Gungrave

For me this anime, with no exceptions, is the greatest of all time. If you haven't seen this, don't be put off by the fact that it was based on a video game, because this is a unique experience, and something you can't miss. While the action in the show is plentiful and exhilarating, the action is not the be all and end all for this show. The story is deep and touching. Love, hate, greed, betrayal, it's all there. You will see the entirety of these men's lives from beginning to end. You watch as they go from nobody street thugs to top dogs. Andlet me tell you the ending is wonderful. When I say that, I don't mean it's a happy ending, because it isn't. It brings closure. No cliff-hanger. No ending that leaves you with nagging questions of "what just happened?" The ending was so good that I must admit, I did cry a little. Yeah, I know, I'm a guy and I cried. It's hard to convey the greatness and epic-ness of this anime without telling you too much, so just watch it. You won't be disappointed.

Trust, honor, family and above all else, loyalty. Throughout the years, Gungrave has become a cult classic within the anime community. It's a title with so much mafioso stylistics, so much grit, so much bravado oozing in every scene, that a panel consisting of Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese would find themselves salivating at the mouth upon viewing it... well at least for the first 15-episodes that is. As for the rest of the show, it all depends on if a Terminator revenge/monster mashup movie hybrid sounds like a good idea to you (I wish I was kidding when I saidthat). But I implore you, don't let that deter you from watching this. If you're a fan of mobster flicks, Gungrave offers enough trademark elements of this niche genre to keep even the most jaded of audiences attentive. Watching it for just the relationship dynamic of the show's main characters, Harry and Brandon, is reason enough to give it a chance. And for many, that remained the only reason for why they finished it to begin with. You come for the mobster appeal but stay for their compelling relationship. It's safe to say, that in order to fully appreciate this title, one must first suspend their disbelief for the supernatural elements that it contains. If you've seen the 1st Berserk adaptation in 1997, then this anime follows a similar pattern in terms of story execution and character interaction. But unlike Berserk, Gungrave is a self-contained story that leaves you with a conclusive ending and not the infamous cliffhanger that the aforementioned is known for. The 1st half of the story functions like a platform buildup of sorts, giving us the proper motivations of the characters, all the while foreshadowing for things to come in the show's 2nd act. Where the show receives most of its accolades is within the buildup itself. Nothing feels like it was just there to steer the plot. We as viewers see the beginning of the "snowball" effect, as it gradually grows into the outcome that befalls both central characters. Anyone familiar with the elements typically associated with mafia flicks, would be aware that the cast is quite extensive. To avoid going for a lengthy period of time highlighting all of them, I'll instead only focus on the two main characters that the narrative centers around, Harry and Brandon. Harry can be summed up in just two words: ambitious and cutthroat. He's the kind of charismatic guy that always seem to have an appetite for more, which constantly places him and his companions in a "tight squeeze", for the lack of a better term. On the surface, he appears to be just a stud who just wants to have a good time, but as the show progresses, we can see that facade slowly crumbling away, after a series of life-changing decisions pushes the dormant animosity within him. This gradual chain of events that brings upon a change in him, paves the way to explore a multi-layered character with a great deal of depth found within each plunge into his inner psyche. The amount of detail they were able to pull off with such a simplistic ego is quite impressive. A feat in proper characterization that the writers behind the show deserve praise for. He's not a man that's easily pegged with just a singular viewpoint, but rather one that gains dimensions as we gradually see his metamorphosis throughout the narrative. Brandon, despite being the "short on words" kind of guy, provides a great deal of insight through his narrative role in the show. What he doesn't say in words, he does with his actions. His body language is his way of communication. He too changes as an individual as the story progresses. Although we get nothing from him at face value, the brief monologues and his internal moral strife help establish his characteristics and drive. Brandon isn't as demanding as his counterpart in terms of motivation, instead, all he really wants is the power to protect the ones he loves. He isn't the most compelling individual to follow, but what he lacks in spunk, he more than makes up with heart. His bond with Harry is what drives a majority of the intrigue with him as a person. Speaking of their bond, Brandon and Harry's relationship is a rare dynamic to pull off correctly. Second only to Guts and Griffith's from Berserk, their relationship with each other is like a dance between ideals. It's handled with such gravitas, that it becomes almost eerily realistic at times. They establish history. A friendship. A rivalry. A love. And eventually, a hatred, all the while feeling the pain of every exchange. A struggle between friends that's grown so close to each other, that their very closeness ends up tearing themselves apart. They share a comradery so tight-knit that it becomes a delicate walk on a tightrope, where the slightest push can become fatal. And it shouldn't have to be stated but that's where the heart of the conflict rises. It's ironic, but in the end, both men became a monster in their own right. This is how you properly execute the "two sides of the same coin" motif. The rest of the cast is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Each character adds a much-needed element to the show. Some becoming the embodiment of a certain theme, such as loyalty, while others become common mobster stereotypes for added flavor. They're nothing incredible on a stand-alone evaluation but becomes the heart of the show when looked at in an overview. Alright, now that we're done talking about the sentimental stuff, let's talk about all the awesome shit that makes Gungrave, GUNGRAVE! The anime was made back in 2003-04 and it still blows my mind how pristine it looks even today. You can tell a lot of love and effort went into its inception. From the fluidity of the actions scenes to the detailed art that brings the world to life, Gungrave is an anime that was built to last. But then again, that's to be expected when you have Madhouse at their prime, kicking ass and taking names. Their reputation speaks for itself, with Gungrave being another notch under their belt. The art style and character designs are very similar to that of Trigun, and to no one's surprise, given that Yasuhiro Nightow is the man responsible for the birth of both series. The art style draws heavily on western influences and it shines through in every scene. This anime is chock-full of "rule of cool" and awesome action set pieces. Everything has substance and weight to it, making for an addictive watch. From the over-the-top shoot-offs, to the monster battles that take place, later on, there's never a dull moment to be found. And with a brisk pace that doesn't take any detours, it makes Gungrave into an easy binge-watching experience. To accompany us on our journey, we're given a very diverse soundtrack, drawing heavy inspiration from jazz, swing, and blues. With guitar pieces that worked in unison with the violin, to the more upbeat heavy bass guitar and trumpet, every moment was rich with sound, sucking you into the mood being transmitted on screen. It breathed life into the mobster setting, with the atmosphere and tone needed to sell the experience. With beautiful art, attention to detail, and a soundtrack that held its own, Gungrave was a project that delivered on every front. Enjoyment: 8.5/10 Be warned, this is a manly man's show that will cause you to grow hair on your chest. Gritty, action-packed, and always in motion, this will be a title that I'll remember for years to come. Of course, this doesn't change the fact that it takes a lot of the substance it established and squandered it with the monster mashup during the 2nd half, but I still enjoyed it as a whole. The mobster theme was still there throughout, it just takes a backseat for the 'shoot em up' carnage towards the 2nd half. Thankfully, it offers a great payout with the final handful of episodes. Even when taking the shortcomings into consideration, Gungrave was still a very enjoyable ride. Overall: 7.5/10 As a whole, Gungrave was a good show that was hindered from being better. More doesn't necessarily mean better, something the creators of Gungrave seem to have missed. With compelling leads and an inviting mobster setting, Gungrave could have easily been a universal classic, but due to the unneeded supernatural elements, it was knocked off course, having to settle for the cult classic archives instead. Even with all things considered, I still highly recommend this anime to newcomers and veterans alike. It had style, it had charm, but most importantly, it had heart.

Main Let me start out by saying this......I'm not into this type of show. I love shoujo anime [and now manga], I also like shounen-ai stuff and I'd say it's pretty much guaranteed that I'll watch just about anything with bishounen. So if someone were to tell me about this show, Gungrave and all I had was his word-of-mouth to go on then I wouldn't have bothered watching it. The only reason I watched it was because they used to play it on Tech TV [now G4] back when they used to be a cool TV station and they played anime on theweekends @ midnight. I remember they used to play Gad Guard and this other show, Gungrave. Frankly, I was mesmerized by this show...simply because this story was that good. It had me hooked and I watched it religiously every weekend but I never got to see the ending so I bought the series and even one of those giant wall scroll posters, I loved the show that much......this coming from a person that's a self professed yaoi fan-freak that mainly watches shounen-ai and all other shoujo-type anime. So if I can like this show, I don't see how anyone else can't. What's not to like? Art-Style I liked the art in general, but I had issues with the overall character design. The guys' bodies were too big, they're always too big...so big that it seems disproportionate to their heads. Big arms, big shoulders, big chests, big ripped abs, stick legs and tiny head. And I'm not talking about the orc-men or whatever they were called no, this is Brandon, this is Harry, this is Blood War, Bungee and the rest. This happens all the time, not only within this series Gungrave—no—this is somewhat of a phenomenon occurring with all of shounen anime in general. But speaking of the orc-men mutants, how is it that they can get all big and mutated, bust out of their shirts bust out of their shoes.....but the pants and belts stay in tact, WTF!!! Other than that I had no issues. The art was definitely shounen with all the bold, heavy lines and bulky silhouettes but even so there was this hint of a more grown-up aesthetic to the art that speaks out....”This ain't no little boys' cartoon.” Sound This is one of those shows that will always hold an indelible spot in my mind because of the music they used for the OP and ED. The OP theme is a melody aptly named “The Family”. There's no singing, it's just a jazz-like piece on keyboard [I think] but either way it's very cool sounding and mellow. I also liked the OP sequence that went with it; the gritty filmstrip effect used for the flashback to the days when Harry and Brandon were young but you also say elements to their dark side in the OP as well. The ED I liked strictly for nostalgic reasons. I wouldn't say it's a spectacular song but it suits the show nonetheless and with the ED sequence with Harry and Brandon running towards the sunset......well, that speaks volumes [since nothing anime is coincidental, they have to plan it before they draw it]. The show was watched in English and they did one helluva job! Story The only term I can think of for this show is.....badass! But not just badass, It's Tarantino badass. Scorsese badass! It's a little bit Good Fellas, a little bit Reservoir Dogs, a little bit God-Father. Some people may not see it as such because of the zombies and mutants and whatever but that's only if you allow yourself to become distracted by that. I admit it's pretty hard to ignore a bloated 500 pound helicopter mutant zombie-dude firing skull faced torpedoes out of his big belly, but it's just a fight scene....and a fight scene is just a fight scene. Just like when Uma Thurman went ballistic with her sword against Go-Go Yubari, Lucy Liu and the rest of the Krazy 88 gang in Kill Bill, awesome as it was it was just a fight scene. The real art is in the storytelling and the flow of the narration. Gungrave starts in the middle, rewinds to the start of everything then goes back to the middle of the action and ends at the climax. It's not nearly as confusing as it sounds, Pulp Fiction was more confusing. With Gungrave, the story may have also been out of sequence but it was very easy to follow. One of the main reasons for it being easy to follow was that it was told from mainly one perspective which was that of Brandon Heat—the main character. Mika, another main character that really doesn't show up till the 2nd half, does the introduction as well as the narration for the latter part of the series. Cast/Characters Brandon Heat is supposed to be all cool with his badass big machine guns a blazing and eye-patch and killer cosplay outfit but the truth is you can't help but feel sympathetic towards the guy. It's like you feel protected with him next to you with his cold stare, quick moves and big guns but also you get the sense that he's this really meek and sensitive guy that's really the one that needs protecting. You just want to reach out and hold him and tell him everything is going to be OK.........well, I guess you can't if you're another guy, but you get the idea. Tho I don't think he's the type to care if the guy is Harry or even Big Daddy....ha-ha, that's the crazy fangirl in me coming out. Not that it would require a great stretch of the imagination, mind you, the devotion Brandon has for Harry [and vice-versa] is pretty legendary. Harry is as beautiful as Brandon is profound. Harry dazzles with high-wattage smiles, designer suits and fast cars. I love his dark hair, piercing blue eyes and square jawline, the man is a shark....a very beautiful and deadly shark. He's no doubt a ladies-man, but say what you will....a piece of his heart belonged to Brandon, and that's why they held so much sway over each other. I call this “The Straight-Guy Crush Syndrome” it's a phenomenon where two dudes, even tho they are not gay, they kind of hold the other guy's balls in their hands due to unforeseeable emotional reasons, making each guy...the other guy's bitch. That's the long and short of it. Harry and Brandon's relationship with each other. Gungrave also has one helluva supporting cast, take your pick, there's bound to be a favorite for you in there. Worth it or NOT? It goes without saying, if you don't already own it....go out and buy it! If you liked Bebop then you'll like this one too and if you didn't like Bebop.....well, I don't wanna know you!

Boy, this sure was made by the creator of Trigun. That was one of the first observations I made while watching this anime, and it held true to the end. Many creators have some recurring styles and motifs shared between their works, and comparing it to such a well-known and well-loved classic has the capacity to be both good and bad. It certainly doesn't help that this was also adapted from a video game; game adaptations in general rarely fare well, and from what I've heard the original game itself was mediocre at best (I haven't played it though, so take that with a grainof salt). With such a strange, potentially disastrous production history I honestly didn't know what to expect going into this series. It's still very much its own thing, but its creative background is definitely notable enough to warrant mention. Don't make a drinking game out of the times I say "Trigun" or "video game" in this review, because it will kill you. Just wanted to get that out there. Madhouse of the early 2000s wasn't as consistently solid a studio as they are now, and Gungrave is definitely a little rough around the edges. Nightow's character designs definitely give the show a distinct flavor, leaning more toward realism than Trigun but still retaining a tendency toward some weird proportions, with scraggly limbs, long faces and broad shoulders. Grave's design in particular looks like the unholy lovechild of Legato Bluesummers and Brilliant Dynamites Neon. It's a rough, harsh-looking series, nary a bishonen to be seen, and I think that's what they were going for. The style takes a little getting used to, and when the budget drops it can be hard to keep those designs appealing, but when the animation hits its stride it looks great. Of particular note is its use of lighting and lens distortions, which add a lot to some already incredibly tense moments. Like Black Lagoon, another famous gunfighting Madhouse series, the action scenes occasionally amount to the characters standing in one place shooting without worrying about getting shot, but thankfully this gets phased out in time for the climactic battles later on. The animation isn't great, but it's good. Let's leave it at that. This series boasts a strong soundtrack that's largely comprised of vaguely Italian-sounding string and orchestra pieces with a little synth mixed in, generally sticking to the mafia motif while ranging in tone from warm and familial to cold and dangerous. There's some really good music here, but weirdly enough I think Gungrave is at its best when there's no music at all. This series thrives on quiet character moments, and some of its best scenes go by in complete silence. There are some exceptions, but on a whole the music for this series is at its best when it's either gentle and understated, diegetic (from a source that the characters themselves can hear, like a radio) or just not there at all. The soundtrack is still great, though, so you should definitely give it a listen if you ever get the chance. The cast of this series is 99% populated by gruff old men, which means the Los Angeles pool of voice actors is perfect for the job. All the big boys are here: William Frederick Knight, Michael McConnohie, Beau Billingslea, the list keeps going. The Japanese dub was very good as well, but there's one actor in the dub who steals the show completely, and that is Tony Oliver as Harry. His Japanese seiyuu, Kenji Yamada, plays him as fairly laid-back, in control but unassuming. Tony Oliver, on the other hand, seems to understand the character much better, his voice always carries a twinge of aggression. Harry is a very ambitious character, someone who's always taking the initiative to get ahead, and Oliver captures that ambition with every word he speaks. Kirk Thornton, Steve Blum and a several others play their roles well, and Tom Wyner does a fantastic job as an older version of Harry in the second half of the show. As usual there are some awkward secondary characters here and there, but on a whole it's a laudable dub well worth listening to for Harry alone, though not quite good enough that I'd recommend it to dub haters. While Trigun was well-known for its creative worldbuilding and grand concepts, the thing that really set it apart from the crowd was its strong beating heart, and the same can be said of Gungrave. Yes, there is technology that can revive the dead and create super-soldiers, not to mention a very well fleshed-out look at mafia operations and the underworld, but the thing that really holds this story together through it all is the concept of loyalty, and what it really means to betray someone. Millenion is held together by a cardinal rule known as the Code of Iron, which declares that all traitors to the organization, regardless of status or standing, receive an equal penalty: death. Such a code is simple in theory but exceedingly complex in practice, and the first half of the series, which follows Brandon and Harry's rise to power, takes full advantage of that ambiguity. Millenion's leader, Big Daddy, carries a lot of understandable guilt and self-doubt after dirtying his hands the way only a mafia boss could over the years, and the Code of Iron that forms the crux of his loyalty to those below him is how he comes to terms with it. The various members of Millenion, as well as several third-party characters, all have their own concept of loyalty, but it never becomes trite or stale the way shonen friendship speeches do. That's not to say that the show is dour and political all the time, though, it's also very cool. The characters here all have ridiculous, over-the-top, completely badass names: Brandon Heat, Harry MacDowel, Balladbird Lee, Bear Walken, Cannon Vulcan, Laguna Glock, Blood War (no, seriously) and as yet another Trigun comparison there's even a character named Descartes. The mafia exploits are intriguing, the ways they make money and how they're integrated into the community is intricate and closely resembles how a real-life mafia would operate. Aside from the choreography hiccup I mentioned earlier, the battles are intense, imaginative in the different weapons and styles used but still very grounded and often telling us something meaningful about the characters involved without breaking suspension of disbelief... at least in the first half. Even when it gets really talky, Gungrave is never boring. This is a rare balance that keeps the show engaging if you don't want to think about it too hard, but there's still a lot of depth and subtlety to the characters here for those who want something more from their choice of entertainment. The characterization, though, is definitely the meat of the story, and at the heart of it all are Brandon and Harry. Harry is ambitious to the point of ruthlessness, but his goals aren't without principles. His philosophy is that those with power are free not only to take what they want, but also to give it away, and while he's hardly a paragon of selflessness there's a lot more to his vision than pure egotism. He has a grand plan and believes what he's doing is for the best, which makes him extremely corruptible. Brandon is a much purer individual by contrast, and his goals are much simpler. He's quiet and unassuming (think "video game protagonist") but earnest and genuine. He just wants to live a happy life with his friends and loved ones, and if that means helping Harry climb the ladder then he'll become a mafia sweeper without hesitation, but he's also there to step in if his best friend strays too far off course. But of course, it's never that simple. As Brandon comes to love and respect Millenion's leader, Big Daddy, alongside his continuing relationship with his childhood friend Maria, it becomes clear that staying loyal to one might mean betraying another, and he has to come to terms with this in his own way. Several other side characters bring their own perspectives, but for the sake of brevity I'll not delve too far into them. Suffice it to say that the first half of Gungrave is one of the greatest betrayal stories in all of anime, right up there with Guts and Griffith. Now if only the story had a stronger sense of focus. Once again following in the footsteps of Trigun, about halfway through Gungrave shifts its tone and focus dramatically and doesn't quite manage to tie up its loose ends. In the first half, a process known as necrolization is introduced that brings back the dead as super-soldiers. Okay, I could go with that, it's both necessary for Brandon to come back as Grave and a good way to fuel Harry's ambitions. In the second half, a new process is introduced that can transform living soldiers into mindless drones called Orgmen, as well as transforming their leaders into sentient monsters known as Superiors, and this is where it gets pretty ridiculous. Aside from a little added perspective to an already-peripheral "have I overstepped the boundaries laid down by god?" subplot, these elements serve next to no purpose and could easily have been written out completely with relative ease. Instead, it turns the show from grounded character drama to over-the-top action spectacle, and the show's video game roots start to rear their head. The Orgmen are video game mooks, and the Superiors are video game bosses, period. These fights are just there to be cool and action-packed, but that was never what Gungrave was really about. Nightow is a creative man to a fault. He has a lot of grand, wonderful ideas but doesn't always know what to do with them. Maybe with more runtime or tighter writing it could have given meaning to the cacophony, but the world of Gungrave is a cluttered mess. Even in its stronger first half, the seeds of its oncoming problems were present--allusions to an unspecified war, Tomases from Trigun racing in the place of horses and some really outlandish technology make it clear just how little we know about the world of Gungrave, and it stays that way to the very end with disparate elements that really don't feel like they all belong in the same story. None of that, however, was as obnoxious as the inclusion of the Superiors, which took what could have been some of the most emotionally involving confrontations and made them... well, not bad, but they mostly didn't have nearly the impact they should have. It's hit-and-miss. In the last few episodes a rival faction comes pretty much out of nowhere just to make the ending fall into place. Thankfully, that very ending turns out to be the show's saving grace. It brings the story of Brandon and Harry full-circle in a way that's cathartic, completely justified and entirely satisfying. I'm not sure whether I can truly call Gungrave "great" or not, but there's certainly a lot of greatness in it. The plot goes some weird and unnecessary places, and like Harry himself it becomes something of a victim of its own ambition, but the parts of it that shine through are truly fantastic. The humanity of its cast and the sincerity at its heart--not to mention a damn near perfect ending--are more than enough to blow past its flaws, and I warmly recommend it.