The Worst/Best Anime you (might) not have seen yet: Volume 1

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I last posted so I guess you are wondering if this blog is still breathing. The short answer is: yes, it most certainly is. The longer answer is that this is exactly the reason why I don’t have a fixed schedule as I wouldn’t be able to stick with it. Things have been very busy again since I have returned to work, and as such there are days that I am just too tired to really write something. I have also had a little bit less time on my hands than normal to watch and read stuff. Since this blog mainly concerns itself with reviews, that means it’s hard to write a post without doing that. All in all it’s been a bit tough to keep up with everything. Yeah I know, it all seems like a lame excuse right?

It really does bro…

But enough complaining as today I am happy and excited to bring you the first post for a new feature on my blog. The title I guess is pretty self explanatory:  The Worst/Best Anime you (might) not have seen yet. What it comes down to is that I am going to be scrolling through the Crunchyroll line-up each month (for those not familiair with it, it’s basically Netflix for anime) and pick a title at random. I am going to be focussing on animes that I haven’t really seen on any other blogs and people might not be very familiar with (and that is including myself). But of course that means it could be a really good one, or a really bad one. To kick things off….I have a really good one for you all!

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Year of release: 2009

Number of episodes: 26

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

The gorgeous image that you see above is the one that instantly grabbed my attention while I was scrolling through the available shows. I mean, just look at it. There is just so much expression in that one picture that it really got me curious and it’s also what gave me the idea to start this feature. Because really, this show is an absolute must watch! Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom tells the story of a Japanese tourist who finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a witness to a murder committed by the invincible and mysterious assassin called Phantom who works for a very powerful crime syndicate called Inferno. He manages to escape at first, but is soon captured and subsequently brainwashed. When he wakes up he has no memories of his former life, and is now the new puppet of Inferno. Under the name Zwei, he is trained by Phantom, who turns out to be a young woman called Einz. The former tourist soon becomes a powerful assassin himself, and enters a web of crime, deceit and betrayals. Is Zwei forever doomed to remain in this life, or will he regain his freedom….

You would not tell by looking at her, but she can kill you in a heartbeat.

I have so many things that I want to talk about for this show, that it’s almost impossible to fit them all in one post. Unless I turn this into a small novel, but I don’t think that anyone is likely to read that (and I am not that great a writer either so there is that). But I am going to do my best to convince you to put this anime at the top of your to watch list. You want a tense and gripping story, that has incredible twists and turns throughout it’s run? You got it. You want characters that grow and have actual depth to them? You got that too. This anime really has such a mature feel to it. I know that might sound strange, because of course we all know that anime is meant for a mature audience. But this series just takes it up another level. It feels like you are at times watching this great mafia saga that unfolds before your very eyes. Crime, heroic bloodshed, sexual tension, and an incredible sound track propel the story forward and you sometimes forget that you are watching an anime series. Most of the time is spent in America, which is also quite the unique setting and one that you don’t see often in animes.

Some people take the word kinky just a little bit too far….

But it’s the characters that really make this anime such an incredible watch. One of the most striking aspects of this show is the enormous amount of girlpower it contains. There are so many great female characters in this one, that it’s hard to pick a favorite. We have the tough as nails Einz, the lead assassin aka Phantom, and a woman that you simply don’t mess with. She reminded me a lot of The Major from Ghost in the Shell. Later on in the series a young girl is introduced called Cal who forms a special bond with Zwei. I loved the fact that Zwei became this kind of surrogate father to her, and she really is adorable….well, at first anyway. But my favorite female character would have to be Claudia mcCunnen. She was a very strong woman in the Inferno syndicate that was incredibly cunning, always plotting and scheming, and having this sexual power over men. Her only weakness was her crush on Zwei, a fact that she would probably deny herself.

My favorite character, miss Claudia mcCunnen, and no…not for the obvious reason.

But the real heart of this story is of course Zwei, and the incredibly complex relationship he has with Einz. While Einz hardly has any emotions at first, Zwei still has some aspects of his humanity intact. As the anime takes place over the course of several years, we actually see the characters undergo many changes. Including the bond between the two assassins. It’s a fascinating yourney to behold, and one that doesn’t become boring for a second. There are so many other great characters but it would take many more paragraphs to describe them, so I will leave you to discover the others for yourself. After all the praise I should mention that the finale of the series, while wrapping up most of the storylines does leave you with an open ending. It’s not terrible, but it could have been done a little better. This is a very minor issue however to what is otherwise an absolutely  amazing anime and one that I just simply can’t recommend more to you. I will leave you with the OP to this anime, a song that is so very beautiful and captures the spirit of this anime incredibly well. Let me know what you all thought of this new feature in the comments, and of course if you might have seen the show! Thanks for reading!

I give Phantom-Requiem for the Phantom a 9 out of 10 score.