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Year: 2014
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Drama, Shounen
Episodes: 24
Rating: 4 out of 5
How would one bring down an empire? No empire lasts forever, but how would you bring one down? The Roman Empire eventually fell, and that is probably one of the most known empires in history. The first step would be to possibly get some followers. Some that really, really don’t like what is going on. Then after that, you know there needs to be a revolution. Out of all the soldiers one gains, you need some crazy a** spies and probably some assassins. Nothing like changing the world without getting your hands dirty. Akame ga Kill is that anime that tries to bring down an empire with some crazy and unique group of assassins and the weapons they use to bring down a corrupt land and government.
Overview:
Akame ga Kill is a story that follows a boy from the country names Tatsumi. Tatsumi sets out with his two friends to the Capital in hopes of making a name for themselves. Tatsumi dreams of becoming a top-level soldier in the country’s army while sending money back to his home village.
During his first day in the Capital, Tatsumi meets a beautiful woman who promises him a chance to enter the army at a high rank, if he pays her enough money. Tatsumi soon realizes that after a few hours that he was trick into giving all his money away. With no money and nowhere to go, he decides to sleep on the street. That night, he meets a young and beautiful girl who offers him lodging. Tatsumi agrees as the noble family promises him a position in the army as well. The next night, the house is visited by the infamous assassin group, Night Raid. After learning the truth about the family and capital, Tatsumi agrees to join Night Raid to get rid of the corruption in the Capital.
Review:
Akame ga Kill is one of those anime that you can get really excited about, and towards the end makes you somewhat scratch your head. It’s one of those anime that if you’ve read the manga, you will throw your hands up in the air with disgust because it’s not what you were expecting. The anime does many things right: the art style is terrific, the animation is nice and fluid, and the music is intense. Even the characters are superb and exciting. BUT don’t get too attached to any character because it is like watching the Walking Dead. The most beloved seems to be killed in an instance, and all you can do is sit in your seat and say, “Damn. That sucks.” The one thing this anime is not short on is the violence and the way people die. There are some BRUTAL deaths in this anime.
The story is pretty simple and actually sounds interesting. A country boy comes to the capital looking to help his impoverished village. He sets out with his two friends to make a name for themselves. Soon he finds that the government is so corrupt that nothing gets done, and the rich play “games” with the poor for their own amusement. I will say this, the first episode really pulls you in. I remember watching the first episode and going, “Damn! S**t is about to go down!” When Tatsumi rolls in and thinks he can sign up to be an officer, you’re like, this dude is crazy. Then when he gets his money stolen, all you can do is shake your head at his idiotic ways. When he has to sleep on the street, you see some hope as a young noble girl comes and helps him by offering him lodging. The family seems cool also.
You think everything is cool when all hell breaks loose. A group of assassins show up and kill the family, you believe Tatsumi is next. The major twist happens, and you find out that the noble family is entirely insane as they capture poor people and torture them. The horrible part is when Tatsumi’s friends had been captured by the very family and tortured to death. One dies in his arms. The feels, man! Oh, the feels. When this happens, you know that things are terrible in the world that Tatsumi lives in. That is pretty much it. Tatsumi joins the assassin group, and then they go off to rid the capital of corrupt people.
The series, to me, does an excellent job of not being serious all the time. There could be a very intense and dramatic moment. You feel for the characters, but then someone cracks a joke, and you know that they must move on because they have a mission to complete. This anime does a nice blend of comedy with intense fighting and even some romantic aspects. Sometimes you need a good laugh in the face of death.
One thing this anime does that is very unexpected is the number of deaths that happen. It seems like NO ONE is safe. Not even a little dog is safe from death. If you think a main character is safe, think again. Like I said, it’s like watching the Walking Dead. These people don’t die in the best ways. When they die, they die in the worse way possible. With knowing that anyone is up for grabs, it does keep up the intensity of the anime. Knowing whether or not a character will ultimately die, keeps the interest high.
The characters are pretty interesting as you learn something about them. Tatsumi is a good main character as he wants to save his village. Looking through the world in his eyes is fun, but then you know it cannot be true. Akame is a straight-up BOSS!! She is my favorite character. You know that when she pulls out her sword, things will not end too well for her opponent. Her whole dynamic of being a killer for the capital to turning to the other side is outstanding. My homegirl is Esdeath. Any girl with death in her name means business. The whole only the strong survive and always looking for a fight made her the ultimate antagonist. She was truly impressive.
Several downsides to this anime are the actual end. The ending seemed to be rushed to the point where people were just dying to be dying along with ultimately finishing up the story. The last few episodes could’ve been dedicated to building up the story even more, but in the end, it felt like, “Well, let’s kill everyone and be done with this anime.”
Overall, Akame ga Kill is a pretty good anime that is intense and violent in many areas. Even though it doesn’t follow the manga precisely, the action and brutality of the anime make up for it. The characters are excellent in their own way. Akame and Esdeath are the best! Give this anime a chance and enjoy it.
