copyright © Jedo Dre 2011

So we have a bunch of strongly contrasting characters adventuring and overcoming different dangers together, all in the business of selling guns. The story concentrates on the child soldier in the group - Jonah. Naturally he has some mental issues to work out, but each member seems to have some sort of screw in their head loose. Sounds like fun, except the series does not flow very well. It is all a bit...awkward.


When a crazy weirdo like me says "awkward" I believe it carries some weight. If I try to pinpoint the awkward then I stumble upon the logic. It has a strange logic this anime. Examples should serve plenty: Not to spoil too much, but at one point our anti-heroes are surrounded by a small group of enemy soldiers outside of a house, so they suddenly disarm themselves and tell the ambushing soldiers that a smaller more vulnerable team is hiding inside the house so the soldiers go right past them and attack the smaller team inside. If you are trying to make a point that an easier prey is inside the house, why would you disarm yourself? You are in the open, you are unable to defend yourself and the people inside the house are armed and in cover. This same kind of logic can be seen throughout the whole series and comes back in what the characters say to each other.


I know that the creators are trying to show how crazy everyone is, including adding odd behavior and dialogue, but it feels like they haven't got it quite right yet. It's like a normal person trying to impersonate a crazy person. I feel more can be done with the ideas at hand and the "crazy" can be better.


Nonetheless, the sound effects and the animation are great, with the style scales tipped just slightly away from the Japanese style and towards more Westernized mature animation along the lines of Ghost In The Shell (very vaguely along the lines though), which can be both a plus and a minus depending on what you like. Add to it slight hints of straight shota and yuri and you got yourself an interesting anime.


*UPDATE: So far the 2nd season of this anime has been much more coherent. I like where this is going...

Jormungand