Rage of Bahamut: Genesis (Review)

Meet Favaro Leone, professional bounty hunter and casual scoundrel. When he’s not crossing swords with his arch nemesis and former best friend, Kaisar Lidford, he can be found at the local tavern spinning tall tales to anyone who will listen. After a one-winged demoness overhears his drunken boasts, she wrangles him into an unbreakable contract that will force him to make good on the promise he made. With nothing but a destination in mind, the pair set out on their grand adventure—completely unaware of the dark forces working to fulfill an ancient prophecy that will bring about the end of the world. That is, unless a charming rogue, a clueless demon, a disgraced knight, and a tiny zombie can band together to change the course of history.

If you want a refreshing anime with a funny protagonist, good supporting cast and a nice original story, than “Rage of Bahamut: Genesis” might do the trick for you. From the very first episode alone I was hooked on the story and that’s thanks to our charismatic lead Favaro. Favaro is purely a joy to watch. He is a wise cracking, womanizing bounty hunter who just happens to get caught in a situation because of too much alcohol and running his mouth. Favaro is a character that you know beneath his wicked tongue, party ways and basically living the life of a scoundrel that he has some layers to him. These layers are explored deeply with his relationship with Kaisar Lidford. Not to spoil anything but the relationship between Favaro and Kaisar is a complicated one. These two guys were best friends as kids and something happens that changes the course of their relationship. The dynamic of a friendship having a fallen out is greatly explored. It first starts off as a lighthearted rivalry in the first few episodes. However as the story proceeds we see a more compelling relationship between the two friends. I like how the relationship was presented and also like the little signs of light you get with their interaction. Other characters that work well Amira and Rita. Amira is the demon girl who determines to find her mother. She enlists Favaro on her quest and will free him from his curse if he does what she says. Amira has some clichés to here like being an outsider to a new world. She doesn’t know things like what marriage is, having a father and more. While her character has some key cliché fish out of water elements she is enjoyable to watch when she is in demon form. Demon form Amira is a threat to be reckoned with. When it comes to action she steals the show every time she is on screen. She has a cutthroat approach that makes to her fighting that takes no prisoners. Finally we have Rita who is undead and I won’t spoil anything else from her. Just know that she is one of the coolest characters on the show and her powers are not watch you expect from a zombie.

Rage of Bahamut: Genesis has a refreshing story, and the animation does well to match it. The combination of 2d and little of 2.5d with the use of colors and action scenes work. The designs look great and I really like the tone and feel this show was going for. It has a combination of lighthearted tone mix with a dark one that balances out nicely. The voice acting is great in English and Japanese. Ian Sinclair is great as Favaro adding a much needed touch of suave, cunning and arrogance to his performance. Chris Rager as Kaisar is also a great performance. He gives that confident voice you will expect from a character with nobility. Tia Ballard as Amira is great especially when she is in demon form. You can hear her voice become a little more aggressive and dominate compare to the sweet upbeat voice of her human form. Finally Apphia Yu as Rita is a joy. That no nonsense I don’t care attitude is shown through her performance. The chemistry between all the actors is clear and adds more depth and enjoyment to the show.

Overall Rage of Bahamut: Genesis packs some great action with a little western flare. The characters and interactions are enjoyable to watch and you can feel the chemistry through the acting. The story is fresh and while it has some plot holes and cliché moments that you might see coming it’s worthy of a watch.

Final Grade 4 out of 5 Stars