Anime Review: Jormungand

Have you ever wondered what Lord of War would have looked like if they had turned it into an anime and then made Nicholas Cage’s character a woman? Well that’s what you get with Jormungand. Created in May 2006 by Keitarō Takahashi, the manga ran for six years before ending in January of 2012. It managed to gain an anime produced by White Fox with two seasons under its belt before ending on December 25, 2012. So in the name of Christmas spirit let’s look at an anime that ended on Christmas day.

Story

Jormungand tells the story of the arms dealer Koko Hekmatyar, a crazed white haired woman who works for the corporation HCLI and is the daughter of the company’s head. With a knack for selling weapons of every kind, she frequently has to avoid both law enforcement and rival gun dealers as she travels the world with her team of loyal bodyguards. As the show begins we are introduced to the newest member of her team, Jonathan “Jonah” Mar, a former child soldier who ironically has an intense hatred for guns and those who sell, buy, and use them.

While I wish to try and avoid comparing it to Black Lagoon, Jormungand unfortunately has a number of similarities that can’t be ignored. They both involve an outsider coming into a group of tight knit criminals, an episodic way of telling their story, and a dark look at those involved in the criminal world and its effect on their humanity while still trying to be comedic and fun. The problem is that Jormungand falls short of properly utilizing these things.

The plot for each arc is well setup and interesting enough to pull you in. Many of the characters in Koko’s team have their own chance to be in the spotlight for an episode or two and these help the audience understand their backstory and care for them more. This can get a bit tricky as the overarching plot of the series begins to speed up near the end but it does it well enough. The fights are well choreographed for the most part and the detail put into the weapons and vehicles is excellent. It’s probably one of the best things about the show. The beautiful settings are also a plus and I appreciate how we aren’t stuck in one location for most of the show. I also liked the various pop culture references as it gave a nice touch of realism to the series.

The problem is that the show’s payoff and journey isn’t as satisfying as it could have been. There’s too many times where I found myself disappointed in how certain character arcs ended, giving me the feeling that it didn’t matter how high the stakes were, everything was just going to turn out fine for Koko and her crew. When the overarching plot finally got towards the end I wasn’t so much excited as I was relieved that we were near the finale.

As you watch this series you might begin to pick up on some other interesting things that they try do throughout. As with Black Lagoon, Jormungand tries to give you a look into an element of the criminal underworld, the arms trade in this case, and how dark and gritty it is and that it can take a toll on your humanity while also trying to keep a light and comedic theme as well. It sometimes works and the show becomes enjoyable to watch when it does but other times it fails and leaves you with uncertainty on how to react. Sometimes they try for over the top action and craziness while also trying to be more realistic which doesn’t work out as well as I would like. It feels like the show was trying to go for too many genres and ended up in something of a tangled mess.

Characters

The characters are what drives this show for the most part, even during the main plot sequences, and is probably one of its stronger points. Out of all the characters Jonah and Koko by far have the most development throughout the show, which makes sense considering they’re the main characters. Koko’s crazy smile and childish attitude is a nice contrast to the icy and calculating interior she hides. You can tell that behind those eyes is mind working to put herself ten steps ahead of her opponent and you’re not sure what she’ll do next. Jonah quite the opposite, keeping up an emotionless and cold front while still being emotional and conflicted on the inside. Because he is a skilled soldier and put in such a unique position it is easy to forget that he’s still a child and it’s heartwarming to see that inner child come out at times. His and Koko’s interactions together are some of the best parts as they play well off each other. Jonah acts as something of a limiter for Koko which allows her to alleviate all the stress she’s built up and hold on to some of her humanity.

Aside from our two main protagonists, we have her team of ex-special forces and elite soldiers from around the world. Many of these characters get their own arcs in a dedicated episode or two that fleshes out their backstory and motivation for staying with someone as crazy as Koko. The problem is that there are times when it’s hard to keep track of whose who and not every character gets their moment to shine. One character in particular that I felt deserved some backstory, the team sniper Lutz, doesn’t get an episode to flesh out his backstory. Another problem I found is that as soon as a character’s arc is finished they get pushed to the sidelines as supporting characters. It sometimes makes you wonder why they’re there in the first place. One thing that really bothered me was how invincible Koko’s squad was. Nothing could touch them, which doesn’t help when the show is hitting all the flags for a tragic ending only to pull the rug out from under you.

I found the antagonists to be some of the more interesting characters in the series like but unlike Black Lagoon where they solved that problem by keeping the villains around here they are disposable. A majority of them get built up to be super badasses but in the end they get beat with hardly any trouble and then they disappear. Not all of them are beaten the same way and how Koko defeats them is both entertaining and realistic considering the setting. To me, the CIA spook Scarecrow, the Assassin Trio, and Koko’s brother Casper were some of the more interesting side characters and I wish they could have had more screen time. Also, on a personal note, is every assassin’s secret dream to go into the food business?

Music

The first opening song, Borderland by Mami Kawada, has a nice beat to it and gets you pumped to watch the episode. The animation for the opening is great The second opening, UNDER/SHAFT by Maon Kurosaki, doesn’t have the same impact for me but it’s still a decent enough song that I listened to it a couple of times before skipping. The first ending song, Ambivalentidea by Nagi Yanagi, is a beautiful song that I never really got tired of I appreciate the image of a spent bullet casing with various characters being reflected off of it being shown throughout the song. It makes it aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The second ending song, Laterality by Yanagi Nagi, is a nice song that that you’ll probably listen to a couple of times before skipping it. Overall I enjoyed the music in this series and feel it was probably one of the more positive things this series had to offer.

Overall

I would say this series was more disappointing than bad. The fight scenes are well done and animation is visually great. It has a nice variety of settings and cultural references as well. The plot had potential but the payoff was something of a letdown and left me with more questions than answers. The characters were interesting and had plenty of personality and watching Koko and Jonah together on screen together was eye catching but it felt like there were too many characters to keep track of at times and the stakes decreased overtime as you come to realize that Koko and her team can overcome almost anything in their path.

I would suggest this series to the diehard action fans or if you’re looking for something to watch to kill some time. If you’re looking for something similar I would try Black Lagoon (big surprise there) or Gunslinger Girl. You could also try Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom or even Angel Beats!.

This post was submitted by Ian, who happens to be a strong supporter of Role Playing Public Radio.