1863 AD. While warring Pro and Anti Shogunate factions
clash for the future of Japan, a secret war is raging right underneath it. Demons belonging to the otherworldly Time
Retrograde Army have begun to secretly invade the time period, looking for ways
to alter Japans history and, in effect, that of the entire world. Standing in their way are two Sword Warriors,
brought to life by the powerful Saniwa: long time veteran Kanesada and new
recruit Kunihiro. Both serve the same
master, both have very different mindsets about their mission. But if history is to be preserved, they and
their other Saniwa blessed allies will have to put their blades to the ultimate
test and fight for the future. The
ultimate battle has begun.
What drew me to the title “Touken Ranbu” was the fact
that several good friends of mine enjoy cosplaying its cast of characters. That and the fact that the series latest
Anime incarnation (I think this is the third in a franchise I never knew about)
is being done by Studio Ufotable. You know
what that means: movie level animation for a TV series and action scenes that
are a fever dream of fun. Based on the
first episode, I think im going to get plenty of that while also being given a
bizarre but really intriguing set up.
You know you’ve started things off right when you start
your series with a rain filled horse and cart chase while some Shinsengumi
dressed Samurai decapitates skeletal demons in beautifully flashy fashion. That’s the first five minutes of Katsugeki. After that, you’re thrown a curve ball with a
talking teeny dog/fox spirit who can connect to the internet in Feudal Japan
and all of a sudden you learn that the two warriors were following are part of
a time traveling band of heroes battling demons sent to mess with history…it
makes you want to go “wait what?” while also embracing the zaniness of such a
premise. It pretty much taps into the
absurdity of one of my favorite superhero shows “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”
except with more samurai demon slaying and less time traveling across multiple
eras. Still it presents the right
questions to keep you hooked: what is the “Time Retrograde Army” that Kanesada
and Kunihiro are trying to stop? Are
these two part of a far larger organization that polices time? Why is the TRA focused on important moments
in Japanese history specifically? Why
are the TRA mostly scary demons? Just
how long has this conflict been going on for? (the answer to that last question
is probably a while given a chat that the more seasoned Kanesada has with Kunihiro
about the dos and don’ts of trying to save everyone when history can be altered
by the ever slightest change). And then
there’s Ufotables nigh unbeatable animation and fight choreography. This series and The Garden of Sinners are
proof that the Fate/Stay Night franchise is not their one trick pony. Kanesada is a brilliant swordsman and it
looks like his fellow teammates, who we see at the end of the first episode,
aren’t slouches either. And the art
speaks for itself. The action is
chaotically awesome but the quieter moments are so serene, so calming to look
at. I think Ufotable could rival Kyoto
Animation for making everyday life look like the most beautiful thing ever in
Anime.
Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu is so bonkers and so exciting that
it would feel wrong not to see it through to the end. Im anxious to see what the other warriors
bring to the table and just what the heck is going on in general in this battle
across time and Japan. And again,
Ufotable. If you loved how gorgeous
Unlimited Blade Works looks, this could be a good follow up to check out. Being a samurai warrior hasn’t looked this
cool in a very long time…special thanks to Vivian, Xin and Christine for
pointing me in the direction of this one.
At the very least, Ill finish this for you guys.
And that closes out First Impression Fridays winter/early
spring season. With the Blogs Fifth
Birthday right around the corner and a boat load of new reviews and other
features ahead, FIF will be taking a breather for the next couple of months. My plan is to bring it back maybe after
Otakon (it definitely wont be happening while im reviewing Turn A Gundam prior
to that) and have it run for the rest of the year but that depends on how many
first episodes of other shows I can check out.
Until then, thanks for checking out the start of the latest season of
First Impression Friday and ill see ya back on this little feature soon.
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