Ginga Densetsu Weed

Edit: After I re-watched this series, I have decided to re-review Ginga Densetsu Weed. I realize that I wasn't in the best of moods while writing my previous entry and now I'll write this review with a more... Level head.

Ginga Densetsu Weed is the sequel to Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. Both share a few of the same characters and the like. Ginga Densetsu Weed, however, is much newer (having been made in 2005 while Ginga Nagreboshi Gin being made in 1986). However, being relatively new does not automatically make it great, but GDW might be worth looking into since there is an extreme lack in dog ... anime out there (that aren't cute anyway).

Yes, Ginga Densetsu Weed has comedy scenes, but this is no Massugu ni Ikou (A rather overly-cute dog anime). GDW is an action anime, with cannibal dogs, assassinations, and even Ninja dogs. Humans play almost no role in the anime.

The main character is Weed, an Akita / Kishu mixed dog that is the son of Gin (the main character in Ginga Nagareboshi Gin) and Sakura. Weed has an extreme sense of justice and is also a good fighter despite being less than a year old. He is perhaps the most annoying main character you'll ever find.

The voice acting was good to an extent. But voice actors were changed and some character even shared the same voice so it was clear that Studio DEEN wasn't trying very hard.

Probably the lowest point of Ginga Densetsu Weed is the animation quality. Studio DEEN had on and off days with this. For instance, the last episode had great animation, but there were scenes in other parts of the series that makes eyes bleed. Sometimes the animators would animate every limb separately to make a nice flowing animation; other times the most animation in a scene was moving the character designs up and down. Studio DEEN should learn proper canine anatomy before making an anime that involves dogs as main characters.
The background scenery was pretty though.

And speaking of character designs, Studio DEEN made some weird changes. They changed Gin's eye color from brown to blue (probably to match Weed) and made both Gin and Weed a pretty good shade of blue; almost to the point of being unnatural. Ben's collar seems to have changed color and other little tidbits are there.

The anime and manga differences are to be expected. The manga (running 50+ volumes currently) is longer and therefore is definitely different from the anime. The anime, being a measly 26 episodes, ends with only two arcs completed [Kaibutsu and Fight for Gajou arcs]. Some characters were never introduced in the anime and other times some scenes were changed from their original format.

The anime ending was also completely different.

Maybe the GDW anime is trying to be more positive than its manga counterpart. Considering that Gajou blows up, Sniper tries to get revenge on Gin, George is there, etc, etc, happened in the manga and not in the anime... Studio DEEN is still being hypocritical about characters and sub-plots by killing off some characters when they didn't die in the manga and adding characters that weren't even in the original story.

The Ginga Densetsu Weed anime overall was a let down.

This version just can't live up to the manga: It doesn't follow the original storyline at all, characters are left out that are vital to the story, Weed is whiner than usual, everyone was made into hypnotized robots in the anime and mutually accepted Weed as leader, they made the old dogs weak to make the younger dogs look cooler, and there are so many plot holes it's not even funny.


Ginga Densetsu Weed anime in a nutshell:

~ Pros:
+ OP and EN themes songs are great
+ Can be enjoyable to watch at some points

~ Cons:
- Inconstant animation
- Change from old voice actors/lazy hiring
- Too short compared to the manga
- Weed
- PLOTHOLES

End Note: Many people, despite there being obvious flaws in the anime, still enjoy watching this series (I admit that I did during my first run-through since I read the manga afterwords) so you really shouldn't skip out on GDW. It's just that... The manga's better. And Studio DEEN sucks at drawing dogs.

This anime was probably one of the best 26 episode series I have ever seen. The story line, characters, they were all made carefully and actually had me crying during things like deaths, and betrayals. If you are looking for a new anime to watch this would defiantly be the anime to watch.
The art was good but I think the way they moved their mouths and some of the actions done could have been a bit better. But that shouldn't affect the overall Storyline and the overall of this action packed anime. Throughout the whole series it had me starring at the computer screen, ... I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
So if you enjoy action, a bit of blood, a deep storyline, as well as even just dogs. This is an anime you should watch.

My god I remember watching this back in 2007. This was seriously the most fun I've had watching a 26 episode anime.

The story is really interesting, it has two parts to it. The first part is about some lab experiment gone wrong in Japan that results in a half dog half lion creature that kills a bunch of the lab dogs, but befriends a german shepared who apperes later in the show. Its pretty weird and has nothing to do with the actual main story, except introduce the german shepard character and his strange past.

The second part is more about the akia ... dog Weed, and how he finds out that he's the son of the legendary bear killing dog, Gin. Weed goes on a journey to find his dad and on the way meets many other dogs before becoming their leader. Weed and co. encounter two evil great dane brothers who are trying to find Weed and kill the remaining family of Gin.

This anime has a lot of emotion for having dogs as the main characters. But its still great to watch, and if you are a dog lover like I am, you will love to see all the different kinds of dogs. What I think these series represent is the courage to fight for whats right, no matter the species. Weed goes through a lot of struggles in the show and becomes a better dog because of it, he grows from a scared little puppy to a fierce leader, like his father.

I haven't seen the original Gin series, But I'm sure I would like it because the concept is so ingaging. Never thought I would enjoy an anime about dogs more then most about people.

Take care everyone.

Okay, this has got to be the greatest sequel i have ever seen. And it's prequel, is in my top 3s right along with this one. I actually started with this one when watching the series, but as soon as i realized there was a series before this one, (Ginga Nagareboshi Gin) i stopped at episode 2 and watched the whole first series, then i continued this one after about at most, a week after finishing the first one. I was totally impressed with the difference in art, and sound, (then again these were made 20 years apart, and it did bother me that they ... changed the look of tthe dogs from the Ginga Nagareboshi Gin, which had a change in color, and slight change in patterns on some of the dogs) but it didn't stop me from watching it at all, i was once again sucked into the story and I enjoyed it just as much as, if not more than the first part. It has just as much action and adventure as the first one, and slightly more comedy, (but still not much), One thing i would like to note though that bothered me, is that there was no sign of the same humans from the first series that took care of Gin (Weed's father), they, in a way, would have probably allowed me to rate a 20 out of 10, (if that was ever possible), and it also bothered me that Weed never got the oppurtunity to have a human friend/partner like his father gin. but with all of the unique dog personalities, the human involvement didn't bother me as much in this show (but i guess you could say i just love the idea of a human having an animal as a partner/friend, so that is why my ratings stay how they are, and aren't lowered) this one is a bit more bloody and gory then the first one, but once again, it is still worth the watch.

This is overall one of my favorite anime, but this review is still my opinion. Please respect that without further ado. Please mind if there are any grammatical errors. I'll try to keep it a little brief though.

Story: (9)

I loved this original story for Ginga Densentsu Weed. Like how life goes, there are events throughout the show that draws the characters a little off corse. But there aren't so much where the characters are blinded to what their main goal is. Like many shounen anime, there will be various fight scenes. Bloodshed, bruises, and the tension of the battle field. There was never a time ... in the anime did I think "is it done yet?"

Art: (7)

Dogs and wolves, what an interesting idea. The dogs' movements sometimes look a little wonky. Especially when you see the backs of them as they run. All the other movements are actually very well done. The muscles of the dogs are a little humanized, so the art style is a little bit of an acquired taste.

Sound: (6)

The characters don't have a bad sound quality. You never hear the audio break or have wrong sound effects. Things sound right, and never dip. It never sounded stuffy when it comes to sound quality.

Characters: (10)

I became very attached to all the characters in Ginga Densentsu Weed. Whenever a character died I wanted to cry. The character development was gradual, but you could feel like you knew the characters all your life. There were no surprises when it came to character actions. Characters didn't break from their personality, and I couldn't hate any of the characters. Even the antagonists you could definitely feel sypothy for. Sometimes there were times where I didn't want the main antagonists to die.

Overall: (9)

Overall this is my favorite anime. I could rewatch every episode without getting tired of a character.

TLDR: If you like animes which revolve around animals(especially dogs), where they fight for a just cause in a cruel world, and you can see friendship, humanity, betrayal, lots of character development, and other similar themes, then I recommend this action filled anime to you. But let's dig a bit deeper.

Story:
The storyline is continuous, each episode builds on the previous ones. And because this is a sequel it even builds a lot onto the prequel anime, Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. However, it's not a problem if you haven't seen that one first, because this anime will tell the basic things which you need to know ... in order to understand who is who in the story.
It could be said that the plot is pretty simple, there is the Big Bad, and the protagonists have to defeat him to bring peace. At first it might look this simple, but when we see the backstory of the villains, and different problems arises between the protagonists, then the story suddenly doesn't feel very simple at all. Sometimes it even presents situations where one cannot make a right moral decision, but the main character still have to do something. Apart from this we get a deep-dive in the feelings of a few of the protagonists, which results in very touching moments, and makes us understand them even better.
Now as I write all of this, the story might seem dramatic. It is, but of course as in most story even here there is a comic relief, who can always put a smile on the viewers' faces.
There are many fighting scenes in series, and they're all exciting and well made. Sometimes the characters need to use strategy and bluffing to keep their lives, and at other times they die like heroes while giving speeches which are heart-gripping.
The end of the story is unarguably beautiful and satisfying, we get a nice happy ending, even if not everything is happy. The final battle was a bit rushed, and was altered in a weird way, but it's kind of understandable, and not that bad.

Art:
This aspect is the one which is the most controversial among fans. It's undeniable, there are badly animated scenes, where the faces and shapes really look weird. But this is not that common. Many people have strong opinion about Deen's animation quality, but here they were able to achieve a decent animation, with some scenes being a bit derpier, but also some episodes were animated outstandingly good. For example in many scenes the lighting is astonishing, and they paid great attention to the details. So if you heard at some places that this anime has "crappy animation", then I would advise you to still give it a chance, it's not as bad as they say.
The backgrounds were always drawn very beautifully, and those combined with the beautiful lighting could create a very memorable and touching moment.

Sounds:
The sounds are great, and seiyuus are awesome! Everyone's voice fits well, and they could always give the feeling what they needed to give.
The music were amazing, some of them rose the given scene so high... It really enhanced the experience. Especially when suddenly in a dramatic scene a fitting music starts playing, and from that point on not only the characters talk, but it's something lot more. My personal favorite is the opening and ending, "Verge of Death", "Spirit of Succession", but all of them great.

Characters:
This is also an aspect of the anime in which it really shines. The main protagonists starts out as a puppy, who know very little, so obviously he will make mistakes. Sometimes his decisions might even seem wrong, but he is still learning, and developing. And I think this is a great thing in this anime. If we look back from the end to the beginning of the story, then we can see how much each character have developed. It's hard to tell specifics without spoilers, but many characters will change their minds entirely about specific things, and this is also very satisfying to watch.
It's a good feature in the series that at the end the team of protagonists is not a randomly assembled group of strays, but all the characters are well known, and we know what to expect from them.
The villains were also interesting in this series, especially the first one, but generally all of them had an interesting backstory, which makes the viewers understand why they became so ruthless.

Enjoyment:
If you like action animes with animals, then I'm pretty sure you'll have a good time watching this series. The drama, emotions, and epic action hooked me a lot.
In my opinion this series is one of those which cannot be forgotten easily, it has many memorable scenes and likeable characters. So I would recommend everyone to give it a try. Maybe you will enjoy it even more if you already seen the prequel, but as I said at the beginning it's not necessary.

I'll be honest here. Even tho GDW is newer than GNG I still think that GNG is animated better. I think you all have seen those GDW animation fail pics and if you haven't you really should check some out.
First few episodes are well made but then in some point it seems that animating gets a bit different. I can't really explain it so you should really see it by yourself.

GNG and GDW share some same characters like Akame,Smith and John.

Even tho I didn't like animating at some points the story is emotional and just simply awesome. I know GDW has kinda like same plot ... as GNG but tyrannical bear was just changed to huge dog.

I've watched this anime many times and I own the completed series box but anyway I prefer manga version and GDW manga story actully goes further than anime.

Story is fair enough and it won't ruin the enjoyment of this anime! Drama on this series is so beautiful it made me cry! I cry every time i watch Ginga Densetsu weed, there have been only few anime that have made me cry for the beautiful story/drama. Weed is a young pup of the ohu leader Gin and he have to save his dad from Hougen, Weed encounters many situations where he's dear friends will die and make you guy's CRY!! Weed do learn the leadership on the way to save his dad and learns the value of the friends that support him, Weed ... sympathize enemies and enemies cry for his kindness... There was few scene that made me want to puke for the foolishness of Weed. I never do read Reviews for the anime i feel like for watching but if u do read this then u are doubtful about this anime series and you are thinking should you waste time on this! I say you should waste your time for this cos you wont regret it and u will love it.

Ginga Densetsu Weed is not as good as Ginga Nagareboshi Gin. First of all, Weed was much to soft. As example, every time John and Lector came back for him, he would let them go. Now, there are times to kill and times to spare - but Weed was way to soft. In Weed's defense, many say: "Oh, well hes just a puppy!" but think about this, Gin was only two-three weeks when he was faced with Akakabuto and his destiny, yet he took it head-on and did a very good job with facing his enemies. Yes, Weed is very smart and powerful for such ... a young dog, but he needs to learn more. Perhaps it will come with expirance.

However, the animation for the Anime was absolutly horrible. Such as, in Episode #2 - almost everything looked like a box or out of proportion.
The manga was well-drawn, at the least.

Anyways, the emotional deph in the deathes of some old characters (Ex: John, Moss, ETC...) was very deep. They all died for the sake of their beliefs and their friends, which I personally think touched many. Personally, it touched me as well. Even with some of the newer characters that were recently introduced and then killed off, (Ex: Kaibutus, Shigure, ETC...) had their own stories that seemed to 'rattle' the reality most of us face. (EX: Kaibutsu with Animal Testing). The emotional deph was amazing, and I must give Yoshihiro Takahashi and Studio DEEN that much.

Some of the voices, I found, were a bit confusing. Such as in the case of Mel, the Golden Retriever puppy. He was a male, but his voice sounded a bit femine.
There were aso differences with older characters appreances. Such as Gin, who was silver with blackish stripes and brown eyes. They changed him to blue with no stripes and blue eyes. And John, who was giving a lighter coat color and brighter eyes. They also mis-played Akakabuto's death in the flashback beginning. In the GDW(Ginga Densetsu Weed) Anime they suggested that Gin took out Akakabuto's heart, when it was really his head he took off.

And with the Antagonists, such as Hougen, Genba and Kamakiri - many of them had very interesting, painful pasts that seemed to tie in to how they grew up and reacted around others. I think that the fate of bad animal breeding and horrible animal testing is a very real, very sorrowful world issue that Yoshihiro Takahashi delivered in his messages with GDW & GNG.

Personally, I prefer GNG(Ginga Nagareboshi Gin) over Ginga Densetsu Weed. However, Ginga Densetsu Weed was a very emotional, well-written sequel that I think many enjoyed.