Casshern Sins is not one of those anime - but that in no one takes away from just how beautiful this show is.
With that catchy, melancholy opening and first few minutes of animation, you see this is a peek into a dying world. The washed out colours, empty backgrounds, and quiet, even nonexistent sounds paint a gorgeous, miserable realm. You know about as much as our amnesic protagonist Casshern does, wandering the endless deserts of an apocalyptic Earth, meeting strays and psychos and broken folk as each desperately searches for a meaning to any further seconds of existence.
You know, the cuddly stuff.
But it is precisely that, uh, "cuddly" atmosphere, that makes this series so addicting. Yeah, alright, the story has been done before - amnesic hero learns he was part of the great destruction of his world and must find the truth while helping others cling to whatever hope that can salvage - but every other aspect keeps Casshern Sins alive; as alive as you can be in a world rusting away to nothing. You're thrown in and have to deal with the desolate, and boy is it a beautiful experience.
The quiet scenes are done right, gently lulling you in with serene ambience and deep, thoughtful conversation in the midst of beige, blue and grey hues. The happy scenes are done right, pinks and greens trickling in as childish giggles and uplifting dreams of better days wash over you. The action scenes are done right, each blow as heavy as the next: you hear, feel, heck, you even SMELL every fight.
I don't know if I've made this clear yet, but everything about this anime is right. Even the plot, as familiar as it may be, is perfectly weaved into the environment. Casshern and those he meets, enemy and ally alike, are the literal life of the show, and their combination of pessimism, naivety and hopeful abandon sticks with you to the final moments.
It's right, it sticks with you...I'm terrible at finishing summaries, so just trust me on this. Looking for a more slow-paced, somber journey? Step into the sands and take a philosophical walk through some of the most beautiful ruins this side of the robotic apocalypse.
