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Episode 1 Review





Summary

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts is a dark fantasy story about Incarnates, beast-like soldiers which were created by using prohibited magic. A man named Hank is a ‘Beast Hunter’, on a quest to kill these Incarnates. One day he meets Schaal, the daughter of one of the Incarnates he killed. The two of them go on a quest where they will meet many more Incarnates in different situations.

Impressions

I am a sucker for great stories and To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts delivered a clear promise for one in just 23 minutes. Amidst bloodstained battles that reminded me very much of the American Civil War (right down to to the uniforms), the losing side resorts to forbidden research and creates super soldiers who can turn into beasts. The only problem: the transformation is not kind to their free will. The more they use their powers, the more they lose their sense of control and will eventually turn into real beasts. Couple that with the promise they made that in the case they do lose their minds they expect one of their own to kill them and you have the premise for a semi-episodic series that will focus on human (almost) drama and antiwar themes. Ah, and great fights. I will definitely give To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts the 3-episodes window before making my mind.

When I first read the plot of this anime, it felt like it was my thing. Anything about a strategic war would be a perfect choice for me. Watching the first episode really surprised me because it was far different from what I was expecting. It has much more than firearms, armor, and bloody battles, which I could’ve likely imagined from a military anime. It was like the anime Fairy Gone at first glance, but as I delved deeper into its story, I’d say that To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts has a lot more to offer.

The pacing of the first episode might seem so fast, but the emotional impact was very impressive. Hank and Elaine stood out as strong characters, and I liked their intense moment at the near end of the episode. In that scene, I could already feel that there are a lot of big surprises coming, shocking revelations, and beautiful side stories. What’s even more prominent in the anime is the involvement of fantasy. The so-called ‘Incarnates’, when they go berserk, are quite weird and interesting. I am still sceptical but everything in this episode is fairly well done and isn’t overworked. I’m hoping that this anime will escalate to its most exciting point as it goes on.

The first anime of the summer season comes courtesy of studio MAPPA and it doesn’t waste time in setting things up. We get a good amount of blood spilled and body parts being dismembered in the anime’s debut, mixed in with a tad of exposition and comedy. I’ll be interested to know where the story goes after its twist. I’m getting strong True Grit and Devilman vibes from this show based on the role the Incarnates play as well as the appearance of a vengeful heroine in the next episode. We’ll hopefully see more fights in the coming episodes as it looks like our hero Hank might have to make some difficult choices soon.