Review of Casshern Sins

Ah yes, Casshern Sins. You either love it, or you hate it. Personally, I liked it. I can see why many would hate it. It's very slow, especially at first, because there isn't a clear cut path the story goes through like some anime. Rather, it deviates a lot to tell individual character stories for several characters that Casshern meets throughout his wanderings, which ultimately help give him an understanding of what it truly means to be alive. It's only until episode 20 until we really focus in on our main characters, Casshern, Lyuse, Ringo, Dio, and Leda. However, once you hit that episode, the pacinggets a bit faster, as I saw myself blowing through episode 18-24 in one sitting.

If I can fault the anime for anything is that there are several questions that are left vague or unanswered such as how The Ruin really happened and what happened to it in the end. Also, the character motivations for some characters, especially Luna, are very hard to follow. I can see how many people would be confused about its plotline and drop it.

However, where Casshern Sins really shines is its Presentation. Umakoshi always delivers when doing original character designs and it shows here as they are unique and lively, giving Casshern Sins an almost classic look, fitting for a series based off an old super fighting robot anime. This anime's world is also given life through its use of sound, color, and lighting to help really set the tone for many key scenes, such as occasionally setting a scene in grayscale save for some highlights like blushes or blood. Its sound gives every hit a big impact, making it a joy for those who just come to see what fight Casshern will get into, and there is usually one in most episodes to break the normally slow pace. This is also helped by its dark and bombastic score which is contrasted by a few mellow insert songs like "Aoi Kage" and "A Path" which while occasionally overused, never fails to help set the mood for any emotional scene.

Casshern's characters really leave an impact. Surprisingly, some of the best characters are the one-off ones like Sophita, Akos, Margo, and Janice who have enough attention to be impactful to the theme of the show. In contrast, while most major characters are easy to understand, some characters like Luna have very confusing loyalties and motivations, and it's hard to figure out what she does exactly. If I explain too much more I would go into spoiler territory, but it is still a great story, complexities aside.

In conclusion Casshern Sins has something for everyone. Smooth and impactful fight scenes, several great characters, and a gorgeous post-apocalyptic setting. If you can get past its slow pacing and occasionally overly-complex plot, there's something you can enjoy.