Gungrave

As of late a flood of Japanese animated series have hit the American shores. Gungrave is the most amazing of any one of those. It has beautiful animation, potent voice acting, and a storyline that requires multiple viewings to fully understand. Ten out of Ten. Perhaps the thing that makes Gungrave stand out above its anime competition it the multitude of underlying messages. It has some of the more obvious dialectical themes, love/hate, hope/despair, devotion/betrayal but it is also driven by a gathering of more subtle ideas (I will leave the viewer to find those for themselves. Anyone who has the time that it takes to fully appreciate Gungrave should do so. Also, if you are a fan of mafia violence and a scarface like rise to power then this is the show for you. For me, that is merely a bonus to an amazing piece of art.

This is one of my favourite anime's. The first episode throws you in a battlefield in the middle of the anime. A big gunfight with no introduction at all. In fact the anime really starts with the second episode. Slowly you'll get introduced to the characters and the organization. After you've watched half of the episodes of Gungrave you'll start to see things of the first episodes. Slowly you'll build up to the situation of the first episode.

!Do note that the first episode isn't the last episode as well. The story goes on after that!

+ You really see how the characters change and the situation. That has been done outstanding by the creators of this anime + It's an intense story. When you watch the anime, you feel like you are in fact IN the anime

• AND + The first episode should've been deleted. Puts some people on the wrong track. Although after watching the first episode I decided to watch Gungrave.

This series, told throughout 26 episodes, combines the very best of mafia movies and anime. It's beautiful action, crisp, clean and stunning visuals, great storyline, sensitive music, and most of all, it's heart -because the makers clearly put a lot of emotion in it-, make this series an all-time classic which is an obligation to everyone who's interested in gangster-films or anime. This series is, without a doubt, top-notch. Because I also forget to mention the dialogues, the great screenplay, and in-depth characters.

P.S.

Watch the subbed Japanese version, the American dubbed version is somewhat out of shape in the plot. The Japanese dialogues are more subtle and seem to fit more in the series.

Gungrave is, hands-down, the best anime series I've had the opportunity to follow this year. Based on an obscure PlayStation 2 game of the same name, the story chronicles the rise and fall of two childhood friends, Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowell, two lowly street punks who join the ranks of Millenion, a Mafia organization that runs the city they dwell in. Driven by youthful exuberance and ambition, Brandon and Harry both rise quickly in the organization. It is clear during their ascent in Millenion that the two friends' paths are diverging. Brandon becomes the most feared "sweeper" in the organization, but all he wants is to be able to protect the people he cares for: Harry, Millenion boss Big Daddy, and Maria Asagi, the only woman he loves. Harry becomes overly consumed with his ambition to rise to the top of Millenion and it threatens to destroy everything both he and Brandon have worked so hard to protect! Gungrave is the brainchild of Yasuhiro Nightow, the creator of Trigun. The animation studio in charge of producing Gungrave is the venerable Madhouse Studios. The show is supported with an awesome soundtrack by composer Tsuneo Imahori, who used to be a member of Yoko Kanno's "The Seatbelts", the band responsible for all of the memorable jazzy tunes from Cowboy Bebop!

Already familiar with Yasuhiro Nightow's Trigun, Gungrave is a vastly dark, yet richer story. In this world, there are no good guys. Trigun's Vash was a kidder, but deadly with the steel. These guys hardly joke at all and it's a tale of struggling to survive at any cost. There's a theme of brotherhood, loyalty and betrayal almost like a John Woo anime. Soft spoken Brandon is mostly enigmatic and prefers action rather than words. But don't be mistaken: Brandon might even give Vash a run for his money. There are gang hits, conspiracies, and full out urban chaos and it becomes amazing watching it all progress. Hell, I found myself rooting for the gangsters to win! No lives are spared and people don't miraculously dive out of the way of bullets. Mixed with a great soundtrack and some great character designs, Gungrave is raw, gritty and, after finishing it, it even offers hope of brighter days.