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Many old anime properties have been revived in recent years, with new anime version of Tetsujin 28, Slayers and Neon Genesis Evangelion the tip of an iceberg which has even seen live-action revivals for venerable old series like Space Battleship Yamato, Cutey Honey and Yatterman. Casshern was another 1970's anime which caught the revival bug, with a live action film adaptation coming out a few years ago and now a brand new anime series. Casshern Sins is a bit of a different animal to its
1970's predecessor and its 1980's anime reboot. In those series Casshern
is a heroic cyborg who battles an army of robots led by the powerful Braiking
Boss who are hell-bent on destroying mankind to save the earth. In
Casshern Sins the world has been devastated by the Ruin, a mysterious
environmental disaster which has destroyed civilisation and all but wiped out
humanity. The remaining humans in the decaying world struggle against
disease and rampaging robots, who in turn struggle to survive as the Ruin causes
their bodies to rust and decay at a rapid rate. Through this world walks
Casshern, a robot who is mysteriously unaffected by the Ruin and has no memory
of who he is or what he has done in the past. However, those he meets know
him. To many he is the harbinger of doom, the vicious warrior who brought
the Ruin upon the world by killing the robot Luna. He is hated and reviled
for reasons he does not know, and many robots wish to kill him - not only in
revenge for his actions but also because he is unaffected by the Ruin, and
therefore by cannibalising his body they hope to avoid their inevitable decay.
Casshern struggles to understand what he is and what he is said to have done,
and wanders the desolate world looking for answers and maybe atonement.
However, there are many powerful robots who wish to destroy him, and even more
who are just desperately trying to save their own lives. With the odds
against him and the terrifying extent of his own destructive power manifesting
itself when he's attacked, can he learn the secrets of his past or will he be
destroyed by the weight of his unknown sins? |
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Reboots of classic franchises is always a bit of a risky business. For every Dark Knight-style success you get several Planet of the Apes-style misfires, but thankfully Casshern Sins falls into the former category in a big way. Whilst the original series was quite a straightforward action title, with the good guy and his assistants battling against the tyrannical enemy bent on world domination, this new version is a much darker and less clear cut tale. Casshern himself looks every bit the hero, an unblemished, lonely figure in |
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white roaming a world of rust and decay. His heroic exterior belies a dark side to his character which manifests itself when he's in danger, turning him from a mysterious, noble stranger to a single-minded killing machine. It's a brave decision for the creators to take a classic and well known character and turn him from a selfless saviour to the man responsible for the end of the world, and it's even braver to make the character prone to fits of terrible violence and destruction. However, it adds a level of ambiguity and originality to the series that recent anime titles have been sorely lacking. For me the most impressive thing about Casshern
Sins was the visuals. It's been a very, very long time since I
saw an anime series with production values of this level, the depiction
of a decaying world is fantastically detailed and the design and artwork
throughout is simply breathtaking. The style of the series is
pretty unique, with an occasionally stark contrast in colours combining with striking character designs and some stunning special
effects. When you watch it you get the impression that it was
truly created with high definition imagery in mind, and visually the
difference between it and long-running weekly series like Bleach
and Naruto is startling. One of my disappointments with
most CG animated series is that they lack the level of detail and the
human touch older, traditionally animated series had. In
Casshern Sins this is just not the case, and I was really impressed
not only at the animation but the design and the level of care and
attention taken to building the series' world. Glimpses of the old
world are occasionally visible under the rust and decay of the new one,
and the occasional splashes of vibrant colour from patches of flowers or
seashells really brings it to life. The series doesn't
disappoint in other areas either. The action is fast but clear, and the series handles some
emotionally charged and occasionally melancholy drama equally as well as
it handles its action-packed fight scenes. |
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Story-wise Casshern Sins is guilty of a little bit of repetition, with many of the early episodes revolving around Casshern coming across an individual or a group of characters who have been affected by the ruin and are living out the end of their lives in their own ways. Their actions and beliefs often have a profound impact on him, but like the Littlest Hobo he can't stick around for long and ends up moving on to his next encounter. This could get dull if the stories and characterisation wasn't so good, but each episode is a perfectly pitched |
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and frequently poignant tale of desperation, acceptance and loss. The characters Casshern encounters have different ways of dealing with their slow collapse into Ruin, with some seeking solace in others, some focusing on leaving their mark on the world and some desperately looking for a way to escape their fate. The different characters' reaction to Casshern - who everyone knows is responsible for the Ruin, but is immune to its effects himself - is intriguing, with some seeking to kill him, others fearing him and some being inspired. The way the characters are portrayed, the way they face their fate in their own way and the way the Ruin has affected them is varied and interesting, there's some seriously impressive writing in this series and you find you want to know more about even the minor characters. However, Casshern's attempts to discover his past and atone for it forms the central thrust of the series, and as the volume draws to a close the story begins to coalesce into a central narrative. Recurring characters like the vengeful Lyuze and the cheerful child Ringo look like they'll be increasingly important to the storyline as it progresses, but it's the arrival of the powerful enemies Dio and Leda which really galvanises things in this volume. Dio and Leda are made with the same technology that created Casshern himself, and both want to destroy him for their own ends. They're both intriguing characters, with the proud Dio being carefully manipulated by the scheming Leda, but in this volume they remain quite enigmatic. I'm sure we'll see more of them next time round. Casshern Sins is probably the first must-buy series of 2011. Its story is brilliantly delivered, imbued with an elegiac and somewhat melancholy air which perfectly suits a series set in the twilight of the world. Visually it is simply stunning, and is one of the first anime series that truly warrants a Blu-Ray release. The stark colours, striking design and stunning detail really makes the series look and feel like no other, yet despite the new direction the franchise has taken it hasn't lost touch with its roots. Casshern Sins is one of the first anime reboots I have seen that not only stays true to itself, but also improves on the original series. It takes a largely black and white battle of good versus evil and adds numerous layers of grey, which not only gives the series a new depth but also alters the nature of the central character in a way which makes the direction of the story uncertain. By keeping the events of the past ambiguous the series draws the viewer in and keeps them hooked, and there's plenty of questions left unanswered for volume 2. Casshern Sins Part 1 is a truly brilliant anime release and if you have the right equipment I cannot recommend the Blu-Ray version enough. However, even if you haven't this is still an essential purchase on DVD, it's true 21st century anime. Extras Textless opening & closing sequences and a 'music video featurette' which is actually a music video made up from clips from the series. The Blu-Ray also includes another extra in the form of a 'Pre-Air Event', which is a panel interview with the Japanese cast and crew. Pretty average overall. Ratings Feature:
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