#12 Drifters!

          Drifters involves A LOT of violence and it also includes a lot of historical figures. Drifters takes place in a world that's in between life and death. Renowned warriors on the brink of death are taken to this world to fight in a war to end all wars. They're called Drifters.

          All of the warriors are well known somewhere, if not everywhere in the world. The three main characters are, Shimazu Toyohisa, Oda Nobunaga, and Nasu no Yoichi. All three are from Japan but there are others from different countries like Joan of Arc, Grigori Rasputin, Hannibal Barca, Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid, and many others. If you want to look at who all is included click here.

          The animation style isa lot like Hellsing, the faces, teeth, and shading for example are very much alike. The only large difference is that in Drifters the animation style switches back and forth between hyper realistic and cartoonish. 
          The clothing and characters are extremely detailed and engaging thoughout the entire anime. The opening is especially highly detailed and includes a storyboard-like introduction.

          Many of the historical figures you might not recognize. (I know that I had to google some of them.) Even though these characters were once real people some of them are given supernatural powers. An example would be Joan of Arc, who is given the ability to control flames. If you're not familiar with Joan of Arc she was a heroine in the 100 Year War but was then betrayed by the people she was fighting for and was burned at the stake. Her anger at the betrayal sparked her hatred for people, causing her to join the Ends, instead of the Drifters.

          (If you want to read more about the actual Joan of Arc click here. If you want to read more about the character click here.)

          The Ends consist of people who have given up hope in humanity and would rather see them all dead. Rasputin, Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, Gilles de Rais, and Hijikata Toshizo all joined the Ends. They are led by The Black King and their only goal is to destroy mankind and let the creatures and beast 'inherit the world.'

          The Drifters chose Shimazu Toyohisa as their leader, for his unmatched war expertise. From poisoning the enemies water, to setting death traps, he can come up with ideas whenever they're needed. The Drifters goal is to take back the world from the Orte Empire and free all of the people who have been enslaved, essentially liberating the entire country from the inside out.

          Drifters also included spots of comedy and characters who literally act insane. The comedy helps keep the show from becoming just another war anime and helps break up the dark overtones.

If you want to read the full description click here. If you want to watch the first episode click here.

I do not own any of the pictures, gifs, or videos used in this post or any other post on AnimationNomination they are protected under the fair use policy 

#6 Cowboy Bebop!

"This is real mystic and all but do you have anything to eat here?"

          Cowboy Bebop can most accurately be described as a 'space western'. Even the characters call themselves cowboys. It's fast paced and most of the time each episode has its own story without overlapping into the next one. While there is an underlying plot, it seems to only become the center of attention at certain points in the show. Cowboy Bebop also has one of the most interesting music styles. Combining western, opera, and jazz music together. This new style of music was made by one of the most prominent artist in anime; Yoko Kanno. The fast paced and catchy opening isn't only fun to listen to, but to watch as well. 

         
           Cowboy Bebop isn't always fast paced, sometimes it seems downright slow, but keep in mind that there will be fast moments where you might have to rewatch the show to make sure you see everything. 

          'Cowboys' are another name for bounty hunters in 2071. 'Bebop' is the name of the ship that Spike, Jet, Fay, Ed, and Ein live on. 

          



          Spike's our main character and could be considered the one that usually get the rest of them in trouble. He's also a master of Jeet Kune Do, which he almost always has to use when they go after bounties.


           Jet's the captain of The Bebop and tries to keep order between the others. He use to be an investigator for the Inter Planetary Space Police (IPSP) until his former partner betrayed him and led to him losing his right arm. 


          Fay is a thief and joins the Bebop crew after repeatedly running into them. She was put into a cryogenic sleep and woke up 54 years later in 2071 not remembering who she is, and with an insane amount of debt.  


          Ed is a highly renowned hacker and does everything her own way. From walking on her hands, to typing with her feet. She joins the crew when she hacks into the Bebops navigation controls and brings them to her. Ein is a corgi that has the intelligence of a human. Ein joins the crew accidentally when they're chasing after a bounty. Ein is also referred to as a 'data dog' and can do things that other canine can't do; like drive a spaceship, or play shogi. If you want to read more about the characters click here.

          The Bebop crew may be bounty hunters but most of the time they don't have any money. Most of it goes to repairs for things that Spike breaks or is gambled away by Fay. Unsurprisingly that also means that they don't have money for food. Most of them can be bribed with food, especially Spike, into doing random jobs and even helping total strangers.

          Cowboy Bebop was a big step forwards for the sci-fi genre of anime and could even be considered a sci-fi anime classic. While it is old it doesn't lack in action or comedic moments. 

Until next time, 

"See you, space cowboy."

I do not own any of the pictures, gifs, or videos used in this post or any other post on AnimationNomination they are protected under the fair use policy