Legend of Black Heaven
Do you ever just start an anime and realize that it’s going to be just another ordinary show full of action and exposition? The same is the case with Legend of Black Heaven. It starts as a plain show with nothing much to offer, to be honest. However, the deeper you get into the show, you begin to realize that this series has more to say than it lets on in the first few episodes. The Legend of Black Heaven is a full-out, action-packed, deeply emotional roller coaster rides with some of the best music that I’ve personally ever heard in all anime.
The story follows the middle-class salary worker Oji Tanaka; he has a wife and a child and lives in the modern city of Tokyo. However, his life wasn’t always this boring. Fifteen years ago, Oji was known popularly as "Gabriel,” the leader of a small heavy metal band called Black Heaven.
Oji's life gets a sudden shift in tempo when a blonde lady named Layla invites him to pick up his Gibson Flying V and show off his legendary guitar play. Oji or “Gabriel” didn’t realize that his music generates a massive weapon in an intergalactic war.
I’ll be candid; this is one of the most original stories that I’ve come across in anime in a WHILE. Though I do think that it lacks a lot of polishing, it’s very visibly flawed, too, at times. A lot of the story is very slow-paced and doesn’t do much, especially at the start.
However, the writers somewhat figure it out as the series goes along because the second half gets everything right. I was always just itching to watch the next episode right after the one I finished nearing the last five episodes. Everything was just so tense and fast and engaging. So I think you should sit through the first few episodes despite them being very bland because as soon as the story picks up, it doesn’t let you go.
When it comes to the characters, both Oji and Layla are some of the most important and memorable characters. Every time they were on screen, it was fun, but when they were together, then it was just pure unfiltered chemistry between the two characters.
Oji, also known as Gabriel, takes the helms of the series and becomes the heart of it all. His incredible development from a routinely mundane wage slave to an absolute rock and roll legend is one of the most fun things to witness. Though I have to mention, the rest of the characters were pretty darn interesting, too, yet they didn’t have much in the story that would make them memorable enough for me.
Black Heaven is way different from a typical anime, mind you. This series does everything differently, though that’s probably because it’s not aimed at teenagers or young people; it’s more catered to adults.
Most anime is catered towards teenagers or even kids, but Black Heaven's comedic integrity and its awareness of the themes it speaks about is entirely for adults. It’s a much different anime compared to the rest of the anime out there in the market that you will find, and for a good reason, a lot of the subject matter is very uniquely mature.
Art is the one aspect of Black Heaven that I can criticize without a shadow of a doubt as inferior. However, I feel as if I should mention that a lot of the CGI used during the space scenes with the battles and space action, in general, was phenomenal! It looks exquisite each time that these characters would rampage through the final frontier; it was a sight to behold.
However, most of the budget was used on these space sequences, which means that not a lot was left for the remainder of the series, and it looks pretty poor. You’re just not going to find anything impressive when it comes to the art in Black Heaven.
On the other hand, the music is absolute perfection, and a lot of the tracks that are repeated throughout the series have actual weight to them and bring a much-needed depth to the storyline. Many of the same tracks were used repeatedly throughout the series; however, they were placed in such a perfect manner that it hardly ever felt repetitive. Each track in the series brought a much-needed nuance to the scenes, making every moment feel unique and special.
There isn’t much to talk about The Legend of Black Heaven without really going deep into spoiler territory. All that I can tell you is that it is a raucous affair, with two VERY memorable main characters and some of the most exciting story arcs in anime history. What makes this series even better is the compelling orchestral and rock music that blares through every single big story moment.
Black Heaven is a true marvel in the music department; however, it fails in art and animation. For the most part, the art is decent; the main characters look unique, and the world feels fleshed out; however, the art is very rough around the edges in most scenes, and the animation isn’t fluid at all. The CGI, on the other hand, is excellent! In conclusion, it’s a great series that lacks a lot of polish, so while I did enjoy it a lot, it might not be the best thing for audiences that want better production on their anime.
