WOW, Gungrave is a ~VERY~ good Anime *(May contain Gungrave Spoilers)*

[BlueTsunami]

I'm at epsidode 11 and i'm just blown away. It started off pretty generic. Undead monsters attacking people and a lone gunmen is summoned to kill the said undead monsters. The next episode showed a battle of the gunner vs a monster. I was uninterested, pretty cool...but nothing special.

*Spoilers Ahoy

Then it happened. The show went back in time to the *gunners teenage life. You see how he started. The gunners name is Brandon Heat. You see him as a hoodlum that goes through life shattering experiences. He joins the Mafia (Syndacite) and eventually becomes an assasin. The story and character development (IMO) is genius. I care about Brandon, I care about his friend Harry, I care about "Bear", I care about Big Daddy and I care about Maria.

Seeing Brandon go from teenager to Emotionless killer/assasin and yet still question why hes there strikes a cord. Seeing him act cold towards Maria and yet he still cares for her and want to protect her is heartbreaking. Also seeing his friendship with Harry McDowell go so deep and seeing both of them strive together to become the leaders of (Millenium) and yet know the predicament is cool yet sad.

I have an idea of whats going to happen. Betrayal. This is quite appearent given what they showed at the beginning. But how and why it happens is what has got me so captivated. Right now Brandon and Harry are older and wiser. More calise. They did a wonderful job of showing them getting to this point. I personally feel that i've seen them grow.

Props to the creaters of Gungrave for creating an exceptional Anime. I would recommend this to anyone that hasn't watched it yet. It truly is a great Anime.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I just finished watching all 26 episodes two days ago and I absolutely loved it.

Like a sci-fi Sopranos anime buddy movie with lots of twists, very good.

What episode you on? The ending is solid btw, that's all I'll say.

 

[BlueTsunami]

I just finished watching all 26 episodes two days ago and I absolutely loved it.

Like a sci-fi Sopranos anime buddy movie with lots of twists, very good.

What episode you on? The ending is solid btw, that's all I'll say.

Nice! Its good to look forward to a solid ending . I also like the Sopranos vibe, but the Sci-Fi twist..from what i've seen so far makes it oh so interesting. I'm VERY fond of the characters personalities, very adult like. Unlike most animes that have childlike personality qualitys. It allows me to connect with the characters and actually sorta admire them.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I found myself walking around saying, "Brandon, Brandon Heat" and "Harry McDowell" in the character's accents and tones....I just loved how they sounded. (I listened to the japanese audio, I hate dubbing)

Hahree MACK-dual, too kewl.

I will spoil a little for you because I kept wondering about it, you do catch up to the first episode before the end of the series...that first episode wasn't the ending.

 

[BlueTsunami]

I found myself walking around saying, "Brandon, Brandon Heat" and "Harry McDowell" in the character's accents and tones....I just loved how they sounded. (I listened to the japanese audio, I hate dubbing)

Hahree MACK-dual, too kewl.

I will spoil a little for you because I kept wondering about it, you do catch up to the first episode before the end of the series...that first episode wasn't the ending.

At first I thought it was corny how they would say the whole names of the characters. But it started to grow on me. I thought of it as actually being cool (eventualy). Its as if its a sign of respect and it makes you remember the names. The names also fit the characters perfectly. I love it.

 

[London Geezer]

Is it a "closed" series? Kinda like Escaflowne or Neon Genesis Evangelion?

 

[digitalwanderer]

Is it a "closed" series? Kinda like Escaflowne or Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Most definately. It closes quite conclusively at episode 26.

 

[Tim Murray]

Sounds, uh, exactly like Berzerk, except replace "mercenaries" with "Mafia" and "swords" with "guns." And it ends, which Berzerk most assuredly does not.

Gattsu is most assuredly cooler, though.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I still haven't watched Berserk, it just hasn't grabbed me yet.

I loved Gunparade March though, that was a find and a half for me!

I'm about to try watching Tenchi muyo! GXP, it caught my eye reading an anime recomendation database.

 

[Tim Murray]

If you're not hooked by episode 6 or so, call me a liar. But I'm no liar. You just haven't seen Griffith yet.

 

[digitalwanderer]

If you're not hooked by episode 6 or so, call me a liar. But I'm no liar. You just haven't seen Griffith yet.

I'm not calling you a liar nor trying to dis your recomendation, I never made it thru the opening yet.

Y'know how you just have to be in the right mood sometimes to start watching something? It hasn't hit me yet.

BTW BlueTsunami- Look into Gunslinger Girls if you liked Gungrave. Similarish, but even darker and much more disturbing...I loved it.

 

[Tim Murray]

I'm not calling you a liar nor trying to dis your recomendation, I never made it thru the opening yet.

Y'know how you just have to be in the right mood sometimes to start watching something? It hasn't hit me yet.

Yeah, I understand. Just keep in mind, though, that the first episode or two are completely different from the rest of the series. At least, most of the series. You'll see.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Yeah, I understand. Just keep in mind, though, that the first episode or two are completely different from the rest of the series. At least, most of the series. You'll see.

Thanks, that does help me actually. I've had a lot of anime recomended to me with that caveat, and I've yet to be disapointed by it.

I just need something light right now, GODS I hope they do a FMP: Fumoffu II after TSR.

 

[oi]

I actually forced my way through the first ep of Berserk and thought it was garbage. And still do. Anyways! I was about to start watching Gungrave, but then I got hooked on Honey and Clover, which might just be the bestest show ever simply because Morita is so damn awesome.

I'm planning to watch Gungrave as a warm-up for the Hellsing OVA which is getting released later this year tho. Alucard might just be the only one who can compete with Morita in awesomeness.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I'm looking forward to the Hellsing OVA too, I liked the series but here the manga was better and the OVA will follow it faithfully.

I just saw a RAW of "My ZHime" go up and did some poking and it IS the sequel to "My Hime", I'm very excited.

 

[Tim Murray]

I actually forced my way through the first ep of Berserk and thought it was garbage. And still do.

The first episode is actually pretty crappy. It corresponds with the manga, where the first seven volumes are so are in the present (with only the first episode taking up the first two volumes, and the rest of it actually being interesting and starting to explain the setting). After the first episode, though, it reverts to Giant Flashback to explain how the world got to the point it did. That's all the anime is. The manga goes much, much further, to explain how Gattsu can even fight against the state of the world and what exactly he's fighting against.

And the action makes Naruto look idiotic. Period.

 

[digitalwanderer]

And the action makes Naruto look idiotic. Period.

Naruto is idiotic, he's survives by being persistant. That's part of his charm.

 

[Tim Murray]

Naruto is idiotic, he's just persistant. That's part of his charm.

I meant the action in all of Naruto, sorry. Kisame/Gai, Itachi/whoever, etc. It can't compare to Gattsu (especially Gattsu in THE SUIT, which is not in the anime at all) with Mister Sword fighting things that are many times larger than he.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Man...while on the train (I take a train from my town to my job near Boston) I was watching episodes 14 and 15. They pulled the betrayal of Harry over Brandon so perfectly. You could sense the tension between the two from the start of episode 14. They way they execute it, the way you see through Brandons eyes as hes being shot by his childhood friend.. Also how Harry breaks down in the dinner when he kills the shopkeeper for the little kid. It was like a punch to the face, but watching the punch being thrown and not being able to do nothing about it.

I'm about to hit the present (timeline) of the storyline. I'm really likeing this whole series so far. It will possibly go on my best of all time. For some reason i'm really diggin the characters in the series. Very dark and cool. Also, after seeing the epilogue of the whole storyline, it will make the vengence and revenge that Brandon will deal so much more powerful Can't wait to watch another episode on the train in the morning.

BTW BlueTsunami- Look into Gunslinger Girls if you liked Gungrave. Similarish, but even darker and much more disturbing...I loved it.

Thanks! I'll take a look at it, I usualy start downloading another series when I hit the 20th episode of the current series i'm watching. I'll take a look at my ~Favorite Anime Site~ and see if they have the series for download.

 

[digitalwanderer]

You are going to soooo love how the series wraps up!!!