There are a lot of anime that include demons and devils in their cast and I know that a list of 5 can’t even begin to cover all the great titles out there. Still, I decided to have a go at listing my 5 favourite anime with demons or devils in them. I did rule out just standard yokai anime though as I wanted this list to focus more on demons or devils as the are more often represented in the west.
Still, there are still a lot of anime out there that we could have got into and with one exception I haven’t even touched the sheer number of comedy anime that use these kinds of characters. Nor have I touched on the harem anime that go there so I’m sure there are plenty more anime that people could list and I’d love to hear your choices in the comments below.
I will just give an honourable mention to Devilman Crybaby. I didn’t really like that anime for a number of reasons but its depiction of demons was actually pretty solid and so it deserves a space on the list.
Have you got a favourite anime demon? Give them a shout out in the comments.
I feel a lot of people will probably have this one higher up
their lists and if I had only watched season one I probably would as well. I
really enjoyed the set up to this story in the first episode where we learn the
truth about who Rin’s father was and we see part of the cause for his volatile
temper and violence. While this anime takes a lot of liberties with the church
structure, terminology, and the basic idea of what an exorcist is, it is
undeniably entertaining. The second season lacked a lot of that charm that
season one brought to the table, but still, it is a solid entry in terms of an
anime focused on the idea of exorcising demons.
The Devil is a Part-Timer is one of those anime that just
hit the right spot for me particularly in terms of its comedy. However, a lot
of the enjoyment I found in the anime was in the way they portrayed the devil
and his demon generals. Also, the connection between the hero and Satan was
very nicely established and as the story progressed we had a bit of a look at
the follies of humans and angels as well. While definitely not trying to be
serious about its premise, this one is just a fun story where demons, humans
and angels interact and the end results are interesting.
Weird for me to include an anime that isn’t even finished
yet but I must say that I’ve really been enjoying how demons are portrayed in
this one. While Tanjiro certainly has sympathy for demons changed from human
against their will, largely because of Nezuko’s situation, he is also aware of
the destruction demons cause if left to their own devices and after the first
encounter where he hesitated, he’s managed to take appropriate action even if
we continue to see signs of his compassion. It’s an interesting concept and I’m
looking forward to learning more about the different demons we’ve met who
haven’t been instantly killed.
I couldn’t have made this list without mentioning the Black
Order of exorcists who are fighting against the Millennium Earland his Akuma
army. What I particularly like about this one is that the demons aren’t just
springing to life on their own. The Earl makes deals with humans in order to
breed his soldiers and so the number of Akuma the order are facing is in direct
correlation to the weakness of humans who, desperate to reconnect with a loved
one, accept the Earl’s dubious offer and end up chaining their loved one’s soul
inside an Akuma. It is horrific but for Allen it is even worse as he can see
that trapped soul which causes conflict inside of him when it comes to
defeating them.
Well, you all should have seen that one coming. However, when it comes to an anime that does an excellent deal with a devil storyline, Black Butler is still my undisputed favourite. Sebastian is every bit a demon and yet he covers over his monstrous nature with suave appearance and manners only allowing glimpses at the truth beneath the surface when it suits him to do so. I genuinely love this story and have really enjoyed the Book Of spin-offs even if season 2 didn’t really work for me.
That’s my list but there are plenty of other anime out there featuring demons or devils and I’d love to know some of your favourites so leave me a comment below.
Alright, this list could literally go on forever because anime has used a lot of non-weapon items in fights. Cards, coins, crosses, hair pins… You name it and some anime character somewhere has attempted to weaponise it (probably successfully). I narrowed this list down to characters and items that were genuinely fun to watch in action and where the item was used in its standard form and didn’t have some magic transformation applied to it (sorry Orihime’s hairpins but that ruled you out).
Weapon effectiveness was not the primary consideration which explains a few of the choices below. That said, this was a fun list to make and I’d really love to see what you would have included on your list so please leave a comment below.
What are my favourite non-weapon items used as weapons in anime?
Please Note: There may be some spoilers below.
Honourable mention this week goes to Lin Shaolee in Black Cat for their creative use of a scarf as a weapon (though a lot of the weapons in Black Cat could have ended up on this list). The other honourable mention:
I’m just going to leave this here and get on with my list.
You have to admit, soccer is not the first thing you think about when someone mentions D Gray Man. In a show full of weird weapons as every Innocence is just a little bit unique, Daisya Barry’s stands out because it is just a ball and he is just a kid playing even when fighting for his life.
For a character that only really appeared in three episodes his impact is enormous because his personality is a breath of fresh air, the impact he has on others is incredible, and then he dies tragically (as do most side characters in D Gray Man so I guess we all saw it coming). Still, odd ball weapon choice and still incredibly awesome to watch.
Number 4: Hunter X Hunter – Fishing Rod
Again, Hunter X Hunter is full of plenty of weird items being used as weapons, but I think Gon’s fishing rod is a classic. I kind of thought it was cute when he was training to be a hunter and was using a fishing rod, and then the more we learned about being a hunter the weirder it seemed and some of the situations Gon ended up using that rod are fantastically non-sensical and yet it always ends up pretty effective.
But mostly this made the list because it so suits Gon’s personality. I did notice that he was using it less often as the story progressed and I still have a fair way to go through the series so I’m kind of hoping it doesn’t get totally forgotten later.
Did anyone seriously think I was going to make this list of non-weapon items without adding Sebastian and his flair for using cutlery as weapons? The reason this isn’t number one is because I’m pretty positive the only reason these weapons are effective is because they are being thrown by a demon.
I somehow don’t think the average person is going to throw a fork hard enough to penetrate skull from a distance (I could be wrong but I hope not). Still, watching Sebastian in action with the silverware… Just another reason he is one hell of a butler.
For a show about people who can literally transform into weapons, Sid’s first fight might seem a little underwhelming given he is just hurling his own tombstone around. And yet, in any other show this would be awesome. Here’s a zombie literally fighting off his attackers by pummeling them with his own tombstone.
There’s a certain level of craziness to that idea that really appeals and it doesn’t hurt that this fight is the first time we see Maka and Black Star ‘working’ together. This is definitely a non-weapon item that no one really expected to see weaponised but it sure makes for a fun fight sequence.
Yep, it is the Dekimori Spin and other random attacks by Dekimore (aka Sanae). Okay, her attacks are almost never effective but they are always awesome to watch whether we see her own delusional version of the attack or whether we see the real world action, it is always fun. Pigtails are definitely the ultimate non-weapon item that has been turned into a weapon of at least mass annoyance even if not mass destruction.
Including the time she tangles herself in her own hair and falls over. I also liked the time she increased the weights on her hair for a more effective attack and then couldn’t even really move. Yes, weaponised pigtails. We definitely need to see more of this even though I’m pretty sure most villains will not be shaking in their boots.
What are your favourite examples of non-weapon items used as weapons?
There’s my list for the week and as I said before, I’d love to hear what you would add on your list. What’s your favourite non-weapon item that has been weaponised?
I really don’t get why there are so many anime eye patch wearing characters (and there are a lot of them when you start looking) but I do know that some of these characters are pretty cool.
While for some the eye patch is a practical device, for others it is an unexplained mystery. Here are my top 5 anime characters that wear eye patches. I’d love to know who you would have picked.
Please Note – There are spoilers below. You have been warned.
Honourable mentions this week go Misaki Mei (Another), King Bradley (Full Metal Alchemist), Valmet (Jormungand), and Ciel Phantomhive (Black Butler). That’s a lot of honourable mentions and that is only a fraction of the list I started with. Too many characters with eye patches. And we love them!
Anime Eye Patch Wearing Character No. 5: Sven Vollfied (Black Cat)
So with so much competition, how did down and out sweeper Sven of Black Cat find his way onto this list?
Probably because he was one of my first eye patch wearing anime characters and his eye patch served a purpose. Sven can see a few minutes into the future but using that power takes a great toll on his body so most of the time he keeps his eye covered.
However, when things are at their worst, he will lift the eye patch and use that power to his full advantage. Besides, Sven is more unlucky than incompetent because he has some mad skills when push comes to shove. It just turns out making money isn’t one of them.
Anime Eye Patch Wearing Character No. 4: Kaneki Ken (Tokyo Ghoul)
Okay, Tokyo Ghoul was an obvious choice but a necessary one.
The way the eye patch and mask are used to show Kaneki’s dual nature is actually quite clever and a critical plot device throughout the story. Basically, he keeps his ghoul eye covered when he is human and his human eye covered when he’s a ghoul and slowly we see the divide between these two existences disappear.
When it isn’t just a stylish choice but a character necessity, the eye patch really takes on a life of its own.
Rikka is a fantastic character who suffers from 8th Grade Syndrome and so believes that she has super powers which she cleverly conceals by wearing an eye patch, among other things. She get’s some very cool moments when she reveals her eye and at first it appears magical but then it’s revealed she is wearing a coloured contact in the eye under the eye patch.
While her eye patch is definitely an affectation, Rikka is a fantastic character and the eye patch is almost inseparable from her as a character so I felt she deserved a spot on the list. It’s such a fundamental part of her character that when she gives up her ‘delusions’ she removes the eye patch and essentially becomes a different person. However, that transformation is short lived.
Anime Eye Patch Wearing Character No. 2: Worick Arcangelo (Gangsta)
This one is included because unlike a lot of these characters, Worick from Gangsta isn’t hiding a super power but rather is covering an injury. One that the memory of haunts him and when we flash back and see the injury it actually makes the audience wince.
This is a physical and emotional scar on the character and is definitely a symbol of the events that have shaped who he is.
While it isn’t as fun as characters hiding amazing powers or using an eye-patch because they are delusional, Worick’s eye-patch is a fundamental part of his character and you have to admit, he looks pretty awesome.
Yes, some of the other characters have more dramatic stories and more purpose behind their eye patches. I’m not going to argue that this choice is anything but my own preference.
Lavi, from D Gray Man, is awesome. I loved him as a character and like Sven, Lavi was one of the first eye patch wearing characters to catch my eye. And while it isn’t fully explained (or at least the anime hasn’t), the eye patch is a part of who Lavi is and the thought of Lavi without an eye patch is just kind of strange.
Plus, I’m intrigued at how well he manages to fight despite his hair and eye-patch really obscuring his vision.
So who would you have listed? Share your favourites in the comments below.
The original D Gray Man anime came out in 2006 and ran for 103 episodes before just kind of abruptly ending more or less mid-battle and the series vanished from notice. Which is a shame because I absolutely loved it and it was a case where even tracking down the source material wouldn’t help because the manga kept going on hiatus as well and wasn’t finished.
So with the announcement in 2016 of a return for D Gray Man with Hallow, I was thrilled. Would it be a reboot and kick the series off again? Turns out no. It was a continuation but with new character designs and quite a few other new things thrown in as well. That said, D Gray Man Hallow ended up being an interesting enough watch even if it didn’t quite hit the spot I’d hoped for.
Anyway, the story is about Allen Walker who is an exorcist of sorts, but Hallow more or less kicks off with him being accused of siding with the Akuma and Hallow is not something you can jump into without having watched the original series. So for fans of D Gray Man, yay. For everyone else, there’s a lot of episodes to watch but even unfinished this series is kind of fun (dark but fun).
Below are my episodic thoughts of the series.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 1
So D.Gray-Man Hallow (other than adding even more punctuation to the title than I remember) tossed us straight into the narrative. We get a brief fight sequence where we see our core exorcists fighting (just to remind us what their weapons are and that they are awesome) and then we are heading to the new exorcist headquarters (the old one was kind of destroyed – watch the previous episodes).
No time to breathe as we get into the usual Allen/Kanda bickering before Allen is hauled away to continue the ongoing plot where the Black Order suspect him of having ties to the Noah and the Millenium Earl. It works and doesn’t stop for any explanations or recaps so it isn’t friendly to the uninitiated but it gave me exactly what I wanted and that was the story to keep moving.
There’s also a great cliff-hanger ending and some more hints about what the Bookmen are up to. Yay!
Still not 100% sold on the new character designs but it isn’t as though they are ugly, just different.
Loved this episode and really looking forward to the next.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 2
This episode is classic D Gray Man in everyway imaginable (good and bad). While we get a few moments and discussions around the greater battle and the exorcists plan as usual Allen and crew are mostly in the dark so let’s put aside the main plot and go investigate a random thief who may or may not have Innocence.
Well, there’s a reason the show already ran 103 episodes but has actually progressed the plot about as far as most anime do in 24. That isn’t to say that this episode is bad. As I said, it’s just the way D Gray Man has always been. And it flips the switch between random and ridiculous humour in a fight sequence to deadly serious (and hey, soon to be dead orphans) so quickly.
It makes you laugh, groan, roll your eyes, fill with curiosity about all the things you don’t know, support the exorcists (or at least the ones you like) and fear the enemy (which isn’t easy given their frequently clown like appearances). I know that this aspect of D Gray Man always rubbed some people the wrong way but for me, even though the tone is all over the place, it just feels right.
All the different elements come together and combine with overly dramatic music and fight sequences that just make you sit up and take notice. Besides, other than Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul), I’ve yet to meet a protagonist other than Allen Walker who I genuinely feel is in peril on a regular basis.
Oh, and Kanda was awesome this episode.
D Gray Man is available on AnimeLab. If you haven’t watched the original, you really have to before you can watch this, but it is worth at least trying (this is one of the few series that hadn’t been given any kind of resolution that I still rewatched over and over). Of course, if you don’t like your anime dark than maybe give it a miss because this one has some real pain in store for its characters even if it isn’t as visually confrontational as some of the more contemporary anime.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 3
Spoilers abound if you haven’t watched the episode. Normally I avoid critical plot points in episode reviews, but this one kind of needs to be here.
I’ll cover the bad first. The animation and character designs took a serious dive in the second half of this episode. Which in a series where the original was way too dark and the animation was passable but worked with the atmosphere and now the reboot has taken extreme liberties with the colour and character designs seems risky. Change was fine after a long break but further reduction in quality isn’t.
From a plot point of view this episode nicely wraps up the orphanage story, introduces yet another type of Innocence and has someone who doesn’t possess Innocence defeat an Akuma (which if you haven’t watched a lot of D Gray Man won’t seem like such a big deal except that it is a major plot development). Now I want to know what the Crows are up to and how underhanded they’ve been to acquire that power and I’m positive it is going to have some really nasty consequences down the line.
And Allen… Okay, we knew right from the first episode of Hallow that there was some serious focus on what was going on with Allen and whether or not he is part of the Noah, but this was fantastic. When his sword stabbed him I kind of had an ‘oh no’ moment because I remembered what happened when he used it on a Noah in the previous series and yep, this was not good.
Though, in true D Gray Man style, rather than let this happen now, they give us just a taste of the disaster awaiting our characters and then Kanda swoops in and snaps Allen out of it. Though, I’m going to be honest, I felt like Allen was off for the remainder of the episode and I wonder if that is deliberate or just a by-product of the change in character design. Really wanting to know where this one is going.
So, still in love with this show but would really appreciate some consistency in the animation quality – not asking for amazing animation because that would be out of character for the series, but just stable performance. It is really rare for an action anime to get me this emotionally invested but D Gray Man succeeded in the original series and it has managed to maintain that feeling now.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 4
It may just have been me, but I felt all the characters were excessively chatty this episode. So many new bits of information dumped very quickly in fairly awkward lines of conversation, to the point where we jumped into a battle mid-way along and really don’t know where they are fighting or why because nobody bothered to tell us that. I’m thinking this is probably necessary when we’ve only got 13 episodes, but that doesn’t make for great story telling.
Don’t get me wrong, this was still good fun and there are so many looming catastrophes you just kind of feel like you’re waiting to see which one manages to hit them first, or whether they’ll all strike at once.
My main complaint would be the Millenium Earl. In the original series he was an amazing villain. Yeah, he laughed and did all the cliché villain things but there was a sense of genuine malice about him. Unlike most villains, I really believed he intended to destroy the world. New Millenium Earl is just kind of meh. It took a lot of thunder away from the episode.
Meanwhile, Allan is definitely having some identity issues and Kanda seems to be the next character to finally get some sort of details added into his back story. Given everyone else, I’m thinking this is going to be tragic.
Looking forward to whatever new tragic past and future disaster this show will bring us next week.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 5
Right, I’m back to fangirling.
This episode was amazing. From start to finish I loved it. I loved that the scientists had some focus time, and I really, really hope they don’t die tragically in the next episode or two, though given it’s D Gray Man, they actually might kill them off. It would be too much to hope that the directors of human experimentation (and I know that isn’t their title but it really should be) get killed off instead.
The Noah attack on the base, Allen coming to the rescue, the brief moment of comedy before the fourteenth tried an extreme hostile takeover on Allen, the scuffle that followed and ending with Allen seeing Alma and Yu’s memories… It was a near perfect episode. Okay, the pacing was all over the shop and the comedy, while very D Gray Man, probably interfered with what was otherwise a super tense moment, but I just loved watching this episode.
I think this show highlights what I enjoy about D Gray Man. Allen charges in to save a comrade and lands on the Millenium Earl and has to be first told that he has just landed on the main villain, meanwhile he’s looking around at all the other hostages and Noah thinking ‘what is going on?’.
The following exchange that goes from deadly serious to comedy to slapstick and back again might rub some people the wrong way but it is what I love about this show. And then it ends just when things are getting even more interesting meaning I now have to count the days down to the next episode.
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D Gray Man Hallow Episode 6
It must be the week for flashback episodes because D Gray Man sees us spending almost the entire episode inside Kanda’s memories. This episode is particularly affective because the audience have always known the the dark order were not exactly the white knights of the world and that they have been up to some pretty despicable things, however seeing it from the viewpoint of 2 children, with Allen thrown into the mix, really hits home and makes you wonder who the villain of the story really is.
That said, I am going to criticise the constant over the top expressions this week. Seriously, at times you could have mistaken Allen Walker for Atsushi from Bungo Stray Dogs from the way his face was twisting around. While the comedy elements of D Gray Man usually hit home and make a nice relief from the otherwise overwhelming darkness, this week it just interfered with what was in all other respects a pretty compelling episode.
Kanda also suffered from some really ridiculous facial contortions this week which just felt out of character, even for a younger, test subject Kanda.
Alma is an interesting character and while we mostly see him from young Kanda’s viewpoint, seeing him toward the end from Allen’s point of view just adds to the many mysteries surrounding him. While at first he seems like the annoying little brother character found anywhere, he actually has surprising depth for a character we’ve only just met.
Road is back. She was always one of my favourite among the Noah and she doesn’t disappoint in her few moments of flirtation with Allen. While I’m not sold on this voice for Road, her playful tone undercut with a whole lot of malice is still well in effect and as always you just have to wonder whether she likes Allen or wants to kill him or both.
Lastly, Wisely gave us an excellent line early in the episode prior to getting buried in the flashback when one of the exorcists asked him to leave Alma alone. “We’re the Noah. We have no mercy to show you guys.” This kind of sums up why the Millenium Earl and the Noah are among my favourite villains ever.
Yeah, they are kind of trying to destroy the world which on the surface seems like a stupid goal, but unlike so many other self-proclaimed super villains on a mission to the destroy the world, you kind of believe that the Noah are actually committed to the goal and have the power to back it up. There’s an absolute callousness about their characters that tells you that they can and will cross any and all lines.
In the original 103 episodes, there are a lot of events with the Noah that back this up. They aren’t all talk. They aren’t the gloaty villains sending their minions out while they criticise their efforts. These guys bring pain with them.
So that’s my overblown thoughts on episode 6. Clearly I’m still very attached to this series and even with the idiotic facial animations this episode still dragged me into the story and didn’t let up until the credits rolled.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 7
When D Gray Man first came back, one of my biggest worries was that it wouldn’t be the dark and emotionally turbulent story I knew and loved. The last two episodes have really put that worry to rest. I am really thankful for previews of the next episode now because I was genuinely worried about the fate of one character this episode and got no closure before the credits on whether he was still alive.
On this episode, we continue our journey through Kanda and Alma’s memories until Allen decides he’s had enough and breaks out. However, as Road points out, it’s just a little bit too late and things in the real world are only getting worse. Still, that final shot of Kanda is all kinds of awesome so looking forward to next week.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 8
Is it possible to become darker and more tragic than child experimentation in the name of saving the Earth? D Gray Man makes a good attempt at answering that question this week when Allen is given a choice of ending the fight between Kanda and Alma by joining the Earl.
Obviously he refuses, but that’s more or less what the Earl had in mind and things only get worse from there. We do get a very classic Allen and Kanda moment mid-battle but it is a brief reprieve and by the end we realise that no matter what the outcome of this battle is going to be, Kanda is going to be even more emotionally damaged than he was going in, and that cannot possibly be a good thing.
Amazing episode. Still loving D Gray Man.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 9
Too much to say. Firstly, Alma and Kanda Yu’s saga decided to take things and make them just one step sadder and they were already pretty devastating.
I loved how Allen helped them this episode and feel that if anything ‘good'(?) was going to come out of it, Allen found the best possible solution to one of the worst situations for two characters to be in. And the brass’ reaction is pretty much expected at this point and time. Brand Allen a traitor. Because nothing inspires loyalty in your troops like doubting them, arresting them, performing medical experiments on them, etc.
Why does anyone even still work for the Order? It isn’t like they are doing such a great job in fighting this war. Maybe the exorcists would be better off forming their own order. One that isn’t crazy and sadistic.
Anyway, despite being told he’s committed an act of treason and that if he doesn’t retrieve Alma he won’t be an exorcist anymore, Allen continues to try to save one of the exorsists that has Alma’s cells inside of him going crazy. And you know, he was even kind of succeeding until Link shows up right at the end just in time to make things worse. Yeah, we know there’s a whole thing going on with Allen and the Fourteeth, but time and place Link.
On the other hand, Kanda actually thanked Allen. I couldn’t believe it. Over a 100 episodes and for once, Kanda is actually grateful for Allen’s well-intentioned soft-hearted intrusions. Admittedly, Kanda has been through a lot in the last three episodes, but that was unexpected and totally heart breaking simultaneously.
If I have to complain about something, it would be the fact that the Earl and the others seems to be sitting around having a tea party while the exorcists are doing all this in-fighting. Hello, Earl, are you actually serious about defeating anyone? Because this episode would have been the perfect time to do it.
And from the preview of next episode it looks like after this the bad guys are just packing up and leaving even though right now they really could crush the Order and there really isn’t anyone left to stop them.
Just what the show needed, more infighting on both sides and more complications (I’m being a little sarcastic).
This was a great episode. Characters reflected on the previous battle and began manoeuvring for the next rounds. There was a good balance between depression and feeling sorry for themselves and the desperate humour that the characters interject in order to stop the audience falling into a chasm of self-loathing. Allen and Link’s discussion in the prison was touching.
Lenalee and friends being force-fed to try to get over the losses in the battle and to think about the next fight was both funny and sweet as we once again realise the bonds these characters have built up throughout the series. And the leaders of the order continue to be completely arrogant and I really wanted the ceiling to fall in on them. Oh, and Lavi and Bookman look like they are in some serious trouble.
Plus Road showed up again. Even when she isn’t doing much, Road appearing is fantastic. A lot of emotions in a fairly low key episode when you consider that action-wise almost nothing happened.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 11
Does Link actually taking action for Allen this week redeem him for not trusting Allen in the first place? Probably not, but at least Link made a decision and didn’t blindly follow orders. While they didn’t show us his ultimate fate, it kind of seems like that’s more or less it for Link at this time.
We still didn’t find the heart but we now found a ‘special’ kind of innocence that exists to protect the heart and we now know who killed Cross but we don’t know why. That said, the Cardinal’s actions force Allen out of the Order and the thing is, it kind of felt like going with the Noah was the less horrible decision to make which given some of things they’ve done really makes you wonder what the Order is up to that the Noah are a better choice.
Of course, Tyki and Road are just kind of awesome so if Allen had to go with the Noah at least it was those two (cruel and twisted though they both are).
I just need to mention Lenalee. For most of Hallow she’s either been background or absent, which is a shame because in the early days of D Gray Man she was a very tough fighter and she helped Allen out a lot. Okay, she did go through that whole part where her innocence broke and she couldn’t fight but she finally overcame even that. Seeing her spring back into action at the end of this episode was definitely a great moment and I am looking forward to seeing some more next time (assuming they continue with this and don’t go off on some weird tangent).
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 12
With only one episode to go this show is most definitely going to leave us hanging again (let’s just hope we don’t have to wait that many years for a continuation again). That said, the show is also determined to break our hearts. First we get a reminder that Allen has had his arm destroyed previously (thanks for that memory).
Then we have Road disappearing fairly dramatically after brining us a fresh reminder about Mana’s message to Allen about moving forward. And then we get Lenalee appearing right before Allen uses the gate to leave (possibly for good even if he did promise her that he would always be an exorcist no matter what happened).
Of the three events, that was the one that really got to me because Allen and Lenalee have always been two very broken characters that have used each other numerous times to find the strength to carry on. Inside I was begging Lenalee to get off the ground and dive through the gate after Allen (but we all know that Lenalee couldn’t leave the order or her brother at this point and time because she has no identity outside of that at this point).
While this episode was heart-wrenching for long time fans, was it a good episode? Objectively I’d have to say no. We simply pick up where we left off and essentially set up obstacles to stop anyone who isn’t supposed to get to Allen from getting there.
No new information is revealed and while it is dramatic to see so many sore points raised for a single character, this doesn’t lead to development (although there the preview for the next episode kind of tells us that we have reached a critical turning point for Allen so it will be interesting to see what they do next).
I know I’ve been fan-girling a lot over this series and that isn’t about to change but we’re getting close to the point where I’ll have to review the series as a whole and while there’s been a lot to like the essential problem remains the same: if you haven’t watched the original you are missing too much to really care about any of these touching moments.
If you have seen the original, a lot has changed that you are just having to accept or you are going to be frustrated. It’s going to make any kind of review really difficult.
D Gray Man Hallow Episode 13
As a season end this was kind of lame (assuming 13 episodes is season end). Nothing is resolved and we have one character on the run, another one returning from being on the run but not really re-joining the team and two characters still in enemy hands but then again, I never expected anything to be resolved in 13 episodes. It’s been a long running series and nothing has ever happened that fast so the fact that the Kanda and Alma story was wrapped up as quickly as it was surprised me earlier in the season.
This episode as an episode was really enjoyable. Seeing Allen and Cross after they first met and getting some more hints about Cross’ involvement with Allen becoming the Fourteenth was interesting. Actually being reminded that Lavi and Bookman are still in the hands of the Noah and the Noah being their usual callous selves was entertaining (though, they hurt Lavi so now they have to die – sorry).
Lenalee being her usual overly emotional self before Kanda’s return felt really nostalgic and the crystallisation of Mugen (while downplayed within an already packed episode) was something I’d kind of been waiting for given the enemies just keep getting stronger so eventually our exorcists are going to have to catch up or die.
By the way, is Link actually dead? I know we saw his gravestone but it just seems really kind of anti-climatic for him to have died then.
Alright, whole season review of this is going to be tough to write but look out for it. If you are still deciding whether to watch Hallow, basically don’t bother unless you have watched the previous D Gray Man. While you might catch up on the storyline, without the emotional connections to the events, it is going to be pretty flat. That said, if you have watched the original, while there are definitely stylistic difference, from a story point of view this is a great continuation, we just need more.
Previously I’ve covered the female red-heads of the anime world but there are definitely some red-haired guys who deserve some love. Going to be honest, for those of you who have been following my blog you probably already have a pretty good idea who the number one is going to be on this list.
As this is a conversation starter and not a definitive list with scored attributes, please share your views on who should have been on the list below.
Please Note – There are spoilers below. You have been warned.
Honourable mentions this week go to Ginti from Death Parade and Mikoto Mikoshiba from Gekkan Shojo Nozaki Kun. These two definitely were considered but ultimately fell short of the top 5.
Who are my top 5 male red-heads in anime?
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Number 5: Abarai Renji from Bleach
I really struggled with number 5. Mostly because what we mostly remember about Renji is he get’s beaten, a lot. Usually by Ichigo but by nearly every other wannabe villain going around (and sometimes even by his own captain).
That’s kind of what happens when you are a typical shonen hero character but not the protagonist of the story. I always really felt for Renji. He works really hard and he is talented. If Ichigo wasn’t in the show Renji would be pretty damn amazing. Unfortunately, anime narrative tropes have not been kind to Renji.
Next time, save Rukia first and then you can be the hero.
That said, you’ll always be one of my favourite red-heads in anime.
Number 4: Lavi from D Gray Man
In an anime full of brooding characters and dark back stories, Lavi is still a brooding character with a dark back story but mostly manages to bring a smile to the party. Lavi’s job is to record history and at times seems to have a duplicitous nature but this all just adds to the interesting character he brings into the mix of D Gray Man. Though, girls should note, he probably won’t be sticking around town for too long, and he falls in love at the drop of a hat.
Either way though, this is one red-head with a lot on his mind and he really manages to bring it when push comes to shove.
Alright, so Mikoto is not going to get any leader of the year awards even if he is going to get my shout out for being a red-head worth paying attention to.
However, what he should get is recognised for his absolute loyalty to his clan members. He pushes himself to self-destruction after one of them is killed. While his methods may be violent and not entirely efficient, the passion of his actions is certainly clear. Besides, his power is amazing to watch.
Number 2: Claire Stanfield from Baccano
Claire is a really impossible character to explain without recounting his entire character arc. I will suggest that if you haven’t watched Baccano you do so, if for no other reason than to follow Claire’s story. He’s direct, blunt and you do not want to get on his bad side, which can apparently happen by trying to ride on a train without a ticket, threatening to kill another passenger, or killing another train conductor. Or threatening the woman he falls in love with a first sight.
Still, despite being a psycho he’s definitely one of the cool (or cruel) red-heads.
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Number 1: Karma Akabane from Assassination Classroom
Come on, it had to be Karma topping this list of awesome red-heads.
He isn’t a mindless thug or violent for the sake of it. He is manipulative, clever, cold as ice, and totally focussed on his goals (no matter how unpleasant that current goal may seem to you). He can turn up the charm or lay on the intimidation and everything he does is done with style. The first student in Assassination Classroom to even injure their super-powered teacher, Karma stole the show from the moment he walked into the classroom. What sets him further apart, is you can see him more or less succeeding in any situation, not just in the school yard. Karma has big dreams and he has everything he needs to achieve them.
Is your favourite red-headed character on the list? Feel free to tell us below or to offer suggestions for who should have been on the list.
Yes, this list is entirely my own preference and as such I am going to happily update the list as new characters come along who catch my eye, or I just gain a deeper appreciation of older characters. Largely because anime is full of males characters with gorgeous long hair and I just love it.
As always though, I would love to hear your nominations because there are just so many male characters with long hair to choose from and I certainly won’t object to having more characters to check out.
Please Note – There will be spoilers below.
There’s just too many characters with gorgeous long hair to restrict myself to just 5 so here’s some honourable mentions.
Honourable mentions this week go to: Edward Elric (Full Metal Alchemist) and Malachite (Sailor Moon).
Also added to the honourable mentions are Weismann (from K Project) and Zangetsu (from Bleach). They formally held the fourth and first spot on this list but I’ve kind of moved on just a little bit from both of them so while they are still awesome, and so is their hair, they now sit in the honourable mentions.
And now to the list of 5 anime males with gorgeous long hair.
I’ll admit there is very little chance of Kanda actually letting me touch his hair even if he wasn’t an anime character and if I happened to meet him, but that doesn’t stop me very much wanting too. That glossy shine, the way it moves when he fights, his hair is amazing and completely sold this character even early on in D Gray Man when he was a bit of a jerk (okay, he’s regularly a jerk but he kind of grows on you).
Number 4: Tomoe (Kamisama Kiss) – Moved from Number 3
Another character who doesn’t usually have long hair but the few times he does, it is unbelievably gorgeous. It almost makes you wish for more flashback episodes just so you could see more of Tomoe with this hair. Plus the ears kind of work. Then again, he was pretty violent then so maybe we should just stick to present day Tomoe.
This one is just a total cheat because Takato doesn’t have long hair. He does however play a role in a play where he has long hair and can I just point out he looks absolutely gorgeous. And then I’ll ask why he doesn’t wear his hair long all the time because it absolutely suits him. Totally in love with Takato when he has this look going.
He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but Shichika is honest, earnest, and deadly. Combine that with some odd but strangely compelling fashion sense and a great hairstyle (albeit one that cannot really exist outside of an anime) and you have a character that is going to fascinate from minute one.
I still don’t know when it was that You Keika went from being the single most annoying character ever to a character I really enjoyed watching and wanted to succeed, but particularly during season 2 I really grew to love this character. Keika is a spirit but he’s growing in leaps and bounds and I absolutely have loved his character journey. Needless to say, once I started paying proper attention to his character I also noticed just how amazing his hair looks and well, the rest is history as he now has the number one spot.
Okay, and a total cheat bonus addition to the list. Victor from Yuri On Ice (from when his hair was actually long).
So that is my list this week. Which anime male with long hair would you have had on your list? Or female if you prefer.
It’s been an interesting 12 months as an anime reviewer and I love thinking back about all the shows I’ve watched and the lessons I’ve learned, or at least been reminded about. These are the top 5 things I learned from anime last year but I’d love to know if anime taught you anything, or reminded you about something you shouldn’t forget.
Please note: There may be spoilers below.
Honourable Mentions:
Don’t try and take on the mafia alone: Banana Fish
When summoning a demon lord from another world, be sure to read the label properly otherwise you might end up with an otaku gamer or a loli and neither one is exactly what you would be after if you decided to summon a demon lord: How Not To Summon a Demon Lord
Number 5: How my immune system works from Cells At Work
This one is pretty obvious when you think about it, but watching Cells at Work each week reminded me about all that high school biology stuff that I promptly just stopped thinking about after graduating. I also learned about a couple of cells I’d previously never heard of. While my primary reason for watching anime is not educational, when an edutainment like Cells at Work comes along that is informative and fun and adorable, you just can’t pass it up. The only problem is every blood test I get now I worry about the millions of Red Blood Cells that just found themselves torn from their home.
Number 4: Longer running stories need to work harder to keep me interested
I kind of already knew this with Bleach being the only really ‘long’ running anime I ever fully completed. My Hunter x Hunter watch has stalled so incredibly close to the end and yet I just haven’t finished it, and otherwise Soul Eater and D Gray Man are probably the only other two long anime I’m a massive fan of. But last year this became really clear to me as Black Clover got cut from my watch list thirteen episodes in (though it may have been the shouting and not the episode count that lead to that), GeGeGe no Kitaro was abandoned even though I didn’t dislike the show, Attack on Titan was on notice until it delivered a fairly strong third season and even My Hero Academia that I’d previously really enjoyed just felt a bit tired.
It probably says more about my attention span than the anime, but the larger episode counts seem to make me want more from the anime and expect more from the story and when I don’t find it I seem to lose interest. Then we have the new Sword Art Online series with its mammoth four cour run announced before we even started and while initially excited I’m finding that it feels like they’ve stretched out content to fill those episodes rather than having enough content for it to begin with (though we’ll see what they do next with it). Either way, last year very much reminded me that I prefer my anime with 11 – 13 episodes and a conclusive ending.
Number 3: In relationships communication is key.
Again, this is something I already knew but we certainly had a tonne of examples of why this was important last year. Just looking at the Autumn season we can see that Nanami and Yuu would have been better off if Yuu had been more open about how she felt early on and even after she resolves to do something, she still doesn’t actually talk to Nanami about it directly instead taking a round about route (Bloom Into You). Takato and Junta from Dakaichi could have solved their break-up drama in a heart beat if either one had actually consulted the other before taking action. Then we have Sakuta and Mai (Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai), the one couple that mostly communicated beautifully and managed to navigate around so much relationship drama and yet Mai still didn’t tell Sakuta it was her birthday and he had to find out second hand from her younger sister. If anime taught me anything last year it was definitely to talk to your partner, whoever they may be.
Number 2: Heroes come in all shapes and sizes
While not from a specific anime, there were so many different kinds of heroes from so many different shows last year. My personal favourites included traditional heroes such as All Might from My Hero Academia, but also encompassed characters such as Hina from March Comes in Like a Lion and Yuu from Bloom Into You. Big or small, saving the world or reaching out to a friend, there were so many different heroes to choose from that surely there was someone a viewer could look up to last year.
Number 1: Definitely ignore the pre-season hype and judge shows for what they are
Whether it was going in with too high an expectation, possibly considering passing on something because of no expectations, or just not enjoying something because I wanted it to be something else, last year taught me the value of taking things as they are and not as I wanted them to be. Then again, even going into Darling in the Franxx with no expectation would not make me like it anymore. But perhaps Clear Card would have been better received if I wasn’t endlessly comparing it to the nostalgia fuelled image I had of Cardcaptor Sakura. And consider some shows I ended up really enjoying, such as Rokuhoudou Yatsuiro Biyori that wasn’t even on my radar and from the description of it doesn’t seem like my kind of story I really just need to try each show on its own merit. So this year I am as much as possible going into shows without expectations, watching the first episode (or as much as I can stomach) and giving them a go. That said, W’z still isn’t getting more than 5 minutes of my time.
Right, so what did you learn last year while watching anime?
Here we are and it is October and this year I’m going to be running Halloween themed top 5’s all month long (not that Halloween is actually a thing where I live but any excuse to dust off some of my favourite anime and characters). Starting out with this list of anime characters that creep me out. Or that I just find disturbing or unsettling for whatever reason.
I will admit, it was a tough list to narrow down but I’m pretty happy with the final list. But as always I would love my readers to join in the fun and share their top 5 creepy character lists in the comments below. Hopefully you like my list.
Who made the list of anime characters that creep me out?
Look, the guy has a permanent smile that is almost bigger than his head and the deals he offers people are worse than any deal you could make with the devil. He’s responsible for so much misery and pain and he does it all with that ridiculous grin and a laugh. This is a character that was inevitably going to creep me out.
So many characters claim they are going to destroy the world but I actually came to believe the Millennium Earl would eventually succeed in D Gray Man and given the story isn’t finished let’s just say he’s currently winning.
Number 4: Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)
I probably don’t need to explain why I consider Hisoka a creepy customer but right from the first time he graced the screen in Hunter x Hunter he left me unsettled. He’s a little bit violent, a little bit sadistic, gets way too in to his pursuits, and seems to be entirely indifferent to any kind of moral code outside of his own.
That and his fixation with Gon at times is very creepy. Still, I’m thinking if I ever end up in an anime world and see someone who even looks vaguely like Hisoka coming I’m running for it (not that it will do me much good mind you, but it might make me feel better).
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Number 3: Urado (Ghost Hunt)
Probably not a well known character given Ghost Hunt isn’t the most popular anime out there, but while most of the ghost stories the characters encounter in the various arcs are more interesting than scary Urado is one character who could definitely leave you with nightmares. And he undeniably is an anime character that creeps me out.
That’s probably because unlike so many of the other stories, Urado seems to be based off of tales of real life figures like Elizabeth Bathory and the like so with a more familiar context, and a lot of blood, Urado managed to really get under my skin for the brief time he was in the story.
Number 2: Megumi (Shiki)
No surprise Megumi from Shiki made the list. When we’re talking about anime characters that creep me out Megumi is definitely right up there.
It isn’t that I’m actually scared by Megumi, but there’s that scene where she slides out from under the bed and no matter how many times you watch it, it is still unbelievably creepy. That and Megumi is just so incredibly malicious in the way she attacks people as a vampire. She well and truly earned her number two spot.
Right, so future revelations in the story may have reduced the impact, but The Colossal Titan appearing behind the wall was one of those moments where you just kind of stared at your screen and froze. Such a perfect opening act for Attack on Titan really.
They really just nailed the perfect combination of factors to make this character someone who would lodge in your memory and haunt your dreams well and truly after watching the episode. For me, no other titan since has had as much impact, not even that insanely creepy smiling one.
So yes, The Colossal Titan in their first appearance tops my list of anime characters that creep me out.
Antagonists and villains are visually quite fun characters because they usually end up as fashion disasters or twisted into weird caricatures. Today I want to look at five villains and antagonists that have inhuman characteristics that I think are still pretty cool looking (or at the very least they are memorable). I’d love to know your picks so please leave me a comment below.
At some point I’ll have to look at love interests and protagonists with inhuman characteristics but those will be a lot harder to narrow down.
Please note, there will be spoilers below.
Honourable Mentions: Pretty much every villain in Sailor Moon ever.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Attack on Titan season 2, but I did love the beast titan. I would have loved for him to be more important in the season and spend more time on screen. He was a fascinating presence in the first episode and his return later to royally mess things up for the group in the tower was fantastic. More of this character definitely would have made the viewing experience a bit better.
And then season three kind of did give us more of the beast titan. Or at least we had quite the fight sequence that he orchestrated. And it was actually really awesome to watch.
Again, not an anime I’m majorly in love with but Amaimon was kind of cool. Okay, he was a jerk who likes messing with people, but the nails, the ears, his tail, and just his general playful yet cruelly malicious personality just kind of work. And they aren’t trying to make him out to be one of the good guys. He is a nasty piece of work, but he does the job well.
Number 3: Neferpitou (Hunter X Hunter)
I still haven’t gotten to the end of Hunter x Hunter but Neferpitou is fantastic. Okay, she’s horrible, but she’s kind of supposed to be. Plus, look at that face. She’s truly adorable. Actually she reminds me entirely of my cat who will happily sleep on my pillow but try and move her and you suddenly discover she has four claws and teeth and she isn’t afraid to use them.
Number 2: The Millennium Earl (D Gray Man)
I can’t help but wonder about the kind of crazy person who would agree to a deal with the Millennium Earl. I know he doesn’t always look quite that sinister, but even at his most innocuous, he’s still pretty creepy. This is the face of someone who can and will destroy the world. Not just monologuing about how bad he is, this guy is going to actively work towards his goal and he’s pretty successful at it. If this was live action that would be the stuff of nightmares.
Not so much a villain or antagonist so much as an inner demon to be faced and overcome by the central characters. The Little Demon starts out fairly small and manageable as a voice in Soul Eater’s subconscious. But as Soul and then Maka give in to madness the Little Demon grows and becomes far more menacing. One of my favourite characters from one of my favourite shows, The Little Demon is both adorable and terrifying and has great taste in music.
That’s this week’s list and as always, I’d love to know who you would have included on yours.
Yes, this post has been inspired by Darling in the Franxx’s Zero Two, unfortunately she doesn’t get a place on the list due to the uncertainty about how her character will develop from here.
Certainly she has all the traits of the characters below so far. Obsessively possessive of her chosen ‘Darling’, not entirely needing consent though does appreciate the thought, and willing to cut other people out of their ‘Darling’s’ lives if necessary. I’m pretty sure you can guess some of the names below but as always, I’d love to know who you would have included on your list. Which anime character do you think loves their ‘Darling’ to death?
There is no surprise that Misa made this list. The cute, sweet idol obsessed with Kira. She latches onto Light and promises to be helpful. She’ll follow his every command and do as he says. But no, he cannot date anyone else and no he cannot even pretend to be with other girls. Why? Because she’ll kill them in an instant and does not care that they may bring the police down on both of them. Misa was never one for a strategy. She went straight after what she wanted and what she wanted was Light’s absolute loyalty. And while Misa never did get Light killed, that was more good luck than good management. If it hadn’t been for her he would never have had to go through the whole confinement thing which would have made life a lot easier for him later.
Now, Haru is an interesting character and a lot of the time his bizarre actions are more a lack of understanding of norms than actual malice, and yet threatening to rape a girl the day after you met her is kind of extreme. The fact that these two end up being an adorable couple is kind of terrifying when put in that context, mostly because Shizuku spends a lot of time putting some very clear boundaries in place, particularly when he did punch her (technically an accident but still not cool). However, while Haru becomes far better at moderating his behaviour as directed toward Shizuku, Kenji Yamaguchi, who also kind of likes Shizuku, is not so lucky. At one point Haru nearly pushed him off a flight of stairs and was only stopped because he was distracted by Shizuku and another time Haru made it clear that his change in behaviour only applied to Shizuku. Not exactly an amazing example of reform or healthy relationships really. Fortunately though, no deaths in the show. It is a romantic comedy despite the serious doses of ‘what’ going on in Haru’s character description.
The guy is just obsessed with Train. That’s literally hit entire motivation and reason for being. He follows Train within the Chronos organisation and when Train leaves he completely loses it. The fact that Train left after being influenced by a friend (possibly closer than a friend) truly infuriated Creed and so Creed killed her. And then made sure Train knew that he had killed her. A lot of the time it is unclear is Creed is trying to kill Train or confine him or just mess with him but basically Creed is pretty stable as a character (as much as possible for a villain), until you throw Train into the mix and then he is a complete and utter psycho. I guess it never really occurred to him that Train legitimately did not care about him at all until he killed Saya. And even then, Train didn’t actually care about Creed. He just wanted to destroy the person who destroyed Saya. It didn’t matter that it was Creed. Again, Creed doesn’t manage to kill Train but he does come very close on multiple occasions.
I can already hear people asking, why is Yuno not number one on this list. And certainly, if we were just going with being crazy, Yuno is definitely a good contender. Still, in terms of loving their Darling to death, Yuno’s got some fierce competition. Mostly because I’m not entirely certain how much Yuno actually is in love rather than just obsessed with Amano. On the other hand, she’s one of the few people on this list who did in fact kill her Darling, even if it was in another timeline. So, basically, she swears to protect him in the death game, but mid-way through she tries confining him by tying him to a chair. Afterwards we learn that previously these two were the last two left standing and she killed him in order to be the victor and then she’s killed her past-self, inserted herself into that life, and done the whole thing again. You just have to wonder if she expected it to end differently the next time.
It absolutely had to be Road. She is a truly sadistic character who is, unfortunately for Allen, obsessed with our white haired exorcist friend. Mid-battle she can go from attacking him with kisses to shoving a spike through his eye in about the space of a heart beat and she sure doesn’t care about anyone near Allen, unless she thinks she can torture him by hurting them. Her obsession runs deep and she’s more than once allowed him to live when she could have killed him, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t had a fair go at inflicting quite a bit of pain on him. D Gray Man Hallow saw her assisting him from her doll form, though whether that will continue or whether she is just leading him to yet another disaster is anyone’s guess unless we get another continuation of the anime (or, you know I could eventually read the source material). Either way, Road was the first character I thought of for this list. She is ice cold, completely obsessed, and has a real taste for pain.
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