Archers anime review
Burst angle (Bakuretsu Tenshi)
Burst Angel, or Bakuretsu Tenshi, was originally aired on TV Asahi from April 6, 2004 to September 14, 2004. There were 24 episodes aired and on march 23, 2007, Burst Angle was released by Gonzo and licensed by FUNimation in Canada. The US. Burst Angle is a funny action packed sci-fi anime that will hook you in from the first episode, at least that’s what it did to me. It is one of 4 anime I have watched more then once and will watch again. The anime’s zany humor, along with the tear jerking drama, is mixed with action packed fights that will keep you wanting to pop in the next disk. On November 13, 2007 FUNimation released an OVA, titled Burst Angel: Infinity, and in 2008 Tokyopop released a 3 volume manga, telling Jo and Meg’s story prior to the events presented in the anime.
Animation 10/10
The animation style is one I really enjoyed; it is a very unique and detailed style. The backgrounds were detailed and well thought out, there was never blank or wasted space. During the battle scenes the use of CG and hand drawn animations made them very interesting to watch. The characters were well thought out and I have to think the artist was lonely when we came up with the design of Meg and Sei, who are very…lets say…well endowed, if you know what I mean ;D. Over all I enjoyed the animation in the anime.
Plot 7/10
The plot is the area where the Burst Angle really let me down. Without giving up any spoilers it seemed like the end was rushed perhaps do to budget cuts. But don’t let that fully ruin the anime for you. The beginning of the anime was very well thought out and went pretty deep into Jo’s story telling why she is the way she is. All of the characters stories are well told through the anime, the only reason it did not get a 10 out of 10 was the end which is why it hurts me to give it 7. The rest of the plot was decently thought out.
Characters 9/10
All of the main characters added their owe unique quark to the story. There are 6 main characters the first is Jo. Jo is a female, gun welding, over all badass, who’s super human powers play a big role in the story. The second is her counterpart Meg, who is a large breasted and slightly ditzy, but has her moments of greatness. After Meg comes Sei. Sei is the very sexy leader of the team who keeps her cool through all of the action the team is put through and would do anything she could to make sure they’re safe. Amy is the “moe”, computer hacker. Don’t let her cute looks fool you. She can find anything she wants on the web. Leo Jinno is the team’s middle age mechanic, who works on Jo’s mech. Django. At first he seems like a dirty old man but then turns into a combat ready badass when needed. The last main character is the team’s private chef Kyohei Tachibana who thinks he has agreed to cook for normal people…when he is thrown into a situation way over his head.
Overall 8.5/10
It pains me to give Burst Angle only an 8 of out 10 when I would more than love to give it a 10 out of 10, but I simply cannot. Let the end of the anime be looked at as the main fault of the series. The ending aside, Burst Angel is a great anime to sit down and watch alone or with friends…and is well worth the money. If you are into Cyberpunk, Mecha, action, comedy, science-fiction anime, this is a series for you.
