No Guns Life

No guns life does three things right that really draw you in. Those three things being.

An interesting world that makes you want to see more of what it is, what it holds, and what other characters roam such a world. As you can see with the description. I'm quite interested to see what other extends there are. As it's quite amazing how different each one is looking and the abilities they have.

The main characters personalities and who they are in general are great too. Who would've thought a guy with a gun for a head would have such an interesting background haha. But I find ... myself rooting for him as the story goes on.

An interesting set of characters that also add to it's interesting story. As I just stated, you'll make yourself wonder what else is in this world. Which adds to the final point, in that the story is rather great in itself. But even with a few episodes watched, it feels like there is still a whole lot to tell. It's really fascinating.

A must watch for this season of anime. If you like mystery, cyberpunk, and action. Then you'll surely love this. I know I do.

Walking down the dark metropolis is a man with a gun head. A man without conviction. A man filled with righteous. A man with unrivaled pride in his work. From the cyberpunk world where cyborgs exists, this man is a private detective and resolves to rid of it of corruption. He is Juzo Inui, a gun head who is here to help the helpless.

Mangaka Tasku Karasuma is not fairly well known to most audiences although some of his work incorporates the usage of futuristic worlds and science fiction. No Guns Life is no exception as we are introduced to a cyberpunk setting. Humans are now ... cyborgs and are called “Extended”. Crime is rampant and on the loose in the city. With such technology, you can just imagine how chaotic society has become. Juzo is an Extended problem solver who relies on his mental and physical skills to deal with other Extended. From the very beginning, the audience should pay full attention to Juzo’s character behavior. Despite being an Extended, he has the personality of a private detective and always seeks to complete his tasks for the right price. With the motto of “wipe your own ass”, Juzo prefers to work alone and isn’t afraid to take big risks. From a personal perspective, Juzo is not just the poster boy of No Guns Life but also a symbol. He is a symbol for people to take their own responsibility for their actions.

Now I won’t deny No Guns Life is somewhat of a niche anime. Even as a paranormal detective show, the anime leans more into sci-fi and action. The story flows with each episode introducing ongoing problems in a city and corruption. We also meet characters who Juzo associates with including Mary Steinberg and Tetsuro Arahbaki. These two collaborates together with Juzo although they also have their own personal goals. (for instance, Mary hopes to reunite with her brother) Nonetheless, Juzo acts as more of an anti-hero throughout the series. Even though he performs heroic deeds, he’s also a mercenary who takes cases for money. For the right price, Juzo does his job regardless how difficult it may be. But on some occasions, he also helps the Extended in need with his own conviction. In essence, he helps the helpless and comes across as a fairly reasonable man. Some associates occasionally assists him in his tasks although the main course of his job is undertaken by the gunhead himself. Speaking of which, how likeable are the other characters? The bottom line is that Juzo overshadows them but they do possesses unique roles in the show. Mary works as a mechanic and is important to his well-being. Tetsuro has an ability to control other Extended’s bodies making an invaluable asset. Even Olivier Vandeberme, a law enforcer, provides freedom for Juzo so he can work without disturbance. The fact is, these characters are important to the core of the show and without them, Juzo would have a harder time to achieve his goals.

But an important question remains. What is your goal for watching No Guns Life? What are you hoping to get out of this science fiction story taking place in this deluded cyberpunk world? It’s ambiguous question because No Guns Life is an unconventional show with its own identity. Sometimes, you have to wonder what the author wanted you to experience. Juzo, the gun head reminds us how the potentials of Extended and their limitations. I mean, isn’t it funny how he can’t actually fire the augmented gun on his head without assistance? In fact, many Extended in the series carries some sort of burden in the aftermath of the great war. A major social issue relating to poverty also exists as some Extended resorts of violence to survive. On the other hand, we have mega corporations such as Behruen, standing as a symbol of power and bureaucracy. It reminds of the old classic 1987 Robocop where futuristic technological inventions are treated differently than others. Crime remains a major issue in the story as Juzo deals with corruption. He finds out the hard way after facing off against rogue cyborg Gondry, the very first Extended. Standing out as a powerful individual but also victimized by the result of the war, Gondry is a poster boy of experimentation. An arc dealing with him is one of the climatic clashes exploring the ethnics of technology. And to be honest, I think it’s one of the highlights in this season. Meanwhile, No Guns Life also gains support for eliciting emotional appeal to the audience. Characters such as Olivier has their own motivations and in one of the later episodes, we find out her purpose in the story. If you made it this far, then I can say it’s safe that you’ll be staying the rest of the way.

Serving as a celebration of Madhouse’s creative works, No Guns Life has distinctive elements in its artwork. The dark and noir-style backgrounds inspire a cyberpunk look for the main setting. Most noticeably, the backgrounds are animated with the Unreal Engine to make them as polished as they can be. By rendering the visuals and fuse them with the character models, it makes both parts stand out sharply. It’s not too often we get to see a game engine being used for an animated series so perhaps this opens doors more to future projects of similar nature. The Extended are also decorative with unique augmentations and modifications to the body, so much that you’ll see them more than regular humans. Characters that stand out the most includes Juzo, Gondry, and perhaps Olivier. Their character expressions sell a variety of human behavior ranging from comical, emotional, and diabolical. And if you’re in for some light comedy, there’s that too. Character interactions sometimes goofs around with their cartoony expressions. Then, there are also light jokes thrown around that pokes fun at technological themes with dry humor. We can’t also ignore how often Juzo needs help to fire his own gun, can we?

No Guns Life is a unique piece of work with its own identity. As someone who has read the manga, it’s easy to get used to even if you’re not familiar with its ideas. The more I watched No Guns Life, the easier it became to understand what the author wanted to show us. Trust me, go watch No Guns Life and experience a hallmark of unorthodox beauty.

I don't really get it why uninnovative cyberdunk dystopian stories always get the flak of it being unimaginative and impromptu of its massive storytelling coupled with world-building, but I'd can say that while No Guns Life is one of the more uninspired stories out there in a sea of mech stories both old and new, it's slow-burn and the entire plot universe around it is what keeps me glued to this show of infinite proportions of its many directions it could head towards, and it's sad that not as many people are as intrigued to the settings and such, and heck, this show still has ... a 2nd cour (or more appropriately the 2nd half) to go!

Always been wondering about the editorial remarks on No Guns Life's cover? It says here: “SF hard boiled the gun smoke drifts muzzle talks” (just like that, without commas). To quote someone who knows the source well, it’s surprisingly accurate: Protagonist "Resolver" Inui Juzou, is a rogue private detective part of the "Gun Slave Unit" assigned to eradicate Extendeds, who's always smoking cigarettes, is smoking hot, smokes with gun smoke, because he is an (Over-Extended) cyborg made of revolvers, his head for a gun (revolver), and being the the spirit of the noire revolver embodied: bitter, badass, with a dark history, seeking to break away from the hands that try to subdue him, actually a weapon. And due in part of Juzou being half-human and half-weapon/tool, he always tries not to force a bad hand in situations that call for it in the best possible way he could, and his motto is to "wipe your own ass" i.e. clear your own shit the way you know how.

And in this post-apocalyptic world, the seemingly formed relationships are barely legal depending on which side of the case it leans on: the "righteous" side of Juzou and his workhorse people, or the retro-futuristic cyberpunk setting, which in turn is also a proper one – with an evil cybernetic corporation, a brutal police force tasked with keeping the modified Extendeds in check, with questions of transhumanism and alienation, along with the punk part – bodies being spliced and spruced up in backdoor-alleyway undercity clinics, body horror and brain hacking. So the world in No Guns Life literally has not both start and end lines, but rather, everything is a process in and of its end onto itself. To sweeten the deal, the anime's background of a war does best to interlink both sides, where due to the war happened before the world ever came into a consensus, humans and mech Extendeds are like owners and tools before all rules and regulation broke down.

In essence, it's the interesting characters that both make or break the series in accordance with the many issues at hand, and here's where Juzou's life gets more exacerbated from Tetsuro Arahabaki, the son of the CEO of the evil Berühren Corporation, who is heavily wanted for experimentation for a device that is heavily implanted within him that could control and take over Extendeds in range to amass their reach beyond areas of influence. Add in Tetsuro's annoying and bratty behaviour, along with company associate-cum-mechanic Mary Steinburg and the EMS agency which regulates Extended and Over-Extended beings like Juzou and keeping them under check that they don't flout the law, all this becomes one massive problem that Juzou just couldn't afford to shrug under the rug.

To commend this show on the storytelling and the over-arching plot, it is pretty much a perfect 100% 1-to-1 adaptation of the manga into the anime, which says a lot about fans not wanting to lose out on anything even remotely minor, and No Guns Life definitely benefitted from series composer Yukie Sugawara taking no liberties and adapting the manga's entirety to good use. And sure, the story will not win any awards with some of its cheeziness, but for pretty much creating hidden crannies and hooks that'll intrigue us to dive even deeper, I'd say that it has done its job well. Not great mind you, but not bad for a valiant effort.

And who to bring that classic 90's stylized feels and visuals other than Madhouse, I truly love it when such works like this call back the old aesthetics that give seasoned studios to stretch on their legs for visuals that have been long gone in time past. The modern world, made old with the entire cyberpunk. scrapyard setting really gives it a feel for some of the older classics that we've come to know and love (i.e. Trigun, made by the same studio). Coupled with the great animation, I'd say that Madhouse has done a good job in replicating the entire world to its core. Factor in the great music with the background music and especially the OST, which was a complete surprise that the entire ED is done in Unreal Engine 4 by Cyclone Graphics to aid that gamer-futuristic look. That's superb and unheard of by any standards, with the cool jazzy OP and ED that made up the experience overall.

This show's truly boring you say, and I'd agree to an extent, but take a deep dive under the rabbit hole and you'll see that No Guns Life truly is a fascinating show with as many of its layers waiting to be delved into a story that is initially hard to pick up but even harder to drop. Can't wait for the 2nd half to drop in Spring 2020, and if you need a binge, do pick this up before the 2nd half commences if your interest hasn't waned yet.

No Guns Life is the anime adaptation for the original Manga by Karasuma Tasuku and brings us a mix of Cyberpunk, Mystery, Crime and a protagonist with a gun for a head. I've heard from a few people they felt the anime was ridiculous because of the superficial look of the main character, but I decided to let this show have an impact on me as I watch it.

The most stellar feature of the show is that the world-building creates a setting that draws you into the story. You wonder what kind of wacky combinations of humanoid robots they can come up with and how ... the narrative and the story elements weave into one another. I can already tell you that the first 5 episodes were definitely not enough to understand what the hell is going on in this world. You encounter a lot of terms which only make sense in the realm of this fictional world like Extenders. Also, you want to learn about the significance of the boy and why everyone is trying to abduct him for themselves.

We have our main protagonist Jûzo that's a capable "Extender", a race of people that looks like they fused with machines. Jûzo has a gun for a head, but so far in the show, it is only cosmetics and he doesn't use it as a weapon. That doesn't make him less of a badass though. He speaks in such a cool demeanour and is also a rather cynical dude. He also does have a rather infantile side where he blushes for seeing something raunchy and behaves overall unfitting to the mood the scenery is trying to build up.

There is a scene later where he gets a "hair cut" and has his eyes covered as enemy forces rush in to interrogate and threaten him. He doesn't lose his cool.

The enemy designs are quite special, for example we have a mechanical spider robot or other kinds of machinations which give our characters a hard time. I really hope for some kind of Orwellian Dystopia to take place in this world mixed with a bit of critique of future technology.

The Visuals are really nice and create an image of a modern city with some kind of scrapyard feel to it. The colours are vibrant but don't penetrate your eyes, generally, there is a lot of silver, grey, brown and metallic in the scenery. This creates a salvageable image of this machine city.

I have to this point seen the first 5 episodes that released and I'm eager to follow this show. A Season 2 is already on the Horizon and I picked up the manga so I can learn more about this intriguing show and its lore.

the most underrated anime this season is this one for sure .
i will start with my personal experience with this show , at first i didn't care about this anime at all , i was just ignoring it but one day i felt that i need to see something different, so i started watching this anime , and boy i was surprised with the quality of the show.
story 8/10 : i liked how the story isn't just about one character but 3 character and every episode we see things from the perspective of one of them and sometime they change the perspective in the same ... episode it also keep you interested with the Mystery and suspense revolving around the characters and the mysterious evil company who chase the main character.
art 8/10 : not the best out there but still unique and goes well with the general theme of the story
sound 7/10 : good but nothing more than that .
characters 8/10: the best thing about the anime was the characters all character are depth and has thier own motivation and the effect of thier background and past are noticable in the way they act and thier personality in general.
overall there is few good anime worth watching this season and this is one of them , so make sure to give this anime a chance.

No Guns Life is a series that I am grateful to have discovered. It's not a show that I normally would watch and had I not been introduced to it by a friend one night, probably never would have seen it.

I'm not normally a person who watches hard broiled detective series or movies, however I am a sucker for a good story and when I go into evaluating any anime/manga/LN I prioritise the story and world building. No Guns Life excels in that department and even if you aren't a person who normally likes this genre, you'll most likely enjoy the show because of the ... world, characters and mystery.

The gist of the story is that humans were genetically modified in order to fight as soldiers in a war, now that the war is over, those "extended" or modified humans are struggling to readjust to society amidst discrimination, mental and physical health issues, etc. The protagonist Juuzo, who is quite literally a smoking gun, is basically a PI who takes on cases from the biggest players in town, until he bites off more than he can chew by taking on a case involving the city's biggest corporation who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets in-house. Juuzo's latest case sets off a chain of events that could lead to the very unravelling of society.

The mystery, character development, action scenes, etc are all well done and given it's madhouse, this really shouldn't come as a surprise. It's a seinen story and it feels seinen. The topics explored, the reoccurring motifs and character interactions feel mature and I appreciate that. The first season left a few things to be desired with pacing towards the end, but overall I was more than satisfied with this series and it will certainly be one of the hidden gems of 2019.

Overall, No Guns Life is certainly worth a watch if you enjoy Cyberpunk, Sci-Fi thrillers, Mysteries, detective dramas, etc.

Underrated would be an understatement. While some of the early reviews for this show may not have been stellar, I can tell you that it picks up as it progresses. The story becomes deeper, darker and more multifaceted and despite what others have said, the show isn't based on some pro or against gun philosophy, it has nothing to do with guns really.

The real moral battle of the show is between humans, war, technology, and what it truly means to be human.

We get a wide cast of interesting characters each with their own backstory, though most are not yet explored in depth, i can tell ... you from the passing this is on track for a second season.

Art and sound are great. The world is a fantastic, if common, future dystonia brought about by a global war and struggling with the deeper integration between man and technology. Music is also great and i love the OP.

Animation is solid and action is well done and thrilling. I can't recall any situations where i saw CGI, which either means there is none or it's very well done.

Overall you should do yourself a favor and pick this show up. The first few episodes might make it seem like it's going to be some episodic crime drama but give it a second and you'll be hooked.

Edit: I was totally right about it being on track for a second season, second season is here and I'm hyped.

No Guns Life is a good anime... that's all.

It's not great, it's not bad, just good. The writing and execution is alright, but there's that sense that it has potential for a lot more, and it's a bit of a shame. Still, I enjoyed watching this the whole way through, and I'm willing to concede this slow start for a strong comeback in the form of season two.

I personally really enjoyed it, even if I know it's only a 7/10 at best. It's hard to describe, but I managed to stay engaged and interested the whole way through. I think people should eventually watch it, ... but I wouldn't go out of my way to tell them it's a priority or that it's the best.

I'm ready for season two. Do me proud!

OVERALL 7/10

I thought this was gunna be some edgy bs, but its actually great! A hard-boiled detective type who plays the straight man, but makes gun puns and is absolutely hilarious without ever acting as if he did anything funny. There are very few times he emotes (and only then in the form of a flustered, chibi-style face), but the acting is so well done, and the animation so excellent, that he never felt like a stiff character. Great female characters, interesting episodes, though the over-arching plot left some to be desired. The last two episodes are my favorite for this season, not because they're plot ... heavy at all, but just a fun, interesting 2 episode plot about robot ghosts. It gets a little silly but has its heartfelt, genuine, tense moments as well.

No Guns life and its universe show great potential to develop in something great and truly meaningful. Potential on its own can't justify show short coming , its is important to keep big picture in mind.


On surface it can be seen and watched as action packed, noir show about Dude with gun on his head, beating up bad guys and being overall awesome and cool. If someone sees this show like that, its fine cause thats what show is about.

However it can also be seen as gruesome depiction of late-state capitalism where everything and everyone is a product. Extension ... don't exist to help people, but are used as schemes to get people dependent on medicine, maintenance and constant improvements. People are tools meant to be exploited for wealth.

It also can be seen as show about Post war soldier. Juzo being born to be nothing more than killing tool for military which created him and see how he struggles to find purpose in civilian life as well as battle against this idea that he just a tool meant to be used.

What makes these themes even more appealing is that , show combines them well with its light hearted moments and action scenes that it doesn't come out as surface level preaching and virtue signaling.

At what layer you decide to watch the show is upto to the viewer, although understanding that there is more to the show when just some action scenes, would let one enjoy the show to another level.

Although there are things which nag me.

1. Characters over all well designed , their appearance is distinctive and fit well into over all art style of the show. However, it might be age thing, turning 22 that surface level fan service rubs me the wrong way. Fact that out of 5 female characters, 2 are ninja nuns who were undersized triangle bra and stocking as their uniform, Olivier having massive and over exposed rack and even Scarlet being given standard large anime breasts. Was bit off putting. If show has to flash half naked women in first 10 minutes of show, it gives you certain expectation about then show.

2.Story in S1 isn't really that good. S1 seemed a lot more of an introduction to the world of No Guns Life, so there where a lot of few episode long arcs which didn't really go another, mainly served as character introduction and world building. However there is second season coming out in 2020, so depending on how good it is , viewing experience of overall show might be a lot different from just first season.

Those 2 nit picks aside show is pretty flawless. Art design and great, action scenes are directed well. Whenever juzo fights , you can feel the raw power and metalic hardness behind his blows.

all of this is support what I'd day pretty amazing osts, Opening has become one of my favorites.
When you get depressed anime fan to watch Opening for majority of episodes, thats job well done in my book.


TL;DR great looking show, with potential of exploring some interesting themes. You can watch it now and wait for S2 or wait until S2 comes out and watch both seasons back to back

No Guns Life explores a near future where humans undergo cybernetic enhancements to become cyborgs called Extended and one of these Extended, Juzo Izui, is a Resolver who is hired to handle cases related to Extended. He finds himself having to protect a boy named Tetsuro Arahabaki who was forced into illegal experimentation where he has a device called "Harmony" stored in his throat that allows him to take over the bodies of other Extended.

As No Guns Life is confirmed to be a split-cour with its second half confirmed to be airing in the Spring 2020 season, I'll just be focusing on what has been ... explored thus far. This first season is mostly used to explore the near-future world of the series and dabble into mysteries concerning Juzo's past and the shady criminal underworld that dominates the city the series is set in, as many of the episodes have their relevance for further fleshing out the world of No Guns Life and dabbling into said mysteries. For the world building piece, No Guns Life does a solid job depicting the underworld that Juzo dabbles into as the city he lives in is rife with criminal syndicates fighting over territory and exploiting Extended technology for personal gain, while a powerful corporation has influence over the city's affairs as such to interfere in any investigations of the city's criminal elements. In addition, a major war that affected the world of the series has many Extended who fought in said world resorting to criminal activity in order to survive and much of the public has a negative perception of Extendeds as a result of said war.

As for the mysteries within the series, No Guns Life features a complicated web of questions concerning the seedy elements of the city and Juzo's origins. The former has several ongoing story elements connected to the corporation that influences the city's affairs within No Guns Life, including the experiments performed on Tetsuro and a pair of mercenaries trying to track down Juzo in the show's second half. The latter half involves Juzo seemingly being connected to events from the war in spite of having no memory of his past during that point. These mysteries remain largely unresolved by season's end (especially as the show's final episode focuses on a case Juzo takes on instead of dabbling more into its mysteries) and mostly serve as a hook to interest fans into seeing the second season of No Guns Life.

Whatever the series has to offer up with its mysteries in its second season will likely determine if I think it's worthwhile as a whole or not, but it has done well with its world building, mysteries, and gritty mood thus far to keep me engaged to it. So more than likely, I'll be revisiting the world of No Guns Life when it resumes its run in April of next year.

TL; DR Review

No Guns Life isn't bad at any means, but neither is it amazing. In fact, it could be a lot better. However, I think that other release of exceptional anime has impacted my view on No Guns Life. For example, I enjoyed Demon Slayer or Fire Force a lot better than No Guns Life. The main problem I see in this anime is that there's not a lot of variety. Some of the episodes are kind of similar and there are really no "haha, gotcha" moments. I do have to say, the opening is a banger and the character design is pretty cool. ... Unfortunately, this anime starts off on an amazing first 3 episodes and just doesn't live up to its expectations.

-Spacecraft555

Use a gun. And if that don't work, use more gun. I've really enjoyed this show. Art style is great, helping truly capture the feel of the environment created within the is world. The story/plot uses this dystopia like world to help create a battleground for many unique clashes between the light and the dark. A somewhat darker story helps drag you deeper into this ruined world. Characters seemly molded by their surroundings, boost this atmosphere. Sounds of No Guns Life do leave something to be desired, but don't be mistaken. This show does achieve the criteria its trying to fill and quite well at ... that.

While watching, I've taken quite a liking to it. It has this eerie charm to it that I haven't really found anywhere else. Plot wise, the show is quite original with world building. Presentation is well-done with execution falling somewhat to the way side. After watching this show, I've come to understand its flaws but it doesn't truly take away from the overall enjoyment that this show can provide.
If you're looking for a artsy, original piece of work then this is for you. Let the presentation around you, draw you in.

the main character has a good story and deep, they show you how the life would me if we are like cyborgs and no cyborgs in a post war. the opening is one of the best anime opening i've ever heard.
you can't stop watch this anime because at the end of every episode there is to much suspense.
if you want to watch a mature anime check it.
the art is pretty good, with very details.
it's a good anime, the second seasson is even better, you would love this anime if you like a good trama and fights. who ever say this anime is not good ... is because they just watch animes ecchis or dramas.

7 - no guns life: This anime seems to be that kind of situation that puts a base player in a big final, you know?

Weaknesses:
A great divergence on how to use and when to use the CGI.

The fights ... it seems that they put a 6 year old guy to do the key animation, but, in some moments everything seems to work and have the movement that the anime deserves.

Exposed (when someone says how something of great importance in history works) of this is incredibly bad, the certain thing is to have a reason why such a person begins to say ... exposed, but no guns life treats it horribly, it simplifies that person who needs to have the reason for giving the exposed doesn’t have it and simply starts talking about the exposed DO NADAAAA

The photographic direction is good in some moments and bad in several other moments making it appear that the extends are a gray painted plastic

Strong points:
Scenario: the anime world is very diverse and only instigating the viewer to want to see more and more.

Soundtrack-8:
The protagonist's theme song is excellent and suits him so much with the world, but in terms of mixing it wasn’t all that stuff

Characters-8:
The protagonist is very charismatic and has a decent basic construction, implying that they will build a lot more character in the second season and their circle of friends is well placed and thus maintaining balance, the cast of anime characters is something that really called me a lot of attention, the character design was really well used and fits well with the characters' characters and some being even cooler or more impactful than the protagonist himself, not to mention that the facial expression leaves something to be desired

Script-6: The premise is good, and it is not easily understood giving a little more realism to the anime and it matches the world a lot but it just gets lost along the way, looking like the end is more of a filler than anything else, really disappointing