Witch Hunter Robin
Type: TV Series (26 Episodes)
Genre: Supernatural/Drama
Version: Region 1 DVD
Reviewed: 10/31/04
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Witch Hunter Robin… (A very appropriate anime to review on All Hallow’s Eve). This is one of the good ones; I can honestly say it kept me riveted from beginning to end. It has an atmosphere and an art style that set it apart from the generic, which is a VERY nice breath of fresh air.
It all begins at the STNJ headquarters in Tokyo. A new Hunter is coming in to replace one which was lost mysteriously. The Hunters are an elite group that hunts down witches and sends them to the Factory where they are held captive. This is seen as a humane alternative to the brutal practice in Europe of outright killing witches. The new Hunter, Robin, is a fire Craft user, which basically means she has full sway over fire. The first few episodes are sort of the witch-hunt-a-day variety, but then the story really picks up and we get lost in the history of Robin, the political intrigue surrounding the STNJ, and the truth about the Factory.
There are, of course, more characters here than just Robin. There’s Micheal Lee, the computer hacker; Haruto Sakaki, the impetuous youngster; Miho Karasuma, a psychic; Yurika Dojima, the lazy blonde rich girl; and Amon, the mysterious brooding badass. In addition to the main characters there’s the Chief, Harry (owner of Harry’s restaurant), the gate guard guy, and the assitant to the chief. There are some others, but you’ll meet them as they come. Harry is of particular note because when I first saw him and heard his voice I must admit I made certain assumptions about him. These assumptions proved to be false in the end. I think he’s a bit creepy, but he’s still a nice guy.
If the story and characters are good, the art and music only make it better. The art is crisp, clean, and doesn’t look fakey. Sometimes you get that new-fangled CG animation that just looks like crap. This stuff is just gorgeous, and the backgrouds could be works of art in and of themselves. The selection of music is not vast, but it’s so good. I can definately take repeated listenings of these fine tracks. The voice acting is also just top-notch in the dub version. Pretty much everyone in the entire series is played by a famous anime voice actor.
Now you’ve heard all the good parts. What’s wrong with it you ask? Well, if I had to pick something that was wrong with it…it would be the story. I can hear you saying, “But I thought you liked the story.” You are quite correct, I loved it to death. The only problem is I predicted almost every move of the characters. Some complete surprises slipped in, but there were some “surprises” that just didn’t surprise me. I don’t know, it might just be my keen sense of story or something. Another thing is the ending… What the heck is with this trend in anime to keep loose ends dangling all over the place? Is it just so they have awesome sequel opportunities? I wouldn’t mind a sequel to Witch Hunter Robin, but I doubt there will ever be one. I guess it wasn’t really that bad, at least you kind of get the jist of where everyone ends up. However, there’s just so many unanswered questions…
If you get a chance to see Witch Hunter Robin I’d say go for it. For fans of very European-styled anime and for those looking for a bit of the supernatural this is one of the better titles to come out in recent years.
-Orie House