Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Feb 23, 2010

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Moonfrost (All reviews)

341 people found this review helpful

Regret always comes last. People realize that they are doing wrong deeds when everything is over. They may try to go after a new life and start again but the fact that they messed up before will haunt them forever.

Story: 9/10
Prepare yourselves as you will be taken into a world full of violence, betrayal, deceit, and madness. You will be in the edge of your seats as every episode is an action packed episode. Everyone has the ability to kill or will kill when they think that their survival is being threatened. The protagonist chose a path that will change his life drastically. Not like read more

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May 13, 2014

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

Emptycoffeemug (All reviews)

265 people found this review helpful

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is a prime example of a show that is too overrated by fans, who easily overlook some gaping plot holes, and downgraded into oblivion by haters, who cannot see anything but those plot holes. I think this show sits somewhere in between: it is a fine show to watch, nothing exeptionally great, but not bad either. If you're trying to decide on watching this, let this be your decision after 1/2 episodes: do you like the character relationship of Ein and Zwei? Go on. If you do not, don't bother with the show. I will try to provide my arguments read more

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Oct 25, 2015

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 4

SanaeK10 (All reviews)

184 people found this review helpful

Phantom is simply a mess. It's a mesh of fine ideas that ultimately is not executed well and ends up with a lot of wasted potential. Let's dive down deeper to see how Phantom ended up.

This review contains minor spoilers after the "Read More" mark.

Phantom consists of 3 main arcs, each separated by a recap episode, and each focusing on 3 different characters, Ein, Zwei and Drei, although with Zwei being an important character throughout. The story starts of with an interesting premise of an amnesiac man being manipulated by a shady organization.

However this thread is very quickly resolved when he learns of his identity 3 episodes in. And Zwei, oh Zwei isn't known for making rational or even normal decisions. I mean, how else did he get himself stuck in this situation am I right? Several times in the series I really question his true motivations or even reasons for carrying out certain actions, not because of some mysterious plot thread or engaging character behavior, but because of shoddy character writing.

The other main characters aren't any better in this regard. Ein is your standard emotionless girl who finds emotion through main protagonist stereotype and is absolutely dependent on someone else, be it Zwei or Evil Doctor person to live. Her character development is cliche as all hell, and ultimately she isn't much likable as a result.

Drei on the other hand is more entertaining. She is a lot more enjoyable than the other 2 characters when it comes to her scenes, although her character motivations are just terrible. I won't go much into her reasons for being in the plot, but it feels so shoved in and terribly written that I couldn't garner any sympathy for her plight.

The other side characters are pretty forgettable. The main antagonist is an evil doctor whose name I forgot and is always one step ahead of the protagonists but has nothing substantial about him. He's evil and depraved and that pretty much sums up his entire character. Near the end he becomes a lot more theatrical and a lot more entertaining but that still doesn't redeem any of the previous moments involving his character.

There's also the issue of the overall plot. The plot is competent enough, but the characters and the pacing drag it down significantly. The pacing in particular ratchets up so quickly near each arc's end that the audience would be left confused and tired by it's conclusion. The third arc manages it all best, where Zwei and Ein are more likable/less dumb and Drei always makes for interesting encounters.

The series has very bad problems managing its themes/messages. One of the main themes the series attempts to showcase is that a name isn't everything and one should live to be oneself. This theme is delivered in the first arc when Zwei told Ein to ditch her old name and live anew, saying that she shouldn't be retrained by a name. Ironically afterwards he starts calling her Eren and expects her to abide by and live by that arbitrary name he gave her. Ein even calls him out on this but the show just ignores this and thinks it has written something profound or meaningful or something. It's ridiculous.

There's also the ending which is just terrible. It differs from the original visual novel by purposely altering it slightly to make it a bad ending but doing so completely defeats the purpose of the protagonists' journey and is also inconsistent with the previous parts of the anime where they could eat up bullets without needing too much medical attention. It's just bad.

There's a lot more I could go on about but I should just stop here. Phantom isn't worth your time.

4/10

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Apr 27, 2013

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Patches1980s (All reviews)

166 people found this review helpful

I can imagine many people bashing their heads against the wall trying to write a review for this anime without revealing spoilers; so I'm going to do this as best as possible...

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom. One thing for sure is that this is one masterfully written and awesomely portrayed bit of story telling. In the twenty six episodes you'll find that you keep saying to yourself: "just one more episode", since it is almost impossible to watch just one episode at a time. (I gave the story a solid 10/10).

The art and sound department did a superb job (the opening theme "Karma" in read more

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Aug 19, 2012

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 1

StopDropAndBowl (All reviews)

116 people found this review helpful

This show is a classic case of: Good Idea, Bad Execution

It starts off simply enough with an intriguing (if all-too-common) storyline and interesting, shadowy characters. The first few episodes are pretty strong, focusing mainly on the development of the main protagonist and his interactions with his new employers and colleagues. I was eager to find out what would happen next, and in my eagerness, I ignored all the signs of what would come.

Very quickly the story takes a very cliched turn, and the characters become little more than billboards of irrationality. The motivations of the protagonists, antagonists, and pretty much everyone in the show, suddenly become contradictory to their earlier actions, thoughts, and reactions. The plot develops, rather quickly, from a biting psychological-thriller, into a predictable and unrealistic drama.

Not to spoil anything, but the hardened and brutal criminals of the first few episodes suddenly become weak and ineffectual, the anonymous, silent killers suddenly become flashy and all-too-eager to shout their names and identities from the rooftops. And of course, the calculating villains seem utterly incapable of understanding even the simplest of human motivations. It becomes all too easy to predict what will happen by simply having watched a multitude of bad television and feature films. If it's a cliche, it's probably used. If it makes little sense considering the setting, it probably occurs. Some people may think I'm being too harsh here, but the unrealized potential of the story makes the decisions of the writers and directors all the more questionable.

As the story begins to reach it's climax, one is forced to question the relevance of some major characters and earlier plot-developments. Little attention is payed to developing the rationale behind the decisions that the characters make; villain and "hero" (there are no real heroes here) alike simply act so that the plot can be advanced. Unfortunately, the plot advances in the least interesting and most predictable ways, and is itself full of holes. For example, a time-skip of two years leaves us with some people who look like they've not grown either physically or emotionally, and other characters who don't even closely resemble their earlier selves.

The result of the bad decisions made by the writing and directing teams is that some viewers lose interest in the outcome of the story, or the fate of the characters. Indeed, it is difficult in some ways to find the energy to care about the development of the plot and characters, when 90% of the time, your first guess is the right one. Actions are taken that seem to have no inner meaning or relevance to the actual story. Motivations which seemed ludicrous are revealed to be just that: ludicrous. Any hints that this may all be the design of some mastermind are left forgotten and we come to find out that the villains and "heroes" are all just that dumb.

To be honest, I find it difficult to rate this series as anything above mediocre. The art and music are all perfectly fine, though one particular theme is overplayed. The story is intriguing, if one is not looking for complexity or depth, and is not expecting something "new" or very creative. The characters are often interesting on the surface, but upon closer inspection, they become one-dimensional and sometimes, very contradictory. The drama is contrived and the plot-holes begin to weigh down any emotional value the events may be trying to convey. The ending was, in my opinion, fitting for such a series: cliche and not very well-executed. What started off great was, sadly, doomed to failure.

Overall, I give it a 5/10. In some ways this is too harsh, but in others it is far too lenient. Stories that don't take risks are usually boring and not enjoyable, but stories that take risks have to deliver. In my humble opinion, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom took plenty of risks, but almost none of them payed off in the end. The higher one flies, the harder one falls.

In closing, I will put a quote from my brother about the show that I think summarizes it perfectly:

"It was like someone wanted to make a hard, biting, psychological show about assassins, but wanted to make it for an audience of fifteen year old girls."

((((After Edit: Upon further reflection, I have decided that this is perhaps the worst anime ever made, and have appropriately given it a 1 score. I have left the original review intact however.))))

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Jun 27, 2009

12 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Nemosyne (All reviews)

98 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

Personally the idea of a secret organization hidden in the underground has always sent a small chill down the spine. One of thrill and a small yearn of wanting to join in on the fun. Grunge, guns, passion, hate, emptiness, lust, power, suits, death, and fancy cars; these are some of things that is offered in this forbidden and hidden world. At first glance it looks like a life worth trying out, but the void that can be created within one’s mind can become the very undoing of their life. Zwei is one of the most detailed characters I have experienced thus far that exhibits this trait.
What happens when you take a person, someone of a certain "innocence", chase them down, try to kill them and then brain wash them into doing the bidding of this underground world, with the reward of just their life? I for one have never experienced anything like that from the external or an internal source of the material world, so my input on a realistic level is incorrect. Although, one thing that I can speculate on is the psychological formula of one's thought process and emotional response, thus understanding the turn that could occur and stir inside the heart of this character.
This one minute characteristic of the show was the selling point that instant. Being a sucker for cute boys is a weakness of mine, but the devoid Zwei captivated the "poor lost soul" gap within me. The artist nature of his hollow eyes, blank expression, and puppet like movements coincide with the response that would be fitting for the overall effect in the story. The choice of when to have Zwei react in an emotional ran state or “phantom” state was right on the mark. There has never been a point in time that the “internal drama” lingered for too long, another winning aspect of Phantom.
The amount of conflict, emotional response and actions taken all fit together perfectly with no leftovers. The feelings of dissatisfaction, confusion, bewilderment, or boredom have not occurred yet while watching this animation. Waiting for the main climax to take shape tickles with excitement as the story unfolds and the characters become enveloped in the mix. Seeing all of this from a non living organism makes me want to experience it even more, maybe not personally, but from a third person perspective. To see this type of behavior develop in a real person would be something that someone faint of heart would not be able to accomplish; the absolute demise of a once innocent and “living” person. Do you want to see what happens when someone lives so close to death?

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Mar 20, 2015

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 6

SSparK (All reviews)

97 people found this review helpful

My thirst for gun action animes had grown after watching Hellsing Ultimate and Black Lagoon, and somehow, this particular anime showed up in my recommendations quite frequently. So I gave it a try.

PLOT
It started off with a Japanese young man where he founds himself in a room. Having completely no idea about his reasons for being there and his identity, he tried to explore where he was. It was only then he was "attacked" by a girl named Ein. It was then shown that he was experimented in an abandoned outlet in the States to test his abilities and skills. Next, he realized that his memories were lost and he was ultimately forced to work for a large mafia company known as Inferno. He was also given a new name called Zwei. Throughout his jobs, psychological thoughts were tested, manipulated and toyed. I liked how it deals with the mind, about how life feels being abandoned and trapped but you're still urging for an escape. That was how the plot goes. Slowly as the plot progressed, we could see Inferno's goals, the aristocrats' battle for power in the group, the struggle for freedom and of course, betrayal. Ein and Zwei also got closer in their relationship to fight for an escape but was hesitated by doubt and premonitions. I really liked how they played with your mind honestly speaking. But that was how it all started. There were risky but nicely planned plot twists albeit some parts were blurry in terms of where the plot wanted to go. It started off slow, but managed to pick up. The first part was a bumpy ride of despair and hope basically speaking. The second part was the separating point between Ein and Zwei. After Zwei acknowledged his true identity, a tragic incident transpired that caused him to switch paths which ultimately he met a young girl by a chance encounter. A new hope was revived and a new progress was revealed. Although there were more depth relating to power, escape and evil, the psychology was dealt greatly. But after another turning point of a tragic misunderstanding, everything that continued right after that was underwhelming. The third part of the plot became unclear due to a huge gap of time. The psychological aspects were suddenly forgotten, and everything was solely for the sake of a longer, useless plot that felt silly. It's an anime that progressed simply when something hopeful comes up, it's ultimately thrown away by another stupid tragedy only to be compensated by another flicker of hope that's fated to be destroyed once more. The reason for that? I'm guessing it's for masochism. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind multiple tragedies to prolong the story, but when you run out of fresh ideas, it's better not to add another twist that doesn't seem like a fine deal, I don't buy it. With the plot getting unsteady towards the end, the authors perhaps decided to add some more bitter icing to their distasteful cake that not only made it taste worse, but it became inedible. The aforementioned ending obliterated the plot's whole progression, the characters' motives and basically makes you feel horrible. Not only that, it served up as an obviously huge plot hole. I won't tell what but you could probably tell how bad it was coming from me. It was messed up so bad that ultimately, it only tells you this: Nothing in this show, including goals and dignity and essence, actually matters. There's no reason why you need to accomplish something. Which is why the plot was, as I said, wrecked terribly.

ANIMATION
This anime was made in 2009, but it wouldn't mean that I'll give it some leniency for this. I do have reasons. First off, this anime had considerable amounts of fanservice, even at the second minute of the first episode you already get two "you know what" right in your face. However, nudity was, thankfully, not exaggeratedly conspicuous, but still, I can't seem to find reasons for these occurrences, which means that they were unnecessary. The character designs were pretty much bland and lackluster and not consistent all of the time but the backgrounds of the show were brilliant. Action scenes were great though. However, it was awkward seeing different contrasts that didn't compliment each other which felt somewhat incomplete. On the other hand, this anime had two opening and ending animations. As for the first opening and ending, I'll admit it was pretty damn good. It portrayed the mood of the songs perfectly and it was one of the few animes that seem really artistic. Truly, very well done. But, as for the second opening and ending, it burned my eyes. The second opening looked as if it came from a regular slice-of-life show which absolutely couldn't click with the pessimistic song that was playing along with it. The second ending was very lacking in animation compared to the first one and wasn't much to see. In conclusion, the animation is noticeably inconsistent and occasionally lackadaisical.

MUSIC
The soundtrack was actually really good in my opinion. Every track that played in a particular scenario fitted well. Some were good while others were actually really great. I did notice that there were two or more tracks that were remixed in terms of genre to fit the mood of a scene which I have to admit it was pretty ingenious. Repetitiveness may be an issue but the tracks still complimented every scene, and that's more important. The singular genres were diverse ranging from chant, violin, progressive rock, folk, orchestral and even music box while the fusion ones were pretty unique like techno chant, ambient folk with contemporary piano concerto and happy trance mixed with music box and drum 'n' bass. I'm loving the fusion ones more than the singular ones actually, but there's still room for the soundtrack to reach a top-tier level. As for the two opening and ending themes, they were all fantastic. Ali Project and Kokia done a beautiful job in conveying the anime's theme with neoclassical genres to give it an authentic feel to it. The soundtrack's great, but it's such a shame that the animation couldn't keep up with some of the intense or chaotic tracks.

CHARACTERS
The characters were probably the anime's strongest point, but it was also its greatest downfall. The development for the main characters were great and thorough as the plot progressed slowly -- showing the bonding between them as they attempt to escape from the relentless struggle of acquiring freedom. Psychological standpoints from the characters (normally the mains) were dealt in a way that seemed realistic enough to be almost ingenious when it comes to decision making. But secondary characters were a bit lacking and unclear in character development. There were glimpses of their past, probably it gave them the drive of persistence, but it was still insufficient enough to determine their motives, which sometimes made their decisions seemed unappeasable towards me despite the actual plot had a major impact on it. But I felt that some characters were probably, no offense, dumb in making decisions. Most of the time during the last five episodes I was saying: "Why the heck do you do that?!" or "How in the world could you even have that sort of mentality?!" Basically, the characters' decisions and motives were disappointingly shallow which gave off to cliche, silly and predictable drama. But at least the anime gave us an advice: Always check your building even if it's blown up.

PROGRESSION
It started off slow, but managed to pick up its pace just fine in which the show was narrated in an initially unclear form to a clear and transparent understanding of every party striving for their own goal. My only problem with the progression was the third part, and it's always that! It felt tedious and long-winded because it's predictable and not suspenseful. Because of that, the final battle of the show was rushed and didn't seemed to give off a sense of finality that it felt somewhat illogical for it to be rushed due to the plot holes. Even when the main villain was defeated, it didn't feel decisive at all, as if something was lacking. Some major plot holes were obvious enough to be seen with the naked eye that it felt unsatisfactory when it ended, because it wasn't complete. No, it didn't even receive closure. It stopped right before the closure and credits just rolled and that was it. The finale was never shown because something bad was added that was never explained -- which created the biggest plot hole ever.

CONCLUSION
I had been criticising lots of points of Phantom: Requiem of the Phantom, mainly it was because of the third part of the plot that messed up its original brilliance, which I felt biased already. It was initially enjoyable, I'll admit that. I really enjoyed the music as well. But what creates satisfaction is not how it started, but how it ended. It's the show's ending that's more important than its beginning. And since there isn't a sequel, the plot holes will forever remain in your interpretation. Phantom: Requiem of the Phantom started off strongly and interestingly, but gradually loses its grounds and topples.

And deliberating over the ten traits of the anime: plot, characters, music, animation, artwork, progression, voice acting, setting, opening/ending and my personal enjoyment, my verdict for this is a 6.3/10.

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Oct 28, 2010

13 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 5

Nipsirc (All reviews)

75 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

Reading through the reviews on here I'm left wondering if i downloaded the wrong show, i went into this show with high levels of optimism, low popularity, but highly rated, definitely a potential gem.

I liked 'Similar shows' such as Gungrave and Black Lagoon, and this show is not on the same level as those shows.

The premise is solid, and potentially very interesting, people being emotionally scrubbed and programmed as assassins, and the relationships that develop under these circumstances, almost certainly going to be dark and tragic, should be great.

The art and sound are both solid, i liked the character models, they were well realised and read more

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Nov 18, 2012

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Araconan (All reviews)

69 people found this review helpful

What's our reason for existence? We all have one, but often, those reasons were given to us before we were even born. Most of us have the luxury of being surrounded by friends, family, siblings, etc. But what happens when we're completely stripped of all of those, and are thrown out to find a new existence on our own?

Story - 9:

The core plot of Requiem for the Phantom centers around one's pursuit of one's reason to exist. To find one's place in the world. And as the viewer quickly discovers, successfully accomplishing this is quite an ambitious task. This is due to the fact read more

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Aug 23, 2009

20 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

vouyou (All reviews)

58 people found this review helpful

Preliminary

In my opinion, Phantom Requiem will may be figure in the top10 anime of the year 2009.
Phantom Requiem is firstly an anime where you need to be attentive, in fact, mafia members in that anime often discuss about plans,strategies which are quite difficult to understand.However, the most fascinating side of that anime resides in the relationship between Reiji/zwei and Elen/Ein.I would say that the main theme of this anime is FREEDOM.

Phantom Requiem is an anime for those who mostly love drama since the story of Elen and Reiji is very touching.Therefore, if you are searching for impressive scenes of actions and suspense, I suggest that read more

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Oct 4, 2014

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Sorrowful (All reviews)

58 people found this review helpful

This anime is disgustingly underrated. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is an adaption of the visual novel, Phantom of the Inferno by Gen Urobuchi. The show contains much of Gen’s dark and twisted depiction of reality. Characters are subjected to cruel fates, true despair, and most importantly the anime shows that "hope" is merely an elusive and fleeting illusion in our (in)humane world. The main focus of the anime is the idea of the perfect assassin. It is about crafting the mindset an assassin needs; how assassins are mere inhumane tools for psychopathic people. Requiem for the Phantom crafts a palpable sense of despair and anguish in people.

In our world, there are a plethora of gangs, mafias, and terrorist organizations. At the center of the story, the mysterious uprising organization, Inferno assassinates targets mercilessly with their invincible secret weapon, "Phantom". Inferno's goal? Bring forth a new era. What does that even mean?

The main character, Reiji Azuma (though it's never revealed if that's even his true name) wakes up in an unknown building in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no memory of anything, and out of nowhere gets attacked by an assassin. That's when his killer survival instinct kicks in, and he flashes potential as a legendary assassin. The mysterious assassin who's later revealed as "Ein", a emotionless teenage girl, and her mad scientist master, "Master Scythe", decide to brainwash and train Reiji into an assassin for their organization, Inferno. Given the name "Zwei," this once peaceful boy is now a puppet of Inferno. Drawn into a world of darkness, lies, deceit, and violence, Zwei must fight to survive, hopefully to one day regain his memories and escape from this world where he is constantly on the brink of death. As the plot thickens and darkens, Zwei and Ein seem to build a bond of love/friendship as they yearn for the truth of reality.

The character development in this anime started with unlimited potential, but later it became rather barren. At first, the shadows behind Inferno were interesting to look out for. What is their motif for murder? What's this "new era" that they envision? Then our main characters, Zwei and Ein... They are 2 of the greatest, ambiguous characters in all anime. What's their identity? Nobody remembers who they are, so do they truly exist? If they are killing others in order to survive, doesn't that make them evil? Throughout the entire anime, the dilemma presented here for Zwei and Ein, was intriguing and deep. They have absolutely no attachments to anything in the world but their own lives. If they do not comply with Inferno’s orders, they will be killed. If they fail at their duty, they will be killed. Their own survival instincts prevent them even from attempting suicide. So, it truly becomes a struggle for maintaining one’s humanity in the face of impossible odds. Unfortunately, not all characters got the development they should of gotten, and some VERY stupid "character" things happened. Lizzie (Reiji's boss) and Claudia, two members of Inferno, show up quite frequently in the anime, playing a role in Reiji's decisions on how to live. But, the anime never shows us their motif, what they personally want, and how they became who they are. In fact, Lizzie was completely dropped after a few episodes, she just disappears... Scythe Master shows up at the beginning of the anime as the main psychopathic antagonist of the anime. He is behind the creation of phantoms, and plotting of the ruthless murders other people. But, why is he doing this? We don't know. That is the biggest flaw. The main antagonist should have a back story and a motif, but nope; completely random. Another flaw that I really was upset about was the coming of age for Cal Devins, the 3rd main character in the anime. Cal was a little girl (looks like 8) that tried to hire Zwei thinking he was a killer for justice, by using money she had unknowingly stolen from Inferno. When Inferno tried to kill Cal, Zwei hid and protected her (humanistic side), but through tragic events, they were separated. Then there was a 3 year time-skip and suddenly Cal, who was a little innocent girl turned into a super smoking hot 18-year old chick that is the new Phantom of Inferno, after Zwei and Ein run away from the organization to live in peace and find their real identity. Furthermore, Cal got no background development, such a disappointment. Really in general, until the last about third of the anime, the main characters really didn't get much development at all, they could have done MUCH better.

The soundtrack in the anime was mediocre, BUT it fit the anime perfectly. All the soundtracks were sinister, and mysterious fitting in perfectly with the overall dark mood of the anime. Unfortunately for the lack of a variety of soundtracks, the anime seems to repeat the same soundtracks over and over... and over again, so it gets kind of repetitive and it loses it's suspense. I think in one episode, Canzone of Death (best soundtrack in anime) was repeated 4 times in a span of 15 minutes; that's how you ware out a song. Anyways, the opening and endings for Requiem for the Phantom were certainly unique and once again, fit in perfectly with the mood of the anime. The opening, Karma is such a neat piece of opening. The lyrics described the start and repetition of life, the aimless wanderings in search for the truth, bringing forth inner peace, and finally reaching the end. The art is same as any other dark anime really... Nothing special, but nothing bad about the art. I will mention that I liked the portayal of the precise, keen movements and senses of the Phantoms.

So, is Requiem for the Phantom worth watching? Look at the score; YES! Requiem for the Phantom stays true to itself until the very end the end. It does not opt out for any easy answers, or simplify the darkness of reality, and it manages to maintain a sense of class. The ending is truly of the saddest, most well-planned ending of all time. The ending was ambiguous, yet still had sense of finality to the work as a whole. I enjoyed it, I cried throughout, I felt a pinches of pain, and I learned a life lesson. Requiem for the Phantom is a meaningful anime, and certainly an anime that I'd recommend to anyone that can withstand watching an anime with no comedy relief, just pure darkness.

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Sep 10, 2013

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

vinvis (All reviews)

53 people found this review helpful

At the time of writing, I've just finished this. At first I was in doubt if I should watch this or not, because of a rather vague description.

I completed this series in two days, the fastest I've ever finished an anime! For anyone deciding whether or not to watch this, that should tell you everything you need to know.

Here's the good versus the bad in my opinion:

Good:

- Doesn't lay all the cards on the table right away. Starts off mysteriously.
- Some of the best sound effects for guns I've ever heard in an anime.
- Dynamic, meaningful characters. Especially the main characters show good read more

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Aug 16, 2013

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Zumorito (All reviews)

52 people found this review helpful

'' I can not escape from those darkened black eyes''

Phantom: Requiem of the Phantom.
If you have been captured alive and pushed to the brink of death, and as reward for survival would be your life, what would you do? If the serious question was made if you were worthy to live or should just die, what would you do?In most situations panic would break out within a normal human being. But there are some that release a kind of instinct;the power to survive.

Phantom: Requiem of the Phantom is one of a kind; a series that takes their own story trough a fly staircase of read more

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Sep 25, 2013

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

ggultra2764 (All reviews)

47 people found this review helpful

Phantom explores a scenario of teenage Zwei brainwashed, wiped of his memories and forced into becoming an assassin for the crime syndicate known as Inferno. The series starts off exploring the "what if" scenario of a teen being conditioned into an emotionless tool with the harsh training that he is subjected to by another brainwashed teen assassin named Ein. As the series progresses and Zwei becomes immersed in the criminal underworld of Inferno, he finds himself dealing with deception, rival crime syndicates, morality and coming to learn of his lost past. There is a good amount of focus on Zwei's character in his situation as he finds himself increasingly coming into conflict with his morality and the situation he is forced into due to Inferno's influence. Ein also gets her focus as the influence of Zwei leads her to have doubts over the loyalty programmed into her by her "creator", Scythe Master, and the bond between the two becomes a major focus in later episodes as both come to rely on one another in the dark world they were forced into and it is these developments that are the major strength of the series.

Another solid element was during the middle of the show's run when Zwei befriends and raises an orphaned girl named Cal in a scenario similar to the 1994 crime thriller film, The Professional. Some shocking events that develop during the later points of this arc lead to a surprising plot twist that develops into the final episodes of the series that further complicate Zwei and Ein's situation with Inferno. The ending that results in the end of the series is bittersweet, but fitting considering the dark path that the two leads were seemingly forced on tragically.

Outside of Zwei, Ein and Cal though, depth and development on other characters in Phantom are a bit of a mixed bag. Claudia and Lizzie are given some background with their characters that reveal the former's motives for her involvement in Inferno, but not enough was explored with them for me to care for their characters. Several gangs focused on at certain points in the series with some prominent figures of them get solid focus on their personalities and motives, one of which has an influential role that can be seen throughout Phantom's second half. Others like Scythe Master, Wisemal and Phantom's leader Raymond McGuire don't get much in the way of development or depth with Wisemal and McGuire existing only to explore Inferno's power structure and Scythe Master being the cliched grandeur and corrupted scientist.

Another weakness of the series for me was that there are occasions where Phantom can get a bit overbearing in showing off the dark elements of its storytelling. The series likes to be quite blatant at points in depicting the thoughts of its characters as they are reflected in spoken monologues and blatant onscreen symbols of the characters such as Scythe Master taking nude pictures of Ein while she is surrounded and embraced by mannequins to show how she is nothing but a thing to him. Also while the soundtrack to the series is pleasing on the ears with its dramatic and tense pieces, some choices of insert musical tracks are occasional mood killers during the title's dramatic scenes with their overbearing melodies.

Visually, Phantom is artistically pleasing with vast and highly detailed scenic shots of various landscapes like cities and deserts, with similar efforts also being applied to the designs of characters. Action scenes are clearly the highlight of Phantom's visual presentation with many instances of fluid movement and great choreography displayed during battles with knives, firearms and hand-to-hand. Vehicles within the series are animated in CG which move as fluidly as characters in battle scenes, yet isn't smoothly integrated with the regular animation.

While having some issues, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is still a solid action-drama worth looking into that delves into the developments faced by Zwei and Ein as they come to grips with the moral implications of their deeds and defy the criminal syndicate that forced them onto their dark and tragic struggles.

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Sep 29, 2009

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

SamFury (All reviews)

41 people found this review helpful

We Are Ghosts, Meant for the Shadows

The Phantom returns. What you didn't know that there was a Phantom series before this? Phantom the Animation moved in and out from the anime conscious like a ghost. Phantom: Requiem for a Phantom [Phantom] is supposed to be a remake for that tragic three part OVA, as well as extending the story. It greatly improves upon the original, but does it succeed on its own?

Phantom welcomes you to the underworld, where gang families trade dollar bills and bullets, the players run the game and the game plays with their lives. Inferno, an upstart organization, backed by mysterious Mr.Mcguire, has only one objective: to unite the underworld. It's an interesting premise but not the focus of Phantom. It's sniper scope focuses on two character's Ein and Zwei, the brainwashed assassins of Scythe Master, a scientist for Inferno.

The story is interesting at first, as Zwei try to come to terms with his existence and amnesia. He struggles with the idea of killing a person against surviving himself, afraid of losing his true nature in a bloodbath. It's hard for him accept the assassin credo: Kill or be killed. Ein is a desolate voice, a melancholic mentor to Zwei in the shadowy world. She has a resigned view of the world, death being the only thing defining her life.

The plot is compelling , the character interaction fascinating on many levels, from the understated to romance between the leads to the slave/master relationship between Ein and her creator Scythe. It is up until the halfway point that its when the tight seams start to loosen and the edges begin to fray. The action is pushed forward with jarring plot twists and a piles of grating melodrama. Around Episode sixteen, I was concerned that the show hadn't ended after Episode 10. But I am glad I continued, as the ending was deeply satisfying, giving closure to the characters I had fallen in love with in the first half of the series.

Production

There are two halves to the art in Phantom, as excellence soon becomes underwhelming. The dark and muted palette is abandoned for brighter colors. The excellent cinematography, which contained dynamic cuts, camera angles, and used liberal shot framing from compelling viewpoints to push the unearthly atmosphere, is regrettably simplified in the second half. The character models were well made, each actor being unique, designed interestingly, and their clothes personifying their identities. That's how models should be, a reflection of the person's soul.

The music was hit or miss. The first opening was perfect, dark and brooding, the vocals strong and filled with yearning. The second one was upbeat, almost frantic in it's execution. The best piece was the second ending theme, "Transparent", a haunting tune that sent chills down the spine. The voice acting was sharp, though many of the seiyuu performances are strained in the second half, as the script aims to be overly dramatic.

Watchability and Enjoyment

As I said before, the show is split into two halves. The first 10 episodes are engaging and will keep you hooked. From there, the show's quality decides to drive off a cliff. Its surprising to see how noticeable it is, the craftsmanship is compromised after the time lapse. But I kept watching, consumed with the desire to know how it all ended. I fell in love with Ein and Zwei and the nuggets of their interaction threaded throughout the other half pulled me along. Sticking with it, rewarded me with a great ending that returned to the style of the first few episodes, the use of atmosphere and interaction to create an emotional effect.

Closing Thoughts

Phantom is a mixed bag. It has a good start, but the trail becomes rough. At times I felt the series was too long, and would have been better off had it run a shorter schedule like Jyu-oh-sei or Shingetsutan Tsukihime, both of which paced out beautiful stories in a small amount of time. Overall, I can recommend it because of a strong beginning and finale.

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Apr 2, 2017

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

Cinefil_original (All reviews)

30 people found this review helpful

My Opinion:
This show presents the darkness of reality, a violent world filled with betrayal, madness, deceit and sacrifices. It shows coruption at its finest and the mafia way of living and dying.
It is the story of a man who’s very essence and existence is changed through brute force. It presents the protagonist’s path that leads to the man he will become as well as his struggle to find the man he once was.

Story: 7/10
The premise of Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is truly original, with well done plot details and carefully thought actions, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, craving for more read more

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Feb 21, 2015

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Pyrowombat (All reviews)

32 people found this review helpful

It's a fairly common trend in just about most action mediums, whether it be anime or not, to focus more on the action than the story. Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is part of that minority which focuses more on the story, and I have to say that it does a really good job of doing so without taking away from what makes an action medium well... an action medium.

Story: 8/10

The story follows the twisted and tragic life of Zwei, a teenage boy who has no recollection of his past, and is forced to become an assassin under the guidance of Ein, also known as read more

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Oct 31, 2015

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 6

ChucriBZ (All reviews)

29 people found this review helpful

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
Deception is what describes this anime for me, i was so hooked since the first ep. and on ep. 13 or 14 i was thinking this was an 8 and before ep. 11 a 9 but in every ep. after 14 i felt that the quality of not only the story but everything was dropping and i ended feeling frustration because of the direction this was taking, also it reminded me of Noir and what i found out was that Bee Train was behind both animes, that's why Ein is really similar to Kirika, just like the lack of bullet holes, big organizations behind things and ''winning'', and both endings are similar; I saw people were pointing out that the ending was changed from the VN game and that it had different endings, so why Bee Train likes tragic endings? and this should be labeled as supernatural too.

Story
I don't know how to make a review for this story without spoiling but i will do my best. A story about puppets, betrayal, and nonsense, a lot of nonsensical crap; At first it begins really strong, i was hooked even from the first 5 min, it was developing well with a serious tone and a very good story, everything alright until ep. 10 where things that couldn't make sense happens, plot holes happens, it was stupid that one person took a bullet to save someone that should obviously die and then reappear later as an ''enemy'' but turns out that this person is there to be with this other person because of the promise and that was really stupid, it would have been like that since the beginning if ''it'' didn't put in front of the bullet to save the bad dude, it makes no sense, and at the same time the story was a mess or was dropped, and it was more focused on destroying the good character development to what they were before, i don't understand why Zwei promised to advenge a random woman he didn't know and why would he bring flowers to the crime scene, he didn't knew her; And then in ep. 17 to 19 there was a scene that didn't match, please pay attention to those eps. the ending on 17 and the other side point of view of the same event in ep. 19 (like if it was an alternate happening, but is not, because it wouldn't make sense) this was one of the things that frustrated me the most and ep. 20 just killed the story, how come a girl almost 11 or 12 in two years becomes a biker model with big magumbos and bubble butt? it's ridiculous, that was really stupid, i wanted to drop this right there and i never drop an anime but i was glad it had 5 eps. left; It felt like Zwei was dumb, he could try to fully explain the things, but he never tried to talk to Drei, it doesn't hurt to try you know; Ep. 26 wasn't that bad, good action, the ending was bad tho and not because it wasn't happy because i have seen more tragic animes with dark, hopeless ending but because it was bad, the story was a mess filled with gap holes without explanation, plot holes and more to consider it good ending. The story was fine till ep. 17. I can go on on pointing out the plot holes, gap holes, things that didn't make sense, the bad decisions made etc. but that would take too long.

Art & Animation
The best asset from the anime, the animation, it was very good for the year it was released but it could be better, sometimes it wasn't smooth, i don't have complaints about the animation other than the lack of bullet holes on the enemies and only appeared on important enemies and that takes away my enjoyment, not seeing more ''realistic'' deaths was bothering, just like with Noir.

Sound
It was good, sometimes repetitive and not fitting and some other sounds were absurd, like the sex moaning track and others, the first OP is great, the second one is awful, really bad, just why? and both EDs were very good with interesting videoclips. VA was good.

Character
The characters were doing great until everything went backwards in the 2nd arc, Zwei was growing to be my fav. on this anime but he was going downhill for what i stated, and i didn't care what happened to him from there on, i was disappointed how well the characters developed after the events despite the plot holes of ep. 10, i'm not going to go deep on the characters because i feel too disappointed to do it, the thing is that at the end the characters were fine.

Enjoyment
I was having a big time at the beginning but i was getting bored and pissed with the story decision, the bad directing, the all kind of holes, the disappointment with this anime is big, i don't know but from a 9 to a 6.5 from me shows how at the beginning to half the eps. i was enjoying it to how disappointed i was at the end.

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May 18, 2010

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Dekkar (All reviews)

25 people found this review helpful

This is my first review, doing my best to avoid spoilers. Hope this helps someone decide if they want to watch the series :)

Story
The highlight of the story was the relationships that develop between the main cast, mainly the relationships that occur from both the female leads towards the male lead, I found this to be very interesting as they were both complex yet quite different relationships.
Unfortunately, likely due to the strength of the main relationships, the interactions regarding the remaining characters were simply underwhelming.
The story was quite dark and confronting at times, touching on strong themes such as struggling with personal identity and read more

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Aug 4, 2014

26 of 26 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Link_of_Hyrule (All reviews)

24 people found this review helpful

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**

Every now and then, while watching an anime, you take a step back and realize how much of an effect that the work is truly having on you. I’m sure that anyone reading this review is familiar with the feeling: You couldn’t be more engrossed the story, you couldn’t be more emotionally attached to the characters, and you couldn’t look away from the screen even if you wanted to. Adrenaline courses through your veins at every subtle movement as you shift even further to the edge of your seat, demanding to know what happens next. Your heart sinks and rises in complete dissonance as you are praying for your desired result, desperately hoping that nothing will go wrong for your beloved characters. These are the experiences that I live for. These sensations are the reason I am a fan of the medium in the first place. For me, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom will always be one of the first anime I think of when I reminisce on my very fondest anime-watching memories because it provided that experience for me. Everything from its interesting and unique plot, to its magnificent characters, to its near flawless use of sound and music, to its realistic art style create a finished product that that is more than worthy of praise. Simply put, I LOVE this anime. Here’s why:

Synopsis: A mysterious crime syndicate known as “Inferno” has developed a monopoly on the black market through the use of their near-invincible human weapon referred to as only “The Phantom." One day, a Japanese tourist accidentally witnesses The Phantom committing a murder, prompting it to hunt him down and eliminate him. Desperate to escape, the tourist hides in a secluded building. However, Phantom is instructed by the leader of Inferno, "Scythe Master", to capture the tourist and turn him into yet another human weapon for Inferno to utilize. Completely brainwashed and given the name "Zwei” (2 in German), the man is now a puppet of Inferno with no memories of his past what so ever.

I think the reason that RftP is such a great anime is because it can be enjoyed on so many different levels; it is completely saturated with well-written and well-executed themes. Want to take the story at face value, as a tale of a man trying to escape the clutches of an evil organization? You may. Maybe you want to take it is as a story about identity and what individuality truly is? Go ahead. Even still, you might want to consider the story to be an exploration into the ability to escape your own past and if past sins can ever truly be forgiven. That works too. Is it an action show? A Drama? A Romance? A Thriller? Eventually, I stopped trying to figure out which one of these themes/genres the show truly was focusing on and I realized that this is a story about all of those things. Unlike the vast majority of other media, this isn’t a story that focuses on a single, overarching message. Much like our real lives, the problems that the characters face are multifaceted and complex. We see them experience many different conflicted emotions and having to learn many different lessons at the same time; this is what makes the anime so effective and so believable. It captures a realistic sense of emotional turmoil, including the concepts of identity crisis and self-loathing, amazingly well.

The downside to this is that such a large number of themes can sometimes alienate viewers and give the illusion that the show doesn’t know what it is trying to be, even though it does. For example, juxtaposition is a device that is frequently used in the anime for a variety of purposes, particularly during the 2nd half (the 1st OP vs. the 2nd OP is a good example of this). Some people notice these strange, sudden shifts from the norm and dismiss them as problems with tone, bad writing, or even plotholes. If you ask me, the exact opposite is true; this show is very cleverly written. That being said, I don’t mean to imply that RftP is perfect, because it certainly isn’t. For example, the beginning of the 2nd half makes some strange writing decisions and slows its pacing down far too much, creating a bit of a disconnect. Additionally, some of the action scenes are directed in an overly theatrical way and not-so-realistic manner that occasionally conflicts with the otherwise serious atmosphere of the show. In fact, the show’s taste in drama is overall a bit too melodramatic for me. There are several tiny flaws such as these throughout the plot, but when it comes down too it, the pros drastically outweigh the cons. The story has the uncanny ability to get the viewer very emotionally invested in its progression and its characters. As a side note, this is one of the saddest, yet most beautiful shows you will ever watch; it absolutely slayed me by the end. Fantastic plot.

While the plot is likely what will tune you in to RftP, the reason you will stay until the end will be for the characters. RftP has one of the best and most fleshed out casts in anime history if you ask me. This show should be used as a guidebook for character development: we see the characters go through not just one major change over the course of the show, but two or three. They couldn’t possibly have better conveyed the inner conflict and emotional suffering of the main characters if they tried. I got very, VERY emotionally invested in many of these characters simply because they are so relatable and genuinely human. Zwei serves as a fantastic protagonist because of how his emotions ebb and flow just like a real person; I can't talk a whole lot about what I love about his character without spoilers, but I must stress that I love every single thing about him. “The Phantom” is a bit personality-less in the beginning of the anime (understandably), but she is far from some cliché, emotionless doll stereotype. In fact, her internal struggle between remaining loyal to her master and defying her master along with her identity crisis is arguably the driving force of the show. Her complex dynamic with Zwei is one of the best character relationships I’ve ever seen in my life. The viewer is able to so systematically feel and/or understand whatever these two are feeling, and that is the pinnacle of successful character writing. There are tons of interesting side characters as well, but due to the dynamic nature of the plot, I won’t risk discussing them due to spoilers. Let’s just say that they are utilized to absolute perfection in order to not only receive stories and development of their own, but to bring out different sides in our two main characters. I could gush for hours about how effective and well written I believe this cast truly is, but I think you get the point by now.

Top off this stellar writing with the best sound effects I’ve ever heard in an anime, a realistic/stylized art style that serves the narrative, and a beautiful OP that juxtaposes with the, well, *cough, “different” 2nd OP, and you have described one of my all time favorite anime. If Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is not a masterpiece, it’s damn close to it. To anyone who hasn’t seen this show yet: clear your schedule. The anime not perfect, sure, but it kept me in suspense for its entire duration and wrapped itself up with a beautiful ending that is more than worthy of the series it’s attached too. Needless to say, I highly, HIGHLY recommend it.

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