could easily make a mediocre eroge out of all this. You see the characters mostly as hentai archetypes than members of an elite squad that protects the world from the hordes of the undead. That means, the cast is generic and entirely undeveloped, with development being nothing more than someone getting brainwashed or possessed or shifting to an entire different genre by changing the scene.

Still, being a prequel were almost none of the characters appear in the manga, meant that the scriptwriters had no reason to develop them, if they were to be killed or never heard of again. They were good at colorizing the main lead but then, they were not really individual characters with motives and personal goals. More like NPCs than anything else. This means that even the leading girl is simply colorized so as to be fleshed out in the manga readers’ eyes. As a stand-alone anime, none make a lasting impression. They come, they go, poof, that’s it.

VALUE & ENJOYMENT SECTION: 3/10 [Red Lights district, here we go!]

I am sure the fans of the manga will definitely love the way one of the main characters of the manga got its own series. Still, this strikes as weird if you wonder why the mangaka didn’t just add the events in the manga. As if they didn’t matter or as if the series was made just for fan pleasing. Well, being someone who is not a fan of the manga, the anime meant nothing for me. And even if I were, it would be a mistake to take into consideration how good the story or the characters are in the manga, as those have no real presence in the anime. Thus, I see nothing that the series, as it is, to offer anything else other than superficial, short-termed, easily forgettable fan pleasing through cheap shock effects. Considering the similar stuff you can find out there, this one doesn’t even stand a chance of rewatching it ever again if you are not a manga fanatic.

VERDICT: 5/10
Oh, come on, you are dressed as a geisha and yet I can see you are nothing more than a cheap concubine.

SUGGESTION LIST
Other similar deified garbage: Kannazuki no Miko, Elfen Lied and Mnemosyne.
Do you want to watch a good demon-slaying series? Then watch Monomoke.
Do you want to watch a good yuri series? Then watch Maria-sama ga miteru.
Do you want to watch a good ecchi series? Then watch Green Green.
Do you want to watch a good dementia series? Then watch Serial Experiments Lain.
Do you want to watch a series that combines a lot of genres without becoming bull? Then watch Vision of Escaflowne or Brigadoon Marin to Melan. read more

I wasn't going to watch this, I can't remember why, but then one day I did...for some reason...and I'm so glad I did!

I don't think there really is much story...I mean it's like a generic friend story and one friend goes to the dark side and then the light side has to bite the bullet and defeat the dark side and defeat their friend, ya know, Naruto like crap. Queue a shit load of build up trying to make the relationship between the two characters seem more believable and to try and make their final showdown more epic. Not that this series needs its fights to be anymore epic, though.

The animation is incredible, it drops a little but never greatly or enough to ruin the show. And the art in the manga is VERY bad so it was nice to see how nice looking this was, with fluid fights (something else the manga lacked). Everything just looked plain awesome. Plus it was nice to see such random weapons, Irons and Suitcases for example (both of which were surprisingly badass). Plus Yomi is just plain beautiful, I think I'm in love.

I never really know what to say for sound, yeah the soundtracks great, yeah the voice work is great. Pretty much sums it up.

The characters are quite bland, you have a pervert, a gay pervert, a coward, twins, sisters etc etc nothing really pushes the boundaries but all the characters are likeable or funny or hot or use a technique or weapon that makes them badass. You forget how bland they are when they're kicking ass and taking names.

Somehow, someway I feel that 12 episodes was too many, the way they did the intro and outro had way to much overlap (one episode was basically one of the episodes from the beginning with new bits pushed in the gaps), it could have been broken down into half the episodes, same with the flashback within the flashback that took up most of the series and moved way to slowly, I think their could have been other ways to build up the relationship between Kagura and Yomi and it be enjoyable for us at the same time. This could have easily been 3 - 4 episodes shorter in my book and it woulda made it more enjoyable, you got long, slow boring flashback episodes that didn't really seem to fight juxtaposed with incredible action sequences which did fit. I just wish they wouldn't keep taking their foot off the gas pedal. I feel almost that my time was wasted, there seems to be no plans for a sequel and instead of creating a sorta tied up prequel it was more like an intro into the manga, like a really long advert, I think they coulda done more with the episodes, had their own side story that started at episode one and ended at episode twelve.

Overall there needs to be more anime like this, the action was incredible, the story was nothing new but it was the Ga-Rei quirks which made it more than just a generic shounen. Sacred Beasts, Irons, Suitcases, twists and turns and characters that actually get their asses handed to them or died. Storywise it followed all the generic shounen patterns but it completely turned it on its head and it should be remembered for that.

If Bleach was seinen it'd be kinda like this...

I have to make something clear for someone who didn't understand this review. What I liked about this series wasn't so much the content but what the series....stood for.

It took a rather generic shounen story and turned it on it's head. It was dark and bloody and crazy and shounen is aimed for boys whose balls ain't dropped yet. So for that I take my hat off. Too many shounens limit themselves because of what they're but every now and then a series goes "FUCK YOU JUMP!" and does whatever the hell it wants. So yeah the inner flashback was pretty shit. But sometimes it's not just about the content.

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“Would you kill someone you love, because of love?”

The allure of psychological tragedy is undeniable. From the moment I read taglines, the rational side of my mind calls a bluff. Moral challengers are a rare godsend, but something about morally-challenging, interesting taglines triggers skepticism, like they exist to compensate for said moral challenge to be little more than a brief tangent to the circle called the plot. So, with the above skepticism in hand, Ga Rei –Zero- became my next target, hoping that it would exceed my (admittedly unjustly low) expectations.


What I did not expect was the single most emotional, beautiful pieces of tragedy I have happened across in an anime.


Being a relative novice with the supernatural genre, I approached “Ga Rei –Zero-“ with an open mind, expecting something akin to “Elfen Lied” in its exploration of the concept of love, and indeed, my assessment ultimately proved correct. Not knowing the original Ga Rei continuity, my first impressions of –Zero- were those of apprehension: series driven by squad dynamics rely heavily on interaction rather than depth of character, and given the psychological appeal of this series and the highly personal nature of the series’ driving value, I wondered if I should resign this series to a mere pass-time. It was at that pivotal moment where the real story arrived on the scene in a katana-fuelled frenzy, instilling me with such profound shock that my impressions of the series instantly turned about.

Having been fed the ways of Aristotlean theatre for the better part of a year, my interest was piqued by an apparent subversion of the ways of tragedy. Yet in this exploration of the tragic heroine corrupted by something so noble as love, I found something in this series which invoked the same catharsis one is meant to find. This is, perhaps, the triumph of this production: many a series fails because their main character is impossible to sympathize with, or is so derivative that sympathy becomes impossible. Yet as I held the naive belief that the tragic heroine could be saved, salvaged by the eternal bonds of sisterly love, I realized just how profound an effect the series had on me: just how well the series endeared me to its characters.

As one need not guess at the ending to a prequel, it falls to the director to end the series in a fashion that does the viewer justice, yet engage those who are oblivious to the nature of the bitter end with a sense of apprehension, the “what next” sense one ought to feel. But as the tragically beautiful music swelled to a climax and falls with the hero’s last words, despite the part of my mind suited to analyse form from a cool distance, the part which knew this was inevitable for this tragic heroine fell silent.

And yet, despite the silent beauty of the scene, somehow I felt unsatisfied. In spite of the beauty, the music, the raw emotion, and its undeniably profound effect on me, something about that scene felt inconclusive, something nagging at my mind.

“This can’t be it. There has to be something more.”

Perhaps the downfall of this series is that is a prequel, and, while as a stand-alone text its mastery is evident, its effect cannot be felt segregated from its parent material. While in its own, Ga Rei –Zero- is more than beautiful, easily able to take the highest mantle for tragedy and, perhaps, the mantle for anime in general, my final conclusion is that for the profound catharsis effect demanded of tragedy, one simply cannot approach this like a casual observer.
And hence, the onus is on the audience to do the series justice. While even the most callous of us cannot deny they feel for the plight of the characters, in the end, the series’ ability to make one care for the characters is undeniable. But it’s the difference between greeting a new acquaintance and an old friend. It’s obvious which has the better effect.

Which is not to say Ga Rei –Zero- is worthless alone. Far from it, as an exploration of love, loss and hate, it’s nothing less than brilliant. To pick up this ball and run with it is a definite worthwhile experience, but if you’re serious about playing the game, invest the time and read the manga first.
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After watching the first couple of episodes of Ga-Rei -Zero-, I came an inch away from just dropping it altogether, but since the fall season didn't have much else that interested me I stuck with it. About 4 episodes later I was really glad that I did stick with it. By the end of the season, this actually made my favorites list.

Ga-Rei -Zero- does an excellent job of character development for Yomi and Kagura. In fact, it does such a good job it almost completely ignores most of the other characters, which was the one thing I wish was better.

The artwork in the show is very clean, though dark (which was in line with the story so I have no complaints). The fights were dynamic and very well done, though some of the weapons and fighting were kind of "out there."

The soundtrack was nothing amazing to me, but it did well enough at setting the feeling from what I recall feeling while watching each episode.

Lastly, the story. There isn't a whole lot to say about it, because this is simply a precursor to the main storyline that exists in the manga. That being said, I thought that it was really very well done, giving us a background on the characters that we would need to know and setting up the general premise for the content.

So, in a nutshell, I really, really liked this series. It had some cool action, some great character development, and didn't try to stretch the content. Ga-Rei -Zero- is possibly the best pre-cursor to an existing storyline that I have seen, and one that I would easily recommend to anyone that enjoys this genre of show. read more