Sci-fi and futuristic animes don't usually picque my interest that much. I don't know, but my brain seemed to find their concept too complicated or it's just the fact that sci-fi anime usually kills a lot of characters and subconsciously I avoid those kinds of heartaches. But anyway, since this genre and concept is part of the quest this month, I'm compelled to try some of it. Honestly, I struggled to find sci-fi and futuristic anime that would suit my taste or at least pique my interest, yet thank goodness I found one, and this Wednesday I started watching it. I thought it would bore the hell out of me, but I was wrong—totally wrong!
Yesterday I almost couldn't sleep because I was really overthinking about the anime I was following at that time. I was almost at its last episode when I reached my curfew time, so even if it's hard to do, I have to let it wait for a few hours. I woke up just before 5:00 AM and all my sleepiness dissipated when I remembered the part where I left it. For the next hours, I sat at the edge of my seat as I watched its thrilling action scenes and of 'course at some point, I bawled my eyes out. I know you're curious why if not you're unlucky because you're really gonna miss something, so enough with the intro, join me as we take a peek at what it is to be a God Eater.
About the Anime
God Eater is an anime that premiered last summer of 2015. It aired from July 12, 2015, to March 26, 2016, and was animated by Ufotable. This 13-episode anime series is based on its game, whose genres mainly revolve around action, fantasy and sci-fi. It is said that this anime is made to promote the source material which is the game, and if you watch it and pay attention to the title of each episode you'll find that evident. So the story started in the year 2071—a dystopian future where humanity is almost wiped out by the vicious life forms that suddenly emerged years before that—and those life forms are called Aragami.
Aragami—are the beasts that devour everything, material or immaterial, they kill everything that comes in its way. They say those creatures are created by god to weed out humanity and reset everything. They are literally almost indestructible for they can't be killed with the usual and even high-powered weapons, but humanity never ceases to find ways even if it compels them to be one with the devil itself. If you can't slay the devil on your own, then be the devil that slays it—and with that, the existence of God Eaters came to light.
Fenrir, an organization dedicated to exterminating Aragami founded God Eaters—a group of special individuals who wield God Arc, a living weapon infused with an Aragami and it's the only weapon that can kill them. One of the users of God Arc is Lenka Utsugi, a new type of user whose God Arc can take the form of both a blade and a gun. Lenka grew up outside the walls of Fenrir, and the years he spent outside were a constant battle with death and dejection. He thought that passing the examination would let him protect the people who needed him, but Fenrir is far from the haven he had imagined, for even inside its walls, there's still danger lurking in.
An internal strife is brewing—one that they can't avoid. But after being repeatedly pushed back, the God Eaters will not back down and they'll still fight with it head-on. They will blast and cut their way towards anything that will come and they will not stop until the hope is passed to the future.
I was quite lost when it started and so was when it ended. I really searched for what happened next in the plot of its game, and thankfully spoilers are there to relieve what I felt. I know you're probably curious why I felt lost, but the plot progressed a little bit slowly in the earlier episodes. Also, I found it quite confusing for a while because I had no clue what those creatures were fighting. All I know is that those dinosaur-like creatures are terrifying and hard to kill even with their cool and heavy-looking weapons. But anyway thanks to its flashbacks, I somehow understood how the story goes.
The plot was not that unique, but the way they executed it made me to be really invested in it. The way they gradually set the intensity of its story up was brilliant. The backstories were the usual heartbreaking ones, but still, they managed to make me cry to the point my nose was clogged up lol. I even stopped for a while because my emotions were running high and I couldn't focus if my mind was still stuck on its previous episode. Also, it's surprising how I was able to connect and feel the psychological torment that the characters experienced—especially the one who suffered PTSD.
Aside from how it emotionally affected me, my view of its visuals was quite divided. At first, I found it weird, maybe because I'm not used to its art style and also the transitions caught me off guard. It was confusing and the static effect somehow didn't immediately sit well with me. However, later on, I got used to it and soon I find their art style cool. And as for animation, you can't really expect less with Ufotable and indeed they slayed it! Their action scenes were enthralling and they're really entertaining to watch. The way they animated those beasts was so terrifying and just imagining them prowling in the modern world was fear-inducing. Further, they also didn't shy out in showing gore which added to the thrill I felt while watching it.
Moving on from its visuals, what also caught my interest is their VAs. When I first heard Lindow's voice, I thought it was Yami's VA but it turns out my guess was wrong because he was voiced by Sanji's VA. However, I finally got it right when I heard the second VA that I find familiar because Soma's VA undeniably sounds like Zapp Renfro from BBB (and also their character designs look eerily similar). The characters were voiced well, and it's definitely one of the reasons why I find it emotionally affecting. And as for its soundtrack, the opening song was really a banger! The raspy voice there sounds really cool and when combined with its visuals, it's hard to skip it.
On the other hand, its ending song—even though it is exactly the opposite of its upbeat opening—definitely matches the mood that each end part should have. It may sound melancholic, but that's something that you'll feel once you end an episode. Also, the details there would mean something—I thought they were just there for aesthetics and also to match the song's vibe, but it turns out they have deeper meanings. So much for all of those I have mentioned, this anime is really a must-watch if you're into a futuristic future set in a dystopian world. The plot may be generic but the execution made up for it, and overall I rate this anime 8.9/10. So if you're interested then don't hesitate and try watching the God Eater.
And before I end this review, I'll share with you its opening song, so—
Have you seen this anime before? Or was this your first time encountering it? Well, if you have something to share, then feel free to comment it/them below. That's all for now, minna-san! I hope you enjoyed reading my review.
Arigatou and tanoshinde ne~
The pictures that didn't have source were screenshots from the anime while the last picture was edited in Canva.
Wow, what a great review! It clearly captured your attention, and I love how you described the story and background of God Eater. Sometimes the anime we least expect end up being the ones that leave the biggest mark on us. I agree that these kinds of stories, although difficult, have a profound message of struggle and hope. Plus, Ufotable's animation is a gem; they make every battle feel epic. I'm glad you decided to give the sci-fi genre a chance; maybe now you'll be inspired to watch other similar ones.
Thank you ^3^... Yes, I really didn't expect that it would hook me up because it isn't usual for me to watch this kind of genre, but anyway, I ended up enjoying it and also I'm kinda hoping for a season 2 (tho they speculate that it prolly wouldn't have any because it's made to solely promote the game it's based on—so for them, those eps are enough to introduce to their game). And Ufotable really never fails to give us awesome action scenes, and I'm glad they're the ones who handled its adaptation...Might as well watch another sci-fi one of these days, and hopefully, I get to find good stuff.
Btw, I'm glad you stopped by and looking forward to see you around!
se ve interesante,, buen post!
looks interesting, good post!
It's indeed an interesting anime with an intriguing plot and cool animation, and hopefully, you can give it a try if it really piques your interest.
Btw, thanks for stopping by and hope to see you around~
I thought I already watch this, coz it looks familiar. Pero di pa pala, lol, I think this is one of the anime na diko gaanong pinapansin coz of the art style. It's just not to my liking ba. But anyways, base on how you enjoy it, says it all. If it's slow paced, I'm sure I'll get bored on it 🙉. But i like the Opening Song. Thanks for the share uwu.
My initial impression of it was also kinda like that, kasi I thought I've watched this before, but it turns out na hindi pala yun siya. The art style felt off at first, but later on masasanay ka na. Yeah, medyo slow and as well confusing yung start, but even though the plot progressed slowly, meron namang mga action scenes that hooked me up and I guess what also made me stay until it picked up its pace is yung intrigue. Napakaintriguing kasi ng mga characters, and when a revelation was revealed sumunod nang sumunod na yung iba. However, parang pangpromote lang talaga tong anime na to ng game niya kasi na revealed lang yung main villain on the last eps which is hindi pa alam ng protag ahuhuhuhu... ehehehe medyo nag ooversharing na ako, bitaw if you're interested in it I highly recommend na you should watch it.
Btw, thanks for reading through my review and you're welcome :3... Hope to see you around~
I totally relate to needing spoilers for closure! Been there, done that 😂
My mind won't really stop bugging me if I don't know what happened next, and that wasn't an isolated case, because I also had done the after-end research whenever I'm not satisfied with its end. I'm glad you relate to it as well lol
Btw, thanks for stopping by and hope to see you around.
Murag nice mo tan-aw ug anime gyud diay, try ni nako
I dunno if pang beginner niya siya yor—considering sa gore and violence, pero if you're really interested in it, then why not?
Bitaw thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you around~
Thank you for sharing this post with the community and for preferring us, it is a pleasure for us to have you here.
We hope to see you soon. Best regards!
As always it's also my pleasure to! And likewise, best regards~
I love how you describe that emotional journey of going from "I'm not into sci-fi" to "I can't stop watching it even if it keeps me up at night." 😂 Sounds like God Eater caught you by surprise, like when you eat a spicy food thinking it's mild and end up crying... but in a good way. I'll write it down, thanks for sharing!
It did caught me by surprise! Yeah, it's the usual sci-fi anime with generic main plot, but the animation and how they portrayed it in an emotionally gripping way made me stay for it. I already see the tragedies coming, however, they still managed to affect me. I'm thrilled that this one piqued your interest and looking forward to reading your take on this anime.
Btw, you're welcome and thanks for reading through my review! See you around 𓁹‿𓁹
The visuals look powerful. An enemy always generates further consolidation in anime stories.
I like that it's structured around an organization, it reminds me of guilds or things like that present in fantasy and adventure anime.
The visuals are really cool, and as for their enemy, it wasn't solely Aragami—tho it was kinda subtly hinted in earlier eps. Their concept at first was confusing especially if like me, you're not familiar with the game, but anyways, they managed to gradually shed some light on my confusion as the eps progressed.
Its premise is not really new, but I guess the execution made it interesting. Also, its visuals are definitely a match for fantasy though I'm not sure if it's adventure-like (maybe their character designs?) because it felt more military-like for me.
Anyway, thanks for stopping by and looking forward to seeing you around!
If it made you go through so much anguish and its plot stayed in your mind, it must have something interesting. These dystopian stories tend to be very monotonous and cliché, almost always the same. But I was won by the fact that Ufotable is behind this, we know the potential of these people, it looks incredible.
Yet another story I'm writing down to watch soon.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Its concept wasn't new nor unique, but I guess how the Ufotable executed it—the gradual unfolding of revelations, the flashbacks, and even those seemingly trivial details that actually meant something—made it an emotionally gripping anime series. Because if it wasn't done that way I guess it would add up to the pile of bland sci-fi series in the making.
Enough of that, I'm thankful you find this one interesting enough for you to write it down—and you're welcome~ Hope to see you around 𓁹▽𓁹!
I love this! Nice post 🌸