Anime: Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge

Crime Edge is about the crime of writing an edgy plot about sexual fetishes and messed up excuses for violence. There is a boy who has a hair cutting fetish, and loves a girl with hair that can’t be cut. You might think the objective will be to find a way to cut her hair and become a couple in the last episode. But he actually manages to do all that in the very first episode and in a way that seems like they just had sex. Okay then, it was easy but whatever, problem solved, end of the series.

…Oh wait, no it’s not, because now he has to protect her from assassins who are possessed by demonic home appliances, and want to kill her in a death game so they can have their wish granted. Because her hair is cursed and grants wishes, and the boy is the descendant of a mass murderer, and you are supposed to accept all that nonsense in order to watch the damn show. And even if you do, it comes down to excuses for sexual stimulation through piercing, stabbing, or cutting people with scissors and needles. I’m not joking, every time they use their power they get a boner. Even the victims get sexually excited by the pain. And no, it’s not a hentai.

So it doesn’t take a genius for realizing that this show is of the same vein as edgelord bullcrap such as Elfen Lied, Future Diary, and Glepnir. Edgy nonsense for dumb teenagers. The main difference is, Crime Edge never made an impact and was forgotten even while it was airing. The reason is not so much the really low budget, since the aforementioned similar titles weren’t that better in terms of pretty colors. The actual reason nobody cared about it was the lack of a yandere. You always need a crazy horny bitch for attracting all the filthy ronery weaboos, and Crime Edge did the crime of not having such a vital element. Instead of that it has a generic innocent loli that the generic MC must protect. It’s impossible to care about either of them, because they are both pure and innocent in a story that is all about being crazy. They don’t fit the tone of the plot and the filthy ronery weaboos don’t have a crazy waifu to derp about.

But even if you put that aside, there’s just very little going on in every episode. The events are very simple, the fights are very basic, and the animation is as basic as it gets. The characters are cardboards that get constantly objectified by being defined by their sexual deviances and the home appliance they are using instead of something like, I don’t know, their character? Not even the death game matters in the longrun, because every enemy turns from a psychotic mass murderer to a crybaby ally as soon as they are defeated. As for that wish granting magical hair thing everyone was after? It’s never resolved or even matters in the long run.

As a whole, nothing sticks out in general in a series that is supposed to be all about being crazy. It’s not bombastic like Jojo or Kaiji where even the most mundane actions are over the top and full of tension. Crime Edge gives you no incentive to watch the next episode despite constantly being about sexual stimulation through inflicting injuries. It fails even as low tier softporn for edgelords. So basically keep it forgotten as it is since the week it originally came out.

Imagine an anime with blood, cuteness, friendly enemies and torture in some episodes. Well, there's the click for Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge. A battle between cursed people called Authors, using special weapons called Killing Goods in search of their granted wishes by killing the "Hair Queen". There's a kind of different in this play, unless by one thing: blood. Blood is one of the most things you'll see here for most of the part, but also there's some other "unique mix" coming from the blender for this anime directed by Yamaguchi Yuuji (Fate/Stay Night).

Story: 8.0

A story that brings a little mix of romance, comedy, fanservices, fetishes and action can give an idea of something very unexpectable every minute. In a moment, they're enjoying a moment of romance followed by a battle against another Author bringing us to a fetish scene after. That's the pace of Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge and I repeat: very unexpectable. The fighting pace looks like Dragon Ball Z's fighting patterns (conversation before fighting before conversation). It is indeed a funny story, rich with a little bit of everything, but this story doesn't bright too much when you put everything together. Better think episode by episode when you watch it. This is a bad step took by the staff.

Now, another thing that called a good moment of attention: backstory. The backstory in this anime, coming from many many years ago to weeks ago, is constantly rich and somehow detailed, impacting characters in a very deeper way. In a story full of killers, the backstory explains the story behind the killers very well. A well done job to the story pace and explanation of many things.

In overall, aside from the unbrightful of the complete story, Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge has a great story to be told. The pace, the backstory, the way the show reaches the climax, everything is put correctly. Maybe Yamaguchi is proud of himself after participate in another great show called Fate/Stay Night. Proud of directing another great story.

Art-Animation: 7.0

Watching Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge will give you a tip of how bloody can an anime be. The fighting animation is good and very well created, giving an impression of reality in these kind of fights. Although, sometimes it doesn't match because of the characters involved. Also, they put a different color to the screen in some fights. To explain myself, take an action anime or movie and watch a good fight. Now put a coloured plastic paper in front of your screen and watch it again. That's what happens here. Totally strange, kind of unique, and doesn't add up in this kind of animation. On the contrary, it could be better if it was without this.

Also, the opening animation is somehow showing what are we going to watch, making a good role here, but there's a minus point: the sensation of a different time. I looked it over and over and compared with the anime. The conclusion is: Aren't we supposed to be in a fighting wars time as it suggested? Why are we in a modern-like place? OP is totally out of place and time. Ending also is good, simple and interesting, showing the characters as they are during the series.

With a not to be remembered and little detailed background, this series brings the important piece for the art: Characters. They were very well created in a good aspect of who is who and what they're inside themselves. There's some of them a little bit similiar, but this really doesn't come in a bad shape coming from a big display of great characters design.

Sound: 5.0

Definitely the problem of this anime. Weak BGM, not-so-good OP & ED, known Voice Actors names without standing out. A messy, in other words.

Starting by the Voice Actors, the staff is led by Hanae Natsuki (Tari Tari) and Koiwai Kotori (Joshiraku), two unexperienced names with one or two big roles. Hanae Natsuki gies voice to Haimura Kiri, but I think this voice was actually something akward for someone who is a killer, making Haimura a resemble of nothing than an ordinary boy, like Riki Naoe from Little Busters. Koiwai Kotori gives voice to Mushanokouji Iwai, which is a perfect match for a little cute girl like Iwai. And then we'll have the names. The cast also has good names, such as Tamura Yukari (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha), Hikasa Youko (K-On!), Shimazaki Nobunaga (Ano Natsu de Matteru) and Yusa Kouji (Bleach), on their paycheck. Unfortunately no one could bring a full remarkable moment as secondary characters.

The Opening, sung by Terakawa Aimi (Fairy Tail ED14), is a good call. The ending, sung by Yuri*Kari (Daiya no A), is kinda akward for a show concentrated in bloody fights. They pulled the BGM out of play, which was definitely not understandable. I tried to understand why that BGM is playing at that moment. It caused me another impression. It's unremarkable and unnoticed.

Character: 7.0

Characters are kind of interesting, I can say. The characters are kinda unique, close but not realistic, somehow good and interesting.

As a kind of "snatching audience", Iwai is to be considered the key player in the field. It's the one we can call "damsel in distress", using her knight, Haimura, as a way to make her character evolve in this story. Although, her partner, Haimura Kiri, is someone who is changing his behaviours each episode, evolving with his Killing Good. Their "friendly enemies", the Byouinzaka sisters, Yamane and Houko, are somehow strangers in this series. Despite their story, they don't really add too much than some yuri moments for the yuri fans. Also, for the loli fans, the anime brought a strange professor described as a lolicon. Although, he's only a big book with legs and arms, he doesn't have a really remarkable moment.

The anime has some villains, but it's a little bit "out of sync" with the story. They're there for 3 reasons: to confuse you, to fight Haimura Kiri or to be too friendly. The objective here is to kill the "Hair Queen" Mushanokouji Iwai, in order to grant a wish. In other words, everybody is against Haimura and Iwai. They are constantly trying to get close to them to kill Iwai. In other words, being friendly with the enemy is, sometimes, a bad call, but this one here really pulled the strings and showed this is possible to be interesting. The characters could have more about reasons to kill the Hair Queen instead of being close, but it's not bat at all.

Value: 6.0

Using a known staff led by an unexperienced Hanae Natsuki, Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge brings us to watch it again only to understand every point of this show. But it'll be only another anime like many others. It doesn't stand up to be called one of the "Greatest Hits". I would recommend it to everybody to share this experience and put it in a shelf, but it'll be forgotten in some years. Not really remarkable.

Enjoyment: 7.0

Mushanokouji Iwai. This is the essence of the enjoyment here. The main character brings for us a good amount of funny moments. There's no way you can have fun with Iwai around. When she's not around, the story calls us for a moment of tension before a fight or a deep conversation. It's somehow interesting and should be looked over and over. It's enjoyable. I enjoy it myself.

Conclusion

It has many problems. It's not so perfect. But thanks to a good mix of the story, this anime fixed his ground to be called on in this "anime wars". Actually, it cannot be considered a big hit, but it really has good points. I can tell that if it wasn't for the sound works, this anime could really fly high. But in overall, it is a good job brought by Studio Gokumi after 2nd season of Saki. This show is really interesting to watch and see how Iwai and Kimura will stand out against their enemies.