Peacemaker Vol 1

It would seem like Peacemaker would be retreading material that Rurouni Kenshin so admirably portrayed in that series, but Peacemaker is fresh and new in a way that draws you in and fascinates you. Both series deal with the turbulent Meji Era and the civil war tearing the country apart, but each one comes at the story from a different angle.

Tetsu is a short, fiesty 15 year old who wants desparately to be included in the Shenshingumi so he can avenge the murder of his parents. Tetsu is stubborn and loud mouthed and attracts the interest of Souji Okita, an androgynous looking and acting member of the Shenshingumi. Okita is also an incredibly deadly swordsman, despite his looks. He intercedes for Tetsu with Hijikata, the tough and unforgiving commander of the fighting force who wants to send Tetsu packing. Okita wins the arguement and Tetsu is now Hijikata's page. Tetsu is desparate to prove himself and as events start getting more violent, Tetsu has to decide what he really wants when it comes to revenge.

Tetsu is a bit of a brat, but you can't help rooting for him in his stubborn quest to be a member of the Shenshingumi. His relationship with his older brother Tatsu, is a sweet tough, as Tatsu, not a fighter at all, tries to protect his younger brother. Hijikata is commanding and unbending, but has his men's best interests at heart, even if he's harsh about it. He's also absolutely lethal to people who cross him. Okita is sweet, kind and has an adorable pet pig, but he too is a monster when fighting. Hajime Saitou (yes, based on the same character that Saitou in Kenshin was) is a genuinely admirable character here. A deadly swordsman on the one hand on a level with Okita, yet also able to communicate with spirits of the dead and in his own quiet way fond of Tetsu. There's also Yamazaki, a spy and mysterious character which doesn't keep him from being cool. The obvious set up for villain is Yoshida, on the opposite side of the civil war, and with a reputation. How do we know he's bad? Well, he's got creepy eyes, which is an automatic tip off. His apprentice is a white haired boy who seems just as bloodthirsty.

Maybe the most intruiging part of Peacemaker is the characterization of the "heroes". On the one hand, they are likable and kind, on the other hand when in combat they're demons, remorseless killers and completely merciless to the opposition. You don't know whether to like them or hate them with their split personalities which harken thoughts of the Battousai in Kenshin, only it's all of them. Tetsu doesn't even seem sure on that count. He wants revenge, but he still balks at becoming the killers his peers obviously are. Peacemaker doesn't treat violence lightly. There's a lot of blood and a lot of killing, but it's portrayed for what war is, bloody and not very glamorous.

Peacemaker is worth getting into. There are moments of humor set with moments of violence. It's a beautiful anime in a lot of ways and poignient too.

I'm writing this mainly to offset M. Henke's ridiculous review; the fact that he liked Spriggan and Vampire Hunter D makes any point he could make about anime moot in my opinion, but I digress... I feel Peacemaker Kurogane definitely deserves a look from anime fans.

One noteworthy aspect of the series (that no one else has mentioned yet) is its interesting musical score, which is heavily influenced by J-rock... a refreshing, and interesting change of pace - the score really grows on you if you're willing to approach it with an open mind. Samurai Champloo is similar, in that is uses a hip-hop soundtrack that seems rather unorthodox at first.

With that out of the way, PMK is shaping up to be quite an intriguing series. The animation is typical Gonzo stuff (very good for the most part), but I don't foresee them topping Last Exile for a while. I prefer the Japanese audio on this series - the voices just seem to fit the characters better. I'm currently collecting about 6 anime series' right now, and Peacemaker Kurogane is quite high on my list of priority. Recommended viewing.

Several reviewers have compared this to Rurouni Kenshin, but I think it should be considered as it's own work. Some people complain that it is copying Kenshin, but really now, stop being morons, both series are based on the same events in history from different perspectives.

I'm not going to summarize the series here, as there are plenty of websites that will do that for you, but I would like to praise the elements of history that have been worked into the series.

Some people complain that the Choushu are portrayed badly in this series, but that's only because we are seeing the series from the point of view of the Shinsengumi, obviously we would be led to sympathize more with them. Also, if you are clever, you can spot references to the fact that both sides aren't so different. Both the Shinsengumi and the revolutionaries did heroic things, as well as things that could be considered villainous. The first DVD only has a few of the episodes on it, don't judge a series by only these few episodes (though they are a great starting point.) Before you complain about historical perspective, check out the rest of the series and observe Suzu's character.