Series: Casshern Sins – Part One
UK Release date: 9th May 2011
Distributor: Manga
Certificate: 15
Running time: 288 mins
Director: Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Genre: Anime
Format: DVD
Country of Production: Japan
Language: Japanese
Review by: Alex Jones
Casshern Sins is the 2008 reboot of Tatsunoko’s classic Casshern: Neo Human anime series – which told the story of an android hunting down robots who took over the world. While Casshern Sins shares some similarities with its predecessor (such as characters) it completely disregards any continuity, opting instead to create an all-new story.
Casshern Sins is set in a world where humanity has almost become extinct, the majority of the population being robots. But now both humans and robots alike are facing an apocalyptic catastrophe known as the Ruin. The world is at its end and the man responsible for it is Casshern.
Casshern has completely lost his memories prior to the beginning of the end, and is now being hunted by human and robot alike. His hunters have heard rumours that if they devour Casshern they will attain eternal life and will also be able to put a stop to the Ruin. In the many encounters he has against those who wish to harm him, Casshern learns that he put the Ruin into motion by killing a girl named Luna, the “sun named moon.” Luna was dubbed the source of life and without her the world is doomed.
As Casshern travels the world to learn more about his past and come to terms with his actions, he meets many people, each dealing with the threat of the Ruin in very different ways. Soon he is joined by Friender, a robotic dog, and encounters people that not only know about him and his past, but bear a striking resemblance to him…
This set encompasses the first half of Casshern Sins (12 episodes out of a 24 episode series) and, for the most part, the episodes are fairly standalone. Casshern, all alone, will meet someone affected by the Ruin. Each character has their own story to tell which ties in how they deal with the Ruin, whether it be a romantic story or their beliefs for the future of the world. Casshern learns something about the value of life, but then, at the same time, the majority of stories end in tragedy. It’s an excellent method of character development for Casshern, who is essentially a blank slate for the majority of the episodes. That being said, the fact that it is difficult to determine whether Casshern is responsible for the Ruin makes the series all the more interesting – while for the most part he seems innocent and naïve to the world around him, the times he shows his destructive side (usually when provoked) are genuinely frightening. The storytelling may be somewhat formulaic, but each episode takes a very different approach to it than the last. So even if you think you know what’ll happen next, Casshern Sins keeps you guessing. The dialogue is deep and meaningful, without sounding too pretentious
One part of Casshern Sins that deserves particular praise is the sheer diversity of character designs. The series show a huge variety of robot designs, from those looking like normal humans (such as Casshern and Ringo, a young robot girl who takes a shine to Casshern) to the legion of more traditionally designed robots hunting Casshern that wouldn’t have looked out of place in series such as Mazinger Z and Tetsujin 28. Not only that, but it includes everything in between – including some rather creepy Pinocchio style robot children.
The art style is incredibly unique, capturing the perfect mix between retro character design and modern flavour. The bleak colours of the ruined world work perfectly against the main characters, whose vibrant palettes make them stand out like a glimmer of hope in a world that’s run out of it. The music also helps convey the mood of the show, and is worked to particular advantage in the episode ‘The Praise Of Hope’, which tells the story of singer who wishes to dedicate her final song to the refugees of the Ruin.
The only real downside to this volume of Casshern Sins is the lack of plot advancement. The antagonists Dio and Lyuze are introduced midway in, but their appearances are scarce, aside from cameos and then one excellent episode dedicated to just them. Casshern’s back-story is merely told through word of mouth and some very short clips at the beginning of each episode, each depicting different parts of his encounter with Luna. Some may consider this a plus, as it gives ample time to fleshing out the characters before thrusting them into the main story, but others might not appreciate 12 episodes of standalone stories that merely hint at a larger arc.
Volume one of Casshern Sins is an extremely promising first half to the series. A bleak look into a future, where it seems not even robots can escape an inevitable apocalypse. It is an excellent series that shows the different ways people deal with disaster while, at the same time, keeping enough mystery in the overall plot to carry over into the second volume. Highly recommended. AJ
No comments:
Post a Comment