The Cybernetic Zombie Anime Unlike Anything Else You’ve Seen
Blassreiter takes the classic zombie trope and twists it into something completely different. Corpses come back to life, but they aren’t mindless bodies of flesh. Instead, they merge with metal and machinery to become rather smart cybernetic zombies.
Blassreiter Is A Different Type Of Zombie Apocalypse
This anime is set in Germany, in a world that exists after these cybernetic zombies, known as “Amalgams,” have wreaked havoc on the country. The story follows a Xenogenesis Assult Team (XAT) trying to stop these monsters, as well as several of the more sentient Amalgams, as they struggle to discover the truth behind this outbreak and end the conflict.
From An Accomplish Team Of Anime Veterans
Blassreiter was originally a manga written by Noboru Kimura in 2007. In 2008, the manga was adapted into an anime and given two seasons with Ichiro Itano (Macross, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin) as the director and Gen Urobuchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero) and Yasuko Kobayashi (Death Note, Attack on Titan) as writers under Gonzo Studio. The show aired on several Japanese TV stations, as well as YouTube, BOST, and Crunchyroll. The show only took a year to reach North America via DVD and Funimation.
The Humans Are The Weakest Part
Though I enjoyed Blassreiter for the most part, it wasn’t perfect by any means. This anime did not seem to have a clear direction or plot idea. Everything felt made up on the spot.
I also had a problem with the characters in Blassreiter, as while they all felt pretty realistic and had depth, there were so many that it was hard to keep up or actually feel a bond with any one person. It felt like the only time you did see a character was after they had been injured or when they were having a difficult time. This meant that most of what you saw of characters was them whining and complaining.
If you did start to see more of a character or thought they might be someone important, they usually died shortly after.
Missed Opportunities
Another problem was that the character that could have been considered a main character, Joeseph, didn’t appear much at all. Despite his importance to the show, he didn’t talk until the end of episode two. When he does show up, it’s more often simply talking to someone or whittling, with only a few action scenes.
Questionable CGI
There are some complaints about the CGI in Blassreiter as well, but I didn’t mind the addition of CGI. Was it the best CGI ever? Not really, but it fit the story well and wasn’t bad by any means.
I found that the switch from the regular animation style to the CGI feels pretty smooth and isn’t jarring. While it’s clear it’s CGI, it fits the anime better than many 3D additions to anime do.
Streaming On Crunchyroll
REVIEW SCORE
Overall, Blassreiter is not a show I’d care to go back and watch again, nor would I recommend it to people unless they had a very specific taste in anime. For these reasons, I’d have to give it a 2.5. On My Anime List, the show has a 6.89, so while it’s not the most popular anime out there, it certainly isn’t the worst.
You don’t have to listen to me, though. Blassreiter is available to stream on Crunchyroll for premium members. If you already have Crunchyroll and are looking for something a little different to watch, give this zombie anime a shot.
