Jormungand

With guns blazing and knives flashing, Jormungand brings an almost unparallelled action packed adventure which fails to do anything but draw me deep into the story, craving for more. The story is centered around the exploits of the boy soldier Jonah, the ever charismatic Hekmatyar Koko and her bodyguards as they encounter and overcome countless challenges through the course of their business, selling weapons. Truly a fun filled and addictive gem. Do take note, this review is for S1 only. [POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW: I have refrained from spoilers as much as possible. Read at your own risk.] Story & Setting As mentioned previously, the story follows the dangerous lifestyle which Koko Hekmatyar lives as she deals out weapons and other various less-than-legal sales across the globe. Naturally, such deals would end in at best, gunboat diplomacy, though more often than not, it simply leads to spectacular fight scenes, showcasing the spectacular amount of firepower available to a first class weapons dealer. The action is written in a spectacular fashion, creating an appeal that any action-junkie would not be able to pass up. Though it might seem rather shallow as a whole, the story does take measures to delve into the past of some of Koko's nine bodyguards, which not only diversifies the plot but also helps to link and provide closure to certain other parts of the story itself. Though admittedly an action-focused plot isn't deep in any sense, it's written very wittily at parts, naturally with the main usage of this wit being in how they get out of the rather sticky situations which the group always seems to find themselves in. At other parts, it could be the complete opposite, simply providing an added WOW effect when they resort to brute force to solving their problems. Even though some, perhaps most, of this could be considered obnoxious usage of Deus Ex Machina, it still does create a certain air of excitement in anyone watching and needless to say, is simply irresistible in the fun it brings. The setting of the story is not fixed, with almost every single mini-arc taking place in a different part of the world. This naturally introduces in countless minor characters who may or may not be related to the story in the second season. The writer however does take pains to ensure that the addition of some of these characters is not completely wasted and hence does create a well-written plot, despite it being an almost purely action story. Animation The animation is done very well, especially with regards to the countless fight scenes which take place and weapons which appear throughout the whole anime. The non-combat scenes are not animated to a spectacular level but yet, they are still done impressively enough. Not overwhelmingly strong but not subtle enough to be forgotten through all of the action, the backgrounds are done in an almost perfect balance with the various scenes. Naturally one would expect that in an action-type anime, the focus would be in the action scenes; And I was not let down at all in this aspect. Sound The sound is rather interesting in this particular anime. Not only does it have the regular type of background sound and music one would expect from this genre, but also incorporates several unique types of sound throughout the show. This would include the occasional classical piece of music as well as even songs done in languages other than English and Japanese. Don't get me wrong, this is a boon rather than a bane to the show, as it not only creates the perfect atmosphere for each scene but entices the audience further into the show. Though admittedly these various different types of music might not be as catchy and memorable as other dramatic tracks from other anime, the OP and ED both compensate more than enough for this, with the former being immensely addictive and the latter being a surprisingly gentle change from the general feel you'd get from the series. Characters Jormungand is one of the ambitious animes which attempt to take a big step into creating not one, not two, but eleven repeating characters who occur in every single episode, save for perhaps one or two, and put an almost equal amount of focus into all of them. Naturally though, the two main characters receive more attention than the others. Surprisingly enough, for this genre, the was a decent amount of development into a few of the characters, showing their past as well as their goals and personal feelings on various issues. The unmistakable theme of growth and development is present in Jonah as he learns from the others more about the world and slowly develops from an unstoppable killer into something else. In addition to this, the various characters' traits are also displayed in other subtle ways, which do actually bring about a more human feel to the characters, rather than making them seem like nothing but killing machines. However, this anime does represent a rather slanted view on the actual situation. Taking the stand of "everyone is a good person deep down", the anime paints arms dealers into the best light possible. Though this could be considered to be rather biased and unreal from one school of thought, it presents a great opportunity to bring about a very interesting story from the darker side of society which we do not see often, except perhaps through fictional works such as this. Overall Being almost unparalleled in terms of crazy action and less-than-logical fight scenes, perhaps on par with Black Lagoon, but most importantly, tremendously fun, Jormungand is a definite gem in this era of action anime. A must watch for any action-junkie, and as a matter of fact even those who have never been a huge fan of the action genre, prepare to be blasted away by the sheer amount of fun this story shoots right at you. [AFTERWORD: Thank you for taking time to read this review. Please do give any comments of which I could learn from and improve on for any reviews I might do in the future!]

Jormungand a anime that follows a child soldier(jonathan) who gets picked up by the upcoming leader( koko ) in armsdealing... that travels around the world with a team of elite fighters to deliver arms to goverments or rebels all over the world...but koko also has an other plan in mind that she builds up from the shadows , a hidden agenda The pace of the anime is fast ,.. lots of action packed in every episode (with the team always having a strategic shoot outs ),...and the scenario's are within the realm of real world possibility's (drones , quantum computers & real world weapons) making it a fantastic anime to watch , the team of the koko, a team of hand picked specialists from all over de world , makes it an almost unbeatable team , the team is mostly involved with agencies like the CIA , MI5 and other agencies the art and story make this serie a must watch anime , and for me this is one of the best made.. the follow up (second season ) is as good or even better and that makes you longing for more , I cant wait for the third season ... OVERALL RATING : 9,6 :D

Adapted from the manga written and drawn by Takahashi Keitarou, the anime was released in spring of 2012. In a nutshell, the story revolves around an arms dealer, named Koko Hekmatyar, and her crew of mercenaries with their new addition to the group, Jonathan Mar, a child soldier. Story The anime consists of small arcs, one to two episodes long, each concentrating on a member of the group and their corresponding profession. Nicely paced, you are kept entertained at all times with gory action scenes and tense negotiations, while having occasionally some comedy and light-hearted moments. Characters Unfortunately, the biggest downfall of this series, is the lacking character development. At the beginning of the anime, you are already overwhelmed with a huge cast of characters which I couldn't even fully remember myself at the end of the anime. Out of all the members, only two characters, besides Koko and Jonathan, received some proper development, while the history and background story of others were briefly mentioned or left out. It's a real shame though they had to split the series into two seasons, as most of the character are fun to watch. Animation As for the animation, 'White Fox', who was responsible for other anime, such as 'Steins;Gate' or 'Katanagatari', did a great job on the animation, especially with their stunning backgrounds. The animation was fluid and pleasing to the eye. Sound The audio, in my opinion was by far the strongest aspect of 'Jormungand'. While the opening was fast paced, electronic music, and the ending a slow paced, violin themed song, they both were enjoyable to listen to and had a catchy tune to them. Taku Iwasaki, did an amazing job with the soundtrack, which was utilised throughout the series. There isn't much complaining about the sound effects and dubbing either. Verdict Overall, it was an enjoyable show. It's definitely worth a try, especially if you like anime like Canaan or Black Lagoon.

I devour the five continents and swallow the three seas. But my body has neither wings, hands, nor feet and thus is powerless against the sky. I am world's serpent and my name is....Jormungand!! Quite an opening to an anime that follows the escapades of an arms dealer and her bodyguards as they travel the world while trafficking illegal weapons, scuffling with the competition, and avoiding the law. Jormungand is an anime that tells the story of the young woman Koko Hekmatyr, an arms dealer, and her crew of bodyguards. Specifically, the anime focuses on Koko and her newest recruit, the child soldier, Johnathan Mar who is referred to as Jonah by the group. The story is mostly straightforward with each episode (or group of episodes) focusing on a mission that Koko's team has undertaken. As one would expect from an action anime of this sort, lots of fast-paced gun fights and chases are involved. This run-and-gun style of storytelling causes somewhat of a lack of an overall plot. This anime relies more on the characters and their own pasts to tell a story and this somewhat unique style of storytelling works well with this anime. The Good: The animation for Jormungand is very well done, especially the attention to detail when animating the weapons and vehicles used throughout the series. My hat goes of to White Fox (which is the same studio that provided animation for Steins;Gate - another great series). It's also not surprising that the physical combat sequences were nicely animation, especially the bodily movements and reactions of the characters. Speaking of the characters, many of them are peculiar yet intriguing in their own way. Many of the characters have equally interesting back stories (the remainder of the characters whose back stories were not featured in the first season will most likely be featured in the upcoming second season). This focus on detail leads to fairly intense actions scenes which help to move the anime along at a good pace. The Bad: The music of Jormungand is one of the few aspects which I didn't enjoy. Sure, the opening theme is catchy and there were a few tracks which were well done, but those tracks were few and far between. Most of the music is too bland to be featured in a high-action anime such as Jormungand. Hopefully, this is corrected in the upcoming second season. Another aspect that was somewhat poorly handled was the multitude of specific names and titles used throughout the series when referring to weapons, vehicles, or locations. This could easily cause some confusion when attempting to follow along with plot. However, it's not really an issue if viewers pay attention during the "negotiation" scenes. The dialogue is somewhat heavy, so I recommend that viewers pay close attention to each scene. Overall, Jormungand is unique action anime which should be given credit for what it has tried to accomplish in a field of anime that has been dominated by super-powered teenagers with spirit blades, ramen-loving ninja, and elastic pirates. It's nothing revolutionary when it comes to the genre of action anime, but it's definitely a well done series that delivers lots of action given the constraints of nonfiction themes and facts that it attempts to work with. I would recommend Jormungand to all viewers who enjoy action anime or who are looking for a unique series in general. Story: 7/10 Art: 8/10 Sound: 6/10 Character: 9/10 Enjoyment: 8/10 Overall: 7/10

before i start my review i would like to adress the fans who didnt like this anime because they say that its unrealistic haha!!! dont make me laugh you dont like the anime because you think that they should follow what the real world does!!!!! what im trying to say is remember that we are watching an anime and not a real life war or situation we must have some common sense and dont insult the anime with a absurd reason like that TIME for MY REview jormungand is really an interesting anime that deals with a gun dealer koko hekmatyar a representative of a company called HCLI she have 8 apprentice with one more new member she recruited called jonah a child soldier every one of the crew is really great and i say they are really unstoppable specially the top 2 member of koko 1st the oldman LEHM who seem to know everything and have so much experience in war second is VALMET a former soldier who lost her left eye in a war the other members will be UGO,WILEY,MAO,R,LUTZ,TOJO and the new recuir jonah the story of jomungand is arc by arc meaning different stories for every 2 episodes sometimes 1 well many may contradict of what i say in here by we have are own opinions right ? by the way my score in this anime will be STORY 8 -very simple is always great ART 9 -the art is really great every episode has the same backround and fighting scene is so awesome SOUND 9 - the opening and the bgm of the anime is epic i already downloaded the song CHARACTER 8 - i love koko because she is loco and her crew ENJOYMENT 10 - i already repeat it 4 times already thats the reason i gave it a 10 OVERALL 9 - well overall its a 9 i love jormungand overall thats what it means FINAL THOUGHTS this season is very good and im looking forward to the new season and i know that this anime can become a master piece after its complete and i love koko so much a fun character and very unique in my point of view thats all i have to say hope my review will give you a great impression on this anime

In a world of violence and bloodshed—where the sounds of blaring firearms and steel clashing is an everyday occurrence—being an arms dealer is neither an easy task nor laughing matter. It is not a position where honesty and justice prevail, but one where deception and cruelty run rampant. But despite the bad reputation and dangers that come with the occupation, there is one individual who has made a name for herself in the business. Her name is Koko (Hekmatyar)... and she is loco. With the help of her talented comrades, the story of Jormungand follows Koko and co. as they travel around the world doing their work. Now, let's see how big of a splash this series has made in the vast body of water that is the world of anime. Art (7/10) Fittingly enough, the notable grainy appearance of the visuals matched the overall theme of the series quite well. It illustrated the "get down and dirty" aspect of the arms dealer job and the dusty battlefield of the wilderness. However, on a more subjective note, the character designs barely appealed to me at all. For the most part, virtually all the characters had many similar physical traits, making the minor characters hard to remember. It even got to the point where I had at times asked myself, "Where did this character come from?" before realizing they had been introduced earlier on. As for the battle scenes, the animation was generally fluid and not hard on the eyes to watch. A decent job overall. Characters (6/10) Here is where the score for the series takes a hit. Aside from Jonah, and possibly Koko/Valmet, all the other characters seemed rather bland. Sure, they had their own little distinguishing characteristic/story to set them apart from each other, but other than that, they were barely developed. On the other hand, I do understand that with only twelve episodes to work with, the story might be prioritized over the characters. That said, what's to say you can't use the story to help develop the characters (i.e. give a character screentime during which they not only develop the story but also allow the viewer to understand more about them)? Sound (8/10) Sounds in general are usually a hit or miss in most anime; either they really help one get into each episode, or they stick out like a sore thumb. For Jormungand, it luckily fell into the former. While the OP, ED, BGM, and voice acting weren't outstanding, they were definitely not bad. The OP was upbeat, and despite the Engrish, quite catchy too. On the other hand, I personally didn't really like the ED that much as I felt it didn't fit the theme of the show. The show's BGM was probably the best of the four aspects; high-octane tracks matched to hot-blooded action is never a bad combination. No comment on the voice acting, which was more or less average. Lastly, who can forget about the epic episode preview track? That alone, factored in greatly to this section's score. Story (7/10) One's first impression of Jormungand's story might be that it's just a bunch of people killing each other with guns. While that's partially true, there is also some dialogue and informative content as well. To be honest, I wasn't really too into the whole arms dealer idea. However, I do admit that by watching this anime, I learned a bit about tactical strategics and arms dealing (assuming they're depicting the job accurately). The story had its ups and downs—from being downright boring to keeping me at the edge of my seat for the entire episode. With that being said, I'll give this season's story the benefit of the doubt by assuming that having to also add in character introductions might have hindered the story's potential. However, I won't be so forgiving when season two rolls around. Overall (7/10) Although it wasn't a memorable series by any means, Jormungand was entertaining for the most part. It's not an anime where a lot of thinking is required; just kicking back and watching Loco Koko's adventures is enjoyable in and of itself. Anyone with an open mind will probably enjoy this series so feel free to give it a try if you have the time and haven't already. As for me, I'll be patiently waiting for season two, which starts airing in Fall 2012.

7.0/10 ~ Fun ride. For starters this really felt like a spiritual successor to Black Lagoon, which is certainly a guilty pleasure of mine, and Koko Hekmatyar is probably now one of my top favorite charecters of all time and that... that just feels weird considering this show isnt all that amazing. I randomly picked this up for no particular reason, and before I knew it I finished both seasons in about 2 days after not expecting to finish season 1. This is the rare show that I think I enjoyed it more then the actual quality of the show, the actual quality sitting at probably a 5.0 to maybe a 6.0/10. Most of the charecters are bland, motivations are almost stereotypical, and the Jonna the technical main character is such a bad character, but the only reason I kept watching was for Koko the true main character of the show. If you dont care for Koko I would just say this show is just a hard pass, but something about her made my brain get the happy chemicals and man do I want to live in the world she creates. Over all the show left me wanting more, I dont feel like I wasted my time like so many modern anime, it will leave a last impression on me as it was just philosophical enough, and well I enjoyed it which is the important part.

Jormungand is an attempt to create a new Black Lagoon but just from the pilot episode you get a more than lazy shot at it. The exposition is stupid, the dialogues are stupid, and the characters are… well, you know. Not that Black Lagoon was exactly an intelligent show (it was just throwing in a few poor monologues around the cruel way the world works) but at least it had great production values and slightly better dialogues to have more fun with. This on the other hand is making you think it was written by a very angry kid who likes to play cops and robbers. Not that it was their fault entirely if the source material, the manga, was dumb to begin with. Animated by studio White Fox, which is very new to the field; only 4 titles so far. They don’t have a huge budget to do miracles but they always offer and above average result. Two of their anime received very positive feedback (Katanagatari, Steins;Gate) so it is definitely a studio that can offer quality material. Their latest work definitely looks nice but that is as far as it goes; it doesn’t pay much attention to secondary details and this tends to make it feel artificial if you see past the obvious. The direction is done by Motonaga Keitaro, whose roster is nothing but bellow average harems, and as an exception he also directed Katanagatari, one of the best troll comedies ever. Although even there it was mostly the original script that did the work and not so much his talent. He is clearly not someone to look forward to watching his work. So, aside from being a Black Lagoon wannabe, is the show anything else? Well, sort of, its theme also gives of vibes close to The Lord of War (live action film with Nicolas Kage) and Gundam 00. The premise has to do with a group of arms dealers, who make bargains with several shady operations and their reason for that is not just profit but also to end wars faster, if they are offered to the right people. So they are constantly up against merciless warlords and war mongers, as well as fighting numerous military groups for a race to whom gets to make a deal with whom faster and better. As cool and smart as the premise sounds though, its execution is completely retarded. Just like a typical show with shootouts, it is hardly realistic and you get the usual “Heroes beat a hundred elite soldiers without a single injury” type of theme. It is not a problem if it can make up for it with great production values or amazing battle choreographies, yet sadly it fails even there. Most things that happen in this show make you feel like they are useless, stupid, forced, or even done invisibly instead of being shown. Here is a list regarding the messy stuff I found. 1) Show; don’t tell. A lazy method of plot exposition is when the characters are using explanatory monologues to reveal new information. In a medium that uses both image and sound it is best to show them instead to simply tell them. A variation of this is when something is actually shown on screen and yet the character tells us about it anyhow, as if the scriptwriter is afraid we are too stupid to get it. Most fighting shounen anime are guilty of this, as there will always be spectators commenting on everything and even describing what just happened. So in this case the heroine is constantly making rhetorical questions of the sort “It’s the military? Are they chasing us? Is he laughing?” The answer is of course obviously yes to everything and it is plain stupid to even have them there. I mean, it’s an action show for crying out loud; there is nothing philosophical worth of talking about it. Instead of having a character saying “I am shooting at the bad guys” just showing us, him, shooting at them, is more than enough to get it. If not, it is the director’s fault for not investing enough time and proper camera angles into making it understood. Yet most of whatever they are doing in this show is nothing but a lame attempt at pointing their fingers at whatever is going on instead of just letting it happen. 2) Walk; don’t jump. The directing is messy to the point no scene seems to last as much as it needs. They either skip very important stuff or stick too much on useless info. An example is the no-pantsu girl, a minor villain who gets several flashbacks as means to explain why she became an assassin or why she doesn’t wear underwear. And guess what, nothing of what they show makes any sense. They dedicate almost a whole episode on her and we still have no idea why she became an assassin or why she didn’t get new underwear all this time. And you think all that were perhaps important to flesh her out and be likable thereafter? You would be mistaken since we never see her again after those episodes. SO WHAT’S THE POINT? 3) Explain; don’t imply. As if that wasn’t enough, they also chose to leave lots of important events taking place out of screen. There are multiple accounts where a warrior taking out several opponents without showing us how. There will be deals being resolved without ever showing us how they used diplomacy to make a contract. There will be escapes from certain doom without showing us the method they used to survive. This is not just about skipping things that may seem unimportant in the long run. It is making them feel unimportant exactly because they don’t show them. It is also making the whole show run on magic convenience if you can kill elite fighters and convince veterans to change their minds and not kill you, without even bothering to show how you do it. It is an action show for crying out loud (again) you make it interesting by showing such things. I have heard by some that the above is not really a problem as it is supposed to offer plot twists and thus keeping you excited exactly by having lots of sneak actions taking place out of screen. We are supposed to think “Whoah, these guys use smart tactics”. That is not working very well though for two reasons. First, their tactics are taking place and are resolved way too fast to build up and matter, and secondly, this is a dumb action show with shallow ideology, where having such things is only making the whole show feeling stupid. 4) Make it exciting; not expected. Then it’s the whole importance of the missions. Aside from rushing through the whole thing and keeping lots of events unseen, they also don’t seem dangerous (and thus exciting) if the bad guys are not dangerous at all. You get these supposed elite gunners and snipers and they can’t do the slightest thing against the good guys before being slaughtered without inflicting the tiniest injury on them. Hell man, even god-level Kenshiro was getting a few scratches from nobodies in Hokuto no Ken. The first ringleader didn’t even try to have proper precautions while making that deal with the heroine. Sure, he had snipers in place but they wouldn’t save him in time if anyone pulled a gun against him, would they? He also didn’t even bother to have them searched for guns before accepting to talk to them. Instead we get five minutes of shallow macho talking that was completely useless plot-wise, since all the events that REALLY mattered in the mission happened out of screen (taking out the snipers and cancelling the deal). So what was this mission all about? Nothing for you to care about. 5) Make it cool; not stupid. Then it’s the whole heroine’s attitude that just pisses me off. While Revy in Black Lagoon would be full of cocky attitude and would act way too seriously and creepy during her missions, Koko in Jormungand on the other hand will act like a spoiled rich girl whose daddy didn’t buy her a dozen ponies. She feels completely out of sync with what is going around her and looks like a slapstick comedy character yelling, and laughing, and insulting her buyers, thrown in a serious war drama. She acts like they are playing hide and seek instead of someone who makes dealings with warlords that will cost the lives of millions of people. And her whole ideology of trying to bring peace by mak…

Think weapons , think a bad ass crazy main female character , think war and arms dealing into all that and you got a pot of feelings and actions. The story is in a sence pretty straight forward but i like everything about it. The crazy yet genious arms dealing female with her as crazy bodyguards who sells arms to anyone who can pay in money. Makes your blood rush and it just feels fun watching it. For me the story and the consept of an arms dealing woman is an original consept. Normally its the old man with the female bodyguard but in this case this takes it to a more fun step. Every episode feels like 15 min instead of 23 and it makes you crave more as they give you cynical yet great information about the world itself and its people. The action is well done and made fun in every feeling and its never too much it slows down when it should and speeds up when its called for. I enjoy the clean animation thats all i can say that. This anime got an easy memorable opening and eventhough the ending isnt all action its great and beautiful that you can feel fit this anime. The soundtrack makes this anime in many ways and blends perfect with the story and its characters. The music is so interesting and sometimes i just want to dance in crazy pleasure over it. It can be beatiful but it can also be action filled or filled with a little manic feels. I already said how much i liked the consept with an arms dealing female. Its not only that she is a female mind you its also because everything she does makes the anime even more fun. The crazyness pulls one in and makes you laugh at times although you normally wouldnt laugh there. She is one of those female characters you just have to love in every sence. Along with her are many other interesting characters that follows from her child soldier body guard to her overprotective female bodyguard and even more. Every character has a meaning you feel in this anime and thats whats makes it even better. Well i enjoyed the hell out of this anime. I like everything that it is and does because its so unique and fun with action and a cynical view of the world. Black lagoon is the only anime there i would say i get these feelings from at this point in time. Overall i rate it to a 9 because i think its made so well in every way. Also i find few faults in it although some might say it has some rushed points but that would be the only downside to it. The story merges well with the characters and the music just makes it greater and i find next to no faults with it. Having said that its not a 10 since i dont view as that level in a sence. I mean i enjoyed it to a 10 and more but overall its not up there.

Set in a time after "Black Lagoon", a female weapon seller roams the earth along with her bodyguards. The two animes share similarities, in which different groups of people are always encountered whether they are CIA, gangs, possibly paramilitary groups. However, I cannot say they are same. What made "Black Lagoon" very good was lacking in this anime. First the bad-ass female characters became sex appeal, in which the macho male associates in the group are always admiring their body shape or trying to find a romantic moment. Another if the lack of danger of this anime. The crew fought off various lethal elements yet they just passed unscathed due their overwhelming skill in combat. This is where I would just be a bit irritated because despite anime logic, its hard for protagonist to win by outgunning the other guys. As a result, there is clearly a lack of deaths of the "protagonist" side except for one who wasn't exactly loyal to the group. I felt very little excitement, or anxiousness since they never use cleaver tactics and cleanly defeat everyone else. My given rating is on the assumption that the anime is watched for the first time without having experiencing "Black Lagoon". However other than its decent opening, there is not much you can get from it.

I will assume you have read the Synopsis and you can assume this has nothing to do with the manga. === If you didn't know this has a female lead, you'd be surprised. After all, Kurama had flowing hair - and red to boot! If you like strong female leads, this is it - from brains to brawn, from wits to wiles. If you were a gun enthusiast, you'd love this even more (critiquing or otherwise). Nonetheless, cool weapons, bad-ass sounds, state-of-the art toys introduced better than the Secretary of State. If you happened to watch So Close or Naked Weapon, you wont be disappointed by the fight scenes, especially of the women. AND! It doesn't make excuses for it's characters. One does what one must do - and luckily none softened by a love bite or something. Each character brings its own richness to the scene. Overall: must watch.

What i found lacking was plot continuity. The base story is very interesting, but only 12 shows which are very episodic and only relate through sideplots are not enough to build up more tension than there already is from the beginning. This drove me nuts around episode 10, knowing that there are only 2 more left to a point where i felt that i wasted my time on a missed opportunity show. However, this show has enough unique traits to keep you very entertained through each of its "mini-stories", minus the beach episode.

"I'm on a journey with an arms dealer" -Jonathan Mar- Surely you're no stranger to a crime-themed movie, guns with a lot of gore action scenes. And, Jormungand is such an anime —STORY— The story is set in a world where criminals, arms trafficking organizations, etc. are raging everywhere. We follow a young female merchant, she is the boss of a famous and wealthy arms trading organization. Following her are veterans with combat experience who are always ready to do a good job when needed. And the story begins with a new member joining the organization. That's basically the story. To be honest, the plot of Jormungand is quite simple and somewhat predictable. The events in the film are also quite disjointed one-way. It spends a lot of time showing viewers how an arms dealer works, but lacks time to develop its interesting cast of characters. That's a pity. Besides, the film has many action scenes that surely those who like action genres, especially guns will be attracted from the beginning. But they tend to repeat later. The spirit of solidarity is also something that is highly valued in Jormungand, the subordinates always support each other, even giving their lives to protect and help their mistress accomplish her goals. In the midst of that tension are the words, warm gestures and humorous situations of the characters (sometimes a bit cringe) that make the viewer less boring. The movie also has fan service, although not a lot, but mostly from the character - the girl with the biggest breasts in the movie (probably) and sometimes some other characters. —CHARACTER— Another thing worth mentioning in this anime is the characters. We have the main character Koko Hekmatyar - a talented arms dealer. Despite the difficulties out there, she always had a smile on her face even in the situation of thousands of pounds hanging hair. And another main character is Jonathan Mar. He is the complete opposite of Koko. A quiet young soldier, quiet and sometimes a bit impatient on duty. But that's not the most telling thing here. As I mentioned above, this anime has an interesting cast of characters but lacks development. The characters are colorful but have not really made much of an impression. It would be better if we knew more about their past. Sometimes flashbacks pop up in the movie about why certain characters join the group, but it's not enough. The villains are also not well invested, they are like pre-programmed challenges for Koko to do. I haven't seen any motivation or anything outstanding in them, maybe because the length of the film is a bit short? Speaking of supporting characters, there's one character I'm impressed with. It's Velmer - the one with the biggest breasts in the movie. Of course, I'm not impressed with this character just because she has big breasts. This is the only character we can clearly see why she is so loyal to the organization. There is a past, clear motives. She seems fierce and unapproachable at first but becomes more friendly later on —ART & SOUND— Made by studio White Fox - the studio that has made some hit anime like Stein;gate or Re:zero. There is nothing to say when it is quite beautiful (character creation, weapons, backgrounds, costumes ...), even more beautiful than many anime now. But about Koko's mold, I don't think it's very beautiful. The sound in the movie is also well done. OP with a vibrant melody is very suitable for action anime like this. ED is more quiet (many anime tend to be like that). —ENJOYMENT— In short, this is an action anime with many fiery battles. The plot is simple, if you need an anime to entertain, this is probably also a good choice. The picture and sound are carefully polished, but not excellent. Its biggest problem is the character part (at least for me) I don't hate the anime but I don't rate it too highly either. Anyway, it brought an interesting experience for me. For those who like this genre and especially Black Lagoon, I recommend watching it

This is... an oddity. Technicalily it is supposed to be a serious anime about weapon dealers, war, and so on, but for some strange reason most of the time it resmebles a fairly average school trip slice of life comedy. That coudl also be the reason why at one point I dropped it almost for 8 months and only after that manageed to finish it. Story 5/10: It is supposed to be serious and it does touch serious subjects and there are people dying, but.... either due to directing or becuase of some reason, it looks like bunch of mercenaris fooling aroudn and having a good time, cracking jokes and so on. Even in serious segments it doesn't feel like there's any danger and so on. Noir, which I watchedm any years ago, was much better of handlign stuff like this. Art: 5/10: Well, characters have surprisingly low amount of details on their faces, and main female lead has a triangular face type with low amount of detail. However, rather than being a cookie-cutter style that is frequently used in some school-related comedies (where you can confuse males from different series, where everybody is proportioned as a teen and so on), this time aroudn this seems to be an artistic choice, albeit an unusual one. It is neither realism, nor comical "chibi-fication". Backgrounds are fairly good, and a lot of effort was put into portraying various military tech. There's some CG and at moments it is noticeable. Sound: 4/10 One of the least impressive intro/outro themes I heard ("Her name is Koko, she is loco, hey yeah!"), and it doesn't set the right tone for what looks like it was supposed to be a serious anime. Female lead often soudns like she doesn't take herself too seriously, and it is unclear whether this is intentional or not. Character: 4/10: Characters fail to portray themselves as believable people, and their interactiosn and relationships look aritificail. Well, at least female lead is slightly amusing while prancing around and making faces. Enjoyment: 5/10: It is a meh. At one point I got bored with it and dropped it for a very long time. Overall: 5/10: If you have a lot of time on your hands, you could check it out, but this anime is an odd one. Not a masterpiece, probably fails to present difficult subjects properly. But there's something unusual about it, so perhaps in the end it is worth watchign.

MAY INCLUDE MINOR SPOILERS! (Also, all ratings in each category will not be written as numbers because I don't like them.) - - - - - Story: Mediocre The story is relatively decent, with a healthy mix of action scenes & light-hearted scenes, but there can be some ridiculously unrealistic stuffs that may fuck your mind. For example, Orchestra, who normally has decent aim, should've been able to kill or at least injure Jonah if he didn't aim like a fucking stormtrooper at that specific moment. - Art: Very Good Nothing much to say here. It's pretty good. Even though there can be some weirdly drawn faces in some frames, it's not that noticeable. - Sound: Great ~ Her name is Koko, she is loco, I said oh no. ~ Seriously though, the soundtracks are dangerously catchy. - Character: Fine Most characters in this show, especially Koko, are likeable (they aren't the best at philosophy though) but their personalities aren't very "3D" aside from the main characters. The other characters also seem to be dumbed down just to make Koko look smarter. I would've rated this part higher than "fine", but Koko and her team's plot armour greatly annoys me. - Enjoyment: Good I do enjoy this show a lot, but the plot armour & unrealistic tactics (as explained by other reviewers) bring the enjoyment down by quite a bit. - Overall: Good I do like Jormungand, but it's not gonna be anything more than a "good" show.

Honestly this anime get better if more improvement and more interesting stories.but anyway good job to the author.glad to see an action hollywood style in this anime Story-the story is quite ok.about a soldier kid travel with gun dealer.and fight against FBi,CIA, and military.well its fun and more bang with guns and brutal kill.i like that. Art-art is ok.no problem.we see a slow motion bullet shot the enemy, new guns,style of shooting and much more.ok Character-well character need more improvement. Need much more impact that will interest the anime itself. Sound-the OP/ED is good you know.same with soundtrack.no comment about that. Enjoyment-yeah I feel satisfied with jormungand and more philosophy theme in this anime.about guns, human, war.still feel something lack in jormungand. Well I enjoy it.so grab some popcorn, coke and enjoy it!

I saw this anime in recommendations after finishing Black Lagoon and Gunslinger Girl. Both shows have unique charm and are very enjoyable so I thought Jormungand would offer similar entertainment. Story is cheesy like most of action shows: protagonists are involved in dangerous business, threats are everywhere and gunfights occur frequently. Art is allright, some landscape scenes are outstanding. Though voice acting and sounds of weapons are great, most of music is very unfitting to gunfights which lowers enjoyment. Variety of characters is the strongest point of this show, all of them are very lively and show their attributes. Their interactions are most of the time amusing to watch and each one has an obsession (for example obsession with butterflies) and all of them are quirky. Sadly, I didn't manage to enjoy the show. I expected the show to have cheesy action scenes but they lack in thrill and tense which make them boring: most of the time some unfitting song playing in background while protagonists get attacked and after some time either enemies decide to make a stupid move which gets them gunned down or some protagonist goes banzai and kills everyone without a stretch, there is no element of surprise which makes fights more interesting or danger that protagonists may die, that ruined my enjoyment and no matter how much I liked characters and other elements, I couldn't have enjoyed the show. Another sad thing is that many characters were given too few time, for example two assassin crews were very interesting and too bad they got so little time, there is enough of material for each crew. Enjoyment ruined my rating of this show, even though there might be some deeper ideas in the show (for example dangers of getting involved with illegal business and how that affects on people, especially what kind of people is in that business), they aren't easy to find because it's difficult to focus on uninteresting show. Starting Jormungand after Black Lagoon and Gunslinger Girl made me expect cheesy and thrilling fun with some charm, not sure was it a good thing because the show didn't match my expectancy, though I might have missed some things because poorly made action scenes annoyed me.

Story starts with the boy soldier and I thought the series will center around him. But he's only a main character for a couple episodes. The antagonists/opponents are over-hyped at the end of an episode and have anti-climatic battles in the next episode. It's too easy for the main characters to win, even though the antagonists are elite soldiers. There are too many characters and spending an episode on each of them loses focus on the main theme. Coco is loco, but that's never really explained.

This is a personal Opinion, so don't get wild on it. The Story had a nice touch, its a messed up. Literally from start to finish. Koko is an interesting character, VA does a good job of potraying that. Jonah well he is cool from the start. The Team themselves all have interesting back stories, so its enjoyable as you learn alot about them, the team is itself and its composition is interesting, from Seals and normal soldiers to Members of Mafia. Not to Mention a child soldier :P. Its comedic even though its dark. The Sound quality of the weapons are nice, Especially after watching Upotte you kinda appreciate the details they have included. Its more action then anything. Its reminds me of War Lord, but its alot more over the top. It covers alot of areas in the world, but its mainly about europe and africa, There is alot of mention about the Chinese presence in Africa, Which felt like Political propaganda or maybe the authors biased views. Overall its really fun to watch, action is pretty much spot on.

Jormungand follows a group of individuals with all different but interesting personalities which bounce off eachother really well. With being a group of bodyguards protecting an arms dealer it does manage to keep you engaged through it's very entertaining action scenes it also connects you deeply to each person within the group and actually come to like each of these individuals throughout the show. As for the ending it wasn't the best and would've liked for it to get another 12 episodes to just clean alot of it up but they just decide to leave it to the viewers imagination which I dislike alot since I just see it as lazy. Nonetheless I found it very entertaining and hold it very highly with what it gave me, so if you're on the edge on thinking whether to watch I'd say go for it since it does bring alot of decent things to the table.