[DerMensch24]

Casshern Sins

Synopsis (Courtesy of MAL):
Spoiler (Click to View)In the distant future, where cyborgs and humans struggle to survive after the war which destroyed the world, a being in white suit awakens. His name is Casshern and he remembers nothing of his own past.

In barren and dark dystopian world, where every being alive seems to hate his existence and the evil from his past wants him dead, Casshern, haunted by the flashes of his past memories has to survive and figure out who or what exactly he is and how he got to where he is now. But he does not know that he might not like the horrible truth of the past, hidden deep inside his mind...

Eps: 24
Studio(s): Madhouse, Tatsunoko Production
Aired: Oct 2, 2008 - Mar 16, 2009
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, Psychological, Sci-Fi
Source: https://myanimelist.net/anime/4981/Casshern_Sins
Sub/Dub: Both exist and are decent

Trailer:
Spoiler (Click to View)

I had actually put off watching this anime for quite some time, however I am finally glad that I was able to watch and finish it. Not only is it a great anime, but it excels in utilizing a variety of techniques and elements that blend into a unique perspective. While I normally keep these short, I will break this recollection into a more organized format since there is quite a bit to say.
Plot
Casshern Sins introduces us in medias res to a corrosive world full of despair and void of life. The pacing for this anime I found to be among the few anime to incorporate a progressively episodic approach. While slow, each episode contributes to character development as well as moves between action-packed and moments of pause for reflection. From its very beginning, the struggle of life and death rests at the core, and the journey to understand this balance remains throughout the course of the anime. The pacing does appear to speed up slightly near the end and at a few points I felt some scenes ended up being rushed, but it worked in its favor after each segment.

This is indeed a reboot of the original series from ~1973, however I give applause to the directing for introducing the anime in the manner that it did. Not knowing all the information beforehand (lest you've already seen the original series) allowed for some anticipation, curiosity, and a means to better connect with the characters as they progressed.
Art
The animation was very well done overall. The rugged, hard sketching that was unique for the majority of the anime stands out, however whether in one of the several fight scenes or whenever attempting to convey an emotion, it transitioned to a fluid state.
Sound
Beautiful. Just beautiful. The OST by Kaoru Wada is truly a pleasure to the ears is really all I can say; the OST is among the high points for this anime. While I did find the OP to be a bit too enthusiastic for the tone of the anime, it was catchy and not over-the-top. There are 3 EDs that are decent as well. The seiyuu, especially in the dub version, performed their roles very well.
Characters
This is the focal point of the anime, and indeed probably one of its strongest. The MC, having lost his memory, is essentially a clean slate left to deal with the troubles of his forgotten past. Thus, we are able to explore his growth through the series. The anime pays a great deal of attention to its side characters, which grants the episodic aspect another layer of depth. While we do eventually have the "main group" of side characters, there are still others that merely appear for one episode however they make equal impacts upon our MC and the main group, and thus we see that the MC is not the only character being developed.

Overall, Casshern Sins proved to be an unexpectedly wonderful anime to watch. Themes, characters, OST, plot, and the many aspects collide to deliver. I recommend this for everyone, it is worth the watch ;)