Gungrave

For those who haven't watched Gungrave yet, I want to make a warning from the beginning. Skip the first episode. Because after the first episode, there is a time skip and you watch the past for about 17-18 episodes and see how the events came to that point. The first episode is confusing, but more importantly, it gives big spoilers. This is my humble recommendation for enjoyment value. The theme and general setting difference between the first and second episode was so different that I could have sworn that I accidentally opened another anime. I have to say that there are big differences in the parts of Gungrave that tell the past and present. To briefly summarize the episodes that tell the past, it tells how two delinquents and also friends living in the street life enter a big mafia organization and rise step by step. For me, the peak of the anime were these episodes. In terms of storytelling, I can say it's one of the best works I've ever seen. Even though the pacing sometimes slows down and feels off-topic at times, all of the minor and major events in the past are key points in the anime. Because Gungrave isn't an event story, it's a character story. That's why, as we watch everything Brandon and Harry go through, we get a better understanding of the mood and situations they are in when it returns to the present. Moreover, there are a lot of well-written, if not perfect, side characters that add to the enjoyment value. For me, the slight drop in Gungrave starts when it returns to the present day. Because from there, supernatural and science fiction come into play. Of course, although the foundations of this are slowly being laid in the episodes about the past, I think that this is a sharp turn that has not been executed well enough. If I need to exemplify the difference, the episodes that tell the past feel like The Godfather, while the episodes about the present feel like a mixture of Hellsing and Devil May Cry. I know how silly it sounds, but it really felt so silly to me. Gungrave's story and storytelling has a lot of nice details worth mentioning. Apart from the main characters, the side characters with considerable screen time also have many aspects worth mentioning. But I want this to be a spoiler-free review, so I'll leave these parts to new viewers. For my part, the sci-fi parts slightly lowered Gungrave's rating, but at the end of the day it doesn't change the fact that it's a pretty good anime. It has everything you would expect from this kind of story and setting, and it reflects most of that quite well. Even if you don't like sci-fi, I highly recommend watching Gungrave just for the episodes that tell the past events. "To protect is to never betray."

Gungrave has a unique flow to it that comes from being transcribed from a video game story and setting to an anime, and for the most part it navigates that pretty well. It can be very edgy at times with some over the top eye-rolling dialogue, but does what it sets out to do well overall. The strong parts of the show are it's narrative during the first section, and the payoff for it during the second. The art and voice acting (in the dub at least), however, are definitely the weakest aspect of the show, and are distractingly poor at times. Overall, I would only really recommend it to interested fans of westerns, action, and shonen. *Light spoiler story synopsis* The story is divisible into 2 major parts, past and present, following the main protagonist Brandon Heat. The first half of the story follows a starting-from-the-bottom mafia plotline which is well done, and the second half is a revenge story. Many supporting characters from the first half return after a time skip into the second, and it's done well enough to be enjoyable seeing how it's handled. The second half is definitely the weaker part though as it turns more towards action, you can tell that this was originally a game from how the fights play out.

I was spared and saw a few discussion threads ahead of time saying skip episode 1. I think if you don't, you will likely have completely different feelings about the show or it might become challenging. However if you do skip it like you should and start at episode 2, this will easily become one of the best anime's you've seen. I just finished it and I can't stop thinking about it. Outstanding, brilliant, spectacular are some words that come to mind. Sometimes I check the openings of show's I plan on watching first, then I decide whether to watch it now or soon. Gungrave's OP passed the vibe check so I watched that mf asap. As many have said, this show ranks among the likes of Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, and even Berserk. Watch it asap and it is forbidden to watch episode 1, just for your own sake. I believe episode 1 was added for the single purpose of engaging the video game crowd since it was a PS2 game first. It is a carbon copy recap of episode 17 I think, so keep calm and skip. I watched a first few eps dubbed and subbed and went with the English Dub which was excellent. Most threads will tell you Gungrave is one of the dub greats.

Where to start? This anime holds a special place for me since this was one of the earlier shows I had watched just after I got into anime. When I was a kid I enjoyed DBZ, Bleach, Naruto and most of all FMA to FMAB. FMAB to me was the best, it had great story telling and character building unlike many other I had come across. Then I ran into this anime and I felt as if I had found a great what I've been searching for. The story at the beginning was dull and grey, which to me was quite simply boring until I decided to watch it fully and pay attention closely to the characters. The slow pacing was no more once I paid attention more. I had come to enjoy the slow moments no matter what they were, the days when it was all talk and no fighting, ones where it was all about how everyone was doing. The characters were great to me, the side characters did their part and the main characters were changing based on their actions along with their emotions. It's much better for you to watch it and stick it out even if you feel bored. There are times when the anime drops the action sequences and shows you a great drama interaction. The music is quite something as well, having a perfect mix of cool and serious tones when it needs to. The ending of every episode, I never skipped just because I had ended up liking it so much.

At the very least, Gun Grave was an apparent curiosity that turned out to be a somewhat pleasant surprise. Based on a video game that I personally never had the pleasure of getting my hands on, it seemed to be getting a fair amount of rave reviews and so I dove in to find what I felt was a very compelling story line caught in a pretty mediocre action anime. In terms of its art style and character design, Gun Grave is mostly pleasing to the eye. The issues, as I viewed them at least, only become apparent in the latter parts of the anime where characters become altered in some...peculiar ways. The somewhat hyped up confrontations conjured from an amazing beginning often led to a disappointing end as action sequences seldom wow and just feel rushed in their approach. The story follows two main characters Harry and his friend only known as Grave as they struggle to make it out of a hard life of poverty when an incident changes their lives and outlooks for a roller coaster that you have a front ride seat through. The additional cast members help to interconnect and foreshadow what is to come clearly making the story engaging..that is until the plot takes a fairly strange turn and becomes a bit of a struggle to watch thereafter. This happens up until the fated ending which somehow stumbles to recreate the same draw that it so masterfully managed to do in the beginning parts of the story. Gun Grave is kind of…kind of a majestic storytelling and the soundtrack helps to accentuate that feeling further with its mellow undertones while using its main theme to supplant the feeling that something action oriented is about to take place, which, I have already expressed a quite mundane feeling about. Ultimately, Gun Grave was a good watch. A bit more polish on the action sequences would have put this anime on a must revisit sooner than later list, none the less, I recommend you give this one a chance as your sentiments may not echo my own in terms of overall likability.

Gungrave have a deep meaning for me, as it was one of those that I saw many years back when I was new with anime. It was and still is a great anime that always will give me excitement and tears. It plays heavy on friendship and betrayal, at the hands of children growing up in poverty and joining a mafia. Money and power corrupts, the ultimate betrayals turn this to a sad and powerful anime. Anyone that like action, rough and gritty animes do I suggest Gungrave. I love the concept and I love the characters and story. While it now have some years on it's neck, does it still showcase a great story and animation.

This anime starts on a very different node making the viewer feel it something different but if you can skip the start ... . This anime is a beauty something like "Rainbow"..its a graet story driven anime which is very tragic till the end it keeps you on edge because how wonderfully the anime potrays Frienship,Tragedy, Dismissal,Betralayl and love.it dosent sigh away from the fact that its an Injustice filled world where tragadies are the way of survival .... . And how it effects the characters psychologically draining them and surviving in a criminal world .....it shows the whole journey of the villain and mc that it just breaks the viewer and make you care about what theyll do and any action they take whether good or bad you understand the way it was meant to be...More like a story or a film but it has all ...all that the you need ... . Though its great but i cant say its the greatest because of how quickly the story moves in the end but it dosent effect the narrative too much it just upscales the danger ....Though they use the supernatural aspect of the anime very beautifull & i love how it wraps the story in the but for me they didnt use it fully as there is too much happening and giving every plot justice is a bit hard but it could have been better .. . but rather than that I would say its one of the best anime in this type of genre something kind of like "black lagoon ,hellsing or gangsta paradise" its one of the grerat story which i think youll enjoy..So if you are thinking of watching ..i would like to recmmend this its criminal how it gets selved behind other animes ..its a good anime with a great story... ..Thank You..... if this will be ever remade i'll love to be there.. until next time...bye... (it genuinely makes me sad how the MC is written its pure Tragedy how things happen to him because you can see he is a good guy)

A classic in my eyes. Gungrave was the first piece of Japanese media I ever consumed as a kid. The original game on the PS2, despite being painfully simple, always intrigued me with the unique soundtrack, the concept of a gun wielding corpse, his unlimited bullet storage and the unique boss designs. Story (9): Surprisingly, the adaptation from video game to anime series is seamless, with the series giving much needed context to the game. The main duo's brotherhood, their rise to power and the tragic love story of Maria and Brandon, provides good drama. The fact that we are able to see Grave's path from episode 2-26, gives the viewer detailed answers with the obscure themes both the game and episode 1 presented to us. Turning a soulless revenge plot to a complex crime drama. Art (9): The Trigun inspired designs are certainly toned done in the show compared to the game. However, the direction and speed of the animation in fights and even the dramatic moments of the elevator scene or the ending scene in episode 8 perfectly sets the tone for the show. Yes it's badass, but there's substance to it. Sound (7): Never have gunshots and explosions sounded so satisfyng. The godfather inspired soundtrack help cement the show's grounded feel up until the ending montage. Sadly, the OP is very underwhelming. Character (10): Brandon Heat is a silent character done spectacularly well, the expressions on his face, relationship to his best friend and loyalty to his boss perfectly exemplify what he's thinking and makes his transition to silent corpse believable and in character. Harry McDowell serves as a very scummy but relatable antagonist, helping to pinpoint the soul of the story, two friends trying to become something special in a vastly cruel world. Enjoyment (10): Who knew a standard shooter game, could be turned into a series worthy of comparison to the Sopranos or the Mafia game trilogy? The tragic downfall of two best friends make for an engaging anime with incredible action and emotional moments. With the hope of redemption seeming far way, but not completely impossible. Overall: 10/10. Outshines the original game in every category! Incredibly underated.

Gungrave is one of those anime that I never hear anyone talking about. With all the Shounen and Isekai genre animes out there that have supreme popularity with most people, ones like these sleep quietly in the dark until you happen upon them by chance. Either that, or you're old enough to have played the games growing up. If you are old enough to have seen the games, or checked it out when it did turn into an anime and land on Blockbuster shelves, you are also old enough to appreciate movies like "From Dusk till Dawn" that come way out of left field. This anime is the equivalent of a blind reaction where you wont know what the hell just happened. Trust me when I say that it goes from 0-100 right f***in' now, and it doesn't stop until the end credits. Do yourself a favor, and if you see this review, don't look at the other ones that give away the story. Don't look at any part of the story that's out there if at all possible. Just go into it thinking that you are watching a rags to riches story about gangsters. You'll be thankful that you did, and you will be in for a wild ride.

Not a deep review but I will touch the important aspects which is the Characters and Story, the show is simply fantastic on the Mafioso aspects from 2-17, yes. Skip first episode. Watch it after 18, both are same but you will notice a few different lines. Also it's better to skip the opening after you watch it once as well. Trust me you will enjoy the show this way. The fact that show is insanely deep and made from a Sony PS2 title is mind blowing. I wish the games we have on PS4 and PC from Japan are this great as the Gungrave PS2, the golden era truly. Anyways let's get into it, at the end of the review I will say a few things slight spoiler territory, under Character and Story but yeah I cannot hold myself to mention what I felt. The show is too sentimental. Art - Art style is simply amazing, extremely high detail in every aspect of the show, the expressions of high happiness and sorrow are too much and very well made. The style of the folks who have significant character to the show is simply amazing, the color work is astounding, action is simply high quality, people poured a lot of passion into this for sure, the creator Yasuhiro Nightow did something really high standard to beat, this one echoes a lot of Hellsing, and Devil May Cry styling but it's very unique to itself and very well made and stands on it's own as a high octane show. Also a warning, from Ep17 the whole show atmosphere is changed insanely, you can feel the heavy weight, it's very very high. So you have to be damn prepared well. On top every single character might as well shock you a lot. It's the biggest flaw of the show and perhaps maybe even the strength.Also to mention, the animation by Madhouse is simply superb I wish, they made an S2. Character and Story - Really deepest character design ever made, however I have a conflicting opinion, Brandon character is not perfect. I do not like it no matter what which I will mention at the last section. Coming to the folks like Asagi (Big Daddy), Maria, Bear Walken, Harry they are very well crafted. The people even to the 2nd support characters like Bunji, Jester, Lee, Bob, Sherry were perfectly matched to their counter parts and the primary roles they support even the Doctor. I personally liked Maria's love, it's really fantastic. But they really destroyed it for me it's heart wrecking to see Brandon's love interest becoming too tight around the show. Also the past and present time shifting narrative scenes they did are simply outstanding too. Sound - Amazing scores with heart pounding action scenes and the effects are very well capture, unfortunately due to how the show is heavy, it's hard for me to be more specific and pin point on the score, to appreciate it we need to watch again perhaps. OP and ED are really good as well. *Spoiler* - It's a MAnime class show, yes but the fact how the show ends you in tears is not really a solid feeling. But, Mika deserves much better the fact that Maria and Brandon and everyone all die in her damn present and past it's just simply too much for that beautiful lady and the way the world crumbles around her is not at all rewarding despite the last line "welcome back", I wish they gave a proper closure for Mika and Brandon and the ultimate, not Millenion which instead the "Love", yes, Love of Mika to Brandon deserve a whole damn second chance, they ruined that hard. For that this show is not a 10/10. I will only give it 8/10 and re-watch value is not at all great perhaps, as it just tears up. To cheer myself up and you, the games do exist and PS2 game which is the foundation for this show, prequel has a completely different ending. So Gungrave is forever and so is Mika.Hopefully the Gungrave Gore comes to fruition and even PC to let people enjoy this show as one of a great show. I hope this helped someone, have a great day.

The early 2000's was an anonymous section in anime history with lots of hidden gems that precipitate in its large cesspool , lots of digging and searching may lead you to some of them. In my case I came across GunGrave , a 2003 anime produced by Madhouse and had a fairly clear inspiration that meshed Trigun and Hellsing in an underground mafia organization setting so I gave it a shot! (You can't say that doesn't sound interesting) Story: GunGrave's story cuts the show in half just right after the 1st episode, the 1st section is the backstory of our characters and what led them to how currently things are with no flashforwards to the current events or anything, just pure backstory material for about more than 10 concurrent episodes, then the 2nd section is pure action, confrontation and showdowns as if it is a whole other show. The 1st section was relatively weak, the linking between the acts was very forced and it tried engaging the viewer emotionally several times and succeeds right about one time only, introduction of characters and having them shift agendas was done instantaneously that sometimes made no sense. All of this was a necessity in order to lay the groundwork for the 2nd section. The 2nd section was on a whole different level, the linking between acts was done exceptionally well with some minor issues that don't hurt the show compared to the 1st section. This is what GunGrave is about and this is where it gave me the Trigun x Hellsing vibes of super beings colliding and clashing in favor of their beliefs. Friends becoming foes, apprentices against masters ,a redemption story, a revenge tale, a rise and fall. With omitting the linking between acts and character decisions, GunGrave might have been even better than what the 2nd section has done singlehandedly to elevate the show! Art: The art relative to its time which was mainly displayed on CRT TV's by the general audience is actually quite great! The action sequences are smooth and exciting just relative to its era as I can say. Sound: Nothing interesting in the run of the show, the intro and outro just grow on you while watching, not memorable but the outro is a bit more catchy and it is called Akane iro-Ga Moeru Toki by Scoobie Do. Characters: GunGrave's lead Brandon Heat is a lame MC that has no memorable lines or charisma whatsoever, shocking I know but that's the absolute truth, the character as a whole was just more of an act than talk guy, he's got solid resolve but a failure at displaying his love. Many instances the show could get carried by great dialogue in confrontations or ideals but that's how Brandon is, a silent war machine. Other characters actions and personalities are quite questionable as well but necessary for the story progression, some are left with a gray area in which they have no choice but to dig deeper since their decision was made up and you can't turn back. Harry McDowel is the only character in the show that matured and had a purpose and was shaped by his decisions, by far the most interesting in the show. Enjoyment: The unravelling of the events, the action and confrontation is what makes this show an enjoyable watch. It starts from turf fights to mafia wars, mysterious science experiments to make super humans as leverage, the greed and cost of success, small redemption stories embedded into the main plot. Its a good show to watch especially the 2nd section. GunGrave is an enjoyable run, but focusing on the characters actions and course of decisions isn't necessarily essential since this is all a handle to the 2nd section's confrontations and intense action sequences. (7.2/10)

Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowel were best friends who lived by the law of the street, until one day they picked a fight with the wrong people. To get out of it, Harry talks Brandon into joining Millenion, the city's most powerful syndicate. Over the years, they both climb the ranks, their friendship strong until one day Harry hears Brandon telling Big Daddy that he will kill all betrayers and shoots Brandon. With nowhere left to escape to, a young girl named Mika prompts the revival of a once great sweeper, Brandon Heat, back into the realm of the living. With the entire city under the ironclad rule of Harry MacDowel, Brandon Heat (now called Beyond the Grave) must put an end to the tyranny of Harry and his Organisation, Millenion. But can he point a gun at the person he once considered to be his best friend? My thoughts: Gungrave is a great anime. I love the how it begins in the present then switches to the past for us to see how Harry and Brandon got to where they are now. Their beginning as friends, their continued support and unwavering loyalty toward each other. I believe their worse mistake was joining Millenion. Although it helped in a way Brandon becoming strong, it corrupted Harry, clouding his judgement, putting a veil over his heart, which ended in him killing his best friend. The animation is great, although I didn’t find the English dub very good. I do like Brandon’s character and his kick ass weapon. He is the silent and dangerous personified type.

Imagine a tale of two orphans navigating a delinquent adolescence, facing dramatic losses, and having their fates intertwined with the mafia, ultimately recruited as future executives of one of the underworld's major organizations. This is the essence of Gungrave, an anime spanning a single season, not adapted from a manga but rather inspired by a video game title. The story kicks off with Brandon Heat and Harry McDowell, longtime friends with distinct personalities and goals. Brandon takes on the role of an introspective protagonist harboring an eternal, platonic love for Maria. Meanwhile, Maria grows under the care of an adoptive guardian, a close friend of Big Daddy, the boss of the local Millennium mafia organization. She becomes a key factor in Brandon's continued involvement with the organization, providing a means for him to be close to his passion. On the flip side, Harry McDowell, the opposite in personality, is extroverted and ambitious, driven by a strong sense of freedom and a relentless pursuit of power, regardless of the means or the individuals he may trample upon to achieve his goals. As the plot progresses, shifting focus towards building connections between the two protagonists and their surroundings, the latter half of the story evolves into a narrative centered around scientific experiments. Mafia soldiers, deceased in combat, are resurrected using a process known as Necro-Raise. The final portion gradually transforms Harry McDowell's personality and charts his rise to power, earning him the moniker "Bloody Harry." Amidst themes of love, loss, friendship, and betrayal, Gungrave is a project that touches on moments of sadness, yet conveys the message that, regardless of the circumstances, ties from the past and loyalty always speak louder in the end. Even secondary characters, with strong convictions, tend to align themselves with those who, despite being extremely opposite, ensure their survival.