Series Review: GA-REI -zero-

I have a confession to make. I am not a big manga reader. I follow a few titles, but I’m generally ignorant of the latest Japanese comics until I’m clued in by one of my friends. So I came into GA-REI -zero- with only basic knowledge of the manga. I knew it was about slaying evil spirits in the modern world, but that was all; and, honestly, that’s all you need to know. The show works fine on its own. It even made a fan out of me.

Be warned: the first episode is a massive tease. As usual, Tokyo is going to hell, this time because of a massive spike in spirit activity. A group of elite spirit hunters—whose best member is clearly the girl who uses her motorcycle as a weapon—is brought in to clean up the paranormal activity. They’re doing quite well up until the end, when a mysterious girl kills all of them with her katana.

Yes, you read correctly. The main cast in the first episode dies in that episode. That’s because, as you find out a couple episodes later, those aren’t the main characters. They’re barely even background characters. The real main characters are Tsuchimiya Kagura and Isayama Yomi. The latter is the killer from the first episode, and the former is introduced in episode two…only to be put in a deadly situation at the end of that episode. It isn’t until episode three that we go back in time to see how this mess all started. It’s a bit of a confusing way to start the series, but I can understand the logic. Those two episodes are among the most visually impressive in the series, and the cliffhanger endings are effective (if slightly dishonest) hooks.

The cast isn’t the only thing that changes at episode three. The narrative focus makes a dramatic shift, too. Though there are plenty of action scenes scattered through the twelve episodes, the emphasis is no longer on spectacular fights. Instead, the creation—and inevitable destruction—of Yomi and Kagura’s close, sister-like relationship takes center stage. I was initially skeptical that the show would be able to pull off the change, but I quickly grew attached to the two girls and enjoyed seeing them interact and bond with each other. So when Yomi started to slowly degenerate into an insane murderer, it was painful to watch. Of course, that’s the point. GA-REI -zero- is one of the few shows I’ve seen that tries to communicate the anguish of betrayal and actually succeeds.

That’s not to say it’s without its faults. Kagura’s reluctance to kill Yomi, for example, lasted a little too long to be believable or relatable. Also, a couple of the events that lead Yomi down her path of self-destruction required questionable leaps in logic. Those parts felt less like decisions the characters made and more like decisions the writers made for them.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the time I spent with GA-REI -zero-. If you’re looking for a well-written supernatural anime with a great cast of characters, you should definitely give it a try.