From the director of Death Note, Kurozuka is Madhouse’s latest action series. This time, it’s packed with lots and lots of Japanese-styled horror, and comes in a package that just oozes style. With an OP that’s even more extreme than the second one from Death Note, this is the perfect watch if you need to lose some frustration, pump some adrenaline or find some other excuse to watch a bit of tense action.
Because really, this series hardly gives the viewer any time to take a breath. There are lots of quiet moments throughout the series, but even they remain clouded the show’s very thick atmosphere, as it prepares for the next climax. This series set out to create an combination between action and horror, and it pretty much succeeded in this.
But yeah, Kurozuka is all about action and atmosphere, so don’t even try to expect something special from the plot or characters. The plot is actually pretty decent. It’s simple, yet it’s got a number of surprising plot twist, and even though the ending isn’t going to answer every question that’s left behind, it succeeds in keeping an air of mystery around the show.
The problem with this show is the cast of characters. They’re just… there. They hardly get the time to be fleshed out, but none of them make a particularly strong impression, safe for a few minibosses, who manage to provide the best action-scenes of the series. The main character Kuro has his own background, but we never see any sides of him, other than the silent stoic side that doesn’t talk a lot and wants to fight.
But then again, if you want deep characters, you can always watch a different series. Kurozuka knows exactly what it is: an action flick that never really goes anywhere deep, and that’s where it succeeds at. The graphics for this series are downright awesome, and they turn every single episode into a visual feast. There’s always something nice to look at and a continuous atmosphere. My only real complaints are that the ending doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of the series, but nevertheless I personally enjoyed watching this series a lot.
| Storytelling: | 9/10 |
| Characters: | 7/10 |
| Production-Values: | 9/10 |
| Setting: | 8/10 |
if one takes Kurozuka for what it is,an action show,knowing it can be quite violent,i don’t see why one would be disappointed since it never tries anything more and that is not a bad thing here.
for me it is one of the best action anime i saw in quite a while,it definitely has the best fighting scenes of the year,i really like the innovative animation changes during the fights,overall the animation quality is just great,people who have seen death note will probably notice right away the similarities in the animation style(i liked that),practically it is all just as psg said,so no need for me to go in even more details,this review is perfect for people who want to know what to expect from this anime without reading any spoilers,and yeah the op is quite different and similar to the 2nd op of DN but i like this one better.
oh yeah,i would have like to see some parts of the manga animated but still,in the end,this is a very good adaptation of the manga
and lets end with a happy holidays to psg and all its readers
I don’t quite get the ending though. A simple interpretation is that it’s all a dream, but that would be lame wouldn’t it?
@tjhan
My interpretation is that Kuro is trapped in a game that Kuromitsu has made. Kuro will find Kuromitsu then, when Kuro finds her it starts all over again. The whole point of the show anyway is that it tells you a philosophical view or any other BS you can think of.
“The problem with this show is the cast of characters. They’re just… there. ”
Characters: 7/10
itt we use a 6-10 rating scale