Revenger Review

Overall Rating 7.3 out of 10 - Slow and questionable start, but a really great conclusion

I can recommend watching.

I somewhat fluctuated between giving it 6.0 to 6.8 until the final two episodes. However, the conclusion here truly ties all the ends together into a very compelling and cohesive story. 

Show begins as over the top crazy, but borderline silly action. Then progresses into questionable middle episodes, some of these are nice, but others do delve with rather ugly topics far too deep. Finally close to the end it not only gets back the original conspiracy, that started the show, but also wraps Raizo's personal story. 

Raizo's story is very unique, well written and even personal, the one that you only clearly see close to final credits. It does take a truly great scriptwriter to make a story such as that of Raizo. It does feel like its somehow very personal for Gen Urobutchi.

Just like Phantom, Requiem for the Phantom, there is a lot of talk about guild and redemption. However here it feels less like preaching and more of issue of dealing with own past. Raizo's own lord unwittingly used Raizo to kill his father-in-law and then wanted to use him as scapegoat. His future wife killed herself when she learned of that. 

While it's mostly not his fault, Raizo still feels responsible and tries to get to the bottom of the conspiracy that cost him his status, family and future wife. Guilt in this kind of story makes more sense than in Phantom, Requiem for the Phantom, where everything is Scythe and Inferno's fault, yet Reiji and Elen blame themself. The still go overboard with guilt: conversation between Yuen and Chapel are sometimes overbearing.

Added bonus here is that Revenji-ya opponents for the most part reprehensible people, so it's only making sense when Yuen tells them to repent, even if he often sounds preposterous in that role with his references to Saint Mary. It's not as well done as in first season of Jigoku Shoujo, but on good level.

However, show deals not just with Raizo's and other's revenge, but also with him as a person. A someone who is trying to get into grips with what happened to him and perhaps find a way to live his life in future. He finds talent in art and eventually becomes acclaimed artist, even if he questions if that is what he should be doing.

Art is great. Not just its quality but also artistic direction. They manage to recreate the traditional Japan aesthetics, at least as I understand them. They are as good at it as games like Shogun 2 Total War. Its splendid. Japan exoticism done right. Night scenes with lights are particularly well made.

As for some of the flaws, then there is couple. Some of the assassination methods they employ are of questionable utility. That is why I called action borderline silly. In this department it falls behind Phantom. For some reason, crossdressing and such is fashionable topic in modern fiction, yet it's not a topic I enjoy.

Overall, however I can recommend it. It's much better than an average show out there.