Blassreiter | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

Blassreiter

Many anime fans love an excellent Action series, one with high stakes and hits even harder. Anime in the Action genre aren’t pointless blood-fests; in fact, each battle holds meaning, reasoning, and consequences in the past, present, and future. They are integral parts of a complex story and interwoven characters. Unfortunately, most of the titles under this banner remain underrated.

Blassreiter, also known as “BLASSREITER -genetic- '' is an anime series featuring the genres of both Action and Sci-Fi. This is a TV anime series that spanned 24 episodes, starting from the 6th of April until the 28th of September, as a Spring 2008 title. It was produced by Nitroplus and Sotsu Music Publishing, licensed by Funimation, and brought to life by Studio Gonzo.

The central staff behind the anime are Nagai Masaru (Producer), Aketagawa Jin (Sound Director), Sano Takashi (Episode Director and Storyboard), and Itano Ichirou (Director, Episode Director, Script, Storyboard, Screenplay, Animation Director, Key Animation and Series Composition).

The series is rated R - 17+ for its violence & profanity, best suited for mature audiences. This original series is adapted from the Light Novel “Blassreiter Judgment '' which spanned two volumes. This ran from the 1st of July until the 1st of October, 2008; by Authors Gonzo, Momose Chiyo and Nitroplus and the Artists Onda Naoyuki and Niθ. A summary of the series was also released as a single Special episode titled “Blassreiter: Navi '' on the 22nd of June, 2008, by the same Studio.

The story is set in an alternate modern version of Germany which is facing a catastrophe. It has been plagued by a violent outbreak of what is called "Amalgams." These cybernetic entities exist solely to wreak havoc and cause devastation, spawning from nothing but rotting flesh and then fusing with technology to gain new deadly abilities.

When society is left in the chaotic wake of their cruel destruction, the Xenogenesis Assault Team (XAT) is founded in order to battle and suppress the threat. Their primary mission is to protect society against Amalgam attacks. Still, at the same time, their organization is researching the newly discovered "Amalgamated" humans, who seem to possess rational thought, making them far deadlier and a much more significant threat than their non-sentient counterparts.

Protagonist Joseph Jobson is one such Amalgamated human, but he retains complete control over his powers. Due to this, he is broadly successful in his line of work as a lone warrior.

But as fate would have it, an unfortunate encounter with Gerd Frentzen, who had just recently turned into an Amalgam, ends up making Joseph a priority target of the XAT.

Now Joseph has no choice but to elude the organization while seeking out new allies for himself. In the midst of this mayhem, he is transformed into the “Blassreiter,” an entity heralded as the strongest Amalgam in all of existence. Armed with his newfound powers, he now fights back in order to uncover the truth behind his mysterious past. At the same time, he seeks the truth behind the entire Amalgam conflict.

Blassreiter is an excellent anime spawned from Studio Gonzo in collaboration with Nitro+. The main themes of this contemporary anime are clearly portrayed via the extensive use of CGI, the futuristic setting, the highly advanced technology, and the moral and ethical consequences stemming from it, leading to the degradation of humanity in the process.

This aspect can be considered the central element of the series, around which the entirety of the plot is built. The classical (and typical) drives of redemption, friendship, duty, loyalty, and love lead each of the characters down their own respective paths, dictating their actions and the motives to keep pressing forward.

The Story of Blassreiter is probably its most prominent weakness, but it isn’t necessarily bad. It revolves around the Nanomachine virus spreading across the country, infecting humans in its wake. Upon infection, people become demonic creatures who are stripped of their humanity.

This is pretty much an overused anime trope, being neither original nor epochal. Still, it is executed decently with multiple twists and turns to keep the tension and suspense high. Thus this series is capable of making viewers want to watch the next episode right away. There is also no shortage of melancholy, drama, pain, and tragedy in the mix, making the series intense while stirring viewers’ hearts. The downside lies in the absence of any clear direction or plot, with just spread out action and mayhem.

The characters of Blassreiter are a selling point. They are highlights of the series to an extent, and almost any type of viewer should be able to find a character they can genuinely relate to. They are driven forward by their inner thoughts, wishes, and pasts, all of which are diverse but with a few common points like grief, burdens, and friendships.

Unfortunately, though, these characters aren't necessarily that unique or overall compelling. Their personalities can be found in countless other anime, and while a few may appeal to a particular viewer, the remainders probably won’t.

The Art and Animation of Blassreiter are probably its best aspect. It features excellent presentation, suspenseful action sequences, neat camera angles, fine-tuned execution, cool character designs, and advanced technology in the form of vehicles and Mechas.

The CG is also noteworthy, as most action scenes are full of them, with good attention to detail on entities and bringing to life intense fight scenes, which would otherwise be impossible with conventional animation. Overall the animation is top-notch. On the side of Art alone, it may mainly be attributed to the viewer’s tastes, but overall it is pretty great. The style and quality are definitely there and are, without a doubt, high.

The Music and Sounds of Blassreiter are also plus points. The Opening themes are "Detarame na Zanzou" by GRANRODEO and "unripe hero" by Minami Kuribayashi. The Ending themes are "sad rain" by Aki Misato, "Separating moment" by Aki Misato, "A Wish For The Star" by Kanako Itou, and "sweet lies" by Kanako Itou. All of these themes were done well and suited the anime well.

The OSTs were solid and entertaining, from the moment they start playing until it stops or fades away. The Action and Battle OSTs back up the battles well, pumping up the suspense as well. The character themes/OSTs all suit each character well and exude their vibes perfectly. The Voice acting and sound effects don’t lag behind either, making for a feast upon the ears.

Overall, Blassreiter may not be a masterpiece, but it is still a great watch, especially for fans of the Sci-Fi and Action genres. In the end, there is little to be disappointed about and perhaps a few thoughts on how it could have been better. This series is a thrill in terms of quality, animation, art, and outstanding audio.

It is an excellent series to binge-watch because the suspense of what will happen in the next episode can indeed be taxing. It can be a perfect watch for Shounen fans, and the feeling that it would have amounted to more if it had more episodes is there. Even so, it is a good thing it ended when it did as far as the story goes.

This series is underrated and deserves a chance, one that spans past the first few episodes. Give Blassreiter this chance; it’s very likely you’re in for an enjoyable series and will be entertained at the end.