[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Ray the Animation episode 1: The eyes of God…and kung-fu nurses
It’s rare to find an animated medical thriller: my own experience has led me towards the excellent Monster and of course Tezuka’s legendary surgeon Black Jack. Incidentally, Ray: the Animation actually features a short cameo from the man himself, as he appears to restore the sight of a young girl in the opening scene. He cryptically informs her that she will be able to see again but it is her own choice as to how she lives her life (below).
Cut to…a woman walking home one evening and witnessing a gas explosion, only to see another woman administering first aid with almost superhuman efficiency. The following day, the stranger turns up at the hospital where our innocent bystander works to operate on a patient with a strange type of coronary tumour. It soon becomes clear that this gifted female surgeon has some sort of second sight, the ‘Eyes of God’ of the episode title, not to mention an interesting past that features our hero Black Jack.
Ray herself (above) is an interesting lead: unlike her mysterious mentor, who will operate on anyone who pays the bill, Ray openly voices her disapproval of using an untested anaesthetic on a convicted criminal to save his life, yet operates on him reluctantly but skillfully. The supporting cast consists of martial arts nurses (below), Yakuza henchmen and a what appears to be a pirate doctor who is complete with an eye patch, wooden leg and and an extra-long surgical mask to cover his chest-length beard. Honestly, I’m not joking.
The animation quality is nothing out of the ordinary but the character designs are pleasing on the eye and it’s already set up with shady pasts and conspiracies surrounding the central character. The fact that it’s a medical thriller and it’s directed by the same guy who did Berserk suggests that it will be quite dark and gritty but the combat scenes and character interaction make it a much lighter affair so chances are it is still trying to finalise its own identity. It seems to have been overlooked by the fan community unfortunately, which I put down to the high standards of the other 2006 spring season shows. From the opening episode though, Ray: the Animation is a refreshingly different series that could well prove be worth sticking with.
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