ZERO: Black Blood

[Dragonfan]

Err...when? It seemed like it was CGI pretty much all the way through? There were a few moments in the first transformed scene where it seemed like it maybe could be in the close-ups, but I thought that was about it.

Except for the jumpings, impossible movements and most of the last battle, the rest was the real suit. I mean, probably we had had more real suit than CGI suit in this show.

 

[Dr Kain]

Well, let's all be honest here, the only reason we watched this show is for Zero.

But there was no development to Zero at all. We learned nothing new about his character. He did not grow as he was the same in episode 1 that he was in episode 6. In fact, I'd say this was a disservice to Zero's character. He had more development in that episode of Makai with the tree than he had in all 6 episodes here.

 

[Toku Prime]

Except for the jumpings, impossible movements and most of the last battle, the rest was the real suit. I mean, probably we had had more real suit than CGI suit in this show.

To my eye it was CGI at least 99% of the time. Certainly every time you could see him from head to toe.

 

[Hidden Masta]

I'm gonna miss all the important characters we've met.
[HIDE]
I miss them already...[/HIDE]

 

[Dragonfan]

To my eye it was CGI at least 99% of the time. Certainly every time you could see him from head to toe.

Can you put a screencap when you think it's CGI? I recall lots of full body shots when it was real (most of them, as I said).

 

[Dr Kain]

Most of the armor was not CGI unless he was in full combat. It was actual armor unlike that TOWSID garbage.

 

[ShadowofLight99]

6 episodes was definitely too long. Four would have perfect imo. Still, while its not my favorite entry in the Garo franchise, I had a fun time with this. Loved the return of the actual armor, and I can never truly dislike any Garo work that feature the horses, and yes that does include the Kiba Gaiden.

Zero was awesome as always, and seeing him give dramatic speeches about being a protector of the people reminds me of just how far the character has come from being the revenge driven jerk he was in Season 1. He doesn't really change much as a character, but I was fine with that since almost all the newer Garo works featuring the original cast are less about them growing as characters, and more about them reaffirming their character growth from Season 1 and becoming bastion of how Makai Knights/Priest should act to newer characters.

Yuna and Kain were okay. I think what they were trying to do with those two was give them shades of early S1 Rei, with Kain being a dick and Yuna's quest for revenge, but I really feel they needed a few more personal quirks to really make the characters feel more original. Between them and the barkeep, who I thought was fantastic, it really seemed they were trying to give Rei his own support team, similar to Kouga, but since Rei is by nature the loner, it felt very forced at times.

Ring was a pretty interesting bad guy and one we haven't had yet in the Garo universe, and I'd be interested to see another villain inspired by his ideals come to power for another short special. I found it funny though that the actor's acting was better in Japanese than English. Also, while he definitely had a great villainous presence I really feel when it came to the out of the suits fights, he was probably the weakest of the primary cast, especially whenever he and Zero clashed.

My biggest gripe with the show though was the young couple. Like what the point of them even? I really thought that during the scene where all the humans are beating on Rei they would at least have come to his defense, since you know he saved their lives, and prove that regular humans could be selfless as well, but they didn't, and when a show goes to out of its way to remind me how shitty people can be, without showing the other side of the coin, it really bugs me. What's worse is that they didn't give any resolution on what happened with the two of them!

 

[scikaiju]

Got done watching this the other day and i have to agree that it seemed the took what should have been a 2-3 episode story and tried to stretch it out. Although that was only part of my problem with it. By episode two I couldn't shake the feeling I'd seen part of this story before and came to the realization that they apparently took a couple plot elements from The One Who Shines in the Darkness and twisted them a bit to not seem like a carbon copy.

in TOWSITD we had a city where Horrors were secretly living among the human population, in Black Blood we have a Horror trying to set up a community where Human and Horrors can live together peacefully. Granted this one was a pretty weak link but it was the first thing that came to my mind when I watched Black Blood.

And in TOWSIND we were eventually introduced to a mysterious singing woman who ends up being Ryuga's thought to be dead mother. And in Black Blood we're introduced to a mysterious singing woman who ends up being Yuna's thought to be dead Mother.

Those two points kind of took me out of series a bit although I did finish it. As well as the bit were Makai Knights suddenly becomes Orphenochs when they die.

Granted there were a couple of bits did like. Ray Fujita was cool as Zero as always. I like the idea of the bar especially since the owner might have been a former knight or at least a priest based on the dialogue. But as a series as a whole Zero deserved better.

 

[Dragonfan]

The part of the singing woman is true, but the community and the city ruled by horrors are completely different. Furthermore, he community has some moral dilema in it (though they don't use it as good as they should).

 

[Murphy]

The part of the singing woman is true, but the community and the city ruled by horrors are completely different. Furthermore, he community has some moral dilema in it (though they don't use it as good as they should).

This. The singing woman plot point is pretty similar, but I'm not sure the community - which was more like a cult commune, with Ring as cult leader - is comparable to Vol City, which was a lot more like Zawame City: A seemingly utopian city with a dark secret, under control of an elite and secretive cabal (of, in this case, Horrors).