This was a lot better than I thought it would be. I figured it would be yet another harem comedy, but I was wrong. First of all, it isn't a comedy. In two episodes, there was only one scene which might even get a grin, and it didn't harm the viewing experience that I didn't smile.

(Why is Usagi in a bunny-girl costume? Well, you see...)

I'm not even sure it's a harem show. It's one guy and three girls, and all the girls have nice figures, but there aren't any romantic vibes between the guy and two of the girls. As to the third one, its possible but not certain as of the end of episode 2.

There is an academy that trains inquisitors, whose job is to hunt down and capture (or if necessary kill) witches and other magic users. There was a war mumble years in the past between the forces of magic and the forces of technology which was won by technologists, mainly because they were using guns. Since then the magic users have been driven underground and generally are seen to be a danger or a nuisance. It is the job of the Inquisition to fight them when necessary and to try to win a war of attrition against them.

Students at the school are assigned to "test platoons" (actually squad size) in order to fight against lower level opponents and eventually to graduate to the big leagues. The 35th Test Platoon has the nickname zako shoutai ("small fry platoon") because all three of its members are seen as being complete losers.

The reason Takeru is there is because his weapon is a sword, while nearly everyone else is using guns. However, he is really good with it. For instance, he can go into bullet time when he needs to and deflect bullets with his blade. So the people laughing at him are doing so because of prejudice, not because they actually know anything about him.

The teaser of the first episode is a quick look-ahead at something that happens in the middle of episode 2, and then we get introduced to the 35th Platoon. Takeru is the commander; Usagi is a sniper who uses a Barrett Long Rifle, and Kusanagi is a support person who stays back at base in front of a lot of computer screens to provide information (like "which way did they go?") via radio.

A new member gets assigned named Ouka. As soon as I saw her art I figured she'd be a tsundere, but so far no sign of that. In fact the only case of anyone trying to beat up Takeru was Usagi at the beginning of ep 1. (That was the unfunny comedy scene.)

At the end of the second episode a necromancer unleashes a very powerful attacker who goes after the academy, and the head of the academy sends out a call for every student to fight it. Most of the ones who try get creamed, and then Ouka goes after it, and she too is nearly killed. Takeru shows up just in the nick of time and takes it on -- and then it got surprisingly interesting. I won't say why.

And now I'm wondering how it's going to develop.

By the way, it's nice to finally run into a Japanese author who knows what the word necromancer means. It's a magic user who gains power via ritual murders, and this one tends to leave a lot of bodies behind. He might be the series big-bad but I bet he isn't.

UPDATE: Takeru's seiyuu also did the voice of Koujo in Strike the Blood and I kept expecting Takeru to shout ki agare Regulus Aurum!

Posted by: Steven Den Beste in General Anime at 05:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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