Buso Renkin: Volume 1

Introduction

My first mistake was watching the first two volumes of Shakugan no Shana. My second mistake was re-watching Full Metal Alchemist again. In my defence, I had no idea that I would be reviewing Buso Renkin anytime soon. You may wonder what the big deal is, but when a series is described in the PR blurb as appealing to fans of Shana and FMA, you end up with a whole heap of expectations and prejudices that give Buso Renkin a steep mountain to climb before I've even put the first disc into the player. Let's face it; if you're going to carelessly draw comparisons with the awesomeness of Full Metal Alchemist, you shouldn't be surprised when you get slated for it. This is a new experience for me. It's the first time I've started watching an anime series, fully expecting it to fall flat on its arse.

So schoolboy Kazuki Muto is minding his own business one day at the abandoned, haunted factory behind his school, when he witnesses a giant snake like monster attacking a helpless girl. He rushes to her aid, only to be stabbed through the heart and killed. She saves him by replacing his heart with an alchemical device called a kakugane. So far so Shana, only Tokiko Tsumura isn't a flame haze from the Crimson World, she's an Alchemist Warrior. Alchemy was a science that yielded two results, artificial life known as Homunculi that take the form of, and prey on humans, and Buso Renkin, the weapons based on alchemy that are the only means of destroying them. Tokiko is a Renkin Kenshi and her mission is to find and eradicate the monsters. But by saving Kazuki's life, she has given him the ability to create and wield a lance that can defeat Homunculi, and swearing to protect his friends and family, he joins her in her quest. That would be the Full Metal Alchemist bit then…



One positive to come from this is that Manga Entertainment continue their trend of releasing series in decent chunks, instead of piecemeal volumes. The first half of Buso Renkin comes in one handy three-disc set. Thirteen episodes and some decent extra features are yours for a wallet-friendly price.

Disc 1

1. New Life
It was all a nightmare, wasn't it? A vivid dream startles Kazuki Muto, and wakes his dormitory up in confusion, coincidentally embarrassing his younger sister Mahiro. The next day at school, he's laughing the incident off, but a creepy teacher notices that he has lost his regulation satchel, and sets him detention for the transgression. The dream was real though, he really did die the previous night at the haunted factory, and the creepy teacher is in fact the Homunculus he stopped from dining on a helpless girl. Detention is about to get really hairy, but in the middle of running from a giant snake, he gets a phone call from the helpless girl, Tokiko Tsumura, who isn't actually that helpless. She urges him to hold on and keep out of the fangs of the snake until she can get there. But then Mahiro shows up at the worst possible moment.

2. The True Form Homunculus
Kazuki's made a decision to help Tokiko, as long as there are homunculi plaguing his hometown. He'll need some training to get to grips with the lance that he can now summon from the kakugane implanted in his chest, and he goes to meet Tokiko at the factory to follow up on their previous confrontation with the homunculi. There are incubators at the factory; someone in town is actually creating homunculi, which becomes immediately apparent when someone in a papillon mask wearing the same school uniform as Kazuki, atop a massive bird of prey, attacks them. Homunculi are created when an embryo from an incubator is implanted into a human brain, taking over that body, altering it, and killing the original host. Among the weapons that the masked man wields is a homunculus embryo.



3. You've Become a Little Stronger
It may have attached to her stomach instead of the brain, but it still means that Tokiko has a week to find and defeat the three remaining homunculi, capture the masked man, and convince him to destroy the embryo, before it travels up to her brain and kills her, turning her into a monster. They do know that Papillon Mask attends the same school as Kazuki, so sneaking Tokiko onto the premises; they go about tracking him down. The man behind the mask is busy recuperating from their last confrontation, and seeks to know who the boy aiding Tokiko was. He's sent his homunculus minions on the same mission. But there is dissent among the troops, and one of the monsters is keen to taste human flesh again. 4 days pass, and time is running out before Tokiko becomes a homunculus, and time is running out for Kazuki to learn how to wield his Buso Renkin.

4. Another New Life
Realising that they have been looking in the wrong place, Kazuki and Tokiko turn their attention to the school dorm. A sickly boy names Koshaku Chono hasn't been to school for the last 4 days, and he matches the description down to a tee. It all becomes clear when it turns out that Chono is dying. He's experimenting with alchemy and homunculi to find a way to extend his own life, but when he learns that Tokiko brought Kazuki back to life, he tries plan B, offering to exchange the antidote to the embryo infection for the kakugane that is keeping Kazuki alive. When that doesn't work, he brings on the final, most formidable homunculus of all.



Disc 2

5. To Protect Someone
The battle against the Hawk homunculus continues, with Tokiko and Kazuki on the back foot. It looks as if discretion ought to be the better part of valour, but the Hawk is persistent. It looks grim for the pair, they are stranded too far away from town, the infection has reached the point where Tokiko is paralysed, and even if Kazuki gets to town in time to find the antidote, he'll never get back to Tokiko in time. It's time for drastic measures. It's time for a piggyback ride.

6. The Butterfly of Black Death
Koshaku Chono is alone now, with no more protectors. Tokiko thinks he will return to a safe haven to hide, and advises Kazuki to look for him at his family home. However the Chono family have disowned the eldest son, and Kazuki locates Koshaku at one of their warehouses instead. He's waiting for the final homunculus embryo to mature so he can become immortal, but then his younger brother Jiro shows up to make sure of his inheritance. Meanwhile time is almost up for Tokiko.



7. Whether Or Not You're A Hypocrite
One chapter has closed in Kazuki's life and a new one is about to open. Kazuki is uncertain of himself following previous events, but then Tokiko's boss Captain Bravo shows up with a recruitment pitch. Tokiko wants Kazuki to get back to his normal, mundane, and safe life, but there's more trouble ahead. The homunculus Papillon that was Chono has survived, and is even now re-growing his body. Papillon has met his grandfather who himself is now a homunculus named Dr Butterfly, and heads a nefarious group called LXE. LXE is looking to restore their leader to health, an alchemist warrior who betrayed the cause and became a homunculus. It looks as if Kazuki has no choice, and soon his new dorm manager, who sounds a lot like Captain Bravo, is training him.

8. A Night In The Dorm
The LXE are a group of homunculi formed from humans rather than animals, a wholly different level of opponent who can themselves wield Buso Renkin. Kazuki will need a whole lot of training to be able to face them, and Captain Bravo takes him in hand. Tokiko wants to help too, but her affection for Kazuki has made her loose her focus. Bravo suggests she recover her warrior edge first. She doesn't have long though, as a homunculus attacks the school dorm, hypnotising the other students to attack Tokiko. If she can defeat this enemy, she'll have a chance to recover a kakugane. But the newly healed Papillon wants a kakugane of his own.



Disc 3

9. The Hayasaka Twins
Kazuki is tired, and the rainy weather is a good reason to take a break from his training as Tokiko and Bravo advise. But Kazuki is determined to be stronger, and ready for whatever LXE throw at them. He finds a kindred spirit in kendo star Shusui Hayasaka, who attends the school with his twin sister Ouka. Both Kazuki and Shusui want to be stronger for reasons of their own, and they become friends in between trying to beat each other to death in the kendo gym. Meanwhile, the LXE is determined to find out who the new Alchemist Warrior is, and Papillon is keeping Kazuki's identity secret for reasons of his own. Dr Butterfly sets two young minions on the case, Shusui and Ouka Hayasaka.

10. It Seems We're Well Matched
It's eight in the evening, the school is closed, empty, and there's no one to blunder in at an inopportune moment. It's the perfect venue for a battle to the death for Tokiko and Kazuki, facing Ouka and Shusui. While Kazuki's lance Sunlight Heart, and Tokiko's death scythe, Valkyrie Skirt are formidable Buso Renkin, the twins have Buso Renkin of their own, the katana Sword Samurai X, and the bow Angel Gozen. But Kazuki's determination to win may be undermined by a fatal revelation. The Hayasaka twins aren't even homunculi, they're human.



11. Till Death Do Us Part
Shusui and Ouka's tragic past is revealed, twins left to fend for themselves after being kidnapped by a woman who raised them as her own children, then being disowned by their real parents, and eventually being adopted and trained as killers by the homunculus Dr Butterfly. Kazuki's sympathetic nature causes conflict when Tokiko wants to kill them as familiars of homunculi, and Shusui takes advantage of this diversion to attack. But Kazuki's pleas have reached Ouka at least, who believes that they may no longer be alone in the world.

12. Carnival
Ouka's decided to help Kazuki and Tokiko, but she's still recuperating in hospital. Instead, she sends her Buso Renkin generated mascot, and her alter ego Gozen to guide them to the hideout of the LXE. But they're too late. All that's left in the villa is the homunculus Moon Face, and he occupies the attention of Captain Bravo, while the two younger warriors race back to the school. They get back to find the school obscured in mist, and under attack by Dr. Butterfly and his minions, as they look to harvest the students to resurrect their leader. As Tokiko and Kazuki race to defend their friends, they're unaware of a traitor in the school.



13. Signs Of Death
The battle at the school continues, as vast humanoid homunculi attack the building. But the confrontation is about to get a whole lot more complicated, as Papillon has turned up, but has turned on his grandfather. At the same time, the homunculus alchemist is finally beginning to revive, and the flask that is regenerating him starts to drain the life force of everyone in the school.

Picture

Just like the majority of anime nowadays, Buso Renkin comes in 1.78:1 anamorphic. It's not the most groundbreaking of animations, the character designs are memorable enough, but don't break from the norms, the world design is pretty standard, and the animation itself is effective if not flashy. The transfer is adequate, clear and sharp for the most part, although there is minor artefacting around fast motion. Buso Renkin is a pretty bog-standard action anime for the young male market, and animators aren't renowned for doing their best work on series like these.

Sound

You get a choice between DD 2.0 English and Japanese, along with optional translated subtitles. I found the Japanese track to be acceptable, although did note that the dialogue was occasionally buried under the incidental music. Not so with the English dub, which is a little daft, but in perfect keeping with the tone of the show. The stereo does enough to carry the action although this isn't the show to expect aural perfection from. The opening theme is an eye-opener, nothing if not glam rock, and with a Brian May-esque turn to the guitars.

Extras

Disc 1
The audio commentary here is on episode 1, and sees Steve Staley (Kazuki), and Tara Platt (Tokiko), talk about the show, the ADR process, the story and their characters. It's a pretty informative track, but I did find it a little dry and serious given the dumb tone of the show.

Behind the Scenes of Buso Renkin is just that, 24 minutes of interviews with the English cast and crew as they talk about the show, the characters, and the ADR process. This actually goes into more detail about the latter than most similar featurettes, and as such is well worth a watch. Be warned though, that there are copious spoilers for the rest of the series, and it may be better to leave it till the end of the set to watch, instead of the end of the first disc as I did. Grumble, grumble…

Disc 2

You'll find the usual multitude of Manga trailers here.

Spike Spencer (Papillon) delivers the audio commentary on episode 6, along with ADR director Rene Veilleux. This is one of those random nonsense free-for-alls that usually typify an anime episode commentary, and is more of a giggle than information laden. The commentators do occasionally compete with the episode audio for clarity.



Disc 3

Just the commentary on this disc, which accompanies episode 9. Rene Veilleux returns, this time with Script Adaptor Donald Roman Lopez, and the two discuss the adaptation process, taking the original Japanese version, and a literal translation, and creating something that honours that, but also plays to US audiences. This is the technical dry commentary on the set.


Occasionally an episode ends with an extra animation with Mahiro at a blackboard, offering a look at the various Buso Renkin in the show, and the characters that wield them.

One gripe I do have is that the commentaries are only accessible from the episode select menus (or via your remote). They really should be in an extra feature menu of their own, as it's too easy to overlook them.

Conclusion

Buso Renkin doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Full Metal Alchemist, and it's not even as good as Shakugan no Shana. But it is a whole heap of fun, and certainly an entertaining way to waste five hours. It's advertising doing its confusing thing again, as DVD producers try to ensnare audiences, and go for a superficial comparison instead of looking at what the show actually is. Buso Renkin has villainous homunculi in, and liberal use of the word 'alchemy', so that makes it a kindred spirit to Full Metal Alchemist? Not exactly. The comparisons to Shana are a little more deserved, especially given the start of the show, and the relationship between Kazuki and Tokiko. But the characters really don't compare, Tokiko isn't as quirky as Shana, while Kazuki is a whole lot more gung-ho than Yuji. Actually, Buso Renkin is a more typical shonen action show aimed at young males, as befits its Shonen Jump pedigree, and is much more aptly compared to its stablemates, Naruto and Bleach.

You have your hero plucked from obscurity and plunged into an unfamiliar world, where he has to battle increasingly tough enemies from week to week, following the rules of this particular universe, and it all revolves around self improvement, expressing oneself, and always striving to reach the next level. It's been done so often, with various subtle differences in premise that this review could practically write itself, and indeed for some shows I wish these reviews would actually do so. But Buso Renkin manages to entertain, even while staying firmly within the boundaries of its genre, because of the sheer energy and quirkiness of the characters, and because there is a lingering feeling that it isn't actually taking all of this too seriously. There were moments where I actually considered if it was descending into out and out parody, but it manages to walk that thin line between ridicule and fun, and makes sure you remain emotionally invested in the characters, even if what is happening on screen, or in the story is patently ridiculous.



In these sorts of stories, you need a universe of rules to play in. Naruto has its ninjas, Bleach its death gods, and so Buso Renkin has the alchemists. The structure is the same, heroes and villains, and in this case it is the homunculi and the humans allied with them that provide the monsters of the week, while alchemy wielding warriors use their magical weapons in battle against them. Each episode unfolds a different aspect of this universe, reveals a new rule of the game, and the attraction is in the variations of characters that we get. The obvious diversity is in the villains, the homunculi can come in any form, and the ones we meet at first are created from animals, while those that arrive later are more complex human homunculi who wield Buso Renkin as well as the warriors that they face. The warriors are pretty typical for humans, but then again the variation in how their magical weapons manifest makes for the attraction, with Tokiko's Valkyrie Skirt particularly eye-catching.



Buso Renkin takes a rather meandering path through its story, wavering from utter farce to some quite bleak moments apparently at random, but it somehow makes it work. Chono's situation and transformation into Papillon is perhaps the darkest of the storylines here, with Chono dying of a mysterious illness, disowned by his family, and practically ignored at school. His desire for life descends to utter desperation, and it's a quite emotional descent into a personal darkness for him. But the birth of Papillon is quite literally like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, and so is born perhaps the campest villain ever in anime, who uses a posing pouch as the equivalent of a utility belt. It's quite disconcerting to see him have a good rummage and pulling out something totally unexpected. Later on there is the tragic tale of the Hayasaka twins, again taking us in a rather dark direction for what is ostensibly a light and fun anime series, but this is prefaced by a trip to the communal baths, where apparently girls compare bust measurements, and boys compare their own assets. Of course Papillon gets into the act here as well.

The supporting characters provide a fair bit of the comedy, with Kazuki's sister a little ditzy and dense, plenty of good-natured ribbing from friends Okakura (makes Elvis look bald), Rokumasu and Daihama, and a tendency to pose heroically by Captain Bravo rubbing off on Kazuki. Of the villains, Dr Butterfly apparently began his family's infatuation with lepidoptera, sporting a moustache that constantly threatens to take wing. Moon Face is the one I found most annoying, starting each sentence with a whiny utterance of "Moo-oo-oon!", although his ability to become multitudes as indicated by lunar phases makes for a visually interesting villain. The main characters are a little more mainstream, with Kazuki the usual well-meaning, motivated, honest, kind hero type, while Tokiko is the tomboyish action girl who slowly warms to Kazuki the more time they spend in each other's company.



Despite my initial misgivings, I found Buso Renkin to be surprisingly enjoyable, primarily because of the tongue-in-cheek attitude to proceedings. I think it wouldn't have half the charm if it dared to take itself at all seriously. It isn't the be all and end all of anime, and it's most likely that you will have seen plenty more of its ilk. That is never really a problem if a show is enjoyable enough though, and the great thing about Buso Renkin is that it isn't one of those interminable long running series. The story will be done and dusted in a much more civilised 26 episodes. With Manga's release strategy of 13-episode boxsets, it doesn't mean sticking around for a year for the series to come out in drips and drabs, and Buso Renkin isn't the sort of series to inspire such loyalty anyway. It will be done and dusted with the release of volume 2 in October, and for a quick hit of mindless anime fun, that's by far the best way to do it. Yet for such an ephemeral show, this three-disc collection is exceptionally good value, especially with the extra features that come with it.