Reviews

Katekyo Hitman Reborn is a comedy/shounen/ action anime, told from the view of a male, middle-school student named Tsunayoshi Sawada. The series is almost, if not completely told from his point of view, (I fail to remember any time it wasn't.) and did fit moderately well together. It wasn't completely consistent, as there were some random, filler episodes popping up every now and then mainly for comedic purposes, but it didn't stray too far from the original plot and for the most part amusing, so nothing I would harp about. I have to say, what made this series one of the most interesting was its originality. An infant (emphasis on infant) named Reborn, who is supposedly the most famous hitman on the planet (the anime failed to elaborate more on Reborn's past, unfortunately, but again, nothing I would harp about) suddenly shows up to Tsunayoshi's house, tells the boy he was there to tutor him (and quite the arduous task, as the child legitimately failed at everything.) and throws him into a hell of training, later revealing that this meek, pathetic child was to become a mafia boss. It is not an OVERLY complex story. It does get a bit complicated, especially involving the family matters (mafia family, mind you) but not exactly rocket science. Far from it, actually. Really, most people shouldn't have a problem whereas understanding the plot is concerned. Pacing was, in terms of plot advancement, VERY slow in the beginning, which is probably what kept the anime from getting the recognition it deserved. However, as things got on (third, fourth arc or so) there were little or no problems. Another thing I liked was that it can quite unpredictable at times. Predictable sometimes, but many times unpredictable. There are crazy plot twists that absolutely no one could anticipate (unless they had read the manga), which is very good, especially in Shounen anime, which tend to be repetitive and predictable. These plot twists were rather exciting for me. The show portrayed comedy pretty well. I laughed a good many times through the show, and found most of it very amusing, but there were some that seemed, put very bluntly, awkward. And in some cases, even slightly annoying. Of course, the anime wouldn't have been nearly as good as it was without this humor, so I'll take the good as well as the bad. The ending was... somewhat satisfying. Not abrupt at all, but there were a few mysteries that the anime never solved, and ended in a scenario that left you wondering what would have happened if the series continues, but it wasn't too bad. These mysteries were solved in the manga, so if it is ever animated (something I doubt, after such a period of time, unfortunately) there would be no problems. :D The ending wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. That's really all I can say about it.

One thing that sets this apart from typical shounen was... it wasn't your typical shounen. There WERE friendship themes, undeniably. However, instead of win win win for the sake of your comrades, as many shounen are, in Katekyo Hitman Reborn, there ARE losses. For the most part, not losses losses, but they actually sacrificed for each other instead of powering up insanely at the thought of their friends. Granted, it did happen, but never did it seem forced or typical. It was actually touching to see.

The art in Katekyo Hitman Reborn was standard, if not slightly higher. Nothing spectacular, but it did its job and didn't bring the series down. For me, it was memorable. I have never seen this particular style in any series before, and, though there is nothing remarkable, I quite liked it. I VERY much like how the characters look, easy to distinguish and... well, the characters look cute walking around town but seriously epic in a battle. They all have their own serious expressions and their normal, ones, unique to their personalities, which gave the story a good mood. The animation however, was very, very good. No complaints. They were smooth, dramatic (sometimes a bit too
dramatic, but makes things a bit more exciting for some people) and just plain fun to watch, especially the battles. You get a clear idea of what's going on, which is one of the key points to truly being able to enjoy such scenes. The quality of the art DID get better throughout the series. Not drastically better, but the change is noticeable. I noticed next to nothing as far as the animation department goes, but it was already good so I have no complaints.

Sound was very good. The anime had great soundtracks and background music, which did their job for the scenario nicely. It's not AMAZINGLY great, but great nonetheless. I LOVED the openings for the most part, especially the second and third. Actually, there were rather few that I DIDN'T like. Either way, the openings were great. The endings, however, were very... skippable. Not bad, but not attention catching. Not very memorable at all. The seiyuus did their job VERY well. For the most part, the characters in Katekyo Hitman Reborn were.... eccentric. There were so many scenes that required drastic emotion and gusto to pull off, yet their did their jobs so plainly well. It just seemed natural and was very fitting for the anime. I have absolutely no complaints.

One of the things that made this series so amazingly lovable, were its lovable characters. There ARE good number of characters for the show, but every single one was memorable. Each and every character served a kind of purpose or role, no one unnecessary. They were all so different, and fun to watch. The way they interacted was just so realistic. The characters were consistent, and showed significant development throughout the series. Appearances and voices fit them very well. They were well-rounded, each with their own set of weaknesses and strengths. I really did fall in love with all of them, and even the enemies were just so memorable. They all reacted to their situations as their personalities would have. As far as the characters go, I had no problems at all.

I enjoyed this VERY much. It is a personal favorite and I remember I dearly, even considering rewatchng all 203 episodes. I laughed, cried, grinned like a fool... it could be rather touching at times. And, I have to admit, I was disheartened when I finished. After I read the manga (which you will be driven to do after you're done) I was even more disheartened, as there were many things that happened in the manga that SHOULD be animated. But alas, low chance after so many years. Put very simply, I ADORED this series.

Overall, I loved it. I LOVE it. The only thing that kept me from giving this a 10, was the random filler and awkward beginning. Thing is, with this series, you have to be patient. Though the first 30 or so episodes show little plot development, you really shouldn't skip it. Even without the plot development, there IS character development, there IS bonding between the characters, and unless you tough out the first 30, you most likely won't be able to grasp how deep their bonds are, what their interactions symbolize later on in the series. It also gives you more time with them by the time it's over, and probably enjoy it even more. So, I wouldn't recommend skipping the first bit, no matter how irritating it can get. (Tsuna's boxer transformation DO cease eventually. I did find this first arc amusing, but these transformations were undeniably irritating.) I would recommend this to any shounen, comedy lover, and even any shounen, so long as they can tough out the first bit because it does get INCREDIBLY good later on, and you'll be happy you didn't miss anything by the time the series is over. I would NOT recommend watching this after the manga, because the anime will seem hellishly slow.

So, this is a very good anime. I hope you found this review helpful and, if you decide to try the anime, find it to your liking.