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Episode 3 of Kekkai Sensen is more of the same, and oh so different.
I’m more or less in the same boat with Blood Blockade Battlefront that I have been from the beginning. That is to say, the style is way ahead of the substance for me, at least so far. But the style is so good that it almost doesn’t seem to matter a lot of the time. There aren’t a lot of shows that I could say that about, but this one so overflowing with creative mojo that it transcends my normal standards for evaluating anime.
One thing that really stands out for me with this series is the music. Obviously the OP and especially the ED are excellent, but take a look at what Matsumoto-sensei has done with the BGM. In the premiere, it was exclusively a bebop-styled jazz that recalled Baccano!. In the second ep we saw a taste of Pillows-esque guitar and bass tracks that inevitably brought FLCL to mind. And this week we started out with a vocal track that sounded Indian or Arabic-influenced to introduce us to the “Alterworld” – a landscape even more surreal and dreamlike than Hellsalem’s Lot. Then it switched to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (“Ode to Joy”) as the backdrop for one of the strangest gaming sequences we’ve seen in anime for awhile. All so very different, yet all so fitting for the moment and effective.
The other thing that must be said is that it’s not as though the substance of Kekkai Sensen is terrible, or even uninteresting – it’s definitely neither – just a bit unformed. There’s some intriguing stuff out there but so far, it’s all pretty abstract. We were introduced to a bunch of new characters and concepts this week – K.K. (Orikasa Ai), an ally of Klaus’ with connections to the underworld. The boss of that underworld, the alien insectoid Don Arlelelle Eruca Fulgrouche (81 year-old Iizuka Shouzo). And the game of Prosfair, something like a futuristic version of chess and a favorite of both Klaus and Arlelelle (Klaus is also quite find of chess, which he likes to play online on what looks like an original Apple Mac).
The MacGuffin of this episode is the spread of Angel Scale, a powerful drug that offers strange abilities to alter one’s physical state. Libra is keen to stop it, but information on who’s running it is scarce through normal channels. That means a trip to meet Arlelelle, who seems to view Klaus as the ultimate Prosfair challenge. The Don never loses, but Klaus can at least hold him to a draw for long periods of time – and for the Don, that’s worth a mint. He also challenges Russian chessmaster Ulchenko (Mikami Satoshi) an arrogant SOB who disdains Klaus’ advice and seeks the Don’s aid in procuring nuclear weapons for the former USSR.
This Prosfair battle is certainly style over substance, but with Ludwig van as the soundtrack and these amazing visuals, what style it is. Ulchenko challenges Arlelelle to a 9-hour battle – extended to 10 to include Ulchenko’s request that Arlelelle eliminate Klaus and KK (which I suspect the Don would have refused even if he’d lost) – and can’t hack it. Klaus offers to play for Ulchenko’s life, as well as the information about Angel Scale, to which Arlelelle agrees with the alarming condition that Klaus must hold out for 99 hours.
My takeaway from all this is that Klais is one hell of a bro, and GAR too – never mind his selfless act on behalf of the ungrateful Ulchenko, just holding out for 99 hours against the Don is remarkable. Clearly it’s this match rather than the Angel Scale plot which is the point of the episode. As for Leo, he’s a bit player here. He moves into the office after having been kicked out of his tenement apartment (turned into a luxury hotel) and suffers some not especially funny abuse from Zapp. And he meets up again with White, who seems not to be an actual ghost but instead a symbolic one, a girl confined to the hospital for three years. Just what her (anime-original) role is going to be is still very much a mystery, but I’ll just add it to the pile – I don’t know where we’re going but I’m enjoying the ride.
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gigaknight21
April 19, 2015 at 4:29 amWhere to start? Honestly, sometimes watching this series makes me mad, because it reminds me how no one makes anime like this anymore. I haven't seen anything with BBB's confidence, tone, and pacing since…10 years ago? I guess TTGL qualifies, and that was more like 7…
If I'm remembering right, you weren't the biggest Cowboy Bebop fan, but the "cool factor" and musical prowess captured here makes me think of certain Bebop episodes.
One last note – I read last week you haven't watched Trigun? That surprises me – I thought with your love of FLCL, Eva, and Outlaw Star that you must have watched everything in the early 2000s Toonami late night catalog. The manga is probably better than the series, but it was still an early anime staple for me.
admin
April 19, 2015 at 4:40 amI do like Bebop more than love it, but the cool factor is off the charts. As for Trigun I've watched some, but it just never captured me. Who can say why – just happened that way.
Drake Chandler
April 19, 2015 at 7:09 amDamn, and here I am looking at my avatar. It was honestly Nightow's name that got me hyped for Kekkai Sensen, but I'm being more and more disappointed with every episode. Trigun (the anime at least) was very heavy on story. I haven't read much of the manga, so I'll save on my judgement of it. I don't think I'll finish it with the same love I have for the anime though.
One thing I do find funny though is that both Trigun and Kekkai Sensen have anime original adaptions of their respective manga.
lHyDrAl
April 19, 2015 at 12:11 pmFor now, the anime is still adapting straight from the manga with the exception of the addition of White and her brother and the next episode looks to adapt the end of volume 2. We'll see where things go from there though since I assume their story will take prominence eventually bringing us towards an anime original ending. The pacing has been rather fast but somehow doesn't feel rushed in the slightest, kudos to Matsumoto Rie for that. Hopefully, the anime original material can hold its own to the manga material which has been a blast so far due to Rie's fantastic direction.
John Gottschalk
April 25, 2015 at 10:24 pmGiga, have you watched Kyousogiga? If you're liking the pacing and confidence of this show, you could very well enjoy Rie's directorial debut, although admittedly the content is quite different.
sonicsenryaku
April 19, 2015 at 5:17 amfunnily enough, while i enjoy this series; i actually find it's visual and directorial pacing to be a bit unpolished. it's perhaps that which is ultimately making enzo not quite become enraptured by the "substance" of the series because im sort of in the same boat (except i think it nags me a bit more). But yes i agree, this series has a feel that i have not felt from anime in quite a while (im referring to the cool factor)
sonicsenryaku
April 19, 2015 at 5:20 amSpeaking of cool, does anyone know when in the hell Lupin 2015 is gonna air? digimon adventure tri got unfortunately delayed and now the last of the anime's i was looking forward to the most does not seem to have any info on its release date
Kaname
April 19, 2015 at 11:37 amThis year has certainly bring out some strong contenders. I would have thought no one can beat or rival Death Parade but my God was I wrong! I look forward to see how this all ed up.