Aria the Scarlet Ammo
One of the beauties of anime is that the creators come from numerous backgrounds and ages. It’s not uncommon to see an animator born in the 1960s still working in the industry. Differences in ages often appear throughout the series, and it’s easy to figure out what was popular during that time or social norms. These differences in standards often make viewers cringe or watch in disbelief. For some viewers, it’s hard to believe that just seeing a panty flash was enough to make a second-year high school male almost lose it!
It was a simpler time; there were no smartphones, jlip phones. Social media was still new. However, one thing that was the same was the crime rate; in Japan, the crime was terrible. But the Japanese aren’t slackers, not at all. If they can build Ultraman, survive the onslaught of alien Kaiju, and mix JPop and Rock to create Babymetal, what’s a little crime? Apparently, not much because, as is the case in many anime, the kids do the work in Japan.
Aria the Scarlet Ammo, also known as Hidan no Aria, released by J.C Staff in the Spring of 2011, adapts the first three novels of Chuugaku Akamatsu’s light novel series of the same title. The light novel series illustrated by Kobuichi began in 2008. The series is ongoing and is published by Media Factory. The manga adaptation is aimed at the seinen demographic and caters to fans of “Girls with Guns and Romantic Comedy. Its Anime counterpart is directed by Takashi Watanabe, best known for directing Boogiepop Phantom, Slayers, and my favorite 2021s How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom.
Watanabe has been associated with some classics, so diving into Hidan no Aria seemed like a natural step. The premise is simple: Japan has a crime rate that apparently the regular police can’t handle, so it creates a high school dedicated to pumping out trained killers. These students attend Butei High School in Tokyo. Upon completion, each student will be a qualified, armed detective (Butei) capable of handling public cases and performing mercenary and private work.
The story follows Kinji Tōyama. Kinji wants to live a carefree life free of all of the trappings of society. Unfortunately, his world is turned upside down when a gun-wielding tsundere falls into his arms. That’s not quite how it happened, but that’s how I remember it! Not all is as it seems. Butei High School has earned a reputation for being excellent at completing assignments. When being good at assassinations, investigations often earn the ire of those who wish to see you dead.
The Butei Killer has earned the reputation of putting down students, and their identity remains a mystery. Kinji finds himself under the gun of the Butei Killer and is initially saved by Aria H. Kanzaki, an S-Rank student at Butei High School. Aria is our resident Tsundere and the epitome of Yosemite Sam from the Looney Tunes cartoon series. She is quick-tempered, vain, and like Sam, she keeps two side arms and is quick to ‘pump you full of holes.” She is the first to witness Kinji’s fighting prowess; although an E-Ranked student, he is quite proficient with a handgun, especially when his hysteria mode kicks in.
What is “Hysteria Mode,” you ask? In the anime, Hysteria Savant Syndrome is a genetic condition passed through his lineage. It increases his speed, logic, and fighting ability and is activated via sexual arousal. Hysteria Mode takes the handsome but gloomy Kinji and turns him into a joie de vivre who can make women swoon. This alter ego attracts the attention of Aria as well as his childhood friend and classmate Shirayuki Hotogi and Riko Mine, the latter of whom constantly tries to seduce Kinji throughout the anime.
One of the significant issues with Anime adaptations is that, due to budget constraints, they are limited in how much source material they can adapt to produce a palatable show. So on the surface, “Aria the Scarlet Ammo” appears to be the typical harem anime; however, it has an interesting side story. Many of the students, at least the main characters, come from pedigree families dating back, in some cases, centuries. Aria, our main female protagonist, is a descendant of the Holmes lineage, while protagonist/antagonist Riko is a descendant of the Lupins. Yeah, those Lupins!! Due to copyright issues, it’s never stated who Riko’s parents are, but it’s safe to assume who they are. Even without Kinji, it makes for an exciting story. Shirayuki and the minor characters Reki, Jeanne d’Arc, and the story’s true antagonist, Vlad, each have intriguing backstories; they were enough to scratch the surface of interest.
Topping out at twelve episodes, much of the character development centers on Kinji and Riko. Riko is short in stature and looks similar to Aria, though she has blonde hair versus Aria’s red. She constantly picks on Aria due to her small cup size, much to Aria’s disdain. Aria’s small stature is related to a past shooting event that left a bullet within her. The bullet was made from a material that keeps her youthful, which explains her loli appearance. Born an orphan, Riko was raised by Vlad and was the subject of abuse. She was promised freedom if she could surpass her ancestors’ exploits. Riko appears in the anime as gossip, which is a cover for her true nature. She is associated with IU, a secret organization that is never fully revealed in the anime. She harbors feelings for Kinji, even knowing how to ignite his Hysteria Mode.
Kinji, from the start, is a cold, brooding person often seen alone despite his attachment to Shirayuki. They share a kindred spirit as Shirayuki is a shrine maiden bound by her Clan and Kinji is bound by his lineage. Much of his demeanor centers around the mystery of his brother’s death. Shirayuki is very transparent and loving of Kinji, even to the point of sexually obsessing over him. Despite their closeness, Aria brings out the best in Kinji, though their relationship is often rocky because she struggles to express her feelings. It mostly ends with her shooting at him because of it. Aria is motivated to catch the Butei Killer who framed her mother and enslave Kinji. Her words, not mine. The two slowly become partners because every Holmes has her Watson!
Most J.C. Staff anime are hit-or-miss; some may view this one as a miss. The animators did a decent job of animation. There were noticeable issues in the movement, which sometimes seemed clunky.
The character designs were nothing special, as the main characters were typical designs seen in many anime. There is CG use here, with the best use being the tram system that glides around the city. The worst use has to be the CG used for the airplanes. I did like the color transitions, and a special acknowledgment for the animation and art in the Riko and Kinji scene, which made me wonder if this was J.C. Staff or Mary Jane.
There’s not much to say on the music end. The opening theme, “Scarlet Ballet” by May’n, was my favorite over the ending piece, “Camellia no Hitomi” by Aiko Nakano. I will say it’s not a bad song, and its lyrics add meaning to the anime. The voice acting was good, but Mikako Takahashi, who voiced Shirayuki, sometimes felt flat. I had no issue with Rie Kugimiya, known as “Queen of Tsundere,” though others may feel differently.
Hidan no Aria starts strong and has a good premise. Unfortunately, it felt like much of the momentum dropped after the fifth episode, and I grew disinterested. This is because the first half feels like your typical action film. Fortunately, things do pick up as the story progresses, taking on a darker tone. I wish the wasted back-and-forth romance time had been better spent fleshing out the backstories and providing more insight into IU and Vlad’s origins.
While we learn who he is, an origin story with flashbacks would have been divine. Despite that, Hidan no Aria pays homage to many action movies, including Speed, the Bond Series, and the Hitman Series. With that said, it’s a Romantic Comedy, and I did have a few laughs; it was an excellent watch to pass the time. If you’re a fan of this type of anime, give it a look; otherwise, stay away.
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