Witchblade...
Witchblade has held a special place in my heart for a number of years, so, when I heard about a Witchblade anime, I had to have it...
Witchblade starts out with Masane coping with her newfound power while trying to provide her daughter with a stable home life. Masane moves into a ramshackle apartment complex with a collection of odd tenants and somehow, even with all of the turmoil surrounding the Witchblade, manages to make the situation work reasonably well -- at least for the first half of the series.
As the story progresses, there is a distinct monster-of-the-week feeling as each episode introduces new monsters and more persistent threats to Masane and her family. As one would expect, there is a fair amount of red ink, but, surprisingly, Witchblade isn't particularly gory. Scantily clad females abound, but, there are no naughty bits to speak of.
According to a documentary included with the anime, this series, although not directly related to the existing Sara Pezzini story, is supposed to take place during the Sara Pezzini time line. Overall, Witchblade started out very well, but, quickly descended into monster-of-the-week formula from which the series never recovered. I would give Witchblade a 2 out of 5.
Of course, back in the day, Witchblade was available as a six volume series, but, at the time of this writing circa February 2018, the series is available in a more convenient box set. The anime follows the exploits of Masane Amaha as she finds the Witchblade inexplicably attached to her wrist and with her young daughter in tow, Masane flees from government agencies and secretive organizations bent on obtaining the Witchblade.Anime
Volume 1
The Witchblade is an ancient weapon bestowed only upon the women it forever scars. It's part armor, part sentient, and thirsts for battle. Masane Amaha discovers her fate and battles to keep possession of the Witchblade as two opposing forces risk all humanity for control of the ultimate weapon.
Volume 2
Twisted reflections of Masane's alter ego, the Cloneblades stand at the very pinnacle of bioengineering and shattered corporate alliances. A breed of frightful warriors, confrontation is inevitable when so many share the same desire: the Witchblade. As the past creeps into the present to haunt them all, relationships between unsteady foes lie revealed; old scars explained but never forgotten.
Volume 3
Shocking revelations threaten to undo Masane and every soul that surrounds her in this desperate age of fear and lust. The horrible X-Cons prove unthinkable abominations, and even Reina begins to question the blind passions of the past. Masane's own relationship with Rihoko grows shakier with each gasp of air into her new warrior lungs.
Mother and daughter sleep separated tonight, alone and disoriented in the frenzy surrounding their new lives. Amidst the threats to sanity and life and limb, friendship will prove a rare and valuable thing. As men move through the shadows to shape the world, an unquiet moon reflects the face of a mother lost.
Volume 4
An unsteady family painstakingly built will crumble at the whim of unyielding authority, this time leaving Masane alone and frozen by the harsh results of their icy grip. Little Rihoko's become a pawn in an experiment to dissect love. But our walls do not a home make, and shared blood must be weighed against the bonds of real life.
Volume 5
Sought by the greed of men since the dawn of humankind, but only bestowed upon the woman whose fate it forever scars - the Witchblade. Is it the righteous sword of God, or the hand of the Devil himself? Now a new bearer has been chosen, and she must discover the answers for herself. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin...
The brutal, bloodied path of the Witchblade and the calculated cruelty of corporate cutthroat make for desperate bedfellows, with sides being chosen even as the final battle approaches. Poor Masane, current bearer of the blade, is the unwilling ground zero for the swelling chaos that approaches, and those dearest to the destined are in the greatest danger of all.
As leaders rise and leaders fall, alliances shift and tumble; the lust for complete control of history's weapon, for the power promised, surges and pulses through the veins of all that have been touched by the Witchblade.
Volume 6
The emotional strain is nothing when compared to the physical strain of the Witchblade, and it looks like Masane is fast approaching the end. Rapidly deteriorating, the force of normal life continues as all plot and plan around her. Forces begin to gather by the thousands. The good news: Wado's been unseated and Takayama's taken charge. The bad news: this time the lives of everyone in Tokyo are at stake!
Masane is not alone as her few allies are prepared to join the battle, but apocalypse hangs on the horizon. High atop Tokyo Tower, a solitary soldier takes her place in the cruel history of the Witchblade...
TV Series
In this adaptation of the Top Cow comic book, Witchblade is the story of a New York detective, Sara "Pez" Pezzini, whose search for justice brings her into contact with the Witchblade, an ancient, intelligent, living weapon so powerful it can battle Earth's darkest evil forces. Week in and week out, "Pez" employs her skills as a police detective to fight crime. She finds she must employ the Witchblade to combat a much greater and frighteningly organized conspiracy of evil that threatens the very soul of humanity. As Sara tries to keep the secret of the Witchblade, do her job and have a personal life, she finds that her most formidable adversary may be the Witchblade itself.
Witchblade starts out with Masane coping with her newfound power while trying to provide her daughter with a stable home life. Masane moves into a ramshackle apartment complex with a collection of odd tenants and somehow, even with all of the turmoil surrounding the Witchblade, manages to make the situation work reasonably well -- at least for the first half of the series.
As the story progresses, there is a distinct monster-of-the-week feeling as each episode introduces new monsters and more persistent threats to Masane and her family. As one would expect, there is a fair amount of red ink, but, surprisingly, Witchblade isn't particularly gory. Scantily clad females abound, but, there are no naughty bits to speak of.
According to a documentary included with the anime, this series, although not directly related to the existing Sara Pezzini story, is supposed to take place during the Sara Pezzini time line. Overall, Witchblade started out very well, but, quickly descended into monster-of-the-week formula from which the series never recovered. I would give Witchblade a 2 out of 5.
