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BLACk BLOOD BROTHERS
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Animation - 7.7 |
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Sound - 7.0 |
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Story - 5.2 |
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Character - 5.9 |
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Value - 5.8 |
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Enjoyment - 6.3 |
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Average - 6.5 |
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| Average |
4.5 |
| Animation |
5 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
4 |
| Character |
4 |
| Value |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
4 |
| Note: This review is based on A-FanRips encodes. Good both quality and translation wise... Get them if you decide to watch this show after all.
Quote:
People's hearts have both a hidden and open side. Just because there is a hidden agenda does not mean we must assume that the open side is meaningless
Originally written as light novel series by Kouhei Azano and directed by a first-time director Yoshikawa Hiroaki Black Blood Brothers is an utter mess of stereotypical ideas and their lame execution. As far as I can tell the story follows a hundred years old vampire who seems to be some sort of war hero from a very important war we never get any coherent flashbacks of. Along with his little annoying brother he, for some reason, travels to a place referred as "Zone" where humans and vampires live together under relative peace. There he once again enters battle fighting against his adversaries from the past. That is at least what the show tries to make you believe, as you never really learn what happened to him in the past, nor do you even learn what happens to him in the present as the show just stops in the middle. To tell the truth I was constantly getting the feeling that I was watching a spin-off of some show I have never seen. It starts and ends in the middle without any notable resolution. Most characters know each other and never bother to reveal their personalities to the viewers. Finally, even animation feels as if it was recycled from somewhere else, dressing Jiro, the main character, into Alucard's costume with a pointy hat making him look like a clown. The point of this anime completely eludes me, what in the name of hell did they want to show us? It fails as action show since action scenes are spread too far apart and most of them are second rate, save for a couple of seconds in last episode. It fails as a plot driven show because though with a wide variety of ideas it doesn't realize a single one of them. It fails as character driven show because none of them are given any real, non superficial depth, thus making it impossible for viewers to sincerely relate with them. It doesn't even have ecchi fanservice or exaggerated show offs to justify its flaws. It is not bad in the sense that it makes you annoyed or frustrated, it's just boring. I mean, I would take an idiotic harem full of naked girls over this anime any day, since I find melting brain with fanservice preferable to starring at the wall, or in this case, Black Blood Brothers.
Conclusion: It's suitable for people above 13 years old, but whatever is your age I don't recommend it. It has no original or interesting things to offer. It's a hollow show lacking cool characters, interesting plot or entertaining action. You will only waste your time watching it. Heck, if you want a cool show about vampires go for the stylish Hellsing or even that bundle of broken parts sewn together Trinity Blood. Those shows don't have much substance, but at least they have cool moments.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
3.0 |
| Animation |
6 |
| Sound |
4 |
| Story |
1 |
| Character |
2 |
| Value |
2 |
| Enjoyment |
3 |
| Black Blood Brothers has the potential to be good, but falls apart near the end. The first three episodes start sort of good, but then the anime gets really boring around the last nine episodes.
Animations are 2006/2007 standards, but doesn't go any farther then that. So I'll give it a six for being on the border line between good and bad. Backgrounds are simple, but they work. The art is good, but does nothing extra to improve the animations.
OP is kinda boring. Once I heard it the first time, I skipped the rest of it for the next eleven episodes. The ED was kind of good (better then the OP) But again that song gets boring the second or third time you hear it as well. For an action anime I was expecting better music then this. But the background music is fine, but again nothing special. So I'll give sound a four for being on the border line between good and bad. (Leaning toward the bad)
The story was a waste of time. This was supposed to be an action anime. Why are the fights so slow paced? And why is there so much talking? This is how a regular episode goes. First part of the anime is the OP song. (Takes about 1 min and 30 sec) Then we have a recap of the past, which is really boring and slow. (Takes about 2 to 3 mins) Then a little bit of action. (3 mins) The a whole bunch of talking about vampires and this is extremly boring, because they repeat the same things over again. And it gets so tiring and repeptive. (This takes about 10 mins) Then another little bit of action. (3 mins) Then the ending song. (1 min and 30 sec) See how boring this anime is and I don't get why they have to say the same things over again. And the stuff the people are talking about are extremly boring. I rather have my science teacher teach me something important then hear this.
The story is about a vampire who is special and wants to enter this town to live there and make friends. But then a whole bunch of people are turning into evil vampires and it's up to the city and the good vampires to stop them. But I don't get how they can talk about it this for 10 mins in every episode. RAWR! It drives me crazy. And the ending felt incomplete. (You'll see why when you watch this anime)
Characters are bad. Your three main characters are boring and they get even more lifeless and dull near the end of the anime. The other characters are horrible, not only are they ugly, but they're also so bland and boring. UGH! Characters are are a total waste.
If you love action animes with a lot of talking then you should totally watch this, but if talking forever doesn't suit you. (Which is probably most of you) Then stay far away or something. Play your Nintendo DS instead or do something else.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
5.8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
5 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
| Black Blood Brothers is a mixed bag of a vampire flick that could have been better than it was. The backbone of the story had potential, but it just ended up being another action series. One of its chief problems is that the transition from one mood to the next is too abrupt. Even though this is an action packed series that focuses on vampires, it’s not a dark series. The sporadic acts of bloody violence and erotic blood sucking seem out of place when paired with the relatively tame fight scenes. It would’ve felt less disjointed if they’d picked one mood and ran with it.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| This anime is weird. Firstly the story is crap at best. Action scenes are good, but then its too short for the whole story. It would have been better if the anime was a lot longer at 26 eps. At 12 eps its too compressed.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
5.7 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
4 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
| Based on 7 episodes:
Black Blood Brothers is the usual run of the mill action anime. For those who love action, fighting and vampires - Black Blood Brothers does a good job in fulfilling the most basic needs. However, for those looking for some in-depth stories or stunning characters, this is the wrong place to look for it.
Personally, I was severely disappointed by BBB. At first, the action in the first few episodes (as well as the interesting novel situation of a separate city where different bloodlines of vampires gather together with humans to work something out) really peaked my interest. However, by episode 7, it just reached a point where I didn't care anymore. There was no reason to continue watching 5 more episodes. I didn't know anything about any of the characters' pasts. That Cassa girl who popped out of nowhere in episode 1 didn't ever make another appearance thus far. Koutarou was just some brat. Jirou... the usual nice guy who turns into a bad ass fighter and then the absent minded yet noble Compromiser human to fulfill that role of (most likely) replacing that girl from Jirou's past.
Anyway, BBB just is really plain. The action scenes had me interested for a little bit, but too much action resulted in a lack of interest. More specifically, the first few episodes felt like it ended early because I was engrossed, but it just felt like it was droning on and on, until I finally gave up. No engaging story... and too much action is BBB's downfall.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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KYON |
(2007-01-06 12:50:02) 2007-01-06 12:47:31 |
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| Average |
6.5 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
5 |
| black blood brother starts very promising. the story got me hooked and i wanted to see more. they have many good ideas about hong kong having vanished and now the special zone is its replacement. but the end is rushed and left me unsatisfied. their was still so much potential and i doubt that they will let it end like this. overall if there is no follow up black blood brothers is an average anime that could have done much better.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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|
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| Average |
6.5 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| The general feel of the series is pretty solid. It starts out a lot more interesting than it ends up, and some of the themes carry through to the end, so it hardly feels like anything changes. Like a lot of these kinds of series, it really leaves you wanting a lot more, but it just can't deliver. However, it's definitely something I'm happy to have seen.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
7.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Black Blood Brothers is one of the most contemporary vampire series I've seen to date, but yet, it suffers from some of the same flaws that some of its peer vampire series seem to have: improper sequencing, episodic undertones, loose ends untied, and just overall not being "cool" enough to measure itself as a serious vampire series. Now, many may disagree with me on the latter statement, because the series does have its share of charming characters and sexy undertones coupled with vampire lore, but in retrospect, there are many flaws within the series that take away from its respective charms.
Let us create the senario: in this world, vampires and humans co-exist with a anti-collaborative view towards each other. Compromisers, under the guise of a group called "Company", exist to keep the problems between "old-blood" and "new-blood" beings at bay, especially within the neutral territory of the Special Zone.
Enter Jirou and Koutarou, polar opposites for brothers aside from their abilities to land themselves into conflictive situations, yet with an intriguingly close chemistry. Jirou automatically has a penchant for trouble: he's sly, quick-to-anger, smart-mouthed to a tee, yet charmingly handsome (yes, bishounen worthy handsome). He dons a large red brimmed hat and overcoat as a shield protecting him from sunlight, and is subsequently weak to that as well as water. Koutarou, on the other hand, is an innocent, precocious boy, charmingly cute and reasonably level-headed with a way of readily befriending the people he meets. (I think it's the kawaii factor, seriously XD) Unlike his brother, he can live normally in sunlight without complications, and he serves as the only prescence whom can calm his brother's tempermental nature. It's almost as if the brothers' are complementing opposites of each other, and perhaps that's what makes watching them so interesting to start. Add in Mimiko, a young "compromiser" who tries to find a home for Jirou and Koutarou within the Special Zone, and you have the primary "present" trio of this series.
So, how does their conflict come into play? Well, Jirou and Koutarou aren't exactly welcomed with open arms into the Special Zone. Those whom are aware of Jirou's background are not always apt to greet him either because of his penchant for trouble or for ruffled sentiments associated with the past. One figure in particular from Jirou's past (Cassa) seems to have a heavy disregard for Jirou, while keeping to her own itinerary through the course of the series. She seems to be the only villain remotely interesting, and worth mentioning, while the others are downright mediocre.
There are many problems that exist within BBB. The main problem, hands down, is the background information: the presentation of Jirou's past is so haphazardly sequenced that it's hard to make sense of it until the very end of the series, and it's quite disappointing. You gain very few views of the love between him and Alice, as well as the supposed relationship they have with Cassa to form the trio reflected in the fading figures of the ending sequence. Cassa's personal anguish towards Jirou is unaccounted for and haphazardly shown, which is unfortunate considering Cassa is such an interesting character, with almost a likable personality for a villainess.
Now Zelman, Cain and Sei are interesting in terms of secondary characters, and probably compose the framework of this series by bringing out the better parts of it. Sei seems like an adult in a child's body (considering he's a reborn form, it's not a surprise), with a maturity of his own and with a great amount of mystical power. Cain is intricately tied to both Cassa's and Jirou's past, and he proves an interesting character to watch in not only his powerful bouts, but also his collective way of dealing with the situations at hand. Zelman is interesting in the sense that he is as sly as Jirou, but more mature and with an aura of mystery behind him in which the series doesn't delve deeper.
Black Blood Brothers does well as an action series, but certainly not as a romance or drama when compared to peer vampire series. It features a good soundtrack, interesting side characters and animated sequences, yet the overall story leaves much to be desired. I enjoyed it, but not without some complaints with regards to the plot.
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Saya77 |
(2006-12-04 21:42:50) 2006-12-04 21:40:06 |
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| Average |
6.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
4 |
| Story |
5 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| This is an obviously incomplete anime. After 12 episodes, there is no ending, no resolution whatsoever, and a tremendous lack of background with many questions left unanswered and plotlines left open. If there is a sequel, maybe these flaws can be corrected, but as it stands now these are gaping flaws.
This anime tells the tale of Jirou, an Old Blood vampire, and his "brother" Koutaro, an innocent young vampire boy as they travel to the "Special Zone" for a myserious reason; a place where vampires and humans live together in harmony, run by the "Company" and several Old vampires.
One interesting aspect of this anime is its' treatment of vampires: in this anime, vampires are able to get along with humans in the Special Zone, which is ruled by a combination of humans and vampires, and it is a special kind of "evil" vampire, the "Kowloon Children" who both the vampires and humans fight together against (unlike anime like Hellsing, where all vampires are considered "evil" by nature). Also unlike Hellsing and other vampire anime, not all vampires have the same weaknesses: for example, Jirou is weak to running water and sunlight, while Koutaro is not. And, not all vampires have the same powers or abilities.
The main story follows the conflict between Jirou and Casa and Jirou's quest to protect first Koutaro, and then also Mimiko, a human "Compromiser" from the Company. There is some backstory given as to the relationship between Jirou and Casa, and Jirou and Alice, but this backstory is limited, and ultimately serves little purpose in the overall storyline so far (though, if there is a sequel, I expect these storylines to come together).
For example, the war in Hong Kong is mentioned fairly often, and there are a couple clips concerning the events surroundng the war, but by the end of the 12 episodes we really have no clear picture of what happened and why; especially the question of why Casa became "evil".
As to the characters, Jirou is pretty shallow: over-protective, quick to anger, and overall pretty childish and immature for a person who is supposedly over 100 years old. Also, in typical anime fashion, he is only at his strongest when he, through the support of his friends, realizes he has something to protect; otherwise, he loses to weaklings or suffers massive amounts of injury. Despite his hundred or so years of experience and "wisdom" he seems unable to focus and seems to always make reckless decisions which he is reprimanded for by his friends and comrades.
Koutaro is the typical innocent young child figure who is always trying to make friends and brings out Jirou's "softer side". Mimiko is an innocent young woman who strives for the protection of vampires and the inclusion of Jirou and Koutaro into the Special Zone. She attempts to aid Koutaro in the "softening" of Jirou and attempts to help control his anger.
Side characters include Old Bloods such as Cain, Sei, and Zelman, each of whom are extremely powerful vampires who show their powers over the course of the series; personally I hope that, if there is a sequel, we see more of them, because each was more interesting then any of the main characters.
As to the villians, Casa is the only interesting one; her two "brothers" are both extremely annoying and not very interesting, especially Jaffery, who was the most annoying character in the anime. However, Casa is given little background, and the major aspect of her character, the supposed "betrayal" of Jirou and Alice, is never explained or shown.
The animation is fairly good; special effects are interesting, especially the effects dealing with the various vampires' abilities.
The soundtrack is pretty much nonexistent; I am struggling to remember any song from the anime, even the OP/EDs....overall a forgettable and pathetic soundtrack. The voice actor for Jirou was pretty pathetic also; his acting wasn't too polished and he just didn't make me feel that Jirou was really a 100-year old vampire. The voice actor for Koutaro was extremely annoying: I have no idea why they allowed him to have that extremely high-pitched voice. However, the voice actors for Mimiko, Sei, Zelman, Casa, and Cain did do a fine job; especially Sei and Zelman: unlike Jirou, they made me feel as if they were hundreds of years old (never rushed their words, rarely were riled up, always confident when speaking, etc)
Overall, I enjoyed the anime, but without a sequel this incomplete anime leaves too many questions for me to be satisfied with it. Its' unique take on vampires and a cast of excellent supporting characters allow me to reccomend this anime, but be ready to be dissatisfied with its' lack of resolution and dozens of questions.
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
0 |
| Character |
0 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Reviewing after 4 episodes isn't something I do that often! and I will update when I've seen all 12 episodes, but this anime has so much beginning potential, that I felt it deserved a mention now ^__^
Just when I thought there couldn't be anything as cool as Hellsing, along comes Black Blood Brothers, which is again another really decent vampire anime. It keeps to the original formula that all good vampire stories should adhere to - Bram Stoker's original Count Dracula! There is of course a certain amount of poetic license (any water, rather than holy water, but that's OK! and what is it about silver?! Hellsing used it against vampires and so does this, but I'm sure it was Werewolves that are weak to silver - oh well *lol*).
Anyway, it has a very interesting premise of good vampires (as it were) and bad vampires, all with a goal of getting to a special place for reasons yet unknown.
You thought Alucard was cool, well so is Jirou (and hot, oh boy is he HOT ^__^). There's cute kids, cute gals and a whole lot of vampire butt kicking. Pretty good action sequences, pretty good effects, but above all, this is proving to be extremely entertaining and well worth checking it out whether you're a fan of vampire anime or not!
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Sarianos |
(2006-09-23 03:21:39) 2006-09-23 03:18:30 |
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| Average |
8.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
7 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| It's pretty good so far. I'm only through the first two episodes that have been released so far, but I'm really enjoying it. Granted it does have it's cheeziness especially in the little blonde kid's character, and some of the action scenes are a little over the top, but I like the way they're writing the main character. He's an ultimate bad-ass, but he has his flaws. Kind of like a Spike Spiegel or something. The heroine.. eh... Mimiko is good to watch too. If you enjoy vampires and lots of action, definitely look in to this series. I'm enjoying it so far. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out.
P.S. Where did the vampire toddler girl go?? She's so happy and cute!
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