Bastard!! Ankoku no Hakaishin (ONA)

Bloody.
Power.
Fame.

Bastard with two exclamation points is an anime adaptation based on the 1980's Shonen manga of the same name. And as the title may imply, a very offensive one at that. No, this series is not for the faint of heart or the prudish. Bastard glorifies violence and sexuality in their purest forms and is unapologetic to the core. Currently, at the time of this review, the series rating on mal is sitting at a six. This is not a testament to its quality. And the only reason I believe the score is the way it is, is because we live in a generation of ... sticklers and sticks in the mud. That's just my personal opinion though. Bastard comes from a time when men weren't afraid to be men, and like manly things like heavy metal and obscene cleavage. If that offends you exit now!

The story follows the womanizing, vulgar anti-hero Dark Schneider and his quest to 'save"(?) (that's still really unclear) the kingdom of Metallicana from a series of invaders, a team of which he was once a part of.

The story is really simple and mostly follows a villain of the week plot structure. It isn't complex or deep, but it isn't meant to be. It is supposed to be fun. For what it is, it is definitely that. The action is high intensity and the battles are a spectacle. Though you won't find yourself reflecting on some profound message, the series is competent in what it sets out to do. And honestly that's all anyone could ask for. For me personally, the series is about showcasing an arrogant badass, cool characters and designs as well as a totally awesome setting. Essentially it is popcorn entertainment and never portrays itself to be more than that. And when it comes to being that, it does its job excellently.

The animation in this series is top notch. Some of the best I've seen in recent memory. Now I'm not as big into anime as I used to be, but I've kept my eyes on the lineup of shows. Things like Demon Slayer on a technical level are pretty impressive. The animation for shows like that are objectively good, but I also believe their style is a little soft and they don't have any real charm to them. Here in Bastard nothing is lacking, the character designs are those classic 80's rock and roll depictions and they have such flare and style, you'll be in utter awe at how cool everything looks. Not only do the characters look badass, but they're also hell of entertaining.

The music is on point. If you like heavy metal or rock there's plenty of that here. Now that I mention it, the sound quality overall is fantastic. The voice acting is incredible and the effects for the spells and incantations really makes the series just a little bit more satisfying to watch. Incredible really.

I haven't watched an anime like this in ages. It has its flaws to be sure, but by modern standards it's a masterpiece. I have to promote this show, maybe even a little more than it deserves because we deserve more anime like this. Bastard is an amazing ride, a classic in its purest form. It deserves your attention and it is totally metal!

Personally, I love this!
It is definitely my cup of tea and a breath of fresh air when it comes to adapting a manga into an anime. The title says it all, "Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy". It's a sign that it's either gonna be something that won't be for everyone's taste, or it will be something that some people will more than likely enjoy.
In my opinion, this anime definitely lives up to the title and I enjoyed every single episode from beginning to end. Dark Schneider is an excellent character and the other characters are what you might expect in an anime taking place in a ... medieval dark fantasy world where magic exists.
The fanservice didn't bother me that much and most of the "ecchi" moments are mostly in the end credits and a few are played for laughs. I've been excited for this anime ever since it was announced, and... I got exactly what I came for.
I love the story, the art style, the action scenes, the characters, and that kickass OP. If you're expecting a dark fantasy compared to the likes of Berserk and Attack on Titan... you might not take anything about this anime seriously.
But if you want a highly enjoyable dark fantasy anime with an edgelord protagonist and a story with heavy metal vibes, this anime is for you!
I loved this!

If you are fan of the manga, or the OVA from the ‘90s, you might already know what this anime is all about. If you don’t, welcome to the world of “Bastard!!”! It is a dark fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world chocked full of mythical creatures, psychedelic battles, power fantasy, and ECCHI; imagine Berserk meets InuYasha meets D&D, but horny.

WHAT I LIKE: I am a big fan of the Kaifuku Jutsushi no Yarinaoshi manga, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that I like the perverted nature of this anime. FAN SERVICE IS LIFE!
This, and Kaifuku, are borderline hentai; and I love that (please ... don’t cancel me).
The first season is a pretty faithful adaptation given that it was written by the famous Yōsuke Kuroda (who wrote/co-wrote for series like Goblin Slayer, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Hellsing Ultimate, Drifters, etc), but if you have read the manga by Kazushi Hagiwara in the ‘80s, you know that things are way more apeshit in there.
On a different note, the bad boy attitude of the MC does somehow appealed to me; I personally hate timid, indecisive MCs. They are kinda frustrating, and at times, annoying (here’s looking at you, Subaru of Re:Zero)

WHAT I DISLIKE: There are some goofy cinematography in there that might take you out of the immersion for a bit. For instance, there was a shot-reverse shot between the MC’s reaction and a villain lunging towards him while yelling his name. I don’t know if that was made for comedic purpose, or there was a budget cut in the middle of the production. 😂
Other than that, I was a tad bit disappointed because the anime tried to tone down on the horniness of the original material; you should just go all the way, brother!


MY REVIEW ON IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfds1FJlGYw/