Sirius the Jaeger

How young were you when you first heard stories of supernatural beings known as vampires? Since Bram Stoker published his Dracula novel in 1897, an entire media genre focusing on vampires has burst forth. They are often portrayed as sinister beings who use their enhanced capabilities to hunt and drink the blood of humans, but anime tends to swing both ways concerning them being morally good or bad. This is how the fan base ended up choosing their favorite shade: morally gray!

“Sirius the Jaeger,” also known as “Tenrou” or simply “Sirius,” is a 12-episode TV anime series that aired from the 12th of July until the 27th of September in the summer of 2018. Studio P.A. Works brought it to life while working with Sotsu, Warner Bros. Japan, and Infinite.

The central staff behind it included Oowada Tomoyuki, Nagatani Takayuki, Kawase Kouhei, and Watase Shouta as producers. This is an original work featuring the genres of action and supernatural, alongside the themes of historical and vampire. This series of 23-minute episodes received a rating of R–17+ for its violence and profanity.

The story is set in the fictional year 1930, when vampires had infiltrated Tokyo and started to feast on its unsuspecting human citizens. Day by day, the number of victims continues to rise, and the city authorities decide to hire the Jaegers, a strange and diverse group of people tasked with hunting down vampires worldwide, courtesy of the V Shipping Company.

By carrying around musical instrument cases, the Jaegers conceal their identities while fighting vampires with the same level of ruthlessness as their adversaries. The series protagonist, Jirov Yuliy, is the Jaeger's most skilled warrior and the only survivor of a bloody vampire raid upon his home village. He is able to work with his team to help Tokyo's law enforcement combat the vampire infestation because of the power his werewolf blood has granted him.

However, helping the police is nothing but a pretense because the Jaegers are actually battling the vampires over the mystical Ark of Sirius, an artifact with the power to change the fate of the entire world. Thus, Yuliy and his friends are determined to locate it before the vampires succeed in using it for their own destructive goals.

First off, the setting of this anime is quite intriguing and gritty in a good way, because I am very fascinated by tales set in Imperial Japan. The premise is also interesting, despite not being exceedingly unique or groundbreaking. Unfortunately, none of these vital points are explored enough, resulting in so much wasted potential.

Does this mean the story aspect is terrible? Not at all, but it simply could have been better if they had more episodes to work with. In this world where vampires run rampant without a care for anything or anyone, it is up to this “Intergalactic Jazz Band” to put the villains in their place. I really must give them credit for the unique ways they go about fighting vampires; it really was refreshing and entertaining to watch.

The plot’s central focus is the vampire-hunting organization the main characters are a part of, which operates like a tightly-knit Mafia where everyone is a big family. They traverse the land, eradicating vampires and saving the day like nobody’s business. On the other hand, there are a lot of cliches in the comedy department, where you’ll see one too many anime tropes commonly found in such settings.

At some points, I felt it was bombarding us with a ton of events, numerous locations, and a vast cast—too much to properly fit into a 12-episode series effectively. By the end, the series spreads itself very thin but manages to salvage it all into an acceptable conclusion.

Another issue is how all-encompassing BOTH the Protagonist and Story are, making the final product neither a complete journey of a person nor a grand tale of its world. The series does its best to juggle both, and we end up with an enjoyable enough mix, rushed as it is. I do stand by the statement that this would’ve been something stellar if it had more episodes to work with, though!

Now for the character department: Yuliy is a very plot-driven character. He is hellbent on revenge but still cares for his comrades and certain other people he meets. Naoe Ryouko is one such person who gets involved with him, eventually learning a lot about vampires and even providing assistance on occasion.

While she does develop feelings for him, nothing comes of it, much like in many other shows in this genre. Williard is the commander of the Jaegers, a man who also cares for his comrades and would go very far to make the world a better place; Dorothea is the leading female of the group, an expert in using firearms to provide invaluable assistance; and Fallon is the muscle of the group. However, the show doesn’t do much characterization of them and focuses on Yuliy and his relationship with others the most.

In my eyes, the most prominent relationship is between Yuliy and Mikhail: two brothers standing on opposite sides of each other. Yuliy is portrayed as the hero, while Mikhail has tread a darker path into becoming a vampire. This makes their relationship complex, illustrated meaningfully via numerous dialogues, flashbacks, and how much they’ve changed.

It evokes Owari no Seraph, so if you enjoyed that anime, you will probably enjoy this one as well. The vampire side of the spectrum remains clouded in mystery. Yevgraf and Kershner are examples because their motives remain hidden, while the rest of the vampires add a lot of action to the series. We also have the typical mad scientist who allied himself with the vampires in the name of his experiments.

I found the blatant gap between the presentation of the protagonists and the antagonists quite jarring, where the vampires were granted the shorter end of the stick. This is evident in how some of them get killed way too quickly. Overall, this is a relatively well-rounded group of characters, but almost all suffer from being exceedingly one-dimensional.

In the art and animation department, P.A. Works did an excellent job with this one. I found it difficult to take my eyes off the sheer visual quality of Sirius the Jaeger! From the very beginning to the end, everything looked so fluid and in line with the 1930s aesthetic.

This is an action-oriented show, and Masahiro Andou absolutely delivered the thrills of battle in this one. The Jaegers' designs are distinctive and memorable, especially concerning Yuliy’s trademark blue eyes and hairstyle. The vampire designs are menacing, and their actions consistently speak for themselves. Meanwhile, Mikhail and Yevgraf wear gentleman-like clothing, which serves to mask their true dark nature.

There is a lot of graphical violence portrayed here as well, including blood being spilled due to brutal bites and limbs getting torn off entirely. Most of the fan service here illustrates just how dangerous vampire society is, and I’d say it works.

The sound and music departments are just as well handled as the visuals. The OSTs fit the series perfectly and enhance every moment to new heights. The opening theme is "Sirius" by Kishida Kyoudan and The Akeboshi Rockets, and the ending theme is "Hoshie" by sajou no hana, both of which helped set the pace for the series to follow and even foreshadowed some future events lying in wait for the characters, all while being a joy to experience. They also add a feeling of dark melodrama with an unsettling mood to the show, which I particularly liked.

Sound effects for the action scenes can get really loud, causing a level of distortion and even becoming a distraction at times, so you’ve been warned. The voice acting is simply superb; almost every character’s personality is delivered perfectly and even enhances their overall effect on the show. It’s also neat how all the characters speak in their native tones, regardless of their origins.

Overall, Sirius the Jaeger is an anime that takes the vampire theme to another level by making this show an action thriller with consistent suspense. Hats off to P.A. Works for their sheer production quality and ability to continuously reinvent themselves with projects like this. This series nailed the darker side of storytelling almost perfectly and remains entertaining all the way.

Overall, it has an engaging storyline, vibrant characters, gorgeous artwork, memorable soundtracks, smooth plot progression, and balanced tropes, all of which are well coordinated. As long as the cliches don’t deter you, I can guarantee you will enjoy this anime. We advise it because a more extensive audience needs to recognize this level of production value!