Pure weapon-wielding fun! Soul Eater does what a lot of recent anime should do: it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
2010 TV Series (episodes 1-13). Director: Takuya Igarashi. 315 minutes. DVD, bilingual, $59.98. Distributor: FUNimation.
Soul Eater
At the Grim Reaper’s Death Weapon Meister Academy, students learn the fine art of combating the supernatural forces of evil. And much like the Jedi, these otherworldly warriors travel in pairs: one meister, one weapon. That’s right, one member of this team actually transforms into a deadly tool, and together they’re an unstoppable force. Maka is one of the Academy’s best. Along with Soul, who turns into a slashing scythe, they have one goal in mind: extract the evil souls of ninety-nine humans and one witch in order to turn Soul into a Death Scythe, the ultimate weapon. And with witches, werewolves, and zombies a foot, battles are waiting! Oh, and let’s not forget, this is a school. Hijinks are also lurking behind every book.
Pure weapon-wielding fun! Soul Eater does what a lot of recent anime should do: it doesn’t take itself too seriously. In the universe of Soul Eater, where chaos-desiring witches are the archenemies of meisters and their weapons, this supernatural epic is wonderfully fraught with amicable characters that are out for a joke as much as a kill.
The Crew
Hmm, let’s see. Maka is the type A personality schoolgirl (complete with skirt) intent on perfecting her skill. Black Star is the erroneously self-proclaimed master assassin, who without Tsubaki, his weapon, would always bite off more than can he chew. Death the Kid, Death’s offspring, is a prima donna accompanied by two hot sisters, his weapons. And Soul is just that cool dude, the wingman you’ve always wanted. And it doesn’t hurt that a sexy kitten, whose human form is usually somewhat naked, is after him for a joint bath.
Under those conditions, it’s good to be a soul eater!
Seriously, these kids are either having comically awkward teenage moments or engaging in artful heroic combat. And since these shape-shifting weapons are scythes, guns, swords, and even modified kusarigama, the action is spot on!
Soul Eater is about two things: cutting down evil souls and teenage hormone-induced shenanigans. Like I said, this anime knows exactly what it is: fun! The result: a series that takes the guilt out of your guilty pleasure.
