Ga Rei Zero is released back in year 2008, based on a manga by Hajime Segawa. Yes, it’s rather old. But I just happen to stumble into the forum where someone posted the wallpaper of the show and I was curious so I checked it out. It looks to be my type of anime, dark, dramatic, friendship and fighting! So I gave it a try.
First episode brings us straight into the supernatural world whereby this special group from Supernatural Disaster Prevention Office protects the public by fending off supernatural beings. The members are divided into two types, as far as I can see from the first episode. One is the normal members who need to use special helmet with a scanner attached to allow them to see the supernatural beings, naturally unseen by the public. Then, there’s another section consisting of members who I assume yield certain level of ability because they can see the monsters or ghostly creatures with their naked eye.
Tooru and Natsuki
The opening involves a case labelled as Category B (they categorize the level of the cases), where they have to fight against this dinasour-like creature. I remember thinking about the dinasours in Ultraman lol when I saw that here. Anyways, when the normal members can’t seem to contain the creature and other ghosts, the special section is called to control and execute the exorcism.
We’re introduced to two members who appear constantly in the whole episode – Tooru and Natsuki. Tooru is visiting the grave of his girlfriend who he had to kill because she was possessed. He is clearly still disturbed by the incident and vows to capture the one behind this (the kid with white hair in the picture). He and Natsuki then rush to the city and lend their hand in killing the monster by guns with special bullets encrypted with prayer scriptures and Natsuki’s bike also has tyres that have those words. These scriptures help to kill or at least weaken the opponent. Another method they use is splashing prayer water. The methods are rather traditional if you ask me but it gets the job done.
Great flying tricks with the bike there, Natsuki
The first monster is successfully destroyed but a second attack happens elsewhere. The team then set a trap underground hoping they can drown the monster with the prayer water. Natsuki manages to lure it to the tunnel, then when Tooru is preparing to shoot, he sees a flash of blue petals – the same type he sees flying around the evil kid involved in his girlfriend’s murder. The distraction causes his bullet to steer from its aim and Natsuki crashes.
Luckily, the monster has already come in contact with the prayer water, causing it to collapse. Tooru and Natsuki are saved by the rest of the members in a heli and when they are resting at another part of the tunnel, Tooru realizes he is stepping on the blue petal again. Suddenly, the next thing he knows, one of the member’s hand is severed. A teenage girl clad in dark uniform stabs him from behind with a long sword. This is when things start to turn ugly. Like you'll see her slashing the guys with slick moves, dismembering them without mercy.
The members at the Command Center appears to be possessed too - committing suicide
I had this faint glimpse of hope that Tooru and Natsuki will survive this ordeal, whoever the assassin girl is. But when I watch how Natsuki's head rolls down to the floor, turns and faces side up to Tooru's horror, I knew there's zero hope for them to come out alive. That scene was so heartbreaking!!!~
Natsuki's decapitated head
Tooru's flashback at that moment leaves me wanting more. During the incident where he killed his girlfriend, the exact same girl was there too asking him to shoot because his girlfriend has turned into something else. I'm curious of how the "good" side of her turns into this killing machine? What is her relationship with Tooru and the rest of the members? The episode ends with her slashing Tooru and with the amount of blood splashing on the wall, Tooru is definitely gone too. She leaves a final message to him before his death : "I told you to give up, didn't I?"
Tooru's traumatic flashback
Now I know this sounds odd. It leaves us with a bizarre ending! I mean, all the members died in the first episode? The ending scene leaves a very eerie moment. There's no ending song either which makes it all the more creepy because all we hear are the water dripping sound. A really awesome cliffhanger.
Rating: 9/10 - despite the fact that my fav Tooru died so early T___T
No comments:
Post a Comment