One of our SpiceHeads (Spiceworks Community members) was asking for anime recommendations which reminded me of one I watched a handful of years ago that didn’t quite get the reception I thought it would (meaning, I feel it is not as widely known). It’s an anime called “Rage of Bahamut: Genesis” [more] (aka “Shingeki no Bahamut”).
The Setting (spoiler free)
Long ago in the land of Mistarcia, a magical realm where humans, gods, demons, and all sorts of mythical beasts lived together, a massive dragon-like creature called Bahamut threatened to destroy the world with its great power, until the humans, gods, and demons put aside their differences and fought against the beast. Bahamut was finally sealed when Zeus and Satan sacrificed themselves to form a key to the seal. This key would be split in two with one half given to the gods and the other to the demons. Now two thousand years later, a half-demon, half-angel named Amira steals the gods’ half of the key and in doing so puts the world in danger of falling into ruin once again.
Why would I recommend checking it out?
The animation is pretty solid which is not surprising since it is done by MAPPA, and that doesn’t end with the action scenes (more on that in a moment). The facial animations are great, which can be hit and miss with many animations.
The story, character development, and humor are there. What caught me in the first episode was the humor and the interactions between the two main… frenemies, Kaisar and Favaro. That said, I think they left a lot (too much) on the table when it comes to Amira. She starts off strong but doesn’t grow like the others. That said, come the end of the series, you learn why and it makes sense… I j just feel a wasted opportunity still.
I’m a sucker for a good fight scene. And Rage of Bahamut has this in spades. In fact, I recently rewatched this because of the topic in the Spiceworks Community and I have to say, I don’t recall a boring engagement. They are well animated but also have great sound and music (and we all know, great music can make or break a good fight).
If you’re a fan of magical, fantasy adventure (especially when it starts tangling with threads from theology, demons, and the supernatural), I’d at least try it out. It is not a slow-started (not in the least) and if you’re not interested by the end of the first episode, then I wouldn’t continue. It gets better, of course, but it doesn’t turn into something else different.
It looks like the episodes are on YouTube so you can try it out there.
Episode 1 on YouTube (English Sub)
Episode 1 on YouTube (English Dub)
So, if you’re looking for a short series to watch, I’d recommend checking it out. And if the name FAVARO! doesn’t ring through your head after watching the first few episodes, I’m not sure what to say.