Gun×Sword
If there were ever an anime that mixed a few of my favorite things, Gun Sword would be it. It has mecha, combining mecha, exotic dancing, nods to classic anime, desperados, action, and a cult! Withstanding plot, what more could I ask? No good anime could be complete without its own Charles Manson. He’s no Sheev Palpatine, but he’ll suffice.
Gun Sword or “Gun×Sword” as it is often stylized is a twenty-six-episode anime directed by Hideyuki Kurata. Hideyuki Kurata is known for his work on “Now and Then. Here and There”, The World God Only Knows,” and 2017’s Made in Abyss. Gorō Taniguchi directs Gun Sword. Taniguchi’s work on other mecha series in the eighties and nineties, and early 2000s is apparent throughout Gun Sword. Lastly, AIC Asta handled the art and animation.
With all these heavyweights handling Gun Sword, it’s no wonder, Van; our series protagonist, is constantly dumping condiment money shots on his food only to belt out exclamations once he has a bite. I’m getting ahead of myself, but Gun Sword is licensed by Madman Entertainment, MVM Films, and in North America by Funimation. At the time of writing, Gun Sword is currently available for streaming in North America on Funimation.
Location is everything in anime and manga, and this anime takes place on the new earth planet, the Endless Illusion. A former prison planet similar to Georgia, the state, not the country, is a place of violence and hope.
Our protagonist Van wanders this world searching for the man who wounded him and murdered his betrothed on their wedding day. Known only by his claw, Van lives for the day he can take his revenge and avenge his wife’s death.
Van’s journey begins when he happens upon the town of Evergreen, a city under siege by Lucky’s gang. Emplored by the mayor to assist, Van refuses, but as fate would have it and the gods of not giving away the story, Van’s actions save the town and inspire the citizens to take up arms and assist in their defense.
Now known as “Van of the Dawn,” Van leaves Evergreen with resident tsundere Wendy and her pink turtle Kameo. The two would journey, Van begrudgingly, to find his wife’s killer and Wendy, her kidnapped brother.
As they travel from place to place, they and the viewer are given clues to the man known as the Claw’s machinations. Some good and some destructive. These breadcrumbs provide insight into the Claw, later referred to as Comrad’s mission.
The journey or staying to one’s path features prominently in Gun Sword, as others join Van and Wendy as they search for the Claw. The primary ensemble of actors is assembled in the first five episodes, and either features prominently throughout the anime or reappears when the Claw’s plans are nearing completion.
In addition to Van and Wendy, their surrogate family is rounded out by Carmen 99 (Carul Mendosa), named for a bust size of which she is proud, The Eldorado Five, Yukiko Stevens, and Ray Lundgren, who round out the initial core. As the story progresses, Joshua, the annoyingly eccentric brother of Ray and Priscilla, another Armor Rider introduced in episode 14, round out the group.
The Eldorado Five is a band of former Armor Riders who have taken up an inebriated residence at the Pink Flamingo, a bar located in their hometown. Yukiko Stevens runs the Pink Flamingo. Yukiko is the granddaughter of the late Chizuru Stevens, the fifth member of the Eldorado Five, and the original owner of the Pink Flamingo. She remains at the saloon out of honor for her grandmother until she leaves with the Eldorado Five to chart her path. The group would later meet up with Van, Wendy, and the others to defeat the Claw. The Eldorado Five and Priscilla pay homage to several anime, including Super Sentai and Mobile Fighter G Gundam.
Gun x Sword, pronounced Gun Sword takes place in an unknown part of the universe on a planet called the Endless illusion. The Endless Illusion was once a prison planet guarded by seven satellite-based mecha called “Armor.” These Armors and their riders were wardens tasked to keep the peace. Due to corruption, the riders became consumed with malice and were ultimately destroyed.
It is not known when but Earth was destroyed at some point. A group of scientists escaped along with the man known as the Claw. Due to isolation in the space, the crew went insane and killed each other, leaving only the Claw.
The Claw is the main antagonist. He disposed of The Original Seven Armor Riders save Gadved and began rebuilding The Original Seven with a new order to begin his new world order of world peace.
In the same way, his base resembles a star; the Claw is the central figure and the tie that binds the Endless Illusion together. An older man in appearance who is charismatic yet shuns the pomp and circumstance of being a cult leader, the Claw is seen as a man who is both benevolent and violent. He allows his followers to pursue their paths as long as it does not interfere with his goal of peace.
Three years ago, the Claw was introduced to Ray and Van via their spouses. Shino, Ray’s wife, was the creator of the Volkein and early terraforming armor and the forerunner to later armors. Helena, the wife of Van, was a scientist and was instrumental in fitting Van to his armor, Dann of Thursday. As both wives realized the Claw’s actual plans and refused to join him, he subsequently killed them. Helena’s dying wish would be for Gadvad to use her blood to save Van.
Hideyuki does a great job of establishing the motivations of the main characters. It is quickly understood that Van and Ray are two sides of the revenge coin, with Wendy and Joshua aiding in their character development.
Hideyuki also does an excellent job of developing the character of Wendy. Via her backstory, we learn that her brother Michael took care of her after they lost their parents. When Michael is kidnapped, she is forced to grow up and follow her own path. As she travels, she forms a bond with Van, albeit tumultuous.
Development of the remaining characters is hit and miss as they tend to fall into plot drivers. The three females Carmen, Priscilla, and Yukiko, have varying levels of backstory; Carmen’s is the best fleshed out while the latter two receive minor treatment.
In the same way, the antagonists’ development is satisfactory at best though the most significant fault, in my opinion, lies with Michael. Michael, Wendy’s brother, is kidnapped, but he chooses to follow the Claw later on. he is recruited due to his ability to pilot an armor without surgical implants. Van and Gadvad required enhancements.
Michael developed a blind devotion to the Conrad though it falters after encountering Wendy at Zonnet Junction. His dedication to the man with the Claw is rekindled courtesy of Fasilina, whose magic could have easily pushed this anime closer to vanilla than shonen! The sin here is that Michael is perhaps the only member (it’s unclear with Faslina) of The Original Seven suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Because he plays a significant role in the Claws plan, his backstory and motivations could have used better clarity.
Gun Sword pays homage to several Giant Robot and mecha anime and Spike from Cowboy Bebop. The animation art and soundtracks are also throwbacks to various mecha anime, martial arts, Kaiju cinema, and American Westerns. One character, in particular, bears a striking resemblance to Kwai Chang Caine (Kung-fu), played by the late actor David Carridine.
Despite the nostalgia, viewers looking for significant depth or twenty-six episodes of mindless entertainment may find Gun Sword lacking. Much in the same way that Van mixes his condiments before eating Gun Sword combines a little bit of everything to create a dish of varying quality that not even a side villain with an extreme Oedipus complex can save.
