Witchblade
Alternative names: /
Genres: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Episodes: 24
Stream available on: Currently no stream known. Available for purchase only.
In the year 2100, Japan was devastated by a massive earthquake, destroying most of the island. Only Tokyo was largely spared, which is why young mother Masane flees there with her daughter Rihoko to start a new life. However, the youth welfare office is on Masane’s case and considers her – without a man or stable job – incapable of raising her daughter and wants to take her into custody.
In all the despair and fear for her daughter, Masane reveals the power of the “Witchblade” – a strange relic that grants women a power and transforms them into passionate, wild warriors with superhuman abilities. But various organizations are also interested in this power, placing Masane and her daughter in focus …
What makes Witchblade special? Even though Witchblade is probably off the charts on the “horny” scale like hardly any other series, it has always retained a certain coolness and a more confident approach to this (excessive) representation of sexuality, similar to what one might know from the first Bayonetta game.
Furthermore, behind the action-packed fights and questionable outfits lies a genuinely emotional story of a mother trying to do everything necessary for her daughter to ensure her a good future. Witchblade combines themes and representations that may not seem to match well at first glance – hypersexualization and action alternating with quieter and more emotional scenes.
Witchblade may not be the best anime in any of these genres – neither as an ecchi series for jelly fans, nor as an action flick or drama is Witchblade the absolute best. But it was one of the first anime of its kind that showed: one can combine all these elements. This is certainly also due to the strong comic source material, but also to the good implementation by Gonzo Studios, who had previously worked on Hellsing and Afro Samurai.
