Black Rock Shooter is an OVA based on the song with the same name sung by Supercell that uses the famous Vocaloid synthesizer, Hatsune Miku based on the illustations by Huke. It was released last July 24, 2010 and was subtitled with seven different languages.
Note to Readers: The summary was arranged in chronological order so that you will not be confused with the turn of events.
Mato Kuroi, who is just starting her first year in middle school, makes friends with Yomi Takanashi who has just moved in town. Two became close and started to hang out together. Later, Mato decides to join the basketball club and after seeing that the volleyball club is practicing at the same gym, she joins them. At the end of their first year, Mato gives Yomi the same cellphone charm that she has at her favorite spot in their town.
On their second year, the two were separated thanks to their sections but still hangs out together. Unlike before, there is a third character that came in, Yuu, the basktetball club’s manager and Mato’s classmate. As the two became more close to each other, Yomi becomes jealous until one day, she disappeared.
Mato is worried sick in looking for her. She did everything she can do just to find her until one day, she received a blank text message coming from Yomi and she suddenly she decides to go the spot I which she gave that cellphone charm on Yomi.
Mato finds the charm and was transported to a different world. A girl that partly resembles Lenalee Lee of D.Gray-Man, asked her if she wants to save the girl, probably referring to Yomi. Mato replied that she wants to be with Yomi like before, walking, talking about their thoughts and doing the things they loved to do together.
Mato asked the girl who she is, she never replied, instead, they fused and after this, this is where we learned about her name, her name is Black Rock Shooter. As Black Rock Shooter, she starts to wander around in this new world, until finally, she met Yomi who is right now being possessed by Dead Master and the battle between Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master begins. Can Black Rock Shooter save Yomi?
On to the review, the title does not employ a straight narrative, instead the events that happened in another world where told in-between the scenes that are happening in the real world, giving an impression that those events happen simultaneously until Yomi appeared at the end of the battle between BRS and Dead Master.
XTREEEME!
This type of storytelling is both a problem and the beauty of the OVA. Problem because if you are a person who wants to watch a title that doesn’t employ much thinking, you might think that Yomi appearing at the end would be a plot hole and the scene that Mato and BRS imitated Kamen Rider W’s henshin sequence when the duo, Shotaro and Philip first went into CycloneJoker Xtreme as a hunch that there would be a sequel… unless you didn’t watch the scene after the end credits.
Beauty of it because it allows you to think on how this event on the story fit while watching the OVA for the second or third time just for you to better understand the story while you enjoy watching the fluid battles between Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master.
I think the reason why the director decided that the battle between BRS and Dead Master would be seen simultaneously between the events prior before Yomi disappeared. It is because in my own opinion, the scenes that happened in the real world bored me that I would rather skip the scenes in their first year and go straight to the events in the other world.
As for the animation, studio Ordet did a great job in the animation of the OVA. When I first watched the OVA, I thought Kyoto Animation is in-charge with the animation due to how fluid the scenes where. The fight scenes between BRS and Dead Master are so fluid that it amazes me every second I watch them fight. The rather black and white ambiance adds the mystery on who is Black Rock Shooter and why is she fighting Dead Master.
Since the best part about BRS is the scenes in the other world, it would be best if I would describe it. It was a barren wasteland, kinda like how the world looks like in Casshern Sins except that there are no robots and we have a girl that carries a rock cannon that looks like Lenalee Lee. One of the biggest mysteries that bother me about BRS is why is that star-shaped cellphone charm is the transportation device to the other world? Oh, well, its anime expect the weirdest thing to happen!
The story of BRS is about the friendship between Mato and Yomi and eventually, on their growth after Yuu appeared. This tale is the one that drives the story to the other world. Will you go to a different just to save your friend? This is what the story is all about. Friendship being tested in strange circumstances.
As for the characters, Mato was the classic airhead, Yomi was the mature one and Yuu was… that girl who was added in the later part of the story, nothing special with her, or is it? For the start of the series, Black Rock Shooter, she being silent for the long time in the OVA adds the mystery of the character. I mean, her entire fight with Dead Master, she never talks, same with her enemy. They just exchange glances and expressions, which gives a dramatic feel to the OVA.
Which leads us to best part of the series, the battle scenes; I have been praising it earlier on because of its fluid animation. However, the best thing about the battle is the fact that the characters never speak to each other! This adds depth to the characters as BRS is shooting flaming blue cannon balls to Dead Master. Like I said earlier, it adds the mystery between who is Black Rock Shooter and who is Dead Master and why are they fighting. Heck, I learned her name was Dead Master (The one who looked like Yomi) after reading the character profiles in this OVA’s official website! See how silent they are?
AU Yuu?
During the course of the OVA, a mysterious figure is lurking around the strange world and at the end of the OVA, Yuu seems to act strange, is it me or we will have a possible sequel in the future?
Overall, Black Rock Shooter is a fun OVA to watch. If you love the song, you will love the OVA too because of the plot and the scenes between Black Rock Shooter and dead Master. If you are just a casual anime viewer, I suggest that you must skip the parts in their first year and go straight to their battles during their first year and the last few scenes in their first year for one simple reason, this where the plot of the story starts kicking in after the build up.
The animation is splendid and one of the best things about the OVA… it goes with the soundtrack! Hope that Huke and the writers will decide to create a sequel of this masterpiece!
