Black Cat is one of the very first anime that I ever watched. It also happens to be my very first anime review on this blog. Since then I have made various changes to my template and layout. With the change in my blog URL, I am relooking all of my older posts and sprucing them up. So far it has been a long process.
So without further delay, here is an updated review on Black Cat:
- Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Shounen, Super Power
- Type: Series
- Episodes: 24
- Duration to watch: +/- 8 hours
- Age restriction: PG 13
- Release date: October 2005
- Animation Studio: Gonzo
- Does it have a manga: Yes
- Kanji: ブラックキャット
About Black Cat:
An infamous and extremely talented assassin, Train Heartnet leaves the organisation, Chronos, that he has been a part of since childhood after his parents are murdered. Chronos is an organisation bent on world peace. They assassinate anyone and everyone who threatens the peace of the world. Train teams up with Sven. The duo work as sweepers (a fancy way of saying, bounty hunter). After leaving Chronos, Train declares he shall not take another life. They then team up with Rinslet, a professional thief to investigate an arms dealer’s home and obtain some data. There they meet Eve, a girl that Train had previously been ordered to kill. Sven decides to free Eve and she joins the duo and works as a sweeper. Together with Sven, Train hunts down bounties while preparing to handle a nemesis from his past, Creed. Unfortunately, the team is flat broke which makes for amusing arguments and plot developments. Creed is a former member of the Chronos, and he is obsessed with Black Cat. Creed wants him to join the Apostles of the Stars.
My Thoughts:
Even though Black Cat is an older anime, its first run was in 2005 I fell in love with it the first time I watched it back in 2009. I was about 15 at the time. The whole anime appealed to me and even as I re-watch it now I still enjoy the humour and there is quite a bit more to it that I can appreciate and understand now.
The journey Train takes with Sven and Eve really gives him the chance to do a proper character development arc. Unlike most shonen, his development wasn’t to improve his skills or develop more power. His arc allowed him to explore who he really is and to find his own set of morals. The anime really let him find himself.
The storyline was really well put together, although the ending felt a tad left field. We knew that there was more to Eve. It had been an undercurrent plot point throughout the episodes, just the execution of the reveal was a tad rushed.
The characters are slightly over characterized and their actions over the top but it adds to the anime rather than distracting from it. The anime is drawn well from episode one and the detail remains consistent. Although, by today’s animation standards the frames are rather still and the clarity is more ‘fuzzy’.
Favourite Character: Train Heartnet
The next best character: Sven
Would I recommend this anime? For me, this is a must-watch especially if you are looking for a short anime that ticks a lot of good boxes. Although the first few episodes have a couple flashbacks that can get annoying, after that it is smooth sailing.
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Your thoughts?