|
Phantom 1April 1, 2004Title: Assassin At the beginning of this episode, we are introduced to a ninja-assassin called Phantom.
Phantom works for a mysterious crime syndicate boss called "Master Scythe" and generally goes around assassinating people. On one of Phantom's missions in the ghettos of Los Angeles, Phantom bumps into our protagonist -- a Japanese student traveling abroad.
Phantom's boss (Master Scythe) instantly ascertains the 'hidden potential' of this student, and takes him to the syndicate hideout, where his name and prior memories are erased. And so, after a bit of training, the Japanese student becomes a assassin and kills people under the codename "Zwei".
The End. * * * RATING: C Ok, pop quiz. What do you get when you combine"Gunslinger Girls" and "Gungrave"? That's right! Phantom! Our main protagonist (Zwei) is extremely talented at firing weaponry (just like the heroes of Gunslinger Girls) but can't remember where he came from (just like Brandon from Gungrave). If I had money to wager, I'd bet that our cold-hearted hero will soon be fraught with emotional trauma at his deeds, and will subsequently go on an epic search to find his 'true' family, killing the evil "Master Scythe" in a tear-jerking last episode. Frankly, I have no pity for people who are brainwashed. This concept has been rehashed *way* too many times, and I'm sick of seeing protagonists slowly break out of their shell. Damn it, if you get brainwashed, stay brainwashed! You would think that evil corporate bosses would get better brainwashing equipment for their elite ninja minions, but no, they always have to go to the bargain basement . . . Anyway, this is just a mediocre episode, and I don't see any really ground-breaking potential in terms of plot. As such, I'm probably going to drop the series, unless someone else is duly impressed . . . * * * disagree? read 5 comments! |
 |  |
      |
