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Naoko Yamada (K-ON, A Silent Voice) and Science Saru (Hands Off Eizouken!, Devilman Crybaby) team up to deliver an excellent adaptation of one of Japan's most famous pieces of literature.

STORY

For the record, the "Heike Monogatari" was written in the Middle Ages the is based on historical events preceding and during the Gempei War of late 12th century. The story is sometimes referred to as "Japan's Iliad", and just as how in the West everybody knows how the Trojan War ended, everybody in Japan knows the final fate of the Heike clan. All this to say, "spoilers" are a moot point given you can learn the ... plot with a quick internet search. The crux of the tension in this adaptation of "The Heike Monogatari" is that our main character knows how the story is going to end thanks to her oracular eye- which I find to be an interesting take on the original material. Rather that try to work around the fact that the ending can be found in any Japanese history textbook and surprising the audience is a lost cause, the plot fully embraces that fact by making its audience-surrogate character knowledgeable as well and building the story around that fact instead. That switch-up keeps things fresh without having to take major liberties with the source material.

CHARACTERS

Although Biwa is the "main character" she functions primarily as an audience stand-in. From a meta perspective, she's there so that characters from the original story will have a good reason to explain crucial plot and character details which otherwise they would not need to discuss. Her foreknowledge of the ending and the tension and dramatic irony it provides are also crucial elements of her character. Finally, she serves as a crucial "point of reference" due to the fact that other characters can be expected to pop in and out of overarching plot regularly. Given that there are small hints that she will be re-telling the events of the story long in the future, it is unlikely she will do much beyond the observer role in the anime- with all the characters and plot points in the original work going on there would be little space to fit her into the existing story anyway. It's best to think of her as the character from over whose shoulder you watch the main story.

Keeping up with the rest of the cast can require some foreknowledge of the "Heike Monogatari" or at least a bit of active attention. The various people Biwa interacts with are usually given sufficient characterization and background information for the audience to understand how they all fit into the larger picture, so this anime doesn't suffer from "Continuity lockout" for those those who don't know the source material. Go in expecting something like "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" where there is a large cast with no single main character around which everything revolves and who is supposed to be there for the entire time.

ART & SOUND

Science Saru delivers their unique aesthetic and fluid animation in spades here, perfectly complemented by Naoko Yamada's mastery of stillness and quiet. This anime can move beautifully, but also knows when the story is best served by stopping and taking a breath. I've never been one who can break down precise animation and sound choices in any detail, so if you need somebody who can provide and deep-dive on production values you'll need to look elsewhere. Just that I that think both animation and sound display top-tier talent.

ENJOYMENT

I'm getting older as an anime fan. High school ended for me over a decade ago and even college is now starting to be mentally classified as "A while back". Every now and then I stop and wonder if a point will come when I finally age out of the anime community. But then I find something like this, something that reminds me animation can cover all kinds of stories for all ages, something to invest in even after the high school romcoms and college student in another world stories no longer resonate.

OVERALL

This anime may not be built for explosive mass popularity, it may not slot easily into some easily marketable form, but for those of us who want something different in our anime it's a must watch.

Saying "Hooray! It's competent!" is a textbook example of condemning with faint praise, but such is the state of fantasy light novels that even checking off the most bare basics of storytelling is enough to be noteworthy.

STORY

The plot of the first novel is an origin story and those tend to be the weakest parts of a long running series, so I'll cut it a little slack. As an origin story, it does check all the boxes of establishing the main characters' backstories and motivations, setting up a solid framework for future installments. I do have a complaint about the world-building, however, in that it's extremely ... bland. Tolkien was a professor of linguistics and mythology, Mine seems to have played a few fantasy video games and the difference shows. As an example and without giving too much away, a significant portion of the story is spent exploring some ancient ruins and all we are told is "These are ancient ruins" with no further detail. Ancient ruins don't exactly come in just one flavor, and while I don't need a 10 page infodump on the civilization which built those ruins, I at least want enough description so that I can imagine the scene a bit better. If things go well, this story could be a fun, swashbuckling tale of a pair out to make a buck and the fantastical adventures they keep getting roped into - but there is still the possibility of this story turning into somebody reciting their "thrilling" D&D campaign.

ART

Given that there are only a few illustrations, I'll keep my comments here brief. The art is competent for a professional work. The illustrations are all character-focused with little to no background detail, and image composition was straightforward without anything unexpected. I do like the two main characters' designs, but a major part of that is simply personal aesthetic preference (I'm a sucker for the leading lady's archetype, such as Kotori from "Sweetness and Lighting" and Yuki from "Oregairu").

CHARACTERS

Main man Loren can best be described as "We have Guts at home". Huge hulking he-man mercenary with a gigantic sword (that's even described as nearly dull on a few occasions) and has a special ability where he goes berserk - anybody want to take bets on where Mine got the idea? But hey, if you're going to copy, copy the best. At least Loren has to put some effort and strategy into his wins, although I hope his berserk ability doesn't become the story's instant Deus Ex Machina in the future, it mentions some possible negative trade-offs for using the ability but has yet to follow through on those consequences. Lapis is established so that it appears her story will be the one pushing the plot forward. It's a very similar to "Dororo", but it does give our pair a reason to go and do things. The two have a functional set-up for their working (and inevitably romantic) relationship, but I hope that they will develop strong chemistry going forward. the other cast members shown so far are as straight-off-the-shelf as characters come, but they stay in the background and do their jobs.

ENJOYMENT

I read this book over the course of two days. After the first day I was halfway through and while I wasn't about to consider it the end of the world if I didn't know how the story ended, I at least DID want to see the story through to the end. Considering that most fantasy light novels can't get me to read more than the back cover blurb (and some not even more than the title) that's a small accomplishment on it's own.

OVERALL

"Broke Mercenary" hasn't yet achieved excellence, but it has at least demonstrated the potential.

After the successful, 18-volume run of "Barakamon", Satsuki Yoshino presents a spiritual sequel which flips the script and tells its story from the opposite perspective.

STORY

I call it a "spiritual sequel" because there is zero plot overlap and no knowledge of "Barakamon" is necessary to understand the manga. While "Barakamon" told the story of a privileged young man from Tokyo's high art scene adjusting to the simple life in Japan's rustic Goto Islands, "Yoshi No Zuikara" (The Frog in the Well Does Not Know the Ocean) takes a different approach and tells the story of a Goto Island native leaving his shell and learning to ... interact with the wider world. This different viewpoint makes what could have been a simple rehash of Yoshino's previous work feel distinct. And that different viewpoint is critical, because "Zuikara" heavily relies on slice-of-country-life elements and the actual plot is quite straightforward. You won't stay here for the twists and turns, it even calls itself "The story of the uneventful days of an unremarkable manga creator", but if you're up for another relaxing trip back to Nagasaki prefecture, this story will fit the bill.

ART

Solidly drawn. The manga can have its occasional "talking head" segments, where most attention is given to medium-shots or closer images of characters simply speaking, but good attention is given to backgrounds. This focus on backgrounds typically comes in when the manga is focusing on something suitably "rustic" such as a mochi drying rack or fishing boat dock. Characters are also distinct, although you can occasionally notice traces of "Barakamon"characters in their designs. Kudos to Satsuki Yoshino for varying his usual style a bit for his manga-inside-a-manga scenes, where we see the slice-of-life manga our main character is himself creating.

CHARACTER

A slice-of-life story lives or dies by its characters (a revolutionary, unheard-of statement, I know) and "Yoshino No Zuikara" delivers and entertaining cast. This series' subtitle of "The Frog in the Well Does Not Know the Ocean" is telling, as our MC, Naruhiko Tohno, fits that bill. The "Frog in the Well" is an old Japanese proverb to the effect of "A person with limited experience has a limited perspective", and Tohno's life experience is quite limited. Since he's able to earn enough money to pay his own way and is capable of (limited) social interactions he may not qualify as a full-blown hikkikomori shut-in, but he's not a whole lot better either. As the story progresses, he finds himself having to grow as a man and being drawn out into a greater connection with people in the wider world- ironically due to his manga about a naive, insular boyhood. The first two volumes have focused primarily on main character Tohno himself, but I imagine that as this manga's run continues, more development and characterization will be given to the supporting cast- although Tohno's energetic-but-tactless assistant and a 10 year old girl obsessed with one of his characters is already quite entertaining.

ENJOYMENT

You need to go into this one expecting a relaxed slice-of-life story. S-O-L tends to be a "love it or hate it" kind of genre in my experience, and I haven't seen anything here which would truly change the mind of the "hate it" crowd. But if you liked "Barakamon" you'll like this one too.

OVERALL

In the final analysis, "Yoshi No Zuikara" fits neatly into its genre and the mould of its spiritual predecessor, but it has enough uniqueness and positive attributes to make it a worthwhile read.

I always appreciate a good historical fiction series, and OH BOY is "Issak" good! This series is still ongoing, so my review is only preliminary. It's certainly possible the whole thing could fall apart down the line- but from what I've seen that's unlikely

STORY

"Issak" is a grand adventure tale set across 17th Century Germany, following our hero as he fights bloody battles and matches wits with mercenaries, princes, and madmen. The story hasn't yet delved into unusually deep and complex themes the same way something like "Vinland Saga" does, but some of my favorite pieces of media such as "Sword of the Stranger" and "Star ... Wars" are built around very simple ideas- there is a distinct difference between "simple" and "stupid".

ART

Simply magnificent. The level of detail on display in things like scenery and clothing here is top-tier, but what truly steals the show are the manga's action set pieces. The fights are frenzied and kinetic, but also clear to follow. And to push it all to an entirely new level, the framing of some moments in the story is incredibly striking. Without going into heavy spoiler territory, in an early chapter we are given the point of view of the enemy commander hiding from Issak in his tent: first he hears gunfire and screams in the distance, then he sees the shadows of me being shot down near his tent, then he curls up in horror and screams as his personal guards at start falling through the door of his tent- each thrown off his feet and through the canvas by the impact of the bullet that took his life- all while the steady rhythm of Issak's deadly rifle keeps cracking away. I've seen plenty of art which can rightly be described as beautiful, but few artists can make their images thrilling.

CHARACTERS

Samurai snipers. Let me say that again: SAMURAI SNIPERS. Even if this cast had nothing else going for it, it would be pretty darn cool! The characters do tend to fit fairly neatly into archetypes so far, but they play their parts well. Issak is a highly skilled warrior who can snatch victory from jaws of death with a degree of cleverness and daring I haven't seen since "Lone Wolf and Cub". His trait of being a rifleman first and swordsman second is also unique to me- Japanese media can be a bit katana-crazy at times. His adversary Lorenzo is a madman, but not some kind of obvious barking lunatic, oh no, he can be utterly calm and cool until some particular little thing sends him screaming off the deep end- and then in a short time compose himself again. His motivation is certainly a stock villain objective but the way he goes about it is entertaining. And the female lead Zetta is what I wish Sarka from "Divci Valka" could have been- both characters come from almost identical backstories and go through character arcs that are similar on paper, but Zetta has been a perfectly serviceable if slightly vanilla heroine while Sarka... well see my "Divci Valka" review for a description of that whole mess.

ENJOYMENT

There are manga where you decide to read the next chapter, manga where you desire to read the next chapter, and manga where you have to stop yourself from reading the next chapter because want to savor reading it and stretch out your enjoyment as long as possible. So far, "Issak" has been the third type of manga.

OVERALL

If you like historical fiction or adventure stories you need to check this series out. I noticed that this manga is published in Kodansha's "Afternoon" monthly magazine, a magazine which also runs "Vinland Saga" and "Historie"- whoever picks the historical fiction series for that publication deserves a raise.

"Komi Can't Communicate" got off to a bit of a slow start, but 10 volumes into the legal English release, now I can say that I'm hooked.

STORY

There is some continuity here, and a general "end goal" but not much of a specific plot on a chapter-by-chapter basis. "Komi" is a largely episodic rom-com where you have to be invested in the status quo rather than seeking steady progress towards the finale. That's not to say that there is no change whatsoever over time, but this a manga where the journey is more important that the destination.

ART

There is a "cartoony" style Komi and more "realistic" style ... Komi- and somehow they're BOTH adorable. On a more serious note, the art is solid. While no much besides the blushing shots of our main heroine really stand out, it's all well and professionally done. An absence of gratuitously "fan-servicey" shots also helps keeps the light and charming tone of the manga intact- one does not lewd Komi.

CHARACTERS

Despite the fact that the face of this series is (for obvious reasons) the earnest, kind-hearted, and adorably awkward Komi, my favorite character is actually Tadano. Read enough rom-coms and you'll eventually see plenty of sad-sack losers who somehow get into romantic shenanigans with one or several girls far out of his league. Except, Tadano isn't a loser. Oh sure, he's an everyman who takes his fair share of losses and doesn't have an off-the-wall personality, but he also has some virtues and even gets to demonstrate a few areas of competency and score the (very) occasional win by his own merit. Rather than just being TOLD that he's a decent guy, we actually SEE Tadano being a decent guy. He makes me think of what Charlie Brown would probably be like as a teenager, if anyone here reads American newspaper comic strips.

The supporting cast is more of a mixed bag. The supporting characters tend to be one-trick-ponies, with a single defining trait which gives them their comedic role. That's perfectly fine for a comedy like this, but the one trick can be hit or miss. During my original reading of the first few volumes I wasn't particularly impressed with the manga because I found the supporting characters introduced early on to not be terribly funny. However, as the story went on more characters were introduced, a few of the newer additions had a better "schtick", and the cast dynamics became more varied which improved even some of the older characters. So just stick with it for a little bit if you don't think the cast is all that great to start off.

ENJOYMENT

Rom-coms can scrape by on gags for a while, but to make the story truly stick it's necessary to have enjoyable characters. And I enjoy watching these characters- She's adorably sweet and shy, he's upstanding and likable but hasn't fully conquered his wishy-washy nature yet, and their bombastic classmates drag them into one riotous escapade after another. It's amazing what having a likable cast can do for a story.

OVERALL

If you're willing to take your time with this series, enjoy the ride, and not take everything too seriously it can be a lot of fun.

This manga has been a pretty big disappointment for me, as it squandered its potential by meandering through "shock value" storylines.

STORY

I wanted to like this one, I really did. Historical fiction set during the Hussite Wars of the 15th century, when the execution of a dissenting Czech priest by the Roman Catholic Church set Central Europe ablaze? Sign me up. But then the manga opened with graphic sexual violence and only ramped it up from there. It was at Chapter 32 when I realized I was following three separate plotlines... and ALL were centered on grotesque violence and smut. Before anyone tries to write this ... off as the rantings of a Puritan who can't handle a little adult stuff, let me state that my unchallenged all-time favorite manga is 'Vinland Saga', a series that is hardly shy about depicting graphic violence of all sorts. But the adult content in 'Vinland Saga' has a point: it directly ties the darkness and depravity into the story's main theme and then (and this is the critical part) promptly moves on once the point has been established rather than wallow in it. It's why Yukimura Makoto's story comes across as one intelligently dealing with heavy, mature content and "Divci Valka" at times seems more like an outlet for a loli rape fetish than a real story. It has occasional moments of seriousness, but can't pull itself out of the muck.

ART

The art was actually pretty decent. Not the most incredible stuff like you'd see in Kaoru Mori's historical fiction, but not terrible overall. I don't have much to say beyond the fact that it looked fine and at least some attention seems to have been paid to historical detail.

CHARACTERS

Wasted potential here. Remember what I said about the story opening with graphic sexual violence? Well, that at least COULD have been used to develop our main character- a young peasant girl named Sarka. Properly handled, the story of an innocent little girl from the bottom of society choosing to move past her pain and take control of her life, all while trying to navigate a maelstrom of political and religious warfare, could have been a great tale. But the story only seemed obsessed with how much degradation and misery it could put her through. And most of the other female characters don't even have her squandered potential to begin with, usually being little more than excuses for the story to sidetrack to yet another sexual violence subplot. And most of the male characters range from 'rapist' to 'openly brags about being a rapist'. Not exactly the greatest depth and complexity here.

ENJOYMENT

Did I miss something? Was this supposed to be a hentai manga and I confused it for a more serious story? I kept hanging on due to this manga's theoretical potential, but after a while I just had to give up.

OVERALL

Not badly drawn, but when dealing with this kind of content it takes delicacy and intelligence to walk the fine line between sugar-coating things and writing grotesque schlock- and "Divci Valka" just jumped straight into the deep end. If you're a historical fiction fan skip this one and read "Vinland Saga".

The biggest giant this series killed was my usual disinterest with sports manga.

STORY

I've always had a major roadblock between myself and enjoying a sports series: I know that the events taking place on the field are scripted. This may seem like a strange gripe, since EVERY event in every manga is scripted, with the outcome decided by the author long before I pick up the book, but I when it comes to sports series I have a particular problem suspending my disbelief. There just aren't that many potential directions a story can go when the only two realistic outcomes are 1) They score the points ... and win, or 2) They don't score the points and lose. But "Giant Killing" finally achieved what I thought was impossible for a sports series: genuine dramatic tension. In volumes 20-22 the unthinkable happened and I was on the edge of my seat for a soccer match. The match itself was simply a mid-season game against a mid-tier opponent, not some final showdown for the championship or anything like that, but I was completely sold on the idea that this game was an all-out, no holds barred battle right down to the wire between two evenly matched teams, where the outcome hung by a thread and the protagonists had no plot armor guaranteeing a victory. After finishing that story arc I decided I HAD to write a review for this manga.

CHARACTERS

But just a in real life sports, the enjoyment isn't derived solely from a mere abstract appreciation of the tactics and athleticism of the sport in question, but also from the "narrative". The quarterback isn't just a man skilled at throwing a football- he's an old veteran making one last attempt to win the championship that has eluded him his whole career; the baseball team isn't just some kids from a small high school- they're a plucky band of underdogs trying to beat the big high school's advantage in talent and money using just their sweat, teamwork, and brains. "Giant Killing" provides a large cast of distinct characters with a wide variety of story arcs to keep things interesting. Individually, I can't say any particular character is an all-time favorite of mine, but they work extremely well as a group. Players, coaches, front office staff, fans, and media personalities all bounce off each other in complex and interesting ways as their personal storylines intersect. This large and well-balanced cast means the spotlight can regularly switch between characters to keep things fresh while still feeling like one cohesive story. Perhaps the true main character is East Tokyo United itself.

ART

I'm always interested in manga with a distinct aesthetic. You definitely won't look at the art style of "Giant Killing" and confuse it for anything else. The simple fact that characters have NOSES will differentiate this series from a good chunk of the manga out there. The art has a slightly rough and sketchy feel without seeming amateur. Moving past the nose joke, the character designs are memorable and widely varied- a crucial accomplishment given the size of the cast. Just as an example let's look at the supporting character of Natsumi, a passionate but somewhat clueless player in the latter half of his career still trying to project the image of the cool young soccer stud. His main visual quirk is a huge mop of hair held back by a headband, sure it looks like an athlete's hairstyle but it's also just a bit outdated. It sums up all the crucial points of the character in a single image: his age, his love of soccer, and his awkwardness. That's a smart use of visual clues to help the audience remember what a character is all about, even if he's only the main focus on rare occasions.

ENJOYMENT

I'd call this "The Sports Manga For People Who Don't Like Sports Manga". It has a completely different vibe than your generic story about a group of high school kids saying "LET'S GO TO NATIONALS!", so don't write it off just because you tried other sports series but they didn't stick. The story is more mature, not in the sex, drugs, and profanity kind of way, but mature in the sense that you understand that most of the characters are adults dealing with issues more complex than making friends and confessing to the cute girl. Even as a red-blooded American who won't budge on the fact that FOOTBALL is the sport with the pads, helmets, and brown egg-shaped ball, I found myself deeply enjoying this look into professional soccer.

OVERALL

"Giant Killing" will probably never dethrone my all-time favorite manga such as "Vinland Saga", "A Silent Voice", or "The Ghost and the Lady", but it IS my favorite sports manga by a wide margin. GO GO EAST TOKYO UNITED!

Wait, that's it? After just over a dozen chapters it's over? We had such a good thing going! I couldn't believe it when I saw it, but chapter 14 had "Final Chapter" printed at the beginning and "The End" printed on the last page. So, here's a review of what we got.

"Time Paradox Ghost Writer" got off to a great start following our MC as he struggled to create great art with his limited talent and various sci-fi shenanigans kept interfering, but it seems almost pointless to grade the 'STORY' section since the last few chapters rush through so much to force some kind of ... proper ending. This situation has "early cancellation" written all over it. It's a shame, I thought there was great potential here, but it must not have caught on with other readers.

The art is nice and polished, but aesthetically it's exactly what I'd expect from such a mainstream publication- it looks like a Shonen Jump manga through and through. The characters didn't have any time to develop beyond their initial 'hook', which is a shame because while I'd say they didn't look like they were ever going to make it to my All Time Favorites list even if the series had a full run, there was potential and they were more than serviceable.

As for 'Enjoyment', I was hooked on this one. "Ghostwriter" set itself up as a cross between "Steins;Gate" and "Bakuman"- two series I enjoy. The mystery started out strong and I was eagerly awaiting every new chapter. Then Chapter 13 felt off somehow, and then BAM! Chapter 14 ends it.

It's hard to recommend this series due to the abrupt ending, if you get hooked you'll just be disappointed by the finale that comes as suddenly and gracefully as a car crash. Oh, what might have been.

One of my favorite 'fast food' anime returns with a movie. It doesn't do anything unexpected, but sometimes you're just fine not being surprised.

STORY

The first thing you'll notice about 'The Battle of Unato' compared to its TV predecessor is a shift in tone. Just to compare the first scenes of both, in the TV series we see a group of humans desperately battling to survive and escape a Kabane attack. The Kabane are presented as these horrifying, nearly unstoppable monsters and the humans all carry a suicide bomb in case they're bitten. In this movie we again open with a scene of humans battling Kabane, ... but the humans are shown attacking the Kabane and making slow but steady progress. One side character even takes the time to quip to another "Hey newbie, remember to take the safety off your gun." There's definitely a lighter tone, especially with greater focus being placed on Ikoma and Mumei's budding romantic relationship. That being said this is still an action-driven zombie movie so you'll recognize it as "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress". The plot is pretty straightforward and all there in the title, "Battle of Unato". Our heroes storm the Kabane-infested Unato Castle and save the day and that's it. This is a popcorn flick through and through, but sometimes that's all you want.

ART

GIANT TRAINS. BOLT-ACTION RIFLES. STEAMPUNK SAMURAI. I love the design of this franchise, it plays to a lot of my personal favorite things. And the fight animation in this movie is excellent (which is good because this movie needs top-quality action setpieces given its cookie-cutter story). And as an added bonus, during the end credits WIT Studios threw in the main characters doing this highly choreographed dance number. There was no story purpose to this scene, it's just a cool bonus. Kudos to them for going the extra mile.

SOUND

I'm normally a Dubs guy, but this time I picked Subs. The dub is OK, but the Japanese version fits the characters a bit better- particularly Mumei in her more cutesy moments. Also, the subtitled version still holds its ultimate trump card from the TV series: Maxwell Powers as Suzuki. Sure the character is tertiary and only has a handful of lines, but hearing Powers drop Suzuki's English-language dialogue with a perfectly natural US West Coast accent gets a thumbs-up every time. (Powers is a Japanese-American actor who grew up in Oakland, California, so his English actually sounds like ENGLISH). I don't understand why he wasn't in the Dub, although I guess logistics was a factor. When you think about it, this is the only Subbed version I've ever heard where the English is better...

CHARACTER

The cast keeps their dynamics and characterization from the TV series, which is to say most people are quick to blame Ikoma for every cat stuck up a tree. Ikoma and Mumei get the only real development, and that's centered on their growing romantic relationship. Otherwise, by the end nothing about any of the characters has significantly changed. This is a zombie action movie so if you came in looking for a masterclass in character development you'll be disappointed. But for what it is, this film does passably fine.

ENJOYMENT

I called "The Battle of Unato" a fast food anime. By that I mean it's definitely predictable and doesn't have any unusual merit as art, but sometimes you just want something easily consumable. For comparison, if this movie is a McDonalds cheeseburger, something like "A Silent Voice" would be a Kobe beef steak. But to go eat Kobe beef you have to get dressed up, make a reservation at a nice restaurant, set aside an entire evening- on the other hand you can go grab a burger in 10 minutes in your gym clothes. All that to say "Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato" isn't something you have to get into a specific mood to properly enjoy.

OVERALL

This is a good turn-your-brain-off-and-chill movie.

A very uneven series, "Cosmo Warrior Zero" feels like the script needed to go through a couple more drafts and the animation is nothing special. However, an excellent English dub saves it from the trash heap.

STORY

"Cosmo Warrior Zero" feels disjointed and rushed, like they were trying to cram 26 episodes into 13. The plot jumps around and takes hard turns out of nowhere. I was watching the big battle that takes up the final 4 or so episodes and was left thinking "wait, how did we get here?" The set-up is vague as well. For a series that makes such a big deal about Humans ... and Machine Men learning to live together in peace it spends next to no time actually setting up what the pre-conditions of their interactions were to begin with. We're told that the Humans and Machine Men recently fought a war, it went poorly for the Humans, and they had to sign an unfavorable peace treaty to make it stop. Yet we still see large numbers of Machine Men serving in the Independent Earth Fleet as low-ranking sailors and even being discriminated against by Humans. But at other times the series acts like the Machine Men have some kind of power over the Humans and the Earth only has limited autonomy so what exactly is going on? This series skimped on the world-building and rushed through its story and it shows.

ART

The animation is about what you'd expect from a 20 year old series. Nothing great like "Cowboy Bebop" or "Hidamari No Ki", but not terrible either. Matsumoto Leiji's instantly recognizable art style is the high point here. Your opinion of the art will be greatly influenced by your opinion of his distinct character designs.

SOUND

The English dub of "Cosmo Warrior Zero" is top-heavy. The lead actors include some legendary A-listers such as Crispin Freeman, Steve Blum, and Karen Strassman, and even a cameo appearance by Wendee Lee. But farther down the list it can get a little iffy and some of the supporting cast are merely passable for a 20 year old dub. But Freeman (Zero) and Blum (Harlock) discussing honor and duty over a glass of whiskey has got to be a contender for "The Manliest Conversation Ever Recorded". The music is more middle of the road. The OP is a classical piece with violins and flutes that's forgettable, and the ED is an earworm for all the wrong reasons. It tries to be somber and emotional, but ends up being nonsensical because it's being sung in English by a Japanese singer. Maybe it sounded OK in Japan, but native English speakers are going to want to skip it.

CHARACTER

Any series that has Emeraldas as a recurring character can't be all bad. The cast suffers from the jumbled plot since it rushes them through their character arcs if it even resolves them at all. They're serviceable enough to get you through a short space opera at least, so it's not all terrible. Also, there is Emeraldas- the Sorceress of Space. She is a badass and this show is amazing for having her (but that's the fanboy talking).

ENJOYMENT

You know those 'Yakuza' video games that SEGA puts out? They have this very unique tone, going back and forth between melodrama, mafia movie shootouts, wacky side-stories, and silly little mini-games whenever they feel like it. If you're on-board with that the games are amazing, but they're a harder sell for people who just can't get into the vibe. The Leijiverse is like that as well. It's a universe where one of the most iconic spaceships looks like an old pirate galleon hanging from a zeppelin, but the characters take themselves dead serious. It's a unique experience that some people crave and others might find strange or silly.

OVERALL

A pretty mediocre entry for the Leijiverse, but good for one watch if you're into this sort of thing.