Gunjou no Magmel has an interesting history.  The manga is written by Chinese mangaka Daienbyou and published in the app version of Weekly Shounen Jump.  It’s not the first Chinese work to make it’s way to anime by any means (not counting the classics) but there haven’t been a lot of them, and Pierrot seems to have become the go-to studio for production committees looking to adapt them.  Some, like Jikken-hin Kazoku, are effectively Chinese productions but Magmel has a mostly Japanese main staff and the original release is in Japanese.  It’s also – sadly for us – a Netflix Japan exclusive which means no streaming options in English.

Gunjou no Magmel in fact has not just a Japanese staff, but a rather big-name director in Date Hayato, who’s helmed the likes of Naruto and Saiyuki.  The staff generally is very experienced and rather good, and when working on the obviously modest budget this show is, that makes a difference.  While obviously made on the cheap there are some rather stylish and eye-catching scene compositions and cuts, and no groan-worthy CGI moments.  There’s a strong Naruto feeling here generally, with some of the staff (including composer Takanashi Yasuharu) working on both series.

As for the material itself, it makes a fairly good impression in the first episode.  The premise here is that a new continent “Magmel” has been discovered, and it’s full of potential riches and crazy dangerous flora and fauna.  That draws fame and fortune-seekers by the droves, and a cottage industry of “Anglers” has arisen to rescue their asses when they get into trouble.  Inyou is one such Angeler, and lives with his assistant (who may or may not be A.I.) Zero.  He doesn’t seem to get much work but in the premiere a sickly young boy named Kryks asks him to save his older brother, who’s gone to Magmel to find the powerful medicine Epona’s Tears, which may have the power to cure the boy’s illness.

There are obvious echoes of the Abyss in the creatures of Magmel, though to even suggest the comparison is grossly unfair to both series, and I can’t help but think of Togashi’s Dark Continent too (though we haven’t seen much of it yet).  I highly doubt Gunjou no Magmel is going to rouse anything like that level of epic mystery and danger, but so far it’s pretty interesting.  There are still a lot of gaps in the premise to be filled in but apparently Inyou is a “Laktor”, someone with the able to conjure items from his mind into reality (which is clearly very handy on Magmel).  The story in the premiere is certainly predictable, but the overall setup is intriguing enough – and the old-school execution stylish enough – to bring me back for another episode (assuming it’s subbed).