The Summer 2015 Anime Preview Guide

Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers

Rating: 4.5

One of the things I most appreciate about the world of Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers is that it looks so different. Rather than medieval Europe or ancient Japan, this show takes Meso-America as its inspiration, with a combination of Aztec and Maya aesthetics to the buildings and clothing. (Until you get to the princess' bunny armor. We won't talk about that.) The story opens with a planned fight, apparently the final phases of a holy competition/ritual. The strongest warriors in the land are about to battle each other for the right to fight Princess Nachetania, who is the actual strongest fighter in the kingdom. The two venerable warriors are about to begin their battle when a random young upstart barges in, proclaiming himself to be Adlet Meyer, the Strongest Man in the World. He takes on both fighters using some very unorthodox tactics...and gets himself thrown in jail for his pains.

Basically this episode simply exists to set up the greater storyline, but it doesn't feel like an introductory episode. Adlet and the princess are fully realized characters even in this pre-plot story, with Adlet's backstory even getting a partial reveal. Nachetania, although we don't learn much about her history, is clearly depicted as a happy, strong young woman, willing to break the rules if it suits her purposes and to go outside the system to get things done. She's impressed with Adlet's prowess but not necessarily with him or his methods, although she does want to know how he came by them, and she's willing to give him a chance when it's time for the Goddess of Fate to decide whether or not he'll become one of her legendary six braves.

While there is a lot of exposition in this episode, including a lengthy legend filled with names we probably don't need to remember, it doesn't drag. In part this is because the visuals are so interesting, with the opening fight being impressive in terms of both animation and the tactics used by Adlet. (It's also worth noting that the two warriors he battles look like they think he's cheating – and by their standards of blood and steel, he probably is.) The colors are vibrant, which both makes the princess' pale coloring stand out more and catches your eye as the camera pans over a crowd. Simply put, this show looks good.

It's obvious that we've barely started the story, especially when you look at the official description of the series. But this episode, with its good visuals, sweeping music, and strong characters, makes it feel like no matter how long the story takes to get going, it won't matter if it takes three episodes to get to the main plot. It's not Yona of the Dawn, but it is definitely filling the gap it left for me, and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rating: 4

Adlet Mayer is the strongest person in the world! ...or so he says, loudly and repeatedly, and is determined to prove to anyone who's willing to listen. Adlet believes he is destined to be one of the six Braves, legendary heroes who reincarnate through the ages in order to defeat the Demon God. And in order to follow through on this destiny, he loudly and dramatically interrupts a fighting tournament within the kingdom of Piena, defeating the two semifinalists competing to fight the kingdom's princess Nashetania before promptly getting himself thrown in prison. There, he finds himself greeted by a mysterious maid, who listens to him tell of his ambitions and only laughs at his confidence. But when a red sun rises and Adlet's heroic destiny is made clear, he discovers the maid was actually Nashetania herself, newly minted co-hero and traveling companion on a journey towards glory or death.

Rokka is one of those shows, like Rage of Bahamut, that basically screams “action blockbuster production” from the very first frames. The story is big and archetypal, the direction is dramatic and confident, and the animation is top-notch. This first episode puts its best foot forward, opening with a fantastic three-way fight between Adlet and the two competing warriors that combines dynamic camera work, beautiful animation, and a great deal of narrative invention. The camera spins around Adlet and follows weapons as they course down the battlefield, conveying a strong sense of motion throughout. The character designs are inventive and very consistent, a pattern that continues all through the episode. And Adlet fights not just with strength, but with a variety of clever tricks, from smokescreens and caltrops to a flint-and-steel fire-trap in his teeth. The opening of this episode is a top-notch buffet of action and energy.

Unfortunately, the rest of the premier isn't quite as strong. The middle act of this episode, where Adlet and Nashetania share their first conversation, drags significantly compared to the opening, and is weighed down by unnecessary exposition that can't quite be buoyed up by the still-strong character animation. On top of that, there's no real indication so far that this will be any more than “just” a rollicking adventure - obviously first episodes don't necessarily let you know everything a show will be about, but there's no indication yet that this is more than strict action-fantasy fare. But aside from those issues of pacing and ambition, there's a whole lot of great stuff here. In addition to the strong animation and direction, the show's world seems to embrace a unique, quasi-Mayan aesthetic that really helps it stand out among samey fantasy worlds. There are many beautiful panoramas across the city of Piena, and the show leans into its aesthetic even more strongly when it switches to a semi-hieroglyphic style for its backstory segments. The characters already seem to have a solid rapport, and both the opening and ending of this first episode brim with energy and theatrical flair. Overall, Rokka offers up a very solid premier, promising plenty of swashbuckling, fantastical fun.

Rating: 4

Review: Ready for a dose of epic high fantasy? Because that's exactly what this adaptation of a 2011-originating light novel series looks to be offering, only this time with a distinct Aztec flavor; some of the costuming, writing, and wall murals are unmistakably patterned off of Central American samples, and the fantastic rendition of the city of Piena undoubtedly takes some inspiration from the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. (See this side-by-side comparison.) In fact, in terms of design choices it's a pretty impressive effort by studio Passione (whose only previous full-episode-length series effort was the inauspicious Rail Wars!), down even to small details likes the unique designs and rust patterns on prison bars, the hero's creative use of tricky weaponry, or the inventive ways it frames shots to highlight the bust of a supposed maid. It even has a soaring, cinematic musical score, too.

And then they throw in a powerful princess who wears a headpiece which makes her look like she has bunny ears. But hey, this is anime, after all, and what would anime fantasy be without goofy affectations like that?

In the backstory of this setting, a millennium past a Demon God ravaged the land before ultimately being stopped by a woman called the Saint of the Single Flower. She foretold that the Demon God was not permanently gone and would have to be dealt with again, and the Goddess or Fate would choose six heroes bearing the saint's mark, known as the Braves of Six Flowers, to battle and put down the Demon God once again. Twice before this is happened, and signs are that it will soon happen again. Because he wants to be one of those Braves, Adlet Mayer, the self-proclaimed Strongest Man in the World, busts into a sacred tournament to stake his claim – and while he does do impressively, he ultimately winds up jailed indefinitely for his impertinence, during which time the aforementioned maid – who is, of course, later revealed to actually be Nashetania, Piena's puissant princess and the current generation's Saint of Blades – visits him. Later, when he and she actually do receive the heroes' marks, Nashetania frees him and they run off together rather than navigating what she apparently sees as tedious rituals and procedures. They're supposed to meet up with the other four Braves, but rumors that others Brave candidates have been attacked and killed calls that into question.

Unrevealed by the first episode, but part of the core premise of the series, is that seven Braves are going to show up instead of the expected six, meaning that one has to be an imposter. That throws a very interesting twist onto what otherwise sounds like a very conventional fantasy premise. Director Takeo Takahashi is the man who has successfully brought both MAOYU and Spice and Wolf into anime form, so he knows very well how to handle fantasy, and that gives me confidence in the direction that this series may go and its execution. Here it bogs down a bit in taking a little too long to relate the myths behind the story, but both Adlet and Nashetenia seem like fun and capable characters (and the princess certainly seems more like she just needs companions rather than protectors) and the spirit of the show and its technical merits are certainly up to par.

As anime fantasy series go, this one looks pretty promising.