Gleipnir

Gleipnir

Seinen anime are series generally targeted at older audiences. They vary in subgenres and have evolved over the years. The most popular of this genre include titles like Tokyo Ghoul, Elfen Lied, Black Bullet, Hellsing, Vinland Saga, and Black Lagoon. Gleipnir is a relatively new addition to the list, being a Spring 2020 anime.

The TV anime series Gleipnir began on April 5th, 2020, and concluded on June 28th, 2020, for 13 episodes. The series is based on the Manga of the same title. Producers Kodansha, Bilibili, and Good Smile Film, in conjunction with Licensor Funimation and Studio Pine Jam, brought the series to the small screen. In addition to being a Seinen, it also features genres like Action, Mystery, Supernatural and Ecchi. The amount of violence and profanity included has a rating of 17+ for older audiences.

Protagonist Shuuichi Kagaya is the average third-year high school male student, the type one can find in any High School anime. But, of course, there is a catch, as he sometimes turns into a weird monster. Being utterly clueless about how or why he is capable of doing so, he doesn’t want anyone to know about this, knowing ordinary day life will slip from his grasp if his secret is revealed. While being scared of himself, he wishes only to live like an average person and for things never to change.

His attempt at “normal” life is disrupted when he comes across a burning building one night with a girl trapped inside. He decides to save her, risking the safety of his secret. He transforms and carries her out of the building but makes the fatal mistake of dropping his phone in the process.

The very next day, the consequences of his actions catch up to him as the girl he saved, Claire Aoki, seeks him out and confronts him about his secret. Being unusually desperate, she goes the extra mile to push him off the school building to know for sure after Shuuichi denies all monster-related allegations.

Left with no other choice, he transforms to save himself, and Claire, being as opportunistic as she is, snaps a picture of it. She uses it to blackmail him into revealing everything he knows about monsters. But as it turns out, neither of them knows much.

Realizing that the two needed to work together to get anywhere, Claire reveals her secret afterward; she is searching for her sister, who had also turned into a monster at some point. She then makes Shuuichi team up with her to find her sister. But their search for answers isn’t going to proceed as smoothly as they hoped for as there are more people on the prowl for answers.

Gleipnir is pretty well animated. It has decent development, an exciting story comprising both mystery and action, a badass soundtrack, and a lot of ecchi where most don't expect it. It may not be brilliant, but it can pass as an excellent ecchi anime with ample fanservice, delivered altogether in a somewhat creepy and at times disturbing series. It even goes the extra mile to enhance the original content from the manga in this anime adaptation. Be warned, there is a lot of ecchi, and it might not be the best idea for non-ecchi fans. Overall, the series is well made, though, and the creators’ effort is apparent.

The story of Gleipnir revolves around the weak-willed and lackluster main character Shuuichi and the half-nude, hyperactive and insane Claire as they kick ass “from” Shuuichi’s monster form. It's about her getting the answers she wants no matter what and him growing a backbone and getting a purpose in life as he continues to grow with experience. In the middle of all this are the almighty powers of friendship and incel laments.

Claire’s sister had killed their parents and left her behind with only a coin, and this coin somehow seems to be connected to Shuuichi’s power as well. The two are determined (mostly Claire, though) to unravel the mystery of their town. The story is neither deep or moralistic; it’s more like a crazy ride with edgy fun and a few emotional moments. The premise and themes are pretty unique, not common material for sure. Give the series a chance, up to around five episodes, as the story’s built-up mystery is sufficient to keep fans going.

The characters may not be super unique, but they can keep the show going enjoyably. Minor characters may come across as annoying, but they are insignificant most of the time. The transformations and abilities of the monsters, however, are unique and entertaining to watch.

Claire herself steals the spotlight of the show, being both exciting and maniacal at the same time. Shuuichi is more like her handy tool to meet her ends and eventually grows from being a spineless nerd. But as the central duo, the two have their moments (ecchi and non-ecchi).

Claire is an iron-willed, hard-working, crazy yandere of sorts that provides fanservice, compromising most of the series’s ecchi aspect. Initially, she is suicidal, maniacal, and obsessive, willing to give anything for information on the coins.

Her development shows that she is mostly just reckless and ruthless instead of plain outright crazy. She doesn't pull her punches, willing to sacrifice, caring for her loved ones, ready to forsake morals and ethics to meet her ends, and is prepared to do some pretty tricky things. She is convinced she has nothing left to lose and goes all out.

As far as the couple is concerned, their relationship is unique and cute in a weird way. The supporting cast is mostly dull and generic. Erena Aoki, Yoshioka Chihiro, and Sanbe, with the most badass transformation, are a league above the rest. The antagonists are quite generic as well, with the only exception being the “big bad.”

The animation is outstanding in Gleipnir. The animation and art style are tiers above the source material. The enhancements made to the anime serve to give the characters and story more depth. Especially the fight sequences, in particular, were expanded and executed with better choreography. Even minor scenes that seem inconsequential are well animated and portrayed to contribute to the story.

The music and soundtracks are all great and super catchy. The opening is “Altern-ate-" by H-el-ical//, and the ending is "Ame to Taieki to Nioi” by Mili. The OSTs consist of pretty chill music, hardcore action music, creepy horror music, and mystery music. They bring out the thrill of each scene and fit the themes so well.

In conclusion, Gleipnir is an enjoyable show for fans of its featured genres. It will be immensely entertaining for fans of ecchi and weird fetishes, abundant throughout the series. These factors tend to overshadow the main story and characters quite a bit; however, be warned. The animation itself is the best thing about it, and it decently delivers in terms of its unique premise.