Link_of_Hyrule

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW** If you were one of the people who dropped Garo back in 2014 because the plot seemed a little too aimless, this is a PSA: Y’done goofed. What started off as a slightly clumsy and generally directionless action romp with only a mature tone to differentiate it eventually came into its own and emerged as a visually stunning, well written, memorable action-drama complete with strong characters and an emotionally investing plot. Garo was arguably the best anime that aired this season and it deserves far more attention than it is getting. Synopsis: In a world full of bloodthirsty creatures known as horrors that terrorizethe people, the only ones who can protect them are known as the Makai Knights; a secret organization dedicated to preserving peace throughout the kingdom. However, little do the people know, the king is being manipulated by his advisor into painting the Makai Knights and alchemists as evil witches in order to eradicate them. Before you even figure out what Garo is about, one thing will stick out: It knows how to have a mature tone. Too often do anime fall into the trap of confusing maturity with gratuitous blood, guts, nudity, and/or death; but not Garo. This show deals with topics of emotional loss, altruism, coming of age, sex, and violence without ever feeling like they are in over their head. This alone is commendable because it opens up a far wider spectrum of potential material to deal with that you won’t be able to see in a typical anime that’s bogged down by fanservice, moe, etc. The biggest complaint that can be made about Garo is that it seems to lack direction or even a real overarching plot, but this only really applies to the first half of the show. Lots of people lost interest in this anime early on because there wasn’t any specific goal in mind, and that’s understandable. However, what emerges from the initial failures of the show is a touching tale about coming of age. It’s complete with some great drama without ever feeling forced, great pacing, and the perfect mix of dialogue and action. It puts you through a great deal of emotional ups and downs, really making you never want to take your eyes off of the screen. If you can tough it out through those first few episodes, you definitely won’t regret it. While the plot really manages to come into its own, that phenomenon can largely be attributed to the growth and development of the fantastic cast of characters, who are the highlight of Garo in my opinion. Leon, the protagonist, starts off an insufferable, angsty teen. He complains about everything, is never satisfied, and is all around insufferable. So basically, he’s your average teenager. What makes him such an effective focal point for the show is how he learns and grows from his experiences; Leon is a dynamic character who ends up becoming supremely likable and even sympathizable. However, Leon is only one of the many interesting, dynamic characters. German, Leon’s “father”, accounts for a lot of the personality in the show. He’s very funny without ever diminishing his important and rather serious role in the plot, which is not an easy balance to achieve. There’s also Emma and Alfonso, who each bring their own intriguing subplots to the equation as well. When it comes to characters, Garo overwhelmingly succeeds at fleshing out their respective backstories and motivations. The characters are the reason I was able to stick with the show through the slow start and the payoff ended up being much amazing than I ever thought it could be. The last thing I’ll mention is how studio MAPPA, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite studios for having the balls to take on risky projects, deserves a lot of praise for the superb animation in Garo. The Makai armor battles are perhaps one of the greatest examples of CGI done right in anime to date, but even more impressive to me were the detailed landscapes and the fight scenes that didn’t use CGI at all. There is one particular fight in the later half of the anime between two main characters that is easily the fight of the year so far. The amazing choreography took my breath away; I probably watched that scene five times just for the hell of it. Combine the uniquely great animation with a… “interesting” soundtrack (watch the OPs and you’ll know what I mean) and you have an anime that delivers in the aspect of presentation. In conclusion, Garo is a well-written drama with a mature tone and a focus on action that is definitely worth watching. The meandering plot eventually finds its way home and delivers a lovely narrative that you will remember for a long time. I highly recommend Garo to anyone who has a little bit of patience. Here’s to season two!

Agil-san

I will refrain from spoilers in this review Garo, has turned into one of my favorite anime at the moment. The story follows a young Makai Knight named Leon, and his father German who is also a Makai Knight. Makai Knights have a job to play and that is to kill the "Horrors", which are people who have been possessed by dark spirits, that threaten the every day lives of humans. Leon, the Main Character of the series, is a Makai Knight who still hasn't fully matured. He is learning what it means to truly be a Makai knight, with his father as his teacher. Atthe same time there is a prince named Alfonso who has been betrayed by someone within his own castle and forced to leave in to avoid death. The castle is then overtaken and so is the kingdom by a man named Mendoza. Alfonso must then search for the legendary Golden Makai Knight who is destined to save the kingdom, this Knight so happens to be Leon. Thus starts the adventures of Leon and Alfonso in their attempt to retake the kingdom from the hands of Mendoza. This anime is astounding in the pacing it takes to tell the story of these characters. It never moves too slow or too fast it takes its time to tell the story they way they truly want you to experience and to watch the show as it slowly grows into an anime worth watching. The art in this series is great, I love the approach they take. The characters look rather simple in details, but not simple in a bad way but simple in a pleasant way that makes you admire it for a bit. They also use CG for the armor of the Makai Knights which is great in showing the contrast between humans and Makai Knights, giving them a shine to them and it makes them stand out. The sound was fine, it wasn't unpleasant or overwhelmingly great. It did it's job in creating the perfect atmosphere for the right times. I believe the characters in the series is what makes this anime so easy to watch for me. You have young, fierce, and naive Leon. The upright and strong Alfonso. The silly and playboy father. The beautiful and independent Ema and many more characters that make this show great. Even minor characters play heavy roles in this anime, some effect characters for the rest of the series and some play towards a role much bigger than you expected. Each character is there for a reason whether they show up one episode and leave, die in the next episode, or stand with the story the entire way. You will enjoy every character in some way. In terms of enjoyment, this gets an easy 10 in my book. The series started off kind of slow, I wasn't sure if the anime would turn out to be any good but once I got to episodes 7-12 the plot picks up quickly and you see that the first 6 episodes weren't wasted to fill up the time the show has for 24 episodes. This show developed beautifully, over the course of these 24 episodes. Overall I give the show a 10 (Outstanding/Masterpiece). Garo stayed true to the story they had worked to build over 24 episodes, and they really have you get attached to the Main Character, Leon, seeing what he goes through and his duty in the end. This show doesn't pull any stupid strings to give a happy ending, what happened happened and Leona and his allies have to deal with it. Garo is an idependent story, meaning it didn't come from another source such as Manga/VN/LN, seeing as to how there was a Second Seasons and a Movie planned when this series was at a mere 6 episodes shows that the creator has planned everything well in advance and it looks promising that the second season won't disappoint us at all. Thanks for your time.