ore wa CASSHERN, luna omai wa corose (a casshern sins review)

I'm not going to waste my breath on this one, but I do believe it deserves mention. When I first started this post-apocalyptic series, I found the theme of dying robots (who are technically immortal) suffering under the effects an uknown "ruin" (the end of said immortality), quite intriguing. In the middle of it all is Casshern, an immaculate, invincible robot assassin with no recollection of what he had done prior to the beginning of the series. All he knows is that tons of dudes are after his blood, under the impression that devouring him will grant eternal life again. The series brings forth tons of interesting characters and ideas, but started to taper off and wander in unecessary directions during the latter half. Many loose ends were never tied up (or poorly tied up), things still don't make full sense, and there's really just too much guessing. 

From an animation standpoint, Madhouse did an impressive job animating the fight scenes. The ridiculous exaggeration used as Casshern literally hurls his body through masses of robots is the same feeling you get when playing Dynasty Warriors. It's truly an amazing spectacle, and I'd have to say that some of the most epic fights, such as the first between Casshern and Dio, are what kept me watching the series. 

From an ideological standpoint, Casshern Sins is a story about life and death. When Casshern is faced with the question: "how can you understand death if you are invincible?", he begins to realize that the word "living" means more than just vital sustenance. To truly live, one must reach for something in his or her life and savor each moment getting there. As humans, we selfishly think only of maximizing our life expectancies without giving thought or appreciation to the key moments in our lives that really make life worth living. 

Surprisingly, one of the  greatest moments in Casshern Sins happens during the very end of the credits (don't read ahead if you care about spoilers). I believe that Ringo was actually human to begin with. I know that doesn't align with the "colored rock" and scenes of her ruin, but when Leda looked at her that way, I couldn't help but think...

Casshern Sins was, overall, an average watch. The pacing was slow and the story became jarred towards the second half. However, strong ideals, a unique world, interesting characters, and great animation kept me watching every week. The show really promised great potential, I'm just sad it didn't fully deliver.

More reviews coming in April: Soul Eater, Gundam 00 Second Season, Toradora!, The Tower of Druaga: Sword of Uruk, and Rideback.