Anime: Rage of Bahamut: Genesis Season One

Released By: FUNimation

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Retail Price: $64.98

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Action adventure anime series never experience a shortage when new series develop every year, and one of the more recent series titled Rage of Bahamut: Genesis season one (aired in 2014) is ready to make a name for itself and try to differentiate from the pack. Rage of Bahamut was initially known as a CBG (card battle game) that provided players with the opportunity to select demons, gods or man while growing powerful along the way and exploring a fantasy style realm. After establishing itself as a fairly popular franchise, the next step only made sense to adapt it into a full length anime series. The series takes multiple potential storylines featured in other film/television/anime mediums to meld into one particular anime that takes on a lot of distinct directions over the course of just one season (for now) of 12 episodes.

From the first few moments of Rage of Bahamut: Genesis, the introductory scenes include a very film-esque like production to send us into the partially whimsical world as the credits are shown. After giving a strong first impression, we meet Favaro Leone, someone who works as a professional bounty hunter – that is, when he isn’t busy brushing off his worries at the bottom of a bottle of booze. Favaro finds joy in sharing stories (which can also be exaggerated) to other random individuals who find themselves stagnant in the tavern he frequents. This character (a combination of Spike from Cowboy Bebop and Dandy from Space Dandy) is a memorable figure to follow in the series, but you begin to learn that he has a few complicated relationships that have led him to be who he is in some capacity.

Favaro has a pre-existing nemesis who also happened to be a best friend at one point in his life, named Kaisar Lidford. Kaisar is a knight who feels disgraced for his losses in the pursuit of Favaro and the accomplishments Favaro has succeeded in. Seeing the two play into a rivalry that is mostly rooted out of a rocky friendship adds more dimension to both Favaro and Kaisar – who ends up finding his way tied to the ongoing plot. Decisions are made from both figures that could alter the course of their lives and ultimately brings a major sense of a rekindling between the best friends who had lost sight of their relationship at one point. This was one of the strengths of Rage of Bahamut: Genesis Season One, effectively shedding some light on complicated bonds that we experience throughout life.

A very important and pivotal character to Rage of Bahamut: Genesis Season One is a mysterious girl who appears in the beginning, surrounded by ambiguity. The girl (named Amira) discovers Favaro which is the truth kick-off for the anime series. They partner up after she tricks him into a contract that establishes he will aid her in a quest to travel to a destination he is familiar with. Amira is a demon with only one wing, and the mystery behind her makes Favaro not completely sure just how much he should trust her. It becomes a question of head and heart, when he has opportune moments to defeat her and end a curse she has placed on him, but so many other contributing factors make Favaro hesitant to make a rash decision so carelessly. Amira brings a major point of interest for the series because she’s consistently sought after by both good and bad figure with questionable intentions for the girl who isn’t entirely sure of her own history. Things come to a major boiling point by the series end (with multiple cliffhangers over the span of the season) and it can leave viewers hoping for more stories about what the prophesied future holds.

The animation in Rage of Bahamut: Genesis Season One switches off between what I would call visually stunning, and somewhat jarring. At moments it creates a fantasy world that is easy to find yourself appreciating yet it can also speedily transition to something that feels more mecha-based with influences from multiple series. I mostly enjoyed the demonic appearances (keyword mostly) but that does mean there are scenes that could make the series slightly easier to write-off as weaker elements to Rage of Bahamut: Genesis. The familiar voice cast was perfect for the English dub of the anime, most notably Ian Sinclair who brought Favaro’s unique character to life through his voice alone. Despite a few underlying flaws in the anime, the conclusion of Rage of Bahamut was enough to ignite an interest in the lives of the primary three, so I hope that one day we could see where Favaro and company end up next. Rage of Bahamut: Genesis Season One is available now on DVD and Blu-ray, so fantasy fans should pick up a copy and dive into the bizarre series before the second futuristic season airs sometime soon!

Overall Score: 7/10

Aedan’s Final Thoughts:

• Favaro was someone who I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy as a protagonist, but he proved me wrong which served as a pleasant surprise.

• Amira is someone who was pulled in multiple directions, making her a character you could genuinely feel sympathy for.

• The second season is set to include a new selection of characters – which is interesting, but I’m also disappointed to know we will miss out on more of the others we’ve come to enjoy.

• The ending of the first season was very bittersweet for the core group, making it feel incomplete for now.