[Categories: Anime Reviews]
Gasaraki #5: episodes 14-16
The balance of power has shifted in the Gowa household as the old man retires from his place at the top at the behest of his sons. The only one not involved in this - Yushiro - is instead accompanying Miharu on the paths of the Kai. It is at this point where they discover another Kugai, and a flashback to the old days of the Kai.
The ‘present day’ portion of this disc, namely episode 14, puts some more pieces into place with regards to what the younger Gowas are up to. There’s a group of individuals who, dissatisfied with the current state of affairs, are cooking up a way to take the country on a different course. Worryingly the Kai and Kugai form a part of their plans but they don’t seem to realise how much the Gowa clan already knows about the ancient power.
The really interesting part of the disc is where we go back a millennium, to the time when the Kugai were being used by the Watanabe clan to uphold the law of the Emperor and resolve disputes. It is interesting to see how events of the present mirror those of this time, complete with some very familiar faces. I really liked the art style too - it’s quite washed-out and ocasionally turns into colourless line drawing, in the style of traditional Japanese art of the day. The battle scenes show black-shaded blood being shed against a backdrop of crimson skies: powerful imagery that depicts significant events.
I can’t say I’m so keen on the ‘remix’ of the op theme though. It’s probably intended to highlight how the series is changing course but I preferred the original version. Anyway, it gives a lot of background to the historical side of things and shows that in the old days, as now, the power of the Kugai and Gasaraki is being used to influence the way in which the country is governed.
Summary
I know that I’ve been neglecting my DVD reviewing lately, Gasaraki in particular. This disc has rekindled my enthusiasm for the series though, with excellent artwork and a refreshing change of time and setting. I’m especially interested to see what happened with the old Yushiro and Miharu, and how their actions may affect the current events.
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