BREAK BLADE- A MECHA HIT!
In the land of Cruzon, magic exists. It allows the people to do wonderful things by controlling and empowering quartz. There is an exception among these hundreds of people, Rygart Arrow, who cannot use magic and is titled the “un-sorcerer.” This makes many aspects of life for Rygart hard to live through as he is belittled and looked down upon by the people of Cruzon.
Little do they know that Rygrat’s inability to use magic will enable him to pilot an ancient golem, a powerful machine. It possesses capabilities and systems far more advanced than that of the current golems, allowing him to put up a fight against the invading army of Athens and the kingdom of Krisna as an impending war nears them.
The talented Yunosuke Yoshinaga is behind Break Blade’s manga series, with its first volume published in 2007. The manga, later on, received six 50-minute-long films by sentai Filmworks that are also available online to stream. The films were later adapted and edited into a 12-episode long anime series by Production I.G and XEBEC that soon began airing in Japan from April 2014 to June 2014.
Now let’s one-by-one discuss all the significant aspects of Break Blade.
The plot of the series is just a chopped-up version of its movies. Over six 50-minute-long films somehow were squeezed into twelve 20-minute-long episodes. The actual plot of the series is fantastic, but the sorry amount of screen time it received in the anime series was a disappointment. Break Blade is one of those unfortunate anime that carried a lot of potentials but wasn’t allowed to deliver its plot in-depth and let its characters receive the time they deserved.
The story is quite intriguing. It revolves around your usual underdog protagonist, in a fantasy realm, who discovers his importance after many defeats and breakdowns and manages to pull a sike on his haters later on. There's not much to say about the plot except it being incomplete in the anime. The pace was average, but it could not be enjoyed thoroughly as the story in the series was not touched in-depth and left a poor impression
on the viewers.
When I say Stunning, I mean it in every way. Break Blade redeems itself entirely in the animation department. The series can be watched solely to enjoy its art, and it will not leave you disappointed. The art in the anime is incredible, and it is the best you will ever see without a doubt. You can tell by just looking at the animation that the creators paid true attention to detailors. The colors, the detail, and the special effects played a significant role in uplifting my spirits after receiving minor disappointments from its poorly executed plot.
Despite being highly critical of mecha battles, this show tops the charts for me when it comes to fighting scenes. Good luck with getting your eyes off the screen during those intense and fantastically animated fight scenes. A full-blown 20-minute episode will end in seconds as you remain hooked to it.
The awe-inspiring art combined with its excellent sound effects takes the whole experience of this show to soaring heights. The battle music played in the background plays a significant role in kicking in that adrenaline in you. The mediocre opening and ending themes didn’t add much to the hype, but the overall experience with the soundtracks in the anime made the experience of watching it better by a mile.
experience of watching it better by a mile.
The next thing you're ought to love about this anime is its fantastic cast of characters. Rygard arrow, Sygin Erster, Hodr, and general Baldr are some of the prominent personalities in the anime. Each of them gets solid screen time to showcase their development.
I loved the protagonist for not being an over-powered hotshot who magically knows how to operate a giant machine upon controlling it for the first time and aces the battles. The creators kept his character very simple and realistic and allowed the protagonist to make errors even during the battle scenes. Rygard takes his sweet time with getting used to operating his machine and gaining confidence in intense battles. His character development is very smooth and easy to digest along with others’. You wouldn’t have a hard time forming subtle attachments with some of them, which also serves as a plus point for this anime.
IS IT WORTH WATCHING?
Break Blade is undoubtedly a must-watch for all hardcore mecha fans out there. This is the last thing you would want to miss out on if you're looking for something packed with thrill and beauty both. Break Blade won't give you a classic story with overpowered characters, but it will blow you out of your sneakers with its breathtaking animation. You owe it to yourselves to watch giant mechs beat the crap out of each other.
This anime series will take you on an action-packed ride and leave you mesmerized by its art along the way. The plot has its faults, but you can check out the movies and the manga to get more depth.
more depth.
The anime was a disappointment for those who had waited for so long and expected something new and refreshing after the release of its films. The anime series, except for its incredible art and epic soundtracks, had nothing new to offer. It was more like a summarized recap of the previously animated films.
However, it is safe to say the creativity shown in the other elements of this show did mask these apparent faults. For those who have not seen the films yet, this anime will surely top their lists, but the show was probably a huge disappointment for those who had seen the movie.
I'm going to judge it objectively and keep both sides in mind, and after much thought, I have decided to give it a rating of a solid 8/10.
