Night Raid 1931

So, I started watching this over the weekend and finished it in two days, which made me quite proud, despite the fact that there are only sixteen episodes :P

I thought it was really good, and was able to keep my attention through all the episodes (excpet for that one filler episode where it was all history and the Sakurai team wasn't even mentioned xP)

The character developement I thought was at times rather confusing because there would be sudden flashbacks and Yukina's were often terribly confusing [like the episode with the opium den? I was confused crazy in that one].

But the unorganization made it even more powerful. I loved moving back and forth, even if I was left confused more often than I would have liked :P

I thought the characters were really strong. Even though it was a short series, the character developement was pretty awesome. Seeng their pasts and how those pasts tied in with the present was really amazing.

Take Aoi for example. Would have ever guessed that someone as important as the Prophtess could actually have been the violin playing dead girlfriend you get flashbacks of? I never would have thought she was alive and would come into the storyline with such a strong role. I really fell in love with Aoi. He was so strong and confident and optimistic. He was that amazing friend you wish you had, or that wonderful older brother.And he was a cutie. I loved him <3 And his power was shya-mazing. Even though it was simple telekinesis, he made it look way better than Jean Grey ever did ;) And the time thing, though it confundled me at first, was actually really cool. And Aoi was totally on top of it. Always ready to use his power, yet always knowing how much he could use and still have enough left over when he really needed it. Like the first fight with Kuse when he places the bombs in the department stores? At the end when Yukina drops the pen and Aoi actually did have some time left? That made him so cool because he completely owned Kuse at his own game.

And then there was Kazura. I COMPLETELY fell for him. His idealistic view of how the world should be and how he HAD to be the one to fix everything? It rather reminded me of my anime hubbie, Suzaku Kururugi. I couldn't hep falling in love with him ;] Even though he did make mistakes [like, for example, being FOOLED by Isao] in the end he was still part of the team and realzied they were the ones who cared about him and who he cared about. Isao wans't ever cool enough for Kazura anyways. Another thing I love about kazura was the way he wouldn't use his powers because he never wanted to feel superior to his oppnents and though that a battle won with his power was not a fair and just fight. I loved that sense of justice and fairness and all about him. Just kept reminding me of Suzaku. And I mean, Suzaku also went over to the bad side thinking it was the right path, right? So I saw nothing wrong with Kazura being momentarily tricked into going to the wrong side. He came back in theend, so what does it matter?

Let's see, let's look at Natsume next. Natsume was that big kind and awesome guy every show needs. He was nice and caring and like a father to the team. He was the big brother Yukina needed and the assurance of friendship Kazura and Aoi needed. He was always there and probably often taken for granted. Not until his death did you realize just how important he was to the team in manner of his powers, as well as his presence. When he gives Kazura the notebook during the fire it shows Kazura not only that he needed to stop thinking about the past but also that Natsume was the one who cared enough to keep the notebook, not Isao, and definitely not Sakurai. And Natsume's power and how he loves the new moon nights because his power doesn't work? That was adorable. Though, I couldn't help noticing that it was the ngiht of the new moon in just about every single episode :P And then Natsume's past with his little sister? And when Yukina goes back to see his family in the epilogue? That was sooo shweet! I could totally see them as being Natsume's family, with him being that wonder son and that amazing and kind-hearted older brother.

And last for the team we have Yukina. She was kind and nice and all. And her power was so totally cool. Reading minds is lways pretty awesome. Though, I never really understoo the thing with the flowers. Did the flowers help her or what? That never did quite make sense and it was never explained, so I sat there quite confused and just went with it :P I thouht it was so sad how she had gone all that way to find her brother only find he was to be their main enemy and was to cause them so much grief. But in the end she did get through to him and he shielded her from sakurai's bullet, which was ADORABLE. He made up all his wrongs in that one move because in the end he died with honor, shielding his little sister. Yukina was the only girl on the team and that made her all the stronger. Being that strong-minded woman in the middle of all the men had to be difficult, but she kept her mind straight, ignored Aoi's flirtatious remarks and was even able to lead the team since she was the one speaking in their heads.

Isao Takachiho. Now, this guy was rather interesting. You think he's just going to be a side characte as Yukina's older brother. But he turns out to be the main antagonist, and the sole reason the team was created by sakurai in the first place. And Isao has that youthful rebellious nature that makes you think he's right and that you should follow. Little did people like Kuse know, he really just wanted to kill a bunch of people so no one else could. I never saw the logic behind that, Let's destroy Shanghai to stop anyone else from using the bomb. Whatever, dude. You just wanted to kill everyone, so just say that :P And then the thing with him kidnapping Aoi and Kazura? Like, dude, leave the team alone, they hate you [even if Kazura did fall for it...]. And he also appraoched Yukina, so it serves the question, why did he never both with Natsume? Was it because natsume was with his sister nd he wanted him there? Was it because Natsume used to be their servant or whatever and Isao didn't see him as worthy of his cause or something? Whatever the reason, Natsume was safe from Isao :P I thought it rather dissapointing that Isao didn't get any last words. His death was like a second. What nonsense?? Main dude dies and he doesn't even get to say good-bye to his little sister?

Okay, so then we have Sakurai, who seems to end up being the REAL bad guy. Not only did he make the team to find Isao, but once Isao was found, he just turned on them. I mean, the reason for the team was to emply them to Isao, right? So why just leave them hanging and go join up with Isao yourself? And why build Isao up as the enemy when the real intention was to join him the whole time? Sakurai never made sense to me. I never liked him from the beginning, and in the end he just disgusted me. He reminded me a bit of the Gold Toothed Doctor from FMA :: Brotherhood, you know? At the end where he looks all crazy with his gun? Yeah, the guy was a nutcase and I was so glad Ichishi erased his memories.

Which brings us to Ichishi. This guys had maybe five words in the entire show and they were all in the very last episode :P Ichishi was simply too cool for everyone. I mean, could Sakurai have guessed that his assisstant wasn't even actually on his side? And did Kazura and Aoi know Ichishi was always watching them, as shown in the cat episode? He was just way too cool for everyone. He was on his own level. And he did everything so silently, without need to be told or of thanks. Like when he wiped the little girl's memory of her time with Aoi? And Shizune's entire memory? He's just there to help, never to be thanked. Ooh, he was just way too cool. I liked him from the beginning ;]

The epilogue I thought was rather disspointing because Aoi, Kazura, and Yukina have that bonding moment in the zoo and then Kazura and Aoi both head off and Yukina is left alone again. I feel so bad for her because she spends so much time looking for the two of them and when she finally finds them, they're both like, nahh, we don't actually care about you. And plus, I had alays wanted Yukina and Aoi tog et together, so Shuizune being there, with her memory wiped [so she wans't even cool anymore] was toally bonkers to me. And the thing with Aoi? How he gets away from the plane crash BEFORE Kazura gets there, andyet was way too injured to even leave China for MONTHS. Like, what nonsense? Kazura so got to the plane crash before the meddling farmer did! They shoulda just had Aoi be there. The lame thing with him showing up six years later? And the six year thing was dumbb, in my opinion. I mean, why in this world does it take Yukina six crazy years to get to Natsume's family's home? OH, that reminds me, remember how when Yukina wsa leaving Natsume's home she sees the girls on the street and the one was the girl from the opium den? WHAT NONSENSE. Her dad finally gtes her out of there and now she's just going BACK? That bugged me to no end. Like, why could NO ONE have a happy ending in this show? The only person who got what they wanted was Aoi :P And I was glad for him, but I still thought he shoulda been with Yukina ;)

All in all, I thought it was a pretty darned good show. The idea was really good. I just wish there had been less history explanations and more Sakurai Team screen time. That woulda made the show a ton lot better.

But still, they did good and entertained my boring weekend, so I can only give it praise ;]


{credit where credit is deserved}

~Brightheart~