Coyote Ragtime Show | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

Coyote Ragtime Show

Shonen anime can reach fans in many shapes and sizes, boasting all kinds of sub-genres under its flag. While having many typical shonen tropes on board, there are series with their own unique twists and turns strewn about it. The Coyote Ragtime Show is an excellent example of such a shonen.

This TV anime series has only 12 episodes in total, which aired from Jul 4th, 2006 to Sep 19th, 2006, as a Summer 2006 anime. Producers KlockWorx, Studio Mausu, and Toshiba Entertainment band together with Licensors ADV Films and Funimation to bring this anime to life.

The studio, which amazes fans with each of their projects being better than before, handled this title as well back in the day; It is none other than Studio Ufotable itself. Based on the Manga series of the same title, this original series features Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mecha, Sci-Fi, and Shonen genres. It is rated PG-13 for Teens 13 years of age or older audiences.

“Coyote” refers to space-faring outlaws or space pirates within the world of the Coyote Ragtime Show. “Mister” is the name of one such notorious coyote, who was imprisoned for a year on the charges of a trafficking offense. With only ten days remaining for his official release, he breaks out of prison with the aid of his good old partners and sidekicks named “Bishop” and “Katana.” These three, along with the help of Mister’s longtime rival “Swamp,” seek out a young girl named “Franca Dochley.”

The legendary Pirate King Bruce met his end at the hands of Madame Marciano, the boss of the Galactic Criminal Guild, three years before the start of the main story. His daughter Franca, who had witnessed his father’s death, had been left to Mister’s care. The king left a treasure of ten billion Space Dollars to his daughter, which is hidden in an elaborate custom vault somewhere on the planet of Graceland. Mister and company, along with Franca, take on an eventful journey to find the King’s treasure.

Things are not going to be that easy, though, as Graceland was currently in such a terrible state of Civil War that the President of the Milky Way Federation plans to blow up the entire planet in a week. Mister is now placed in a situation where he must help Franca get her inheritance treasure before either Madame Marciano and her band of twelve Android Assassin Sisters or the Federal Investigators Detective Angelica Burns and Chelsea get to them.

Franca, being a tsundere, secretly feels that Mister and company are only using to get to her father’s treasure. Only she knows where Bruce’s treasure is buried and owns a pendant given to her by her father that will eventually lead them to said treasure. She finds herself tangled in this mess, and this treasure hunt inevitable whether she likes it or not.

On the other hand, Mister is a criminal mastermind, the proprietor of bar "Pirate" and captain of the "Coyote" starship. A jovial man, who has more depth than what meets the eye, he honestly wishes to honor Bruce and fulfill his promise to Franca. He is very particular about the meaning of the word “Coyote,” which means much more than being a pirate; it's about not giving up on friends and family.

The story, from the surface, is about a group of Space Pirates on an intergalactic treasure hunt. What makes the show “Ragtime” is how this is all happening during a planetary war between galactic federations with psychotic robot assassin maids on their heels. The initial episodes are pretty straightforward, without needing much buildup as the main crew escapes from prison and embark on their grand treasure hunt while picking up new members along the way.

Each episode reveals a piece of the puzzle needed to uncover the treasure waiting at the end. These pieces are not so easy to come by either, as each involves heists and swindling to be put in place. It is a pretty explosive and fun story that portrays Coyotes with merciless killers hot on their tracks.

The art and animation of the series are pretty well done. The character designs and the spaceships are all quite memorable in their own rights, being unique and high-tier. Madame Marciano’s twelve robotic sisters are a prime example. Each of them boasts a unique and fresh design with great individuality and personality. The animation may feel lacking at certain times, but these are many and can be attributed to a slight lapse in quality. The action scenes are well choreographed and draw viewers right into it from the onset, making the watch worth it.

The music and sounds of the series are great; it fits the themes so well. The opening is "COYOTE" by Naoki with Power Sound, and the ending is "Usuragu Kioku" by Sana (from episodes 1 to 11). Episode 12 features the Opening itself as the ending. These are both quite enjoyable and relays the feel of the series accurately.

The music exaggerates the explosive style of the series, utilizing both epic jazz and rock music. When it comes to the emotional scenes, the music changes into ones that flow with the mood quite well and hits the feels. In contrast, the action scenes are packed with excellent explosion sound effects and gunshot sounds.

The characters are brilliant, with each character, whether principal or supporting, having an interesting past and a future vision. The twelve android assassins of the Galactic Criminal Guild, in particular, named after the months of the year, each of them is so unique in their personalities and abilities.

Each specializes in a specific type of weapon, ranging from simple knives to P90s to Katanas and even bombs. All of them are a pleasure to watch and understand. Coyote and his company portray their criminal personalities very well, primarily through the sheer amount of arrogance each of them can exude.

Overall, each episode is impressive in terms of its stylish and explosive action scenes. Each being unique from another, they all have a different type of action to savor and enjoy. Not just in quantity, but in quality as well, each action scene is increasingly unique, entertaining, and unpredictable; viewers just don't see it coming, especially not on that scale. The feels are guaranteed when reflecting upon Mister and Fanca’s relationship, as it steadily develops across the series, becoming more meaningful and heartwarming.

While there are ways this series could've been better, it’s an excellent watch for what it's worth. It has a steady balance of awesomeness and lackluster moments, which comes when unpredictable. There is much to be desired in terms of character development for certain supporting characters, like some of the Twelve sisters.

While some of them had incredible levels of individuality, some had little to none, which is unfortunate as they are a very iconic and likable part of the show. If the series went on longer, it had the potential to cover all of this up in a badass way to boot. Regardless, these small flaws are no reason at all not to watch this series. It has more than enough great content to keep viewers hooked from the onset. Definitely a very entertaining watch, especially for comedy and action fans!