Much like the game of pachinko it is based on, this Robin Hood themed anime opens with more misses than hits.
What They Say:
With the help of his friends, Roman’s lavish banquet will return the money and power to the people!
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
I have seen anime, and I have seen pachinko. I have seen pachinko machines using anime to lure you into their electric clutches and part you from your money. This marks the first time I have seen the reverse, an anime based on original characters created for a pachinko machine. Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman starts with a bang, literally, as a mysterious thief redistributes the ill-gotten wealth of the town’s tax collector via a rocket one night.
This thief is known as "Roman" by night, but his daytime persona is one of a humble helper, a man that goes around town picking up odd jobs and then promptly losing his earning to the local gamblers. His long-suffering sister Koharu pays their rent by crafting decorative chopsticks; she is also his partner in crime at night. Both of them are also helped by equally eccentric townspeople – a foreign doctor, a diminutive, elderly inventor, and a priestess with a knack for disguises.
After his first theft, the tax collector takes the advice of a mysterious lady and hires two mercenaries to sow fear through the town by attacking citizens at night. If they want protection from the dangers of the night, the town will have to pay the collector a handsome fee. The resolution of this conflict is fairly uninspired and does little to showcase how Roman’s friends are of any use to his efforts. However, we learn at the end of the episode that this plot is just the opening move to aid a contingent of foreigners on one of the Black Ships in finding the MacGuffin they are chasing.
If the character designs and action seem remarkably familiar, you have probably watched at least some form of Lupin III. The pachinko character designs came from the creator of that series Monkey Punch. While that was the extent of his involvement, the creators of Roman certainly seem to be cribbing from the Lupin franchise’s playbook quite a bit.
Though not a strong opening, there are elements there that could lead to a decent story over the course of the series. What exactly are the Black Shippers looking for, and why does it require such elaborate schemes? Also, Roman’s actions seem to be motivated by his father; who was his father, and what happened to him? I suspect these two threads will come together at some point and could lead to an interesting tale.
In Summary:
I’ll be honest; I’m watching this series because it looks like Lupin III and smells a bit like Lupin III. While this opening episode of Roman was fairly light and lackluster on plot and action, it did setup the potential for a story that is more than an episodic "caper of the week". However, it will need to expand on these points quickly to hold my interest; otherwise, I’ll just go watch a better thief based show like, oh, let’s say Lupin III.
Grade: C+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
24” Early 2009 iMac, Firefox 17.0.1