Casshern Sins (24 episodes, 2008-2009)
Casshern Sins is actually a sort of reboot of the 1970's classic animation, Neo-Human Casshern. (There was also an OVA, titled Casshan: Robot Hunter, or simply Casshern in Japanese, and a live-action film also titled Casshern.) All of these adaptations follow fairly different storylines, even with some recurring characters/names, though Sins is perhaps the most unique of them.
Synopsis
The setting of Casshern Sins is on a post-apocalyptic Earth, sometime after humans have been overthrown and removed from the planet by the robots that once served them. The main character and protagonist, Casshern, has no recollection of his past, and finds himself fending off robot assailants intent on his destruction. Through fighting, Casshern comes to the realization that he is immortal, for reasons unknown to him. It's not until one of his assailants, a girl named Lyuze, approaches him and informs him of the cause of the world's state of ruin, that Casshern gains the knowledge that he was that very cause, by killing someone called Luna. Lyuze decides not to kill Casshern until he acknowledges what he brought upon the world and accepts responsibility for it, but she keeps an eye on him from afar. Upon discovering this, Casshern sets off in search of the truth of his past, curious about this information Lyuze passed on to him.
Characters (click names for images)
Main Characters
- Casshern: The main character of the series. Casshern is unsure if he is a human, a robot, or something else, but he seems to be immortal, recovering any wounds he recieves almost immediately. Finding himself constantly attacked by robots, and with a lack of control over his own body at times, Casshern is left with little choice but to destroy nearly everything he comes into contact with, whether he wishes to or not. This, however, is just one of the many mysteries which he is in search of explanations for.
- Lyuze: A girl who blames Casshern for the deaths of Luna and her own sister, as well as the Ruin that has spanned across the world. Lyuze is determined to kill Casshern, as vengeance for her sister, but not until Casshern regains his memories and accepts responsibility.
- Ringo: Ringo is a small girl who encounters Casshern while he is thinking about his disposition alone. Seemingly oblivious to the threat that Casshern's existence poses, Ringo befriends Casshern, and believes that he is a good person -- not the evil existence that most others believe him to be.
- Ōji: Caretaker of the young girl, Ringo, not much else is known about Ōji. He is very cautious around Casshern, for he feels Casshern is a threat not only to his own life, but to Ringo, whom he cares for as if she was his daughter.
- Friender: Friender is a companion robot in the form of a dog. Seemingly unphased by the Ruin, Friender is left in Casshern's care by his previous owners. After a turn of events, Friender decides to follow Casshern on his own, and seems to keep him in check when Casshern loses control of himself.
- Luna: Known as "the sun called the moon," Luna is an important figure who was supposedly killed by Casshern, despite the rumors of her immortality. Her death is claimed to be the cause of the Ruin.
- ???: A mysterious cloaked man who appears numerous times throughout the series,and seems to know a lot about Casshern.
- Dio: A man who greatly resembles Casshern, Dio first appears before Casshern in episode 5. Whenever the two cross paths, Dio is hellbent on defeating Casshern.
- Leda: First appearing in episode 6, Leda is a woman who appears to be similar to Casshern and Dio. Leda and Dio work together to raise an army of robots to destroy Casshern and take the position of the new rulers of the world.
- Dune: Not seen until ten episodes into the series, Dune is the former bodyguard of Luna. Known as the "God of Death," Dune is a mighty warrior, but is left in despair when he fails to protect Luna. He wanders the world in search of Luna, as well as her killer, Casshern, to exact revenge on him.
Conclusion
Although I must warn that the story moves rather slowly, I've found it to be an enjoyable experience. One of the most interesting aspects of the show, I found, was watching as the robots, who previously had unending lives, gradually become more like the very humans they wiped from the face of the planet, now that they have limited lifespans thanks to the Ruin. Accompanying this theme is the theme of defining "life," whether it is better to have an endless -- and to some, meaningless -- life, or to have a limited life with which you are left to live to the fullest before it ends.
There are a handful of intense fight scenes (which are generally well animated), but the show's not exactly "action-packed." With the despair that the world is left in after the death of Luna, the series can actually be a bit sad, and even downright depressing at times. If you ask me, though, I think it's admirable that the creators managed to get that feeling across as well as they did. You really get to feel some sympathy for these characters, the majority of whom aren't even human. In the end, I think the series has a fair balance of action and drama, among other things.
If you don't mind a slowly progressing story, I'd recommend giving this series a chance. It's got some pretty slick (and fairly unique, in my opinion) art and animation, with an appropriate soundtrack accompanying it, and an interesting story and characters to tie it all together.
