StoryWhen I first approached Pumpkin Scissors, I could not imagine what else the plot could consist of apart from a bunch of do-gooders rescuing babies from burning buildings and ploughing fields with local farmers. In fact, the result turned out to be subtly intelligent, pleasantly creative, and anything but a campaign of blind idealism. Pumpkin Scissors feels a lot like Full Metal Alchemist would if it had no magic; there is a lot of tragedy, it has unique fantasy/sci-fi elements, and plenty of challenging mysteries through which highly likeable protagonists have to persevere.
In terms of structure, Pumpkin Scissors progresses at a fairly episodic pace (some stories span three or four episodes) and employs a case-by-case presentation style in order to map out the Empire's unhappy society. As the series progresses, the events become more complex, more bizarre, and on several occasions, disturbingly dark (my favourite arc is a particularly gruesome one involving a flamethrower and a relentless death toll). This episodic approach allows Pumpkin Scissors to explore the various ‘enemies' of war relief - from diffuse social ills such as poverty and unemployment to evil individuals - and thus displays a redeeming sensitivity to the complexity of post-war issues.
While there is much that is enjoyable about Pumpkin Scissors - the subtle Germanic world concept and Oland's disturbing transformations into a killing machine being two examples - the events that characterise the protagonists are definitely the most interesting. Each character is given at least one chance to steal some of the limelight and to reveal how their particular personality fits into the broader Section III dynamic. In Alice's case, this notably involves glimpses into her life as a failing member of the illustrious Malvin family, which means seeing a refreshing side to her that has little to do with military efficiency and much to do with surviving another round of disapproving remarks at the breakfast table.
The only question left is: what is there not to like about Pumpkin Scissors? Simply put, it has no ending. Because the anime covers only the first few volumes of the manga, the plot grinds to a halt with plenty of threads left loose; new intriguing characters are introduced, a fresh plot seems to rear its head, and several pertinent questions are left unanswered. In light of this ending, I am left feeling slightly disillusioned; each mini plot, although obviously meant to be tied into a greater whole, is left floundering without a distinct overarching conclusion to make sense of it all. However, all that is required to solve this problem is a second season; moreover, although Pumpkin Scissors does not fulfil its outstanding potential, it nonetheless remains enjoyable for the grim socio-political setting and inventive concepts.AnimationPumpkin Scissors offers excellent quality animation with fluid movement throughout; colour tones that match the simple, reserved tone of the story; and a few extra unique touches. The backgrounds, for example, although not as important here as they might be with more milieu-oriented anime, are still nicely detailed and give a strong sense of the Empire's industrial Germanic era (if you look closely, newspaper titles are actually in German).
Oland's concept is also one of the most refreshing I have seen in a while and, being twice Alice's height, hunched, and morbidly scarred all over, his body provides fascinating clues to his history. Also, while most of the cast are simple in design and generally fit the subtle colour palette, Alice wears a vibrant orange coat which makes her stand out pleasantly against the muted hues around her.
As well as realism in atmosphere, there are substantial touches of blood and gore during the battles; and if Oland is involved, his eerie blue lantern ensures a nightmarish, shadowy cast to the scene.SoundWhile I greatly enjoy the opening theme, which is a lot like that of Bokurano in that it involves haunting vocals against a background of electronic beats, the ending theme is awfully nonsensical and more suited to the filler episodes than the vast majority of serious ones. However, the voice acting is strong and effective in all scenes; Oland's voice actor, especially, has an endearing quality because of his deep but dense way of speaking.CharactersLieutenant Alice Malvin is a hero of respectable proportions with a hands-on approach that takes her directly to the heart of the matter in every episode; whether hunting for the mother of an abandoned baby or dealing with an underground rebellion, she has no concept of the phrase ‘to give up'. Her down-to-earth personality also makes her easy to relate to despite her aristocratic background; and whenever her idealistic streak becomes explicit, her simultaneous practicality really helps to humanise her. What is refreshing about Alice is her awareness that, as a noble, her quest for equality brings with it certain conflicts of conscience. For example, speaking ardently about breaking barriers between nobles and commoners at breakfast, she is suddenly reminded of the good food she is eating whilst the people outside are suffering a famine. Her reaction, which is objectively naïve and yet so easy to understand, is to forgo food altogether. Alice easily stands out above the rest of the cast because of her impressive list of admirable traits: courage, excellent leadership, sensitivity, and breathtaking combat abilities; as such, her fierce determination to bring about a good world is pretty much what drives the entire plot.
Corporal Oland is likely to be an instant hit with any audience because, normally reticent and sweet-natured, he morphs during dire situations into a human monster with the ability to take down tanks with nothing more than a gun in his hand. His Terminator-like indestructibility is genuinely terrifying and makes for some of the most visually exciting action sequences in Pumpkin Scissors. Disappointingly (on a massive scale), Oland never grows much beyond being a mystery; we get glimpses into his vulnerable soul as time passes but his background - whatever it is - never takes centre stage as might be expected.
As for the rest of the protagonists, they are developed to a lesser extent than the main two, which gives me the impression that they exist primarily to make Section III look like an actual team rather than a duo; being pleasant stereotypes, they add substantially to the plot only in those times when they get their own characterisation episodes, and are highly complementary if not exactly outstanding.OverallAs a whole, I had a fun time with this title, although it feels like only the beginning of something great. I would compare Pumpkin Scissors to FMA largely because it uses a post-war military setting to explore human tragedy. Unlike FMA, however, Pumpkin Scissors is unable to provide a knock-out ending to tie it all together and is thus somewhat diminished in my eyes. Regardless, I believe Pumpkin Scissors deserves high marks because, despite its shortcomings, it still manages to take us on a memorable journey through a fascinating world.
Screenshots
Add to list