[ TV ]

Reviewer : Kylara

Flame of Recca is a forty-two episode long anime centered around high school student Hanabishi Recca (Hanabishi means "of fireworks" and Recca means "raging fire"). It begins with a young female ninja, holding a baby in her arms as she runs away from the sounds of war. She tells her baby, Recca, that he will become a spectacular ninja, and sends him away in a portal. She has been instructed to guard and teach the child, as he possesses the flame that will lead the Hokage [Phantom flame] Ninja Clan. In present day Japan, Recca has grown up in awe of the traditional Japanese ninja, and often has street fights with other students. (He's been having them since he was six...) Using 'ninja style' attacks, he uses devious traps and tricks, along with his father's homemade fireworks, to win his fights. Famous around the entire city for having never lost a street fight, it is well known that whoever is first to defeat Recca will be the one that he pledges his service to. In other words, he will be their ninja. In episode one, a young girl named Sakoshita Yanagi saves his life after he rescues her from being crushed by construction beams. She has the power to heal any type of injuries, but too much can tire her. Recca, just because he 'felt like it,' pledges his life and devotion to her as her ninja, as she is now his 'princess.' Almost as soon as this has happened, a woman with an unknown purpose comes into the picture, threatening Recca, demanding that he show her his flame. Not knowing at all what she means, he has a typical street fight with her - but she dissolves into the shadows whenever she pleases. When she hurts Yanagi, Recca is angry enough that a true flame shoots out of his arm, right over his silver and black arm protector. Now that it is revealed, she leaves him alone. As the show continues, he and his friends are swept up into an endless war, which is fought over the elemental weapons of the now-dead Hokage Ninja Clan - and the life of Sakoshita Yanagi, the healer.

The plot of this show was very well thought out; however, the execution could greatly have benefited from a bit more grace. The idea, as it develops throughout time, is spectacular - however, almost every single episode contains a battle, and almost every single battle contains a remark along the lines of, "Oh! [Insert name of person] is still standing up after that unstoppable, awesome attack!" The battles are wonderful, but there are so many of them in a row that it gets rather monotonous. If the characters could show a tad bit more wit in their choices in battle (often, the solution is staring them in the face), they would be deeper, more-developed, and better characters for it. Strange plot sequences are brought up at the strangest times, though; in the middle of a tournament, with thousands of people watching, Neon (random enemy) informs Recca with a good five-minute story of why she serves her master, Kurei. Flashbacking in the middle of an in-depth battle seems to happen often, and that simply doesn't make any sense. However, good points about the show are the intricate plotlines throughout the show (some, of which, are not finished when the current season ended), the battle between the characters that are well developed, and some of the ingenious and amazing ways that everyone battles. A main factor in this show are the Madogu, which are elemental weapons created by the Hokage Ninja Clan. Since there are new enemies to fight almost every episode, new weapons have to be thought of as well - they range from a blade of water (Ensui) to the shape shifting, jack-knife (Kougon Anki). These weapons, which there are over a hundred of, which are very well designed (and the important ones have their own plot to go with them) bring a sense of balance to the show. Recca is one of the few characters in the show that does not rely on an elemental weapon, which normal people cannot control. Coincidentally, Recca's best friends, Ishijima Domon and Kirisawa Fuko can use them. Evidently, power attracts power.

Overall, this was a very good show, if using more violence and perverted jokes than most shows I watch. [Editor's note: Kylara hasn't seen what ecchi really is. -.-] As long as that person enjoys the fighting styles and weapons in this show, I would recommend them to watch it. When not on the darker side of battles, this show is also very comedic, wacky, and sweet. It's a good example of ultimate battles, without ever going into or resembling the DBZ pumping muscles sequence. [Editor's nosy interruption: WAH! You've watched DBZ? *faint*]