Review of Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
I was really looking forward to watching this show because of the art is just my type. It wasn't what I was expecting. It's dark in an off yet predictable way, but you can't help falling in love with the animation. The story centers around brainwashed assassins, and what one would expect to see realistically in a situation involving them. It was entirely predictable which come as a surprise because it has more story twists than any other anime I've watched. Despite its complexity, I thought it left something to be desired. It gave the viewer a real look at how things play out inan AWOL assassin situation where the twists are even realistic. But the predictability is due to even more than reality.
The art is the key to knowing what's going to happen. I am highly sensitive to facial expressions and what they mean, and the art is exceptional in showing those expressions. Every face is beautifully drawn, and every emotion as readable as if you were looking at a real person. As if that wasn't enough, the animation is to die for. The action sequences had me drooling with it's realistic movements and insane speed. The choices made in the movements aids the viewer in understanding the characters almost more than the story. It's definitely some of the best work I've seen.
The characters themselves are a bit lackluster and extremely cliche. I found it difficult to like any of them let alone empathize with any one. While the viewer gets the information he needs and there is obvious character development, I found it hard to care (With the exception of the very last minute of the show).
The music is pumped and quite enjoyable. It introduces a lot of different sound but generally stays in the synthy Europe music realm. There are a few moments of bad music mixing, but it keeps to a pretty basic standard. I especially enjoyed the opening of the first half and the ending of the second half. The sound mixing is pretty good with one of the best interludes I've seen/heard.
Overall I gave this an 8/10 thanks to the animation and sound. You should definitely watch it dubbed though. Most of it takes place in America and you won't hear the exquisite voices and accents if you watch it subbed. It's like watching Black Lagoon subbed. :P It feels very slow at times, but it's worth the end, the art, and the action scenes.