The appeal and reviews of "CRYSTAL BLAZE": In search of a brilliant anime experience

The appeal and reviews of "CRYSTAL BLAZE"

"CRYSTAL BLAZE" is a TV anime series that aired in 2008 and was produced as an original anime work. It is set in the near future in Diver City and tells the story of the people living in Rags Town. The series aired on UHF, Kids Station, and BS Fuji, and is a 12-episode series of 30 minutes each. The original story was created by Hiromi Tsukioka and Studio Fantasia, the director was Mitsuko Kase, and the animation was produced by Studio Fantasia.

story

Diversity in the near future. Rags Town, located on the outskirts of the city, is a place where people of all races who have had setbacks in life drift away. Shu, a former hot-blooded detective, is one of them. After taking on the power of the state but being crushed instead, he now lives a carefree life as the head of the "S&A Detective Agency" with his partner Akira, apprentices Ayaka and Manami, and their dog Kyu-chan. However, an incident occurs that shatters these peaceful days. One after another, missing girls are found dead in the city, their bodies made of glass. Veteran detective Lawrence and rookie JJ investigate this series of bizarre murders, but for some reason they are under pressure from above and are unable to even organize an investigation headquarters.

Manami, who is dissatisfied with boring jobs such as finding pets, finds an email addressed to Shu about a job from Poririn, who controls the town behind the scenes. They invite Ayaka to solve the problem on their own, and head to the site of the package delivery without telling Shu and the others. However, at the site, a mysterious group that has been chasing the package opens fire, putting them in a desperate situation! Shu saves the two at the last moment, but it turns out that what they thought was the package was actually a mysterious beautiful woman. The beautiful woman, who has lost her memory, is named Sarah and they end up living together.

Sensing suspicious activity and the scent of money in the city, Poririn asks Shu to investigate the incident. To protect what is important to each of them, Shu and his friends face off against a giant enemy.

character

The appeal of "CRYSTAL BLAZE" lies in its unique characters. The main character, Shu, is a former hot-blooded detective and head of the "S&A Detective Agency." He has a cold attitude and never shows his true feelings to anyone, but he is a skilled detective and is relied upon throughout the town. His partner, Akira, is a 19-year-old self-proclaimed handyman who runs the agency in place of Shu, who is often absent. Manami is a girl who dreams of becoming a detective and sees Shu as her ideal, becoming his assistant. She is a character who is proactive but often makes mistakes. Ayaka is a girl who dropped out of school and ended up in Rags Town, where she met Shu and settled at the agency. She loves the limited-edition snacks sold at convenience stores.

The mysterious beauty Sarah has an abnormal constitution called "HW-9" and emits shock waves when a man touches her. Poririn is the town's boss and Shu's sponsor. Kito is a mad scientist who is in contact with the weapons mafia and takes pleasure in modifying humans. Kirie is Kito's bodyguard and a professional killer who leads a special forces unit made up of only women. The doctor is a famous doctor at "Happy Clinic" and is a black market doctor who charges exorbitant prices, but he is actually a lecherous old man. Monica is a cosplay-loving nurse at "Happy Clinic" who shows off her body and exudes excessive sex appeal. Job is an informant who provides various information to Shu and his friends. Sophia is a freelance journalist who is fascinated by the mysterious charm of Rags Town and is investigating Shu's surroundings in hopes of getting an exclusive story. Lawrence is Shu's senior from his days as a detective and backs up Shu and his friends. JJ is a young detective who makes a lot of crazy theories. Kyu-chan is Akira's pet dog and the most powerful person in the detective agency.

Production Staff

Crystal Blaze was produced by a talented team of directors. It was directed by Mitsuko Kase, with series composition by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Masashi Tsukino, and written by Atsuhiro Tomioka. Character design and general animation director was Hisashi Kagawa, mechanical design and mechanical animation director was Tomohiro Kawahara, color design by Osamu Mikasa, cinematography by Toshiya Kimura and Jiro Tazawa, art direction by Park Yougil, editing by Kengo Shigemura, sound direction by Toshiki Kameyama, and music by Ryo Sakai. It was produced by Gaku Ando, ​​Satoshi Matsui, Shigehiko Sato, and Masashi Tsukino, with animation by Studio Fantasia, and produced by the Crystal Blaze Production Committee (Toei Video, Happinet, FCC, Studio Fantasia).

Theme songs and music

The opening theme "Never looking back~With a transparent heart" was written by Mori Yuriko, composed by Makino Kosuke, arranged by Arai Rio, and sung by Rie. The ending themes are "que sera-sera" and "Kokoro yo Kaze ni Nare", both with lyrics by Mori Yuriko, "que sera-sera" composed by Arai Rio, arranged by Kozu Hiroyuki, and sung by TASO, and "Kokoro yo Kaze ni Nare" composed and arranged by Kozu Hiroyuki, and sung by TASO. These songs are important elements that add to the atmosphere of the work.

Broadcast information

"CRYSTAL BLAZE" was broadcast from April 9th ​​to June 25th, 2008. The broadcast schedule for each station is as follows:

• Chiba TV: April 8, 2008 to June 24, 2008, every Tuesday from 25:15 to 25:45
• Teletama: April 8, 2008 to June 24, 2008, every Tuesday from 25:30 to 26:00
• TV Aichi: April 8, 2008 to June 24, 2008, every Tuesday from 27:28 to 27:58
• tvk: April 9, 2008 to June 25, 2008, every Wednesday from 25:15 to 25:45
• KBS Kyoto: April 10, 2008 to June 26, 2008, every Thursday from 25:30 to 26:00
• Sun Television: April 10, 2008 to June 26, 2008, every Thursday from 26:10 to 26:40
• TOKYO MX: April 11, 2008 to June 27, 2008, every Friday from 25:30 to 26:00
• Kids Station: April 17, 2008 to July 3, 2008, every Thursday from 24:00 to 24:30
• BS Fuji: October 12, 2008 to December 28, 2008, every Sunday from 25:45 to 26:15

Evaluation and Impressions

"CRYSTAL BLAZE" has won many fans with its unique worldview and charming characters. It has been particularly praised for the depiction of the relationships between the members of the detective agency, centered around Shu, and the setting of Rags Town. Other points not to be missed are the presence of the mysterious beauty Sarah and the unfolding of the serial bizarre murders. As an original anime work, the development of the story and the growth of the characters are carefully depicted, drawing viewers in.

However, because it is a short series of only 12 episodes, the story development sometimes felt a little rushed. There were also opinions that the characters' backgrounds and the details of the events could have been explored more. Nevertheless, the quality and entertainment value of the series as a whole is high, and it has been well received by many viewers.

Recommended points

Here are some reasons why we recommend "CRYSTAL BLAZE":

• Unique worldview : The setting of the near-future world of Diver City and Rags Town is fascinating and has the power to draw viewers in.
• Charming Characters : The story is enriched by unique characters such as the members of the detective agency, including Shu, as well as Sarah, Poririn, and Kito.
• Mystery elements : The series is packed with mystery elements, including a serial murder case and the mystery surrounding Sarah, which will keep viewers interested.
• Music : The opening and ending themes add to the atmosphere of the film and enrich the viewing experience.

"CRYSTAL BLAZE" is an entertaining work that combines mystery, action, and human drama. It is an anime that I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to experience a unique world view and fascinating characters.