Series Recommendation: Casshern SINS
I AM…CASSHERN!!
A beloved classics hero of Tatsunoko got a massive reboot in 2008, bringing more philosophy and a darker toneto the series. And CASSHERN SINS was born. In a grim, dark world of robotic apocalypse, a lone warrior wanders the land, not knowing his past nor his future. All he knows are endless battles that he does not wish for. But on his adventure, he met the few shining fragments left in this decaying world. This is the story of a mechanical warrior learning about life and death, about love and hate, about fleeting happiness and eternal loneliness.
+ Plot: The series doesn’t require you to watch the original series or any of its incarnations, but it would help if you have the basic knowledge about Casshern, as they did give a brief introduction but nothing too detailed. Knowing about Casshern will enhance the experience, but overall, not a huge issue.
Casshern SINS is a masterpiece in story-telling. The world is depicted like a reconnaissance painting with heaven and hell existing all at once. Among the suffering, hope still shimmers. The story is filled with brilliant and unique characters. Everyone is vastly different, but they all contribute to the over-arching philosophy of the series. You can experience different worldviews about an apocalyptic world with very distinct attitudes. It is one of the few series that the main cast outshines the side-characters, but the characters possess a unique radiance of their own, making them memorable throughout. The ideas and questions raised in the series will make you reflect about life and death itself, about the world we are living in. Better yet, we got Tooru Furuya voicing Casshern and his soft but distinct voice really hits our soul.
The character development in this series is enormous. Even with 1 episode worth of screentime, they managed to develop a side-character so deeply that it felt like an entire arc. And they proceed to do the same throughout 24 episodes, all the while adding subtle but huge development to the main cast to lead to the inevitable climax. Not an explosive one, but one that will stay in your head and your heart for a long while.
Casshern SINS is a masterpiece in story-telling. The world is depicted like a reconnaissance painting with heaven and hell existing all at once. Among the suffering, hope still shimmers. The story is filled with brilliant and unique characters. Everyone is vastly different, but they all contribute to the over-arching philosophy of the series. You can experience different worldviews about an apocalyptic world with very distinct attitudes. It is one of the few series that the main cast outshines the side-characters, but the characters possess a unique radiance of their own, making them memorable throughout. The ideas and questions raised in the series will make you reflect about life and death itself, about the world we are living in. Better yet, we got Tooru Furuya voicing Casshern and his soft but distinct voice really hits our soul.
The character development in this series is enormous. Even with 1 episode worth of screentime, they managed to develop a side-character so deeply that it felt like an entire arc. And they proceed to do the same throughout 24 episodes, all the while adding subtle but huge development to the main cast to lead to the inevitable climax. Not an explosive one, but one that will stay in your head and your heart for a long while.
+ Animation: The aesthetic of SINS is very unique with a really sketchy and heavy-stroked style. MADHOUSE handle this very well. They are, after all, veteran in animating hand-to-hand combat. The battles are crisp and well-choreographed. The scenery is breath-taking and ominous at the same time. It really makes you feel like you are living the world of SINS. The action in the series isn’t excessively brutal or gory, and isn’t Ufotable grade, but it delivers the impact of every kick, every punch, every jump perfectly.
+ Design: Casshern’s design is very close to his original design, but more bishounen and the proportion more Code Geass-y. It does make him looks like a brooding pretty cyborg that is unsure of what he is doing in this world. An emo teen trying to make sense of his collapsing world and trying to rebel against it. The Jinzou Ningens design in the series is very stylistic and exaggerated. There are also very generic looking cyborgs as well, but the value of the series is in the story and the characters. Even if a character’s design is common, it doesn’t make their individuality any less relatable.
+ Design: Casshern’s design is very close to his original design, but more bishounen and the proportion more Code Geass-y. It does make him looks like a brooding pretty cyborg that is unsure of what he is doing in this world. An emo teen trying to make sense of his collapsing world and trying to rebel against it. The Jinzou Ningens design in the series is very stylistic and exaggerated. There are also very generic looking cyborgs as well, but the value of the series is in the story and the characters. Even if a character’s design is common, it doesn’t make their individuality any less relatable.
+ Music: It’s a literal SIN to have music this good and fail to deliver. Thankfully, Casshern SINS didn’t fell into that category. Along with atmospheric music and emotional OSTs, everything else was made on par with the music in terms of quality. Aoi Hana, the 1st OP, will be stuck in your head the VERY FIRST TIME you hear it. When it comes on, I instantly knew I will never skip the OP. All the other songs are all very well made. Kaoru Wada is already a legendary composer, but then he got a lot of talented artists to work with, he really delivered. Along with a compelling story and gorgeous art, great music completed the perfect combination..
+ Conclusion: CASSHERN SINS is more than just a reboot of the original series. It is a different beast altogether. It brings deeper meaning, more profound philosophy about the world we live in along with a modernized aesthetic. From top to bottom, it hit all the right note. You will feel more in-tune with the characters and the apocalyptic world they live in more than any other dark superhero story. It will have your butts stuck to your chair and your eyes on the screen for hours straight.
+ Conclusion: CASSHERN SINS is more than just a reboot of the original series. It is a different beast altogether. It brings deeper meaning, more profound philosophy about the world we live in along with a modernized aesthetic. From top to bottom, it hit all the right note. You will feel more in-tune with the characters and the apocalyptic world they live in more than any other dark superhero story. It will have your butts stuck to your chair and your eyes on the screen for hours straight.
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