Gungrave

Genre: Action/Drama

Format: 26 Episodes

Allegiance: Studio MadHouse

Director: Toshiyuki Tsuru

Vintage: 2003 - 2004

Intelligence Agency Report by: Orax

Brandon Heat and Harry McDowell have always been the best of friends. Although they and their gang cause nothing but trouble, that's their lifestyle and they couldn't be happier. However, one of their gang wars eventually attracted the attention of the large mafia syndicate Millenion. Wanting the ability to protect his family, friends, and loved ones, Brandon decides to accompany Harry and join Millenion. As they rise in rank and become esteemed members of the syndicate, they witness the meaning of “trust.”

Field Agent Report by: Orax

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.00
9.75
9.25
9.50
8.75

Overall

9.25

(not an average)

Perhaps one of the most compelling game to anime conversions, Gungrave enwraps you in its tale of trust and betrayal and delivers some of the best character development I’ve seen in recent days.

Gungrave starts off on the wrong foot with the first episode. In fact, unless you don’t mind spoilers, I seriously suggest skipping the first episode entirely as it only spoils what’s to come, not to mention that the episode will be shown later on in the series. However, after this episode, the real story about some street punks wanting to pursue bigger dreams is introduced. Brandon and Harry remind me of Berserk, where one is all ambition and the other acts as his unwavering sword. This bond of friendship continues to strengthen as Brandon and Harry slowly progress to the upper echelons of Millenion’s hierarchy. These two soon meet other characters who become their friends, lovers, and comrades who all make impacting impressions on the viewer as you will feel for many of them. As Brandon and Harry continue to take part in Millenion they soon realize the rule “never betray” has become the rule they must forever abide by and never break. Ever.

Remarkably, Gungrave is able to incorporate both fantastic storytelling and beautiful art. It is able to keep movement fluid and maintain a high level of detail throughout the most demanding of action scenes. To describe the music in Gungrave, it would be most appropriate to say that it’s “unique.” It has its own feel and is able to pull you into its world without trouble, but there are no pieces that really stand out. It just really fits Gungrave well.

As you reach about two-thirds point of the series, the story takes a whole different direction where creatures called orcmen are abound and the series becomes borderline insane. However, it is nothing they don’t prepare you for. The change is actually gradual and can be predicted. I really had more of a problem with Mika than with the orcmen. Every time she was on screen she would either be yelling, crying or a mixture of both. It got really tiring to the point I was sick of her.

Despite this transition, the heart of the series: character development, never forsakes the viewer. The fruition of Brandon and Harry’s relationship will be seen in the dramatic conclusion. Friendships will break and hearts will be shattered all for the sake of carrying out two different ideals of what Millenion should be.

Field Agent Report by: Phate

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.50
9.00
9.75
8.50
9.25

Overall

9.25

(not an average)

Ever since I first saw the film The Godfather, a particular subject in storytelling that fascinates me is crime organizations and syndicates. There is something about the gritty, seedy underworld facet to them that draws me in; Gungrave follows a premise along these lines. However, like The Godfather, Gungrave transcends the typical Mafia story, being an excellent anime in its own right.

A big strength in Gungrave’s story is that it never tries too hard to be engrossing and ending up convoluted and confusing. On the contrary, throughout Gungrave’s 26 episodes, the plot stays rather straight-forward and easy to follow. Despite what a viewer might expect, this does not make it any less gripping, as the creators used something much more effective to keep the viewer’s attention: good storytelling combined with excellent characters. Not one episode is filler, and everything is meant to further advance the plot. Likewise for the characters; even though the cast is sizeable, each one adds something to the show and none are left unexplained or meaningless.

However, to get to the meat of Gungrave, the viewer is going to have to get past a couple of noticeable detriments. First of all, for anyone that isn’t an action junkie, the pilot episode does a terrible job of giving a compelling reason to continue watching. It throws the viewer into the midst of events that take place later in the series and only succeeds in being flashy and confusing. Also, there is a very noticeable contrast between the first half and the second half of the show. The addition of several science-fiction elements at the beginning of the second half may be a turn off for some viewers, especially as the show progresses and it continues to play a bigger role. Also, the fact that Gungrave was based on a videogame becomes more apparent.

For an anime to come fresh off the grill based on a less-than-stellar video game, only the bottom tier in quality is to be expected. By now you can tell that this is most definitely not the case for Gungrave. Go and watch it, as you will not be disappointed.