kilrazan

I'm always intrigued by these kinds of shows that provide an interesting twist on traditional mythology. Not all of them manage to do anything with it, but Vanitas manages to capture a beautiful blend of setting and storytelling that had me pining for each episode week after week.

Story: We follow two main characters in this show - Noe, a white-haired and tan fellow who is rarely seen without his white tophat and cat, and Vanitas, who is in a lot of ways the visual opposite of Noe with his black hair and cape as well as his pale skin. They don't always see eye to eye, but Noe is determined to witness Vanitas's actions and learn about the mysterious book he carries with him and shares a name with. Together, they travel a Victorian-esque and lightly Steampunk version of Paris in search of vampires who have become Curse Bearers, not only to try to save them from their curses, but to also investigate how they've been getting cursed in the first place. With interesting and colorful side characters, the story unfolds bit by bit as the two learn more about each other and the mysteries they both seek to unveil. I found this story to be extremely engaging and endearing - there's a perfect blend of character-focused scenes with poigniant dialog and action scenes with heavy plot significance. I'm intrigued by the show's take on the Vampire tropes - the way it's presented seems to indicate a much more significant underlying difference than what is actually shown during the season, because what we see over this season appears that there's largely very little difference between a human and a vampire beyond lifespan and the thirst that can apparently just be ignored by eating normal food. 8/10; I want to see more about Vanitas' past.

Animation: Simply gorgeous. I'm always a sucker for Steampunk aesthetics, especially when they're so well blended into a believeably real-world setting. Not only are the backgrounds always gorgeous, but the colors chosen are an excellent balance of vibrancy and contrast that play into the tone and mood of the scene perfectly. Furthermore, the action is fluid, and the movements of all of the characters and foreground elements are excellent. 9/10; I need more of those night-sky shots!

Sound: The Opening song is an absolutely perfect track that fits the setting and theme of the show perfectly, and is a real earworm to boot. I wasn't a big fan of the Ending theme, however. The rest of the OST isn't quite as stand-out as the opening, but then again not all soundtracks need to be - what it lacks in standout hits, it more than makes up for in tracks that really help bring out and enhance the mood of a scene. Beyond the OST; the Voice acting is absolutely superb. I feel that each of the characters was not only cast well, but that each of the actors put forth a wonderful performance. 8/10; I'm going to be listening to that Opening for quite a while.

Characters: I love the juxtaposition of Vanitas and Noe - in a significant number of ways, they are direct opposites of each other, and they very frequently have ideological clashes with each other. But, despite this, they both show humility and character growth as they come to realize their mistakes and apologize for them. They are both excellent protagonists that show that being a 'good guy' isn't always a clear-cut choice, and that disagreements happen no matter what side you're on. The side characters are largely well-written as well, although there are one or two that feel a little flat to me at times. 9/10; I would totally watch a slice-of-life that's just Vanitas and Noe exploring Paris together between story points.

Overall: I quite enjoyed this one, and found myself a lot more excited for the weekly episode than most currently-airing shows I watch. I won't argue that it's perfect, nor that it's even close to a candidate for anime of the year or anything, but it was highly entertaining and that's really all I can ask for. 9/10; I'm looking forward to season 2.