Episodes 1-3
Right away, we’ve got a really thrilling setup. His tribe hires Kurima Raizo to murder his father-in-law because of disloyalty. But once the mission is done, he is betrayed, and his tribe makes an effort to kill him. Raizo joins a different gang that his late father-in-law recruited in the event of his death and learns that he had stumbled into their shady intentions to collaborate with the British Empire and the opium trade. Raizo and his crew arrive to make things right, which they accomplish, but not before Raizo’s fiance commits suicide and leaves.
This one has a very strong hook compared to other first episodes. It’s true that the assassin being sought out for murder after the job is over isn’t the most creative story device ever. However, the delivery is really powerful. Raizo’s remorse about killing his father-in-law is a twist that deepens his mental pain and sorrow while also highlighting the rotten wickedness of his (former) kin. It’s simple to cheer for Raizo since he believed he was doing the tough but right step but eventually fell victim to cartoonishly nasty enemies. Add that to the gut-punch of his fiancé’s terrible death at the end. It was also a wonderful touch that the daimyo was okay with imperial rule as long as he got to be the governor.
The Revengers’ whole idea is absolutely fantastic material. I have a soft place for tales of highly educated individuals using their talents to assist the less fortunate. There’s a feeling of Robin Hood, but it’s more about obtaining justice that would ordinarily be beyond the resources of the wronged individuals than it is about receiving financial restitution. This second episode, which was bleak yet cathartic, centres on obtaining justice for a lady who was sold into prostitution after being deceived into taking on debt.
I also like Usui’s perspective on the matter’s morality. He does not spend a lot of time attempting to defend what the Revengers do or going into great detail about whether it is moral. Usui invites Raizo to accompany him and see the suffering of those making the requests; he will be persuaded by the injustices they have really endured. It’s top-notch material, and the thrilling conclusion is really satisfying.
The graphics are incredibly eye-catching. The majority of the supporting cast’s character designs are all quite realistic and historically accurate, but the lead cast’s character designs are excellent. Raizo and the other Revengers all have striking appearances that aren’t too outlandish to make them seem out of place. Their weapons are outrageous—diamond-studded kite strings and suffocation cloths that are sticky and American cheese-colored—and there is a tonne of glorious, gory detail in how they function. Characters moved naturally, backdrops featured a fair amount of richness, and there were several intriguing set pieces (I particularly liked the sequence of Raizo jumping off the cliff).
The series is written by Gen Urobuchi, and even though I don’t always give him a perfect score, I really like what he does (more hits than misses, in my experience). It seems like we have a hit on our hands in this situation. The second episode was able to take a strong hook and make it ten times better, so I have to give credit to the creative team on this one.
The world-building and tone-setting are episode three’s greatest assets. The group travels to Nagasaki and deals with some of its seedier side streets. The opium trade is rife in this region, as are the many conflicts that result from it. There are drug dealings, unfulfilled promises, and despondent souls underneath the flying imperial flags. There are slums where people have been driven to the outside of civilization covering the whole hillside that looks down on the metropolis. We see how even the judges and officials who are meant to keep the peace are utilising the weakest and most defenceless people as bargaining chips in their small-minded games. We are made acutely aware of the dramatic contrast between the opulent interiors of the metropolis and the deplorable poverty of the outside. One of the most disturbing pictures from the whole show is the scene when Murakami is surrounded by helpless individuals who resemble the walking dead.
Speaking of whom, Murakami is a fascinating individual. A gigantic pirate doctor with a huge bow that is so exhausting to use that it causes his shirt to blow off? Incredible. Marvelous. A single bolt in episode two effectively removed the escape boat from the sea, which was both incredible and amusing. This season, you should definitely watch this programme.
The real battle or mission is rather less thrilling. There are a couple interesting conversations between Soji and Raizo in it, and I really like how Soji actively works to make sure Raizo doesn’t mess up his plans. It results in a positive team dynamic. However, the real fighting consists primarily of them carrying out covert killings against stupid thugs, which is good but nothing new. Thought-provoking moments were Raizo stabbing the one goon through the wall behind Soji and Soji’s use of playing cards as projectiles.
Overall, one of my favourite holiday concerts in a long time and still extremely powerful.
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