Well, Halloween has come & gone. Many of us are probably in sugar-induced coma, but for those of you who aren’t, thanks for keeping up with my blog! Just like last year, I’ve got 2 quick reviews ready, and today’s show can be watched in a single sitting. This time around, these reviews are more of a “Compare & Contrast” series, so consider this another improvised mini-themed month. With that said, let’s take a look at the sword & sorcery stylings of Bastard!! Let the review begin!
Story/Setup
Taken from Amazon’s Editorial Reviews:
“Dark Schneider is the Bastard!!! A lone warlock, freed from years of imprisonment, stands against an army of destruction bent on world conquest and the resurrection of an ancient evil. But Dark Schneider is not protecting the desperate people of Meta-Rikana out of the goodness of his heart. After all, they were the ones who imprisoned him for leading this same army against their city the first time! However, he's not about to let his old army, his old generals, and his ex-girlfriend show him up. Besides, his new girlfriend is counting on him, and it's been a while since he had some fun...”
High fantasy is the best way to describe Bastard. Monsters, dragons, magic, damsels in distress, you name it! Kazushi Hagiwara, the manga author of Bastard, was heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons, not to mention being an enthusiastic fan of Heavy Metal music (Already, I’ve put this man in my heart). You can see these two influences all over the places, as there are creatures pulled right out of the Monster Manuel, and Dark Schneider casts spells with names like Sodom & Megadeth. Definitely, a true geek & Metalhead!
However, here’s where things get a little......interesting. Kazushi Hagiwara, despite have some talent, has been rather sporadic with putting out his material. The manga began back in 1988, and he’s been working/releasing it on-and-off since them. The anime come across in much the same way: there are missing scenes between each episode, creating a disjointed experience. Further adding to this is the ending, which ends in a cliffhanger, whereas this didn’t happen in the manga. From what I heard there were supposed to have been more episodes made, but the OVA got cut short due to reasons that I haven’t found.
Animation
For an OVA that was released back in 1992, Bastard looks surprisingly good. Granted, you can tell this anime’s age, thanks in most part to the slight muted look, along with odd looks in certain scenes. That said, this series is pretty good looking still! Considering how high the fantasy is, it’s filled to the brim with grand castles, dank dungeons, hideous monsters, and all sorts of things you’d find in a Dungeons & Dragons style world. Character designs are great also, with the men typically built like tanks, and the women either look cute, or a mix of sexy & tough. Even the spell effects are great as well, despite how cheesy some of them are. Overall Bastard is a good looking show, despite it’s age.
Voice Acting
One of the things that surprised be about Bastard’s dub was of how many recognizable voice actors there are in the cast. Daran Norris, Wendee Lee, and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn are just a couple of voice actors that many of you are potentially familiar with. Wendee Lee in particularly I recognized right away, due to how familiar here voice is. That said, the voice acting is.....rather bipolar. The more recognizable voice actors certainly put in a great effort, but it’s the less recognizable voice actors where things get a little murky. Some of them do a good job, while others just put in an okay effort. No really bad efforts, but nothing really any noteworthy either.
Characters
Okay, I’m just going to say it.....everybody else is secondary to Dark Schneider!
Okay, that’s not exactly true: everybody has a role to play, they really do. But once Dark Schneider shows up, he chews up the scenery! It doesn’t matter what he’s doing, cause your eyes will be focused on him the entire time. He could be standing there, he could be spewing threats & insults, etc. Schneider is the essential anti-hero: an individual who does this for the right reason, but accomplishing them for selfish purposes. I dare you to name me another character, past or present, that is this attention grabbing!!
Again, the other characters provide things for the story, but with Dark Schneider & his antics, why would you want to pay attention to anything else? That said, if there was a second character I liked, it would be Yoko. The daughter of the Grand Priest (The individual who sealed up Dark Schneider in the first place), Yoko is a mild prude but emotional spitfire, and becomes Schneider’s love interest right off the bat. She can actually chew up some scenery as well, but sometimes is a stereotypical damsel in distress. Regardless, she can almost be as much fun as Schneider, and can even hold her own a little.
Availability & Pricing
Bastard is a series that’s a bit of a challenge to find. You can’t find it on F.Y.E.’s website (Although you could theoretically find it in one of their stores used), and Best Buy doesn’t have it on their website either. Considering it’s an old Geneon/Pioneer title from 2001 (DVD wise, at least. Tapes came out in 1995, and good luck finding those!), it’s not surprising. The only option you really have in this case is Amazon, although it comes at a cost. As I’m typing this up, there aren’t any new DVDs available. Your only option is used, and the pricing isn’t too terrible. Starting at $37.52, it’s a little expensive, but not unbearably so. Unless you can find it online in individual episodes for download (Which is how I found this show), this is your only option.
Overall Impression & Rating
Bastard is one of many examples of pure, unadulterated, anime fluff. It has some shortcomings to be sure (Mostly in story & availability), but despite the problems it’s a lot of fun! The over the top attitude that the setting has, coupled with heavy metal references, surprisingly well placed fan-service, and characters that grab your attention, and you have one hell of a time. Just be sure you don’t become a bastard yourself when you watch this. Mwahaha!!!!
Bastard!! gets a 8 out of 10.
See you all next week, when we’ll take a look at a much longer, and more emotional series. After that, it’s a break for the rest of the month until December. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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