Someone to Shoulder your Pain

Written by MithrilSword on December 29, 2012 at 7:01 PM

I watched the OVA a while ago when it first hit the net. Even then I found the concept of Black Rock Shooter and the other world a tad on the confusing side. Without giving away too many spoilers the OVA was at least clear in that it was about repairing a breaking friendship. This rendition of Black Rock Shooter confused the heck outta me all over again. It took me a long while to figure it out, but its well-worth the effort! I like animes that make viewers think and rewards them for doing so! This has it all: cction, some cases of extreme violence, friendship, sorrow, even a hint of yuri love; no, don't get your hopes up - its only a hint.

Story: On the surface, this anime follows a middle school girl named Mato Kuroi and her attempts to become friends with another girl named Yomi Takanashi. But even by episode 1, rather the start of episode 1, you get the other world treatment of mortal combat. As the show progresses, the connection between the other world and the real world becomes more evident. The drama of the real world escalates the fights between the alternate beings of the main characters. However you'd be wrong to simply think a few hissy-fits makes the girls fight harder. Black Rock Shooter digs into some real psychological issues and concepts of what makes a friend and how people react to and rely on the support of other people. It also brings up the ugliness of what happens if that friendship and support wavers or breaks. I can't really explain the story's substance to its fullest; It runs incredibly deep for only 8 episodes. If you're willing to use a bit of brain power to think, Black Rock Shooter will reward you with some moving experiences and a satisfying ending.

Dialogue: For the most part it fits the genre and the intent. Keeping in mind that all the characters are middle school age, nothing uncharacteristic or uncanny comes up. Sure there are a couple cheesy lines here or there, but what can you expect from preteen girls? Though I have to say that the actress of Kagari Izuriha had one of the best performances I've heard - especially in the beginning episodes.

Animation: The reality scenes are very nicely done. The way its styled its like almost overly cartoony at times. But then again it takes place in a middle school. So most of the characters are supposed to look juvenile. Nothing really blows the mind, but nothing sticks out as terrible either. I will say that the artist did a fantastic job of portraying emotion in the characters. The expressions range from truly heart-warming, to the truly heart-breaking, to the truly terrifying at times. The anime takes on a whole different tune when the action starts in the alternate world. My goodness, the combination of CG and drawn textures are seamless and awesome! The fights themselves are over the top and downright badass. Those are the times you forget how emotionally charged the anime is. Then again when you see Black Rock Shooter unload 250,000 bullets on one target, you tend to forget a lot about emotion.

Entertainment: I won't call this an action anime even though it has some brilliant and pure awesome scenes of combat. If you're looking for one, this probably won't float your boat. Black Rock Shooter is very psychological and emotionally charged drama - with some badass combat scenes. So if you're willing to think a little while you admire the fights, you'll be very handsomely rewarded. I watched this all in one sitting and it instantly became one of my favorites. I laughed, I was awed, I even got a little teary-eyed. All of this in just 8 episodes. This isn't an anime for the simple-minded or one of those you just watch for "light watching". It engages you, you touches you, and it moves you.

Overall I'd say this is a definite winner. I wouldn't recommended it to everyone simply because the genre and the concepts might not appeal to everyone. I definitely wouldn't break an anime newbie in with Black Rock Shooter. I'd say any somewhat seasoned anime enthusiast should give this a shot.