Witchblade was a nice surprise. Considering it is based off an American comic of the same name that is known for being very sexual and violent, I was expecting a perverted ecchi mess. Her costume certainly doesn't leave much to be desired and the ecchi factor is certainly there, but miraculously it doesn't become the focus of the story. Don't worry boys, you'll all have plenty to drool over. But there's something there for us story lovers too. The main story is simpler then the synopsis lets on. It's about a mother who would do anything to protect her daughter. The greedy organizations, insane scientists and terrifying weapons just add that extra something every plot needs to get on its feet. There are still some hints to this being related to its darker American comic, but they're subtle and younger viewers might not even pick up on them. Otherwise this anime stands alone.
The pacing of the show moves along nicely. It felt a bit slow at times only to suddenly spring this emotional roller coaster at you towards to the end. Some people feel that the ending was rushed and I would have to disagree. Predictable? Absolutely. But that's what they were aiming for and they definitely achieved something with the ending. It might almost feel anti-climatic at first, but after thinking about it I wouldn't think of this a flaw so much as a quirk considering the circumstances. It all depends on how you take it.
The characters moved this show along, the main character Masane particularly. Everything would have fallen apart without her growth. But she wasn't alone; all of the side characters were wonderful and had unique personalities that changed over time. Her daughter, Rihoko was a particular favorite. For one of those anime children that's randomly mature and good at everything, she was one of the few that didn't make me want to punch things.
The character designs seem strange at first. It's like all of the characters are different...but wait that's a good thing! After years of seeing anime girls with the exact same body type it was refreshing to see characters that completely differ in all those. A lot of the girls still had boobs bigger then their heads, but that's to be expected. The action was very fluid and the fight scenes will probably be a favorite of our resident echhi lovers.
The soundtrack was so-so. I always skipped over both EDs, but I adored the first opening. Then they suddenly switch to that terrible second opening half way through and my heart broke. Besides that horrible opening song, the music wasn't really a dominant factor in this show.
Overall Witchblade was a very enjoyable experience. It started off kind of slow as far as character development, but don't give up right away. It's there, you just can't see it. When the plot starts moving along things really pick up, characters stop being idiots and suddenly you won't be able to look away. Don't randomly run away from this show like I did. Witchblade is a show worthy of being given a chance.
