Peacemaker Kurogane (or how do a whole lotta nothing in 13 episodes)
And now I shall do as I promised and take the time up to do a write up on the first 13 eps of PKK. Yes, I know there are 26 eps, which means either I can't wait to see the rest and must write about it now, or I couldn't stand it and had to quit.
I think we can tell which it is.
It's the end of the Edo era, during the time when Kenshen was still actually killing people, except he isn't in this universe. But the Shinsengumi are (the fun loving group Saito belonged to). In fact, this things centers on the SSG, and the undersized, redhead sixteen year old who wants to join them, since his parents were whacked and he wants to pick up mad sword skillz to avenge them. Tetsunosuke is his name, and running around doing nothing is his game.
There's a whole lot of that going on.
He's there because his older brother Tatsunosuke is an accountant there. Despite his crappy height, Tet is allowed to join because others sense he has the potential for mad fighting skillz, not that we ever really see them, since he mostly sweeps, and well, there aren't any fights for him to join in. And besides, most of the SSG are pretty casual about killing people, and that makes him uneasy (so he gets his token angst in as well). Oh yes, and he has a love interest (who looks about 9, but is the same age as him) who doesn't speak, but can sure laugh. She's a serving girl at a whorehouse, since she's out parents too.
She doesn't do anything either, except serve tea. And be mute, except for the laughing.
Tet's surrounded by one of the most boring casts in the existance of anime. Mostly because they don't do much other than spy on bad guys moving into the city. This goes on for 13 eps as well.
The SSG are composed of mostly stock type characters. Okita, the feminine guy, a trio of guys which are comic relief (the big staff carrying one, the red head, and the third guy who is unremarkable in any way) The stern commander, the nicer commander one who is itching to retire and is sleeping with the enemy, a spy, and the only remotely interesting one, a goth Saito (He sees dead people a lot). He's not as cool as Kenshen Saito, but it's kind of amusing to see a dour version of one of the few acutal cool characters in RK.
The bad guys don't do anything either. You have the ringleader who's a bad ass with mad swords skillz... and does nothing with them. His sixteen year old sidekick who unwittingly becomes friends with Tet, who will be his enemy once the twits figure out each is hanging out on the opposite side. A chick ninja who's somewhat interesting, as she actually tries to kill people who eavesdrop on the bad guys. And two other bad guys with their own agenda, one who can use magic, and the other a 'Mysterious Figure' who's orchestrating things (so he has a reason to be doing nothing)
I think by now you can figure out my primary gripe with this. It's all set up. 13 episodes of set up. Nothing but set up. There are a handful of obligatory brief fights with nameless thugs that don't come remotely close to laying a hand on anyone (think Kenshen and Co. beating up on any one shot episode bad guys), so there's no tension in them, and even the fights end up discontinued when Tet finds out a lot of the SSG are cold hearted killers themselves.
Oh, by the ninth episode they hint Tet is going to be something special, apparently it involves his dead father and the fact he was nicknamed the Peacemaker, most likely after the Colts he used, or so it's implied.
As near as I can tell, the writers must have wanted us to interested in the cast, but it's so large, and so few are dwelled upon, and what little we see of them is boring, it fails miserably. Tet can't carry the story because he's dull and does nothing but wander around and alternate from being frustrated at not learning the sword to having to sweep. I was frustratred at having to watch. I suppose I should sympathsize.
The opening theme is this hard rock thing that doesn't go with the genre at all, and is the most exciting thing in the series. Artwork is blase, and not inspiring at all. Character designs are bland. In fact, I can find no redeeming qualities with this work. It's also hard to hate it, since it doesn't do anything to irritate or offend people. It doesn't do anything period. Except set up, set up, set up, and bland set up at that.
My advice, skip it. Complete waste of time.
Rating 3 out of 10 (Low score is a bad score)
The moral of the story? Never expect much from a Studio Gonzo anime.
% Ginrai wrote
The moral of the story? Never expect much from a Studio Gonzo anime.
% That's a bit harsh, IMO. Just finished Last Exile, and liked it. Even the ending, which I'll admit was a touch anti-climatic (in many ways, the opposite of Vandread) I even thought the way in which certain characters met their ends (yes, even the 'useless' ones) was well done as well. Not every death needs to have a reason, in fact most don't.
% My only real gripe was the misleading bit over Moran. They really needed to let the people watching know he was definitely alive before the last minute.