Written by Alex Criscione
Right off the bat, Gleipnir is not an ordinary anime. The series delves into many deep issues about teen and young adult minds while adding in horror action sequences.
A quick summary of the anime — a teenage boy, Shuichi, wakes up one day and has the ability transform into a monster teddy bear. He meets a sadistic girl named Claire, who joins him and together they begin a journey to find alien coins that give humans monstrous powers.
The plot and dialogue itself are a bit confusing. Gleipnir starts off as confusing as possible but as the episodes go on, we learn a little bit more about the characters and the world of monsters that they have to live with. So the more Gleipnir goes on the more it opens up. The dialogue can best be described as childish and all over the place. At times it feels like the story was written by a middle schooler. Personally, this dialogue feels intentional. The power struggle between our main protagonist and his own emotional distress as a high schooler, compared with his female counterpart. Thankfully this is explained at the end of the season.
The animation is what truly makes Gleipnir stand out and the action sequences are where this series truly shines. It brings about a shaded style of animation during fights, seeing every bit of movement that takes place in a sequence, while also delivering an impact that the viewers can feel. Another key point is in which characters transform, and during these sequences the detailing is fantastic and brings in a grotesque style of change that almost emulates Akira. The final fight sequence in the last episode is possibly some of the best animation I have seen.
This anime is not for everyone. It is extremely mature in its tones and overall story. It might even be uncomfortable for some to watch as it can be dark and sexual at times. When dealing with emotions and the truth of things while attempting to be lighthearted is difficult. They tread the line very carefully, but for some it can lead them away. This fan service style of delivery comes to a near halt about halfway through the season.
It’s clear that the creators were going for a complete mystery story, offering an interesting concept with the monster coins, but falling rather short in the delivery once the story is explained. The last two episodes are extremely strong, but also a bit overwhelming. With an unexpected twist that leaves a lot of room for speculation in the upcoming season.
Overall, Gleipnir is a solid anime if viewers can make it past the first four episodes, which seems to be the most difficult for many. The throwing of a lot of hemes at once early on can become overwhelming — but it does pay off in the end.
Gleipnir season 1 is now streaming on Funimation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1fBvRfIlo4
