Black Blood Brothers | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

Black Blood Brothers

Shonen anime from over a decade ago can differ from what we have now as major Shonen titles. But regardless, there are a number of similar factors that add to the whole Shonen feel and make fans of the genre feel at home. In fact, some of the greatest masterpieces of Shonen anime spawned within the decade before the last, between 2000 to 2010.

Black Blood Brothers is such a Shonen series that aired as a Fall 2006 anime title. This 12 episode series ran from 8th September 2006 to 24th November 2006. The series was produced by Toshiba Entertainment and Happinet Pictures, licensed by Funimation, and done by Studio Group TAC. It features various genres like Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Shounen, Supernatural, and Vampires. It is rated R for audiences of ages 17 years and above due to its showcased violence and profanity.

The anime series is an adaptation of the original Light Novel series, titled Black Blood Brothers (BBB), which spanned 11 volumes in total, running from July 16th, 2004 to May 20th, 2006. Another single-volume Manga adaptation was released for the series, titled Black Blood Brothers ver. C in 2007, which is a collection of side stories taking place after the Black Blood Brothers anime timeline.

A period of ten years has passed since the Holy War that blew over Hong Kong. Protagonist Mochizuki Jirou, also known as the Silver Blade, was the lone hero who fought valiantly and defeated the Kowloon Children. But during this difficult battle, he lost his lover. Now, alongside his younger brother Mochizuki Kotarou, he returns to Japan. Here they swiftly discover that survivors of the Kowloon Children, who had lived past the war, are looking to infiltrate the "Special Zone.”

This zone is a thriving city protected by an invisible barrier, which blocks out Kowloon Children’s entrance unless they are invited in. In a turn of events, Kotarou is abducted by one of the Kowloon Children survivors, leaving Jirou once again with no choice but to fight. In this world, Red Bloods refer to the human race, while Black Bloods refer to the Vampire race. Both the Mochizuki Brothers are of Old Blood, the only remaining descendants of a once elite Vampires clan.

The story of Black Blood Brothers mainly focuses on Vampires, of course, but they pay more attention to the main character Jirou himself, over all the other Vampires and the nature of Vampires in this world. In fact, the focus is Jirou’s battle against the Kowloon Children. The background story is revealed slowly but steadily as the series progresses from the onset in each episode.

The story build-up is good and doesn't leave too much to guesswork, despite it starting off a little enigmatic at first. By the time of the final episode, everything is revealed clearly and thoroughly. The story’s development is smooth and neat, with enough cliffhangers and suspense to keep viewers interested in the anime. It is commendable for decently packing the whole story and backstory into just 12 episodes and executing it acceptably.

The animation and art of the series are pretty good for an anime from this era. The character designs are a bit cartoonish, but it goes well with the themes of the story. The animation, though, especially with their movements, is very fluid and mature. The action scenes, in particular, are well done and build up the hype for more.

The color palette is very bright and vivid, as opposed to the usual dark and shady colors of a typical vampire anime, which sadly dulls down the seriousness of the scenes. This gives it an air of lightheartedness, but it transitions well into a serious mood when necessary. Overall the artwork and animation are well executed and commendable.

The Opening theme is "Ashita no Kioku" by Naozumi Takahashi, and the Ending theme is "Shinkirou" by LOVEHOLIC. The opening is a pretty relaxed and entertaining J-rock song that fits the series to perfection, a wise choice. The ending isn't as notable, a typical J-pop song, which is lighthearted with a melodic tune.

The two pieces contrast each other well. The OSTs aren’t legendary but fit each scene well enough, especially the action. The more commendable aspect of sound would be the way special effects were executed in the series. The sounds are realistic, especially the clashing of swords and guns alike.

Within a span of just 12 episodes, the characters’ development is commendable. Each character is shown to have different sides to them than what is evident on the surface. In an overall serious series, they added some funny lines and moments to keep the air light. Jirou, in particular, has notable comedic one-liners that occasionally pop up.

Still, he is pretty much a typical anime vampire, with long black hair and a flowing red garb, with the most prominent article of clothing being a long red trench coat. These aspects are pretty overused and cliche, far too similar to Alucard from Hellsing.

As expected, he even came from a very special bloodline called the Blood of the Sage and was a lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Navy before becoming a Vampire. In contrast, Kotarou looks like anything but a vampire, a polar opposite appearance from his brother. Another cliche point is how overpowered Jirou is, seemingly invincible, capable of taking down all foes without breaking a sweat, with the only exception being the series battle finale. While there are anime that use this trope well, Black Blood Brothers does not. So it's best to resign oneself to the fact that he is just overpowered till the end.

Black Blood Brothers is a short but action-packed vampire series that mixes in some humorous aspects as well. There is some premise left for a Season 2, but it is doubtful. Had it continued past these 12 episodes, it had more potential to fall short than to pick up, so it's practically a good thing it concluded when it did.

The story is passable, has reasonable depth, which doesn't get too complicated or messy, with good animation and sounds. The characters are the main highlight who are mid to good tier depending on the viewer’s perspective. It doesn't have many aspects to keep viewers thirsting for more continuously.

The fight scenes can be curt at times and just too fast and easy, all thanks to Jirou’s overpowered-ness, making them not as entertaining as they could've been. It also feels lacking in terms of suspense, which is a crucial feature of most vampire anime. Regardless, the story is easy to follow, and any vampire action genre fans would find this series to be decent or good at least. It is a proper short series that can keep viewers engaged for the span of its limited run.

For fans of the Vampire, Action, Comedy, and Shonen genres, Black Blood Brothers is a decent watch that won’t take up too much time. It is straightforward and makes everything clear by the end, making for an entertaining show. A recommended decent watch for fans of these genres!