This review of Gleipnir was sponsored by our friends at dimsum entertainment. Thank you for the review copy!
Studio: Pine Jam
Episodes: 6
Director: Kuzohiro Yoneda
Genre: Action, Mystery, Supernatural, Ecchi, Seinen
Summary
There have been many edgy shows released this season and Gleipnir is one of the few that is blasting its way up. This show has a mix of weird, edgy and a whole lot of action all-in-one package.
The story follows a high-school student named Shuichi Kagaya who has an unusual secret. He has the ability to transform into a monster resembling a giant mascot costume. Shuichi then encounters a girl named Claire Aoki where they are involved in a battle between other monsters over a “coin”. They will then start their journey to find out the Shuichi’s transformation and how the “coin” is involved.
Characters
The premise has an intense feeling about it and the story is well conveyed. This is also in part to the characters that are portrayed in the show. The main male protagonist, Shuichi Kagaya, is a clever and timid student that just wants to live a normal and peaceful school life with his friends. However, he does not want anyone to know about his unusual secret and because of that he always feels anxious and timid around everyone else.
Claire Aoki is a sadistic high-school student who takes charge of things and can be reckless at times. She finds out that Kagaya has a special ability and proceeds to blackmail him into helping her with her cause. Despite all this, Kagaya does genuinely want to try and help out with Claire’s problem.
On the surface, the character dynamics are fairly balanced. With Shuichi’s transformation powers and Claire’s quick thinking and intuition, they make a deadly combo and use it effectively to fight off other monsters that appear in their path. Unfortunately, Claire has the upper hand in the duo and makes Shuichi do her bidding most of the time. The story has some very interesting twists even though the pacing feels slightly off at times.
Animation & Art Style
Pine Jam Studio, whose previous works include Just Because!, Gamers! and Getsuyoubi no Tawawa, have totally nailed the animation, visuals and art style of the show. Gleipnir’s visuals are nicely presented, with clean-looking and well-drawn characters. The background scenery is also visually appealing and contrasts well with the characters.
The action sequences are also nicely handled. For instance, when Kagaya puts in the punches, you can feel the weight of each punch he deals–to an almost uncomfortable extent at times. This is definitely not a show for the faint of heart as the animators aren’t afraid to depict copious amounts of blood and gore.
Music & Soundtrack
The soundtrack feels very intense and leaves a heavy mood at the same time. For example, orchestral music may seem like an odd choice for intense fight scenes, but the result feels weighty and the songs gel well with the tone of the show.
The opening song, named, “Altern-ate-” is sung by H-el-ical//. As a side note, H-el-ical// is a new solo project by Hikaru, a member of the anime pop group Kalafina. The ending song, “Ame to Taieki to Nioi” is sung by Mili. It does not have the same concept as her other previous popular songs, instead feeling very melancholic and relaxing.
Verdict
If you want to watch an intense show that is jam packed with paranormal themes and gory action scenes, then this might be the show for you. There are times where the story pacing can feel slightly off but the intense moments make it up for it. Overall, the show has a lot of promise and there were a lot of plot twists within the first three episodes. So you should watch this show and see where Shuichi and Claire head into.
Gleipnir is now available on dimsum entertainment. Head on over to dimsum.my to check it out now!
