Buso Renkin is your typically shonen experience. It's got a main character who is given a power by another and mysteriously keeps powering up and doesn't ever seem to lose any of the battles he is in. This literally sums up Buso Renkin, it's fight after fight, power up after power up, but Kazuki doesn't ever seem to lose. Each episode for the most part does have some pretty humorous comedy in it. Just random outbursts by the characters ect...but it helps keep the action somewhat fresh. It's got some nice romance that develops along the way(I am a sucker for anything love related). One thing that was a let down was the action in this show. I have never been one to enjoy shonen's were it is just power ups and beat downs. There is one really amazing fight, where I can only imagine most of this anime's budget was spent. But the action isn't that good in my opinion.
Despite this the show is still incredibly enjoyable. If I had to attribute why this show is so enjoyable, I would have to say it's the chemistry. Everything comes together so well, and I would have to say this show's main success is the pacing. It lays everything down in front of the viewer in a very logical coherent path. Nothing is ever rushed. Despite Kazuki gaining as many power ups as he does, it never feels overwhelming. It never feels like he is always meant to win, or that he is over powered. It feels like he is just growing. The show allows time for comedy, but it never forces it. It doesn't add comedy in dramatic moments for the effect of comedy, it simple puts comedy in places where it belongs. Even the relationship that starts to develop between Kazuki and Tokiko isn't forced. You really get to see the chemistry between these two characters grow and you get the see the feelings manifest, something of which I did not expect to see in this anime.
The show's characters(Mainly Tokiko) also made me fall in love with this shows. While Kazuki isn't anything new in terms of characters, he certainly isn't bad. He is just a typical shonen good-guy. He wants to do what ever it takes to protect everyone around him, even if it means scarfing himself. However Tokiko is the real star of this show. She starts out, cold, brash, and filled with hatred. But by the end of the series she is, open, shy, and full of love to give. She truly goes through amazing development through the series. Most of it comes from being around Kazuki, and beginning to learn what it is to like to love and want to protect things dear to you. Now what made Tokiko so awesome in my eyes, to be blunt, was the fact that she was a badass. Screaming "I will rip out your guys" killing all the Homunculus in her sight, and to be honest, not to many people can sport a scar as hers and remain that sexy. Her personality and development just made her a truly enjoyable character.
At the end of the day, nothing changes with Buso Renkin though. It is still your predictable, cliche shonen series were the good guy always wins. This series brings nothing new to the table, but at the end of the day it's enjoyable. And that is all that really matters. So if you are looking for a good action anime(That mixes several anime concepts), with some very awesome characters, and a good mix of comedy and romance. Then I suggest you try Buso Renkin.
