★★★★
Rage of Bahamut isn’t the most amazing or original show out there, but it’s without a doubt thoroughly enjoyable. It doesn’t try to be deep or complex. It has a Pirates of the Caribbean feel of fun and adventure. It’s a story about a bounty hunter helping a girl get to her destination, but they get swept up in the bigger picture involving humans, angels, demons, and a world destroying dragon.
The first thing you’ll notice about Bahamut is it’s a very good looking show. The fantasy setting is a breath of fresh air from seeing yet another high school classroom. The fantasy elements aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel. You’ve got swords, giant crabs, necromancy, and hot demon chicks. The quality animation keeps every episode and scene a treat to look at.
The character designs are refreshing, too. The main character isn’t a generic pretty boy with bangs or impossible spikes. He’s got a red afro, he’s tan—even his personality is fun from the usual apathetic or wimpy or try-hard main characters. Everyone is drawn much more to proportion which is also refreshing from the usual moe baby features and bug eyes.
The cast is kept small. You’ve got your care-free main character who’s just looking out for himself so he’s got questionable morals. He has a righteous knight after him for revenge, but they have great buddy chemistry. There’s a naïve demon girl trying to find her mother, and even a little zombie girl with a “deadpan” look on her face that injects some pragmatism in the their plans.
The story starts off lightheartedly to reel you in while the visuals and setting keeps you hooked, but it escalates until they’re on the verge of bringing back a 2,000 year old apocalypse. Some might regret that it loses its initial charm, but the characters keep you invested even if the story becomes a generic “save the world.”
I don’t have any gripes. At best you could say the fantasy story isn’t original, but even that is an un-original, almost dishonest complaint against anything. Everything’s been done so you can only put new twists on it. Bahamut is easily one of 2014’s best shows, and shouldn’t be missed.
