(12 episodes)
What’s it about ?
This is set in Japan in the middle of the 19th century, except there are tons of steampunk mecha around. Of course there are.
Characters
Keiichirou, our protagonist. A rowdy delinquant, he’s somehow managed to beat up every street gang in Nagasaki. Which annoys him, as everyone now admires the boss and there’s nobody left to fight. Also, he suddenly gets the news that the Tokugawa shogunate has fallen, and he’s a heir to it. Which means new many people trying to kill him. Joy !
Kiriko, a badass assassin in a skintight sexy outfit who has NOT come to kill him. Instead, she’s come to warn him, prevent some attempts to assassinate him, and tell him to use the super-mecha hidden in the basement. (“Wait, what ?”) Grandma (who’s also switched into a skintight ninja outfit, one of the few jokes that work) vouches for her, so she must be legit, eh ?
Houkouin, played by a Miyuki Sawashiro chewing acres of scenery, is our baddie for the week. She has her own mecha that she pilots to quasi-orgasmic delight. /facepalm
Production Values
Not very good ; there are many early scenes where it’s barely animated at all. Still, nice designs for the steampunk mecha.
Lots of fanservice, of course.
Overall Impression
Something I should make clear : the near entirety of the plot outlayed above happens in the last five minutes. Before that, the show is very, very boring indeed. The tediousness almost made me fell asleep, really. The quick successing of twists at the end is welcome and definitely not boring, but that doesn’t make the show actually any good. It’s still a nonsensical mess with annoying characters.
No thanks.