The content of this piece was written during a viewing of the first episode of Ga-Rei-Zero on May 22, 2011. Edits have been made for spelling and grammar, but the rest is completely untouched, and un-edited from its original format.
Giant monsters, zombie ghosts, and psychopathic school girls may not sound like a good time, but they certainly do make for awesome TV!
7:31: Good evening everyone, and welcome to the showblog.
7:31: Tonight, I’ll be covering the action-horror series Ga-Rei Zero.
7:31: Before I begin though, I’d like to get the basics out of the way.
7:32: Directed by Ei Aoki (Fate/Zero, Girls Bravo)
7:32: Character designs by Osamu Horiuchi (Burst Angel, Full Metal Panic!)
7:32: Produced by AIC Spirits (Burn-Up Scramble, Tokyo Majin)
7:32: Created by Hajime Segawa
7:32: Opening theme: Paradise Lost by Minori Chihara
7:33: Closing theme: Yume no Ashioto ga Kikoeru by Kaoru Mizuhara
7:33: Distributed by: .@funimation
7:33: Now, let’s get this party started!
7:34: Opening with a police dispatch in Ikebukuro… already starting fast
7:34: And a car fire
7:34: In come the choppers – and now some guy’s lighting incense at a grave… k?
7:35: He apparently shot the local butterfly salesman, or something. :P
7:35: Enter Natsuki – biker babe who cares about our mystery man, now named Toru.
7:36: Apparently, they’re being dispatched… or on standby – Toru wants blood though.
7:36: So far, they’re doing a good job of building tension
7:37: Shit just got real – cars are imploding at the fire scene
7:37: And it’s caused by invisible zombie monsters – that’s right. Invisible motherfucking zombies
7:38: Lots of gunfire, lots of destruction… so far, this has been almost non-stop action
7:38: “Clear :D” …That was anti-climactic
7:39: Or not – it’s time for the boss monster – GAMERA!
7:39: Oh, and more zombies
7:39: As the humans get lit on fire and killed brutally
7:40: Ohp – human soldiers are dead… Gamera’s eatin’ him ‘_’
7:40: And in comes Toru, like a boss
7:41: Riding a motorcycle, firing double pistols as thumping eurobeat plays in the background – this is just over the top in the most awesome way.
7:41: And apparently, the motorcycle is effective in zombie killing, as Natsuki is showing
7:42: “Spray, spray, and spray some more!” …kay? ‘-‘
7:42: Looks like Gamera’s rampaging again… and Toru & Natsuki will deliver bike justice!
7:42: God damn this is fun.
7:43: And Gamera’s now dead. Happy end :D …except for the dead people
7:43: Now we’re in a board room as the higher-ups talk discuss the unit’s successes
7:43: Commander of Toru and Natsuki – mystery man named Komparu.
7:44: Gotcha – it’s not invisible zombie monsters – it’s ghosts.
7:45: Now we have everyone cleaning up the scene of the crime… or something
7:45: “Led Zeppelin :D” …wut?
7:45: Ain’t no rest for the wicked – another monster outbreak…. Toru’s ready for action, though
7:45: And now we have butterfly man… and eyecatch!
7:46: Mid-show analysis – I can’t say this in many other ways, but… this kicks ass. The action is over the top, the animation is clean…
7:46: And it’s just fun to watch in general so far. In 15 minutes, there’s been 8 people on fire and dozens of stylish kills
7:47: “It’s huge :O” Apparently, Gamera = Kasha
7:47: And Toru’s having another flashback.
7:47: It’s like Vietnam, with butterflies
7:48: They’re discussing how to dispose of the Kasha now
7:48: And our leader steps in with an idea… like a boss
7:48: “It can’t do anything if it’s in the barrier :D” …That barrier’s gon’ break
7:48: In comes Natsuki, with her “SHOMY” helmet
7:49: Looks like she’s the diversion
7:49: Toru and his partner are now there, too
7:50: Looks like Toru took the fun way in. Vertical rappel
7:50: He’s set to snipe
7:50: GO GAMERA! I mean…
7:51: They’re blowing the Levees to give a rush of water, I guess. And, apparently, holy water is made with computers now. Who knew?
7:52: And Gamera’s submerged… Here’s hoping Toru can put a bullet into its weak point for massive damage
7:52: And he’s distracted by a butterfly… MISS!
7:52: Ouch! O_o Natsuki wiped out from that
7:53: Gamera’s dead, though. That’s a bonus… I think
7:53: “I messed up T_T” yes. Yes he did.
7:53: Looks like the cavalry’s arrived, though.
7:53: Mission Accomplished.
7:54: And how do they celebrate a mission? Starbuck’s, apparently
7:54: And another butterfly.
7:54: Followed by… dayam O_o Masaki got his hand sliced off..
7:55: And now he’s dead D:
7:55: As is Kudo ‘-‘
7:55: Thanks to a Category A… AKA, a murderous schoolgirl
7:55: Looks like Mami got headcrabs D: Killed the boss, and herself
7:56: And Natsuki’s been beheaded ‘-‘ wtf
7:56: Damn, this got brutal
7:56: Apparently, Toru’s girlfriend or sister or something became a zombie… and he had to kill her. D: tragedy!
7:56: That explains the flashbacks
7:57: Now… it’s the girl again. And… daaaamn o_o Killed Toru, too
7:57: And credits.
7:57: Verdict: God damn, this is good.
7:58: Constant action, lots of over-the-top choreography, and great music.
7:58: The animation is fantastic and the characters are great… well… when they survive.
7:58: I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of this!
7:59: Anyway, thanks for tuning in! :) Have a great night, and be sure to check out .@MattB_Showblogs for his take on Princess Tutu!
Ga-Rei-Zero is distributed in America by FUNimation.
The series can be purchased at Right Stuf.
Thanks to FUNimation for providing a review copy!
