Get Backers review: A story of action and friendship

Get Backers - In-Depth Review and Recommendation

The TV anime series Get Backers, which aired from 2002 to 2003, is based on the original work by Yuya Aoki and the manga by Ranto Ayamine, and was animated by Studio Deen and aired on TBS with a total of 49 episodes. The story follows the adventures and growth of two main characters, Ban Mido and Ginji Amano, who both work in the unique profession of rescuers. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and features of this work, as well as the recommended points.

Story and worldview

The setting of "Get Backers: The Rescuers" is "Mugenjo", a gigantic labyrinth that spreads beneath Tokyo. Mugenjo is a place like another world, where many different people live and where there are unique rules and power relationships. The protagonists, Mido Ban and Amano Ginji, are tasked with taking back various objects as reclaimers. Through their exploits, the secrets of Mugenjo and the dramas of its inhabitants are revealed one after another.

The story begins with Ban and Ginji receiving a request to infiltrate Mugen Castle. They overcome various enemies and obstacles while making full use of their skills as recapturers. As the story progresses, Ban and Ginji's past and the background of the people around them are revealed, allowing viewers to deeply empathize with their growth and friendship.

character

The greatest appeal of this work is its unique characters. Below, we will introduce the main characters in detail.

Midoban

Nicknamed "The Man with the Evil Eye." The only information we know about him is that he is a quarter German and the grandson of a woman known as "the last witch of the twentieth century." He has a special ability called the "Evil Eye," which allows him to show his opponents an illusion for one minute. He also has the ability to tear his opponents apart with a grip strength of 200 kg called "Snake Bite." Ban is a character who combines genius battle sense with a calculating nature. He is proud, selfish, and foul-mouthed, so he gives off a bad first impression, but many people change their minds as they get to know him. He is also a talented person, as he can play the violin.

Amano Ginji

Nicknamed "Thunder Emperor," Ginji is a self-proclaimed warrior of love and former leader of "VOLTS" who grew up in Mugen Castle. He has the special ability to generate high voltage currents in his body, giving electric shocks and generating electromagnetic force, and he also has an incredible ability to recover, which makes him seem immortal. Ginji is a kind and gentle person, and when he meets Ban, the two of them leave Mugen Castle and form the "GetBackers" rescue team.

Himiko Kudo

Nicknamed "Lady Poison," Himiko is a top-class "courier" who can use over a thousand types of "poison perfume." In the past, she worked as a "robber" with Ban and his brother, Yamato, but she believes that Ban killed her brother. Himiko's character is a fascinating one, combining strength and vulnerability.

Heaven

She is a "middleman" who brings only dangerous jobs, and her connections range from the Yakuza to politicians. Her fighting ability is low, and she is often captured by the enemy, but her background is shrouded in mystery, making her one of the most mysterious characters.

Akashika Kurodo

Nicknamed "Doctor Jackal," he is the worst man in the "courier" industry, rumored to have 108 weapons, and has every weapon in his body. While he kills weaker enemies like trash, he is very interested in those with high abilities and is a character who desires battle.

Fuchoin Kagetsu

Nicknamed "Kagetsu of Strings." One of the four former "VOLTS" heavenly kings, he is the one and only master of the "Fuchoin Style String Technique" that allows for the free manipulation of strings. He is the sole survivor of the now extinct "Fuchoin Head Family," and following his mother's final words, he became a resident of Mugen Castle.

Fuyuki Shido

Nicknamed "Beast Master." One of the four former "VOLTS" heavenly kings, he is a survivor of the indigenous "Marito" people. He has the special ability to communicate with animals and control them, and the ability to mimic animals, which allows him to transfer the abilities of animals to his own body. Shido hated Ban, but after reuniting with Ginji and meeting Madoka Otoha, his resentment towards Ban has faded.

MAKUBEX

He is a boy with an incredible intellect who was raised by Gensui Radou, one of the four former "VOLTS" heavenly kings and the creator of Mugenjo. The name "MAKUBEX" comes from the name "Makube" engraved on the bag he was packed in when he was abandoned, with an "X" added to represent the unknown.

Jubei Kakei

Nicknamed "Jubei the Flying Needle." A former executive of "VOLTS," he is a true samurai who is willing to sacrifice his life for his beliefs. He is also the successor of the "Kakei-ryu Needle Technique," which allows him to freely control flying needles, and currently serves under Makubex.

Haruki the Comedy Master

He is known as "The Man Who Laughs at the Splashes of Blood, the Fresh Blood Joker." He is a former executive of "VOLTS" and a descendant of the "Kingdom of Loulan," which flourished on the Silk Road since before Christ. He is a master of the deadly martial art "Loulan Dance Whip," which has protected the kingdom from outside enemies for a thousand years, and he has a strong interest and rivalry with Fuyuki Shido, who helped his clan when they were losing their place in Mugen Castle. He currently follows MAKUBEX.

Mizuki Natsumi

She is a high school girl who approached the retrieval service to retrieve her mother's mascot. With the help of Ban and Ginji, the mascot was successfully retrieved, and she is now working part-time at "HONKY TONK."

One Pole

He is the owner of "HONKY TONK," a coffee shop frequented by the Get Backers. Ban and Ginji owe a huge amount of money here, but at the moment there is no prospect of them paying it back. Paul is a well-rounded adult who is well-informed about the inside world and sometimes provides information to the Get Backers.

Carriage design

Nicknamed "Mr. No Brakes," he is a "courier" with top-notch driving techniques, and can get through any dangerous situation without braking.

Madoka Otoha

She is a genius violinist and is best friends with her dog Mozart. She met Ban and Ginji when she asked the Get Backers to retrieve the Stradivarius, and that's when she met Shido. Madoka invited Shido, who had no place to stay, and his animals to her home, where Shido still lives today. She has built a good relationship with Shido.

Sakura Kakei

She is Jubei Kakei's older sister and a practitioner of the Kakei-ryu Cloth Technique, which uses cloth to fight. She believes in Makubex and is always nearby to help him.

Takuma Fudo

Nicknamed "Satori no Fudo." A fellow robber when Ban was a "robber," he is a man of desire who lives for materialistic desires and food, and acts only on the desire to dominate and kill. It seems he has some kind of past connection with Ban.

Mirror Shape

He is a mysterious character other than those from Babylon City (upper floors) and refers to himself as an "observer", but his true meaning is unknown.

Miroku Natsuhiko

He is a guardian hired by Hera to protect the "lost arm" of the Venus de Milo from outside enemies, and is a mysterious character with unknown powers.

Yukihiko Miroku

Like his older brother, Miroku Natsuhiko, he is a guardian employed by Hera, and unlike Natsuhiko, he has a kind heart, but his abilities may surpass Natsuhiko's.

monkey

A monkey who likes "hot springs," "precious metals," and "gems," his true nature is shrouded in mystery. His fighting abilities may even surpass those of Ban and Ginji.

Riko Tachibana

She is a modern high school girl, and it was her friends who stole the bag from the salaryman Sasakida in revenge for being told off at a family restaurant. She makes various demands of the retriever as a "fee for information" and is not afraid to say risky things, so in a sense she is the strongest being.

Sasakida

This is a salaryman who had his bag containing "important documents" stolen after he scolded some high school girls who were making noise at a family restaurant.

kite

A young painter who lives near Mugen Castle, he is an acquaintance of Ban and Ginji. He once used his lover, Hera, as a model for one of his paintings.

Spatula

She is Kaito's ex-girlfriend and is involved in the auction of "Venus' Arm" as Liu Mengyan's business partner, and is trying to use "Venus' Arm" to get revenge on Kaito.

Clayman

SX-28 on the Metropolitan Police Department's Major Criminal List, commonly known as "Clayman." A phantom thief who specializes in art, especially masterpieces, he approaches Ban and Ginji after realizing that they have an appreciation for art.

Spiral spring water

He is one of the people who designed Mugen Castle, and currently runs a pharmacy within the castle.

Spiral Len

A girl who is with Gen, she has been interested in Kagetsu since Kagetsu helped her. Like Gen, she is good with computers.

Takeshi Tenshimine

He is the one who raised Ginji after he was left behind in Mugen Castle, and is an old acquaintance of Paul.

Ujiie Kasuru

A former member of VOLTS, he has the power to control fire, and those flames have the power to burn everything to ashes.

Night of the Fallen

A former member of VOLTS, he has the ability to control the wind using a fan, and is skilled at whirlwind and kamaitachi attacks.

Uryu Toshiki

Nicknamed "Hell Knight," he was once a member of "Fuga" and served under Kagetsu along with Jubei. He is a master of the Murasame-ryu Shojutsu style, which is said to be the origin of Aikido.

Sarai Kaguya

A resident of Infinite Castle, the upper levels, and Babylon City, he is a prophet about whom everything is shrouded in mystery.

Masashi Kurusu

He was once a member of Mugenjo and was one of the four former Bolts who controlled light. Ginji knew about him, but at one point he left Mugenjo.

Animation and performance

The animation for "Get Backers" was produced by Studio Deen. Character design was handled by Atsuko Nakajima, mechanic design by Shunji Murata, art direction by Chikako Shibata, color design by Shinji Matsumoto, cinematography by Masayuki Kawaguchi, editing by Masahiro Matsumura, music by Taku Iwasaki, and sound direction by Yota Tsuruoka. This team of staff worked together to faithfully recreate the worldview of the original work while bringing out the unique charm of anime.

In particular, the battle scenes are beautifully presented, with each character's special ability vividly depicted. Abilities such as Ban's "Evil Eye" and Ginji's "Thunder Emperor" are visually very impactful and have the power to draw the viewer in. In addition, the unique atmosphere of Mugen Castle and the personalities of its inhabitants are carefully depicted in detail, allowing viewers to feel the world of the work more deeply.

music

The music for "Get Backers" was composed by Taku Iwasaki. The opening and ending themes are both important elements in enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The opening theme is comprised of two songs: "Unwavering Love" by Tamura Naomi and "Rose-Colored World" by PIERROT. "Unwavering Love" is impressive for Tamura Naomi's powerful singing voice and lyrics that perfectly fit the theme of the work. Meanwhile, "Rose-Colored World" is a song that brings out PIERROT's unique worldview and the dark atmosphere of the work.

The ending theme is "Ichibyou no Refrain" by Otoha, "Namida no Hurricane" by BON-BON BLANCO, "Mr. deja vu" by naja, "CHANGIN'" by NONA REEVES feat. YOU THE ROCK☆, and "Yuragukotonai Ai" by Naomi Tamura again. These songs were chosen to match the content of each episode and play a role in bringing out the emotions of the viewers.

Recommended points

"Get Backers" is a work with many charms. Below are some points that we would particularly like to recommend it for.

Unique characters

The greatest appeal of this work is its characters, each with their own unique personality. Starting with the main characters, Midou Ban and Amano Ginji, various characters appear, including Kudo Himiko, Heaven, Akashika Kurodo, Fuchoin Kagetsu, Fuyuki Shido, and Makubex, each with their own background and drama. Viewers are deeply moved by the growth, friendship, and conflicts of these characters.

A unique worldview

The unique setting of Mugenjo is also one of the attractions of this work. Mugenjo is a huge labyrinth that spreads beneath Tokyo, a place like another world where various people live and where there are unique rules and power relationships. This worldview has the power to draw the viewer in and gives depth to the development of the story.

A balance of action and drama

"Get Backers" has a great balance of action and drama scenes. The battle scenes that utilize the special abilities of each character are impressive and viewers will not tire of the show. On the other hand, there are also plenty of drama scenes depicting the characters' pasts and relationships, allowing viewers to empathize deeply with the story.

The appeal of music

The music, including the opening and ending themes, is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of this work. Each song, such as Naomi Tamura's "Yuragukonai Ai" and PIERROT's "Rose-Colored World," enhances the atmosphere of the work and enhances the emotions of the viewer.

Conclusion

"Get Backers" is a work that combines various elements, such as unique characters, a unique world view, a balance of action and drama, and attractive music. Viewers can experience deep emotion and excitement through the adventures and growth of the main characters, Mido Ban and Amano Ginji. This work is especially recommended for those who like action and drama anime. Please give it a watch.