JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – AKUDAMA DRIVE – MY OWN IMPRESSIONS

AKUDAMA DRIVE

Genre: Action, adventure, sci-fi

Studio: Pierrot, Too Kyo Games

My book – Journeys of Sea, Heart and Land, is out now, it is having positive reviews and those who have read it are loving it. Order your copy now, I know you will love it as well.

(LINK TO THE BOOK)

Hello my friends.

Welcome to another entry of my blog.

You know? There are a lot of things that I love a lot in this world, but now I will just mention two. 1. The anime. 2. Cyberpunk. And yes, I know what most of you are thinking. That means that you also enjoyed Cyberpunk Edgerunners. And the answer is yes. After all, I made a review of that wonderful series here in my blog, which I will leave a link here.

Nonetheless, there is one series that I am watching right now, one released in 2020, and I have to say that I have loved it so much. To be honest I first heard of this anime a couple of months ago, but I did not pay too much attention because I was diligent watching other things. But now, I can go and let my thoughts go.

Having said that, let me ask you a question:

Do you guys love Danganronpa?

Then you will love…

AKUDAMA DRIVE.

Just like I did. But before I continue, let me ask you a question:

Are you guys ok? Feeling happy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy.

Now… Time for a super-crazy ride with Akudama Drive. I just hope my words in this entry are worth of this fantastic anime.

PREMISE

Akudama Drive was heavily inspired in Danganronpa, and directed by Tomohisa Taguchi, who was impressed by the results and positive reception of Danganronpa, so they work together with Studio Pierrot (Bleach, Black Clover), in order to create something new and equally mermerizing.

Akudama Dtive takes place in a dystopian Japan, devastated by a war; as a result, Kansai becomes a puppet stated of Kanto. Inside, there is a group of infamous, death-sentenced criminals that operate in Kanto and usually work as mercenaries, called the Akudama. Many of these Akudama are paid to infiltrate into the Kansai Police Station and free a prisoner who is about to be executed, called Cutthroat. Meanwhile, a young Ordinary Person gets arrested and dragged into the job of liberating Cutthroat when she meets Courier, an Akudama who delivers the package to its destination regardless the distance. In order to survive, the Ordinary Person takes the identity of Swindler after she rescues a black cat, and just when Cutthroat is rescued by Courier and other four Akudama, Brawler, Doctor, Hacker and Hoodlum. Nonetheless, shortly after, the black cat reveals that the job of rescuing Cutthroat is only a front in order to do a bigger job – to infiltrate a Shinkansen and rescue its very valuable cargo inside.

In order to convince Swindler and the other Akudama to finish the job, the cat puts the Akudama an explosive collar. Now, they must work together to reach the Shinkansen and release the cargo, while escaping the relentless, ruthless goverment-led Executioners.

I know that Akudama Drive has a very complex plot, but, among other things, that is one of the elements that makes it so engaging. And as I mentioned before, Tomohisa Taguchi worked shoulder by shoulder by Kazutaka Kodata, the creator of Danganronpa, to produce 12 action-packed, well-written, beautifully animated episodes released from October to December, 2020. One fun fact is that every episode of Akudama Drive is named after classics of Western cinema, including Reservoir Dogs, Mission: Impossible, Dead Man Walking, and…

Se7en

You have no idea how much this last movie impacted me.

Additionally, there is a manga of Akudama Drive written by Rokuro Ogari, and published by Papyless, from July 7, 2020, to April 25, 2023.

The opening song is called STEAL, performed by SPARK!!SOUND!!SHOW!!, and the ending song is called “Ready” by Urashimasakatasen.

Another fun fact is that Akudama Drive has supposed to be released in July, 2020, but it was postponed to October due to COVID-19.

STORY

Now… Where to start?

I must admit that I only watched one episode of Akudama Drove a couple of months ago, and that I never thought I would ever watch it again. That is until my friends at the Deakin Anime Club decided to screen it. And… Oh boy! This has been an experience. Let the fact that Danganronpa inspired Akudama Drive be a start. As soon as you started watching episode 1, you really feel hooked up by everything, the animation, the characters, the plot, and the dystopian setting.

Regarding this last part, I never thought that something could be as good as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, but even though Akudama Drive focuses more in the backstory of Kanto rather than its actual society itself, you feel genuinely invested, that is because, after watching the first episodes, you feel you are inside of everything that is taking place in the plot, because the music, the animation, and the characters combined together in such a fast-paced, action packed story. It’s like the Akudama does not have time to catch a breath, and neither you do, the anime just drags you inside itself.

And by the time the action stops, and the anime tries to develop its characters, you feel the humanity of all of them, even the evilest ones, because you discover their motivations are compatible of how they truly are. Of course, you end up hating some of the Akudama, but most of them are so well developed that either love them or love to hate them. And for me, if you love to hate a character, not just villains, that means they are mostly masterfully executed.

Furthermore, most of the story is about some of the characters trying to fight one of the most visceral elements of cyberpunk genre – Inhumanity, and by that, I mean this inhumanity provoked by technology so advanced and people to attached to them that it becomes less empathetic and solidary. I know it is hard to explain, but is basically most of our characters, and some of the antagonists, trying to keep their sanity and compassion intact after digging deeper and deeper in the ruthlessness of the dystopic Kanto.

It happened in Cyberpunk Edgerunners, it happened in Blade Runner, and it happens in Akudama Drive. In my opinion with Swindler, who starts as an Ordinary Citizen and ends up being the most resilient and bravest of the Akudama, along with Courier.

Another amazing element is the action scenes, there are full of everything – Swords, high-speed chases, blood, hand-to-hand combat, disembowelment, but not as graphic as Cyberpunk Edgerunners, and it is so creative and original that you never get bore. And still, I find hard to put it in words. For the most part, the action of Akudama Drive is something you must experience by yourself rather than me explain it to you.

Also, this is a personal opinion, but I believe that, unlike Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Akudama Drive starts in a very light-hearted way, and then, the story becomes darker and cooler, to a point in which you wonder how it got there.

The animation is also insane, there is so much colour in the scenarios, so much style in the action and in the violence, and so much detail in day and night, everything, especially in the character design is so carefully crafted. It makes the experience more immersive. Again, better to see it than to describe it.

I almost… almost… say that Akudama Drive is superior to Danganronpa. But hey! Let’s not go there.

Finally, the writing is one of the best I have ever seen. Nonetheless, I don’t think that script is as good as the one from Cyberpunk Edgerunners, because the latter takes more time to develop the characters in an organic matter, especially in their conversations. Akudama Drive does the same, but not with the same depth, at least in my opinion. Still, good story

Anyway. I consider the story of Akudama Drive as one of its best elements…

CHARACTERS

…along with its own characters.

For starters, Akudama Drive does the same thing as Goblin Slayer, in which instead of giving the characters a name and a last name, they simply receive a position – Courier, Doctor, Hoodlum, Swindler, Brawler, Cutthroat, Brother, Sister and Executioner. However, here it works better, because the concept is very simple, as well as the characters, so you don’t need too much background to know all of them.

And yes… I know that I said that is also a weakness in comparison of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, but on that regard, I meant during the story, but before the events of episode one. Like I said, most of the Akudama are trying to keep their humanity intact, such as Swindler, and along with the writing, her story arc becomes very solid.

Anyway, the design of the characters is beautiful, especially in the eyes; again… far superior than in Danganronpa. Everything has a very unique design, which makes them more relatable. Also, their personalities are well-defined too. Swindler is a naïve girl with a heart of gold, Courier is a stoic motorist that is relentless regarding finishing the job, Doctor is a skilful, resourceful woman who looks after her own interest, Cutthroat an insane serial, spree killer with an obsession with colour red.

But among my favourites are Brother and Sister. They love and look after each other, they have a pretty cool design, and their backgrounds are some of the best, heartbreaking of Akudama Drive.

Again, better for you to watch than we to describe, because it has spoilers, and it is better to feel the experience.

By the way… Am I the only one who immediately confuses Brother with Hanako-Kun?

If the animation itself was good, along with the characters, get better.

CONCLUSION

Without any doubt, Akudama Drive is one of the best cyberpunk anime I have ever seen, along with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. While Cyberpunk has better characters and better story, Akudama Drive offers a more immersive and psychedelic experience, at least in my opinion. No wonder why it’s considered one of the best anime of 2020. You might think that is a generic action anime, but you must take the proper time to watch and to experience it, and definitely you will love it.

I admit that this entry took me longer than I thought. And not just because Akudama Drive is just so good, but also because I was busy doing many things these days. But I am working hard to bring more entries on my blog and make up to the time lost.

But… just to let you… I am seen things you would believe. Salt Cathedral in my hometown, nice houses with history of mythology, and… plaza full of mythological beasts near Tolima, the Pacific Ocean in the beach.

All those moments, that will be lost… in time… like tears in rain.

Oh!! Who am I kidding? Those memories will live as long as I do… Right?

See you next time.

I FINALLY CASTED MY VOTES FOR THE CRUNCHYROLL ANIME AWARDS 2021 – PART III

Hello my friends.

It is time for post the third and final part for my choices of Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2021.

BEST COMBAT

Yuji Itadori & Aoi Todo vs. Hanami from Jujutsu Kaisen

There are two reasons for this vote.

The first one is that I haven’t watched the other battles (I am not living if I refuse to watch Attack on Titan: The Final Season, part 1), except from Elma vs. Tohru, from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S, but I consider this one, from Jujutsu Kaisen, more impressive, especially because of all the hard work and effort put by Studio MAPPA.

The second reason is that, as I previously mentioned on one of my blogs, Jujutsu Kaisen indeed exceeded my expectations, especially during the choreography and the battles, in fact watching Megumi and Maki doing their combo on episode 19 was awesome!!!

So there you go. This year, Jujutsu Kaisen enchanted me again.

BEST ANTAGONIST

First vote goes to… Tomura Shigaraki, from My Hero Academia season 5

I am starting to believe that Tomura Shigaraki is this close to becoming one of the greatest antagonists of all the shonen genre, along with Orochimaru, Cell and Frieza. Every time I watch Tomura, I am more convinced that he is indeed the true successor of All For One.

And the part when Tomura’s past is revealed is really heartbreaking and disturbing at the same time. Finally, Shigaraki is one of my favourite characters of My Hero Academia, and one of the best antagonists (along with Dabi, Himiko Toga and Stain)

You got my vote.

Second vote goes to… ECHIDNA, from Re: Zero – season 2.

Just like before, Echidna has that sense of mystery, beauty and unpredictability that makes her charming. She is like some kind of Anti-Emilia, and a very popular character in my personal opinion.

And… Re: Zero is one of the best isekai of all time. So I had to give Echidna my support. And… I will finally be able to have some of her «special» tea.

BEST PROTAGONIST

Odokawa, from OddTaxi.

Of all the nominees, I think Odokawa is indeed the best, because of his calm personality, his wits, his mysterious and tragic past, and the work done by Natsuki Hanae.

And I really wanted to divide my vote between Odokawa and Ai Ohto, but at the end, I consider that Odokawa was better constructed and had a better story. It is not like I don’t like Ai Ohto.

Now… I am starting to regret not voting for her too.

And the others… I barely know about them, and since I haven’t watched Attack on Titan: The Final Season – Part I, I thought not to lie. And Bojji… I must watch Ranking of Kings.

BEST GIRL

First vote goes to… Vladilena «Lena» Milizé, from 86: Eighty-Six

Indeed, Lena is one of the best female leads of all 2021. She is an intelligent, resourceful, caring, compassive Handler of the Republic of San Magnolia, ascended to Major at a young age.

All the time she is taking the initiative, not being afraid of questioning the supremacist ideology of San Magnolia for the safety of the Spearhead Squadron, and trust me, she gets better on the upcoming volumes (I hope 86: Eighty-Six gets a second season).

Lena is like Relena Peacecraft, from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, or Kudelia Aina Bernstein from Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.

One of my favourite heroines.

Second votes goes to… Shouko Komi from Komi-San Can’t Communicate

As I said in my review of Komi-san Can’t Communicate, Shouko Komi is the heroine that I relate the most, because I suffer from anxiety, and despite Komi-san’s problem is much worse, I understand how she feels. How hard is her life because of that.

And her chemistry with Tadano-kun, her antics with Najimi, and her cool personality, and funny misunderstandings makes her so memorable. So I must vote for her, if not… I rather go to jail.

Lena and Komi-san – Two of my Top Waifu of 2021.

BEST BOY

Izumi Miyamura, from Horimiya

Ok. I also voted for Hiroshi Odokawa, but I already said what I had to say about him. And I will avoid being repetitive.

But Izumi Miyamura is a really well-constructed character, he is a reserved student that keep mostly from himself, but beneath that exterior, he is full of piercings and tattoos that goes against everything related the first impression.

And both his character development and his relationship with Hori-san is full of chemistry and cuteness that probably does not make it original enough, but it definitely makes them entertaining and memorable.

It is a shame that I haven’t watched Ranking of Kings, because I will definitely voted for Bojji (I have that homework).

ANIME OF THE YEAR…

GOES TO…

What can I say?

A good plot, solid social commentary, memorable characters, splendid animation from A-1 Pictures, and a great story about war, discrimination and child soldiers. An anime that took risks.

And yes… I am fully aware that either Attack on Titan: The Final Season or Jujutsu Kaisen – second cour will get the award, but 86: Eighty-Six really hooked in a way that it has no words, and I find myself every time reading the light novels and searching about the characters on Wikipedia.

Just like Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Iron-Blooded Orphans before, 86: Eighty-Six will remain with me and I will mentioned it a lot… at least until I fully watched Attack on Titan: The Final Season.

CONCLUSION

And there you go!!!!

My personal choices for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Another year, another group of blogs.

Some will agree with me, some will definitely have different opinions. But what is true is that 2021 gave us a lot of awesome anime, and the favourite, the ones that most of the fans love will be awarded.

I am as excited as you are, especially because i finished the tradition of giving my favourite for the awards on time.

Let’s hope for the best.

And… you know what Henrietta said to me? If Lena does not get the award, it will be my fault.

Right Henrietta?

YOU BET YOUR BEHIND IT WILL BE!!!

Hehe. She loves me.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – BLEACH – MY OWN REFLECTIONS

BLEACH

Genre: Adventure, Supernatural

Studio: Pierrot

Hello my friends.

I am still working on the Part II of my Own Reflections of this fantastic anime that means so much for me, for I enjoyed it in during some of my best years – Inuyasha. I am still eager to watch the first episode of:

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon

But, due to chance, I was checking the catalog of Crunchyroll, and then I saw that another sweet story was released, and that story is…

BURN THE WITCH

So, then, I decided to take a little break from everything related to Inuyasha, and give some time to another of those anime that absolutely had an impact on me, unlike any other, except for Inuyasha. And again, the title says it all.

For me, talking about Bleach is like talking about many elements that helped me shape my vision about narrative and character development. I know it sounds very odd coming from a shonen anime, but I am looking forward to explain this feeling in the following entry.

And of course, it comes then the typical questions:

Are you guys feeling ok? Healthy and happy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Now, into the review.

PREMISE

Based on the beautiful manga written and illustrated by Tite Kubo, Bleach tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a 15-year-old high schooler that, since he was a child, has the special ability to see ghosts and spirits; one day, he meets a very strange-looking girl wearing miko clothes, called Rukia Kuchiki, who claims to be a Shinigami and hunts evil spirits that can kill humans, known as Hollow. Shortly after their encounter, Rukia and Ichigo are forced to fight one of these Hollows; and despite winning, Ichigo «steals» Rukia’s Shinigami Force, something that makes him a Substitute Shinigami and hunts Hollows.

That leads him to know the Soul Society and meet many fascinating characters, both Shinigamis and Hollows, along with other Human World residents, including Orihime Inoue, Yasutora «Chad» Sado, and the Quincy, Uryu Ishida; all of them with their own powers and personalities.

Kubo published Bleach from August 7, 2001 to August 22, 2016; shortly, he started publishing Burn The Witch, as some spin-off of Bleach, first as a one-shot manga, and then as a mainstream work. Furthermore, Studio Pierrot animates Bleach. I must confess that when I discovered this last fact, I was surprised. I simply couldn’t believe that Pierrot was the one behind Bleach, but some time after watching both Naruto and Black Clover, I finally convinced myself about that fact.

Finally, Shiro Sagisu composes the soundtrack. Do you know what other anime he composed? Neon Genesis Evangelion. Of course. That’s why I spent hours listening to the soundtrack.

STORY

Before I start, there is a funny trivia about Bleach. At the beginning, Weekly Shonen Jump rejected Bleach, because its plot has some similarities with Yu Yu Hakusho, so Tite Kubo desisted of his idea, but after receiving a letter from Akira Toriyama, praising his work, Kubo tried again and again, until Bleach was finally published.

As a whole, and for those Bleach fans, the manga has many story arcs, including The Substitute Arc; Soul Society Entry Arc, Soul Society Rescue Arc, The Arrancar Arc; The Thousand-Year War arc among others. Of course I am not going to talk about all of these arcs, because it will take time, and, unfortunately, Bleach has the same problem as Naruto, it has so many unnecessary filler arcs.

But despite this gigantic flaw, Bleach, as a story, has an impressive quality; it is constantly developing. What do you mean by this? Simple. Every new arc expands everything the previous one established in terms of story and characters. Of course, except for some fillers. During the first arc, after the encounter between Ichigo and Rukia, Bleach takes good care of his narrative, mixing world-building, character development, with some of the best fights scenes in anime, probably not as flamboyant as Gurren Lagann, or as psychologically intense as in Death Note, but they are well choreographed, and have a lot of substance. What do I mean by this? That the emotions of the characters are present in many of the fights, and sometimes, like in the Arrancar Arc, these fights are symbol of a previous tragedy that one of our characters must face once and for all.

Those who are well-aware of the fight between Ichigo and Byakuya Kuchiki, will know what I am talking about.

Furthermore, the animations is pretty fluid. Well. That’s nothing to be surprised about, since it is Studio Pierrot we are talking about; they are heaps of experiences regarding fighting scenes. And colour palette gives some uniqueness for the settings. I.e. Hueco Mundo.

Black and White, quiet, unnerving.

And Soul Society.

Colourful, unique and at times… folkloric

And this is just the world in which Bleach takes place. So imagine the rest.

The best for you, regarding the story, is to follow it one episode at the time, so you will fully understand how the world of Bleach works. But for me… How do I explain it? Every time Rukia, or Uryuu, or Yoruichi introduces us in every new concept of the Soul Society, or Shinigami, or anything, they are straight forward, no digressing. And this small fact is very important for me, because it taught me the importance of keep developing, to get your story to new grounds, and never to stop taking your narrative toward other places, as long as you acknowledge what you did before, it is all good.

CHARACTERS

For me, Bleach has some of the best characters in anime history. Ichigo Kurosaki has a pretty interesting backstory, one in which he can delightfully see that balance between a pretty serious-looking hero, and an altruistic personality that makes him a balanced, compelling hero. And he evolves through training and knowledge, and we relate with him straight away. The same goes for Rukia Kuchiki; we see her, fighting, suffering, growing, and having her own story. An event of such a wingspan that it even gets us.

The same happens with Orihime, Chad.

And Uryu. The way he introduces us to the Quincy is so interesting i think we immediately root for him too.

And finally…

SPOILER ALERT – I think Sosuke Aizen is one of the best villains in anime history. He is so unpredictable, so powerful and so terrifyingly resourceful you, at some point, will think he will win. Seriously, every time I saw this guy, I was shaking in fear. And let’s not forget about Gin Ichimaru.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, there are so many great things to say about Bleach; it is definitely one of the greatest anime of the 21st century, and a great member of the Shonen world. Definitely I will recommend it to anyone, even those who are not anime fans.

Trust me. Everything is worth the time. And I hope that this entry perfectly serves as my personal love letter to both Bleach and Tite Kubo.

And next time, join me, because I am gonna BURN THE WITCH (LOL)

Sorry. I know it was a terrible joke.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Twin Star Exorcists – First Impressions

TWIN STAR EXORCISTS

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Supernatural, Dark Fantasy

Hey guys.

Welcome to another anime review.

And in this time, I want to talk about my first impressions of an anime that I was able to watch through Crunchyroll.

From the studio that brought us Naruto, Boruto, and Black Clover, we got…

23705479

But before I go on, I must ask you the typical question guys:

Are you ok? Having a good time? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy.

Having said that, lets go and review Twin Star Exorcists:

PREMISE

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Yoshiaki Sukeno, and published by Shueisha, Twin Star Exorcists, or Sousei no Onmyouji (双星の陰陽師), tells the story of Rokuro Enmado, whose dream was to become the greatest exorcist in the world, but after a tragedy that costed him many of his dearest friends, Rokuro becomes distraught and leaves the profession with great bitterness. Now, two years later, and after an unexpected encounter with Benio Adashino, another exorcist prodigy from the east, he discovers his true destiny; being the father of the «Miko», or the ultimate exorcist that will destroy all the evil spirits, or Kegare, from the World.

And of course, Benio will be the mother. So both will become… Do I really need to say it?

You know, the very first thing that I got in mind when I saw these characters, was…

Hi-Score-Girl-Season-2-Netflix-Original

HI SCORE GIRL

Why? Simple, because they have so much in common. There is a talented, lazy and «meanie» prodigy, or a jerk with a heart of gold (Rokuro Enmado – Haruo Yaguchi), the adorkable rich girl who is a genius and has the archetypical Ojou (Princess) appearance, with the same hime cut (Akira Ono – Benio Adashino), and a blonde girl who is naive, yet a perfect love rival; in Hi-Score Girl, we got Koharu Hidaka, and in Twin Star Exorcists, we got:

Mayura_anime_design

MAYURA OTOMI

Kind of…

Sorry. I know this is not relevant, but I wanted to mention that. But is not my intention to pick on Twin Star Exorcists.

Benio… Would you forgive me?

14d4b610dd8c7f32964659074378

I guess not.

Anyway…

STORY

twinbenio

As I mentioned before, Twin Star Exorcists is produced by Studio Pierrot, and it has four cours, for a total of 50 episodes, adapting, I think, the first eight chapters of the manga. (If I am mistaken, which I strongly believe I am, please let me know. Thanks Irina). And I am not going to lie, when I heard the Japanese voice of Rokuro, I immediately recognised him. He is Natsuki Hanae, one of the most popular seiyuu right now.

Do you know what other characters did Natsuki voiced?

tanjirofrorokuro

Tanjiro Kamado

kouseiarime

Kousei Arima

Meanwhile, Benio Adashino is voiced by Megumi Han, famous for…

Akko_Kagari

Atsuko «Akko» Kagari

GonMugshot

Gon Freecs

Moreover, Twin Star Exorcists is directed by Tomohisa Taguchi, and written by Naruhisa Arakawa, and the whole series has this wonderful animation that is trademark in Black Clover, Boruto, and Narut…. Naruto:Shippud…. The Last: Naruto the Movie!!! There you go.

Ok. I have never ever been a fan of Naruto, but I am becoming a fan of Black Clover (Believe it or Not!), and I have always commended Studio Pierrot because in animation, the staff usually does a pretty good job (except for Naruto), and when I read that, again, they were in charge of the production of this anime, my interest awakened. Thank Goodness I always have Crunchyroll with me. I am still watching the anime (Well, duh!), but I am really eager to see more about Twin Star Exorcists. On the other hand, I am a bit concerned about what the story will become, because I also noticed that some of this romance anime stories have some overused cliches, especially if both of the leads start disliking each other, including the «entering to the bath to see you naked» scene; the «awkward silence», the «oops!! I saw beneath your skirt» scene, and others. But at the end of the day, there is nothing wrong in using some cliches if the story has its own identity, so I believe I can definitely give Twin Star Exorcists some credit: furthermore, I think that the chemistry between Rokuro and Megumi is pretty solid, especially with amazing, experience seiyuu like Natsuki Hanae and Megumi Han.

So the story have a very good, solid start. Let’s see how it goes from here.

CHARACTERS

twinstarcharacters

I got to admit that part of the charm of Rokuro and Benio is each of their background stories. Personally, I like it; but I am afraid some other fans might find them very unoriginal, especially if he see that Rokuro has a lot of similarities with Tanjiro Kamado and Atsuhi Nakajima from Bungou Stray Dogs, either because they are motivated to protect their beloved ones, or because either have a power that looks more like a curse. Again, That is not a big issue, but I can’t tell how other animegoers will react. I would say that, some will love them, others not so much.

Along with Rokuro, Mayura and Benio, we got another characters that look as promising as the already mentioned, including Shimon Ikaruga (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch in English btw), Tenma Unomiya, Yuto Ijika, Arima Tsuchimikado (I loved that guy), and others.

Many of these didn’t appear on the first two episodes of the series, but they all look interesting, and I am sure all of them will empower Twin Star Exorcists already strong status as a shonen series on their own right.

We’ll see. For the record, I can’t wait to see the work in English done by both Bryce Papenbrook and Christine Marie Cabaneros.

CONCLUSION

Twin Star Exorcists Header

In conclusion, Twin Star Exorcists might not be the ultimate shonen series, or the great Supernatural anime, but it is definitely one series that I will always recommend, especially if you are a fan of Studio Pierrot or any of their previous and current projects. For now, take my word, go to Crunchyroll (if you are a member), and have a good time with these interesting jewell.

For now, I’ll give myself a medal. Wanna know why?

BECAUSE I DIDN’T MENTION BLUE EXORCIST AT ALL!!!! YEAH!!!

Just one more favour. Studio Pierrot, Yuki Tabata…

PLEASE, BRING US MORE OF SALLY!!!

EKTRKMXUYAISC6Q