The original Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis was perhaps one of the most surprising anime of the last few years in the sense that it was an ultra-rare case of a game adaptation that actually didn't suck. In fact, it was actually a really solid fantasy adventure, albeit perhaps not with the best ending. Virgin Soul can be roughly described as a more extreme version of the same pattern: it's even better than the original for the vast majority of its runtime... but also somehow has an even worse ending.
Virgin Soul takes place approximately 10 years after the events of the original. At this point the
...
human realm is the dominant force in the world, lead under the ruthless King Charioce XVII. He has managed to effectively steal the powers of the gods and used them in order to turn the demon residents in the capital area into slaves. Both Heaven and Hell have rebellious thoughts on their minds due to the oppression they're suffering, but they have a hard time doing much against the overwhelming power which Charioce possesses. It is here we find our new protagonist Nina Drango: a young and energetic bounty hunter who arrives at the capital seeking her fortune. As a tiny little catch, Nina has the ability to transform herself into a dragon, but only spontaneously, involuntarily and uncontrollably.
As the story goes on, many more characters are introduced, including both new ones and returning ones from Genesis. And what I really like about them is that they're not only extremely well characterized, but you get so many different perspectives about the conflict in place in Virgin Soul. It's not just that many of the characters are quite likable on a personal level, but the agendas of Heaven, Hell and the human realm respectively are all very logically depicted. It's a very balanced cast both in terms of differentiating back stories but also in terms of personalities. Nina herself may be extremely naïve and overly optimistic, but that's also part of her charm and her personality is frequently played around with as a means to drive the story forward in certain directions. And on the opposite side of things, I also have to say that Charioce is one of the more interesting villains I've seen in quite some time. There's so much mystery regarding his true intentions and motives that pretty much up until the very last few episodes of the anime, you still don't know for sure if he's really good or evil, or why he's doing any of the things he is. Yet at the same time he's extremely charismatic, and the peculiar Romeo & Juliet-esque relationship he forms with Nina throughout the story is very unorthodox in nature.
The world-building in Virgin Soul is also excellent. It truly feels like a living and breathing fantasy world in its own right, and it helps magnifying the importance of the consequences of any major event that takes place. And there truly are a lot of major events in it, with its large scale storyline and grandiose vocal + instrumental soundtrack. It just feels epic in general, but without being excessively overdramatized. But unfortunately, for some reason the story just can't keep up all the way to the end. I can't really go into detail without spoiling some of the biggest plot points, but basically there are several plot twists towards the end of the anime which quite frankly don't make any sense. They undermine the credibility of large portions of the anime's storyline leading up to that point, and as a result it leaves you with a bad taste in the mouth by the time you actually finish the show. Of course this is only a small part of the anime as a whole, but the ending is pretty important for a story like this, so seeing them slip up at the end like this is a bit frustrating. Especially considering that it's the second time in a row it has happened for the franchise.
That being said, for the most part Virgin Soul is still a very good fantasy adventure anime in my opinion, even more so than its predecessor, and while it certainly left a lot more to be desired in the end, ultimately the level of the journey leading up that point is enough to make up for it. I also firmly believe this is an anime which most people will enjoy regardless of what your usual genre preferences may be. Honestly I generally dislike action anime and typical battle shounen adventures even more so, but I like this anime quite a bit. Virgin Soul just feels more believable than most series of this genre. No one feels unreasonably overpowered in this story, it's not too predictable and other than the disappointing plot twists towards the end, the various motives for its rather diverse character cast are quite logical. Even when it does go into action scenes, every move feels perfectly plausible based on the characters' own writing, and you don't see any forced turnarounds as a result of plot-convenient power-ups or dumb luck. It all feels relatively fair.
Virgin Soul is a solid continuation to an already good anime, making great use of its world-building and characterization to deliver a very enjoyable final product. Yes, the ending kind of sucks (again) but don't let that discredit the quality of the show leading up to that point. Overall it's still one of the better adventure anime in the last few years.
Alternative Titles
Japanese: 神撃のバハムート VIRGIN SOUL
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
24
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Apr 8, 2017 to Sep 30, 2017
Premiered:
Spring 2017
Broadcast:
Saturdays at 01:55 (JST)
Producers:
Cygames
Licensors:
None found, add some
Studios:
MAPPA
Source:
Card game
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#22902
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#1039
Members:
254,256
Favorites:
1,067
Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 33 / 67
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Your Feelings Categories Sep 29, 2017
The original Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis was perhaps one of the most surprising anime of the last few years in the sense that it was an ultra-rare case of a game adaptation that actually didn't suck. In fact, it was actually a really solid fantasy adventure, albeit perhaps not with the best ending. Virgin Soul can be roughly described as a more extreme version of the same pattern: it's even better than the original for the vast majority of its runtime... but also somehow has an even worse ending.
Virgin Soul takes place approximately 10 years after the events of the original. At this point the ... May 6, 2017
Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul aired in spring 2017, Animation by studio MAPPA.
I'll write this review presuming that the reader has watched the prequel. Story: 8 The story of SNB:VS takes place in the same world as its' prequel, but 10 years after the events of Bahamut's ressurection and fall. During those 10 years, Charioce XVII (the new king) has destroyed the demon capital of Cocytus as well as invaded sanctums of the gods. The demons are now enslaved and the Rag Demon (Azazel) is seeking revenge and to free his brethren. We currently follow the dragon/girl Nina as our main character, but have yet to see much ... Sep 30, 2017
My pulse is still a bit high after this experience that was “Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul”. When I heard that a 24-episode sequel to “Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis” was to be released, I was both part overly excited and part anxious. I loved the prequel, it instantly became one of my all-time favourites. So, naturally I was very nervous when I was watching the first episode of “Virgin Soul”, would it be as good as Genesis?
I would have been satisfied with just half as good, but was rewarded with, that yes, it was indeed as good as Genesis. Or maybe even little better ... Sep 29, 2017
As far as sequels go, I think Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul did a decent job. The story focuses on a new character Nina this time around and the old characters such as Favaro and Kaiser, while still important to the story, they play more of a supporting role this season. I thought the story was enjoyable overall although I'm probably being more lenient than most others. The writing in the story does have it's issues, especially in the second half of the season.
The art and the animation were outstanding and I feel as if it was a step up from what the first season ... Oct 2, 2017
Why is everyone hating so much?
I also hated this sequel because I hated Nina and I only cared to see Amira again, but compared to the other anime that were airing at the same time, this was definitely one of the good ones. The characters are original and the art is really nice. The intro was shit compared to the one before, and I hated this anime actually at the start, but the end was so sweet and now I kind of like it. Nina is actually a very nice character and stop rating this anime so low because it was not bad at all. Oct 4, 2017 My second Review is about Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul which continues the tale of the social and moral conflict between humans, gods, and demons, and their struggle for survival and dominance Story: 8/10 In Terms of Story Writing it did a lot of things good like unexpectedly deaths of characters,introduction of the main cast Nina and telling a high quality fantasy story .In the ends it lacks a little bit of quality because you see that they tried to put as much as much as possible in the last few episodes instead of telling a story evenly exciting. Art: 9/10 Just like the prequel, ... Sep 30, 2017
Hours since the end and it is still in my mind.
Cant get myself together! I feel for that series. Dont want to analyse and put in formulas anything. Series left me lifted. From the first episode to the last it was an exiting and heart touching journey that was gaining momentum with each minute. I liked the action and romance weave. Nina is a surprising caracter, who turned out to be a strong and courageous woman. The love intrigue will be one of my all time favorites. I love that the end is not "right". I love that the LOVE justifies everything, that fellins can ... Jun 8, 2017
The show has finished yet, and it's my first time with the series, so I'm just gonna give a quick thought of mine:
The story is pretty generic, humanity fighting Gods and demon and that kind of stuff, featuring a 16 y/o girl who owns some secret power, an alcoholic, a talking animal, a trap and a bunch of smokin hot characters. But it's pretty enjoyable. Storytelling is great, I don't need to see the first season to understand what's going on. I can see the progress is being made, but not character's developments since it's just the beginning of the show. The humor doesn't feel ... Dec 22, 2017
The world has gone crazy, no doubt about that! I came across a Youtube video with Nina and the king. I'm not into romance anime (Toradora and Lovely Compelx are the only romance shows I ever enjoyed, and I liked the romance in Blood+), but this looked promising, the art was gorgeous. So I watched the anime.
To make it short, Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul was GREAT. The storytelling was flawless. It was smart and mature. I was constantly on the edge of my seat. I binge watched it in one day and did not skip a second (which is very rare for me). To ... Mar 5, 2022
I'm gonna say it loud and clear: This is the best anime to watch if you like Wattpad enemies to lovers. Im talking to the Harry Potter fanfic girls, yea you know it!
AND the song!! The Daoko song "Cinderella Step" is a banger!! After i finished the anime it has been on repeat for DAYSSS not kidding! AND THE DANCE SCENES!!! I've been searching other animes that can fill the void of ending this anime but there isn't one. I also started watching Chinese Anime right now cause it looks like they have more of that stuff. So in conclusion: If you like Wattpad enemies to lovers ... Jun 4, 2020
So I was searching for the anime because i happened to see the protagonist "Nina" in some YouTube video and decided to watch it
However I knew that there was a prequel only after i completed watching the second season (Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul) And I have to say : I FREAKING LOVE IT Even the characters that were reintroduced were super clear and understandable And the characters that were complicated held that mysterious aura that kept you wondering and asking yourself question like what's the purpose of doing that and doing this The flashbacks too were awesome ! I know that you are already ... Jan 11, 2018
Warning possible Spoilers
Having watched RoB: Genesis, I was a little sceptical going into RoB: Virgin Soul thinking it might not be able to recreate the feel I had with Genesis, but to my surprise it actually managed to be pretty much on par with Genesis, however just like Genesis, Virgin Soul still has it's own problems. Story (8/10) It has been 10 years since the events of Genesis and the story concentrates on a new heroine called Nina Drango, a bounty hunter who came to Anatae to look for work, however her simple life suddenly gets a lot more hectic. I think the main problem Genesis had with ... Sep 30, 2017
Shingeki no Bahamut, a sequel to Genesis. Oh boy. The hype was real when i heard it was coming out, as i didn't expect a second season. This is my review after watching all the episodes. (Very little spoilers)
Story: 6/10 The story ( Not giving too much away) was very... complicated. Based around Nina, a girl who can transform into a dragon with demons, angels and humans thrown into the mix. Sounds lovely right? The first half of the season was paced quite nicely, so why do i ... Dec 26, 2017
(DISCLAIMER) First of all: I have not yet watched the first season. This might seem strange, but it's easily explained by me watching amvs about this anime, copy- and pasting the name and not checking for previous seasons.
(THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE) So, I enjoyed this anime a lot more than I probably should have. The strory is very similar to other anime, some social issues get touched upon- plus points for having good and evil/ not likeable characters on every side. About the story there isn't much to say, but I must say that for me it seemed to make sense, the way that things ... Aug 31, 2018
I wanted to love this so much. The art is incredible and the animation has a unique style that I find very compelling. The show starts with humour and romance and then develops quickly into epic fantasy.
The only problem was the main character - Nina. During the light-hearted beginning of the anime she is a likeable, happy-go-lucky protagonist akin to the typical hotheaded shounen protagonist. However as the anime quickly develops towards more dark and political themes she becomes incredibly out of place. She remains nothing more than a child throughout the show, seemingly unable to take anything seriously even when the lives of ... Nov 8, 2017
Virgin Soul, the sequel to Genesis is a near masterpiece. Coming in at a 9 out of 10 this is worth watching. Time and time again, episodes push the boundaries of what you expect of the show until you come to the end and realize what a great journey it all was. This show's attention to detail and grandiose ambitions move it to near masterpiece as the story is a beautiful one. Time and time again epic scenes play out in their full glory in ways other studios would have folded and compromised under the immensity of a 24 episode project
...
Jan 6, 2020
I think this was a great anime show in so many ways.
Epic fantasy story with humour and great characters, including female characters who have both physical power and willpower as well! Every episode was great. Loved the main character Nina, her haircut was also so cute! Then we have Azazel who has this tragic story and he is just so hot and also a great person, and such a badass. He just checks all the marks. And when something tragic happens in this show, it doesn't feel like they put it just to have a tragic plot. It feels natural and not fake. Every death ... Jun 2, 2019 I have just finished to watch Rage of Bahamut Genesis and Virgin Soul. I did enjoy the both. I even enjoyed more Virgin Soul where you have more complex characters and relations. Sorry if I made mistakes but English is not my mother tongue. It’s funny how Japanese love to mix different clothes styles and period time like middle age, 19th century and minimalist clothes for the women. The crown looks a bit strange. Seen numerous opinions disapproving that 2d season, I might upset some people. Despite the big number of negative cirtics, the rate remains honorable. A lot of people did enjoy but do not ... Sep 30, 2017
I really liked this when it started airing. It was my most looked forward to show weekly. So I'm sad to say that I can't bring myself to give it any higher than a 7, because towards the last few episodes it just wasn't as satisfying to watch anymore.
Art and animation: it's really pretty, and the animation is quite impressive at times. You'll get grand explosions or nice scenery and good facial expressions. My enjoyment for it alone made me think it'd be a 8 from the start based on that alone, but it sort of faltered towards the end and therefore it's a 7 now. ... |


