Witchblade

Genre: Sci-Fi
Format: 24 Episodes
Allegiance: Top Cow Productions / GONZO
Director: Yoshimitsu Ohashi
Vintage: 2006
Intelligence Agency Report by: Psycho Red
Masane Amaha had no idea that after the deadliest disaster in Tokyo’s history, her and her daughter’s lives were going to be turned up-side down in the strangest way possible. After setting out to start a new life, Masane will come to realize she was chosen by fate to be not only mother to Rihoko, but that she now possesses one of the most powerful weapons in the world, and will have to do everything possible to keep it out of the wrong hands.

Field Agent Report by: Psycho Red
Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio
8.00
10.00
9.00
9.50
9.50
Overall 9.25

Having been created from an American comic series first published in 1995 by Top Cow Productions, I honestly did not have high hopes for this, but I gave it a fair shake as it came recommended to me by a friend.

GONZO, the Japanese anime studio that developed the anime series in 2006, actually did a bang-up job putting together what ended up being a high-powered adventure so intense that you just can’t pull yourself away.

In the first few episodes, the plot progresses kind of slowly, setting up the life of the main character, Masane Amaha, and her six-year old daughter Rihoko, moving to start fresh in Japan. However, you are quickly drawn in when Masane’s life gets thrown upside-down because of the Witchblade she picked up by chance six years earlier during an apocalyptic event.

Further along, it’s revealed that there are two companies competing for control of this Witchblade, and one of them has created an army of inbred warrior girls utilizing copies of it called “Cloneblades”.

The plot is easy to follow – it leads you along, but doesn’t tell you quite everything (believe me, it’s enough), leaving you asking the occasional question. Character-wise, they are all very well developed, with each major player doing their part to move the story along, and their lives end up becoming intertwined a great deal more than you expect, leaving no loose ends.

Visually, if you are a guy that likes a little skin show with your anime, this is definitely the anime for you. There is also no shortage of fight scenes, explosions, and other fun stuff you come to expect from this kind of show. The music also comes off very well placed, and flows seamlessly in the background.

There is definitely a lot more to this series than I can fit into a short summary, but suffice it to say, if you enjoy babes, blades, blood, and BOOMS, you’ve got yourself a winner.