This award-winning fantasy series is severely underrated because one season was not enough to realize the story's full potential.
By: Nicole S. Castro on September 22, 2022 at 14:34 PHT
How about a throwback for a fairly recent, underrated anime series? Anyone remember fantasy anime 07-Ghost from 2009? Because that show had so much potential. If only it had gotten a season 2 and adapted the rest of the manga.
About
07-Ghost (セブンゴースト) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara. It was serialized in Ichijinsha's josei manga magazine Monthly Comic Zero Sum from November 2005 to January 2014. 07-Ghost won a double-first prize in the third Zero-Sum Comics Grand-Prix, meaning it was chosen for first place by both readers and editors.
Studio Deen adapted it into a 25-episode TV anime series which ran from April to September 2009.
Plot and Throwback (anime)
07-Ghost stars protagonist Teito Klein (CV: Mitsuki Saiga), an amnesiac who is studying at the Barsburg Empire's military academy. He frequently has frightening dreams that are actually fragments of his forgotten past. On the day of his graduation, Teito overhears Chief of Staff Ayanami (CV: Sho Hayami) talking about him. This triggers Teito's memory, allowing him to remember Ayanami was the person who killed his father.
Teito attempts revenge by attacking Ayanami with Zaiphon, the magic in the story's universe. But he is quickly subdued and imprisoned. His best friend Mikage (CV: Daisuke Namikawa) helps him escape by pretending to be his hostage. Teito ends up fleeing to a nearby church in the 7th District where bishops Frau (CV: Junichi Suwabe), Castor (CV: Susumu Chiba), and Labrador (CV: Koki Miyata) tend to his injuries.
Little by little, Teito recalls his complex past as Wahrheit Tiashe Raggs, son of Weldeschtein Krom Raggs, prince of the former Raggs Kingdom, and bearer of the Eye of Mikhail. His journey throughout the story involves recalling his past, understanding the dark motives of the Barsburg Empire, and standing between the God of Death, Verloren, and the 07 Ghosts who are preventing Verloren's revival after he was sealed away in Pandora's Box.
How did the anime end?
With the elaborate universe of 07 Ghost, 25 episodes were simply not enough to cover everyone's backstories. However, the anime does satisfy viewers with a good grasp of the key events and main cast.
The anime covered the beginning of the manga up to the Bishop's Exams which Teito and his friend Hakuren Oak (CV: Jun Fukuyama) participate in. Since the manga was still ongoing in 2009, the anime concluded with a filler final battle between Teito and Ayanami that ended in both parties fleeing.
At the end of the anime, Teito passes the Bishop's Exams and officially become Frau's apprentice. Together, they travel towards the edge of the world, known as The Land of Seele, to uncover more of Teito's past.
Summary
While the demographic for this series is officially josei (older women), the plot, battles, and characters appeal to both males and females alike. Make no mistake, you lose nothing by watching all 25 episodes.
You don't come by a series with such an elaborate fantasy universe this often. Most of the characters and their pasts are equally interesting and contribute meaningfully to the core story revolving around Teito. Supporting characters also have charismatic personalities and emotionally significant relationships that are given appropriate development.
Most of all, you will be invested in Teito's physical, emotional, and spiritual journey. You will want to know how he confronts life and death when he reaches the end of the world. Go read the manga and witness the epic conclusion.
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NICOLE S. CASTRO
Author
Nicole is based in the Philippines and works as a freelance Japanese Translator/Interpreter and copywriter (English). She is a JLPT N2 passer who watches anime to "study" for N1. She has a long career history on LinkedIn (with primary focus on media and translation), but her anime watchlist is much, much longer.
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