Buying anime without first having seen at least one episode is a gamble, and I’m happy to say that Blue Seed
Blue Seed is a Television series with 26 episodes that are 25 minutes each. It is based largely on the Shinto legend of Susano’o and the Yamata no Orochi. In Japanese mythology, Susano’o (須佐之男命) is the god of the sea and storms and Yamata no Orochi (八岐の大蛇) is a huge eight-headed snake. In this series, Susano’o is the young God of the Aragami, and Yamata no Orochi is one seriously angry tree.
The female lead is a cute girl named Fujimiya Momiji who is part of the Kushinada clan which has been tasked for centuries with protecting Japan from the Aragami, a plant-based race of monsters who would level the nation and revert all humans back into vegetation. Momiji becomes part of a government sponsored agency called the TAC, which is responsible protecting Japan from Aragami and researching their true purpose.
Kusanagi Mamoru is a half-plant, half-human man that has been given the task of protecting the Kushinada. He and Momiji become a team of sorts, and of course, she ends up falling in love with him. When the series begins it seems like he’s going to end up being a bit of a jerk, but like all the characters in this anime, he ends up being very likable, and his flirtation with Momiji is down right hilarious. Momiji is not a the typical helpless girl we see so often in anime, but she does end up getting herself in trouble a lot, and Kusanagi is always there to rescue her.
One of the things I like most about anime is the romantic tension that is built up between characters. This series has that to be sure, but unlike many titles the relationship actually goes somewhere. Not wanting to spoil anything, I won’t say how it all times out, but suffice to say, we aren’t left at the end of the last episode wondering if the two will get together.
It is also refreshing that we are not left with a bewildering feeling of ambiguity when the series ends. I remember reading somewhere that this series is like Neon Genesis Evangelion without the downtime. I would have to agree. It predates NGE by more than a year, but the story never falls apart, and the ending is actually quite good! Highly recommended and a true classic!
Sounds pretty interesting, maybe we’ll have to plan more then one geek weekend!