However, the directing was handled by Masahiro Ando, most notable for his work on hot blooded action galores like Canaan and Sword of the Stranger. It’s fairly easy to see why this is the original manga was written by Ren Saizaki, a relatively rare female shounen mangaka, and composition was handled by Mari Okada, who’s fairly synonymous with melodrama by this point. The near complete absence of action in the second half is largely redeemed by the finale, in which smart strategical planning and high stakes makes for one of the most unique endings to a shounen adaptation in ages, with great character moments, strong animation and even some final spurts character development.īlast of Tempest treats both its male and female cast with respect, and while they do tend to tilt more to femininity, this does not occur to the extent that they seem unnatural. He also has some great action sequences, and grows the most out of the cast, with Hanemura at the beginning bearing little resemblance to him at the end. Hanemura is a good addition, because his fish out of water scenario both serves as a point of juxtaposition for Mahiro and Yoshino, who’s changes are made greatly apparent in comparison to his naivety and inexperience, and as a comic relief character. This mystery surrounding Aika, in spite of her having died before the series even began, plays what may be the pivotal role in Blast of Tempest, the revelations making her passing all the more tragic and impactful. What follows is some very compelling thematic exploration and thought provoking content that’s grounded by realistic (albeit highly charismatic) characters who have desires but are acutely aware of the impact of selfishness on those around them. However, given that there is no real deadline of which to speak, this allows the cast think about what has happened over their time and how the Logic of Genesis (destiny, essentially) is both influenced by, and decided for, humanity. The princess plays a much bigger role, and most of the time the characters are either cracking jokes or theorising, sometimes at the same time. Going from sharp and poignant to seemingly relaxed and romantic, Blast of Tempest’s second half presents a whole new world where what is good and evil means more than ever before. It’s in the second half, however, that the general consensus of the audience splits. Given that one is patient, this portion is rewarding for many characters, and never becomes as unengaging as one might assume based on the events that transpire. Nonetheless, it’s as smart and emotionally intense as the series gets, and this is accomplished with next to no physical action, an accomplishment that few shounen have been able to pull off. In the second quarter, which consists almost exclusively of Phoenix Wright style arguments and counter arguments, the layers of Yoshino and Mahiro, and their capabilities, leave the outcome uncertain, and the dialogue regarding the mechanics of magic seems to require a PhD in Magical Lore to be fully understood. The allegations of the princess’s murder, the gripping tension as everyone is crystallised and Mahiro’s seemingly inevitable spiral to vengeance induced self-destruction makes the story seem predictable, but Tempest knows just when to pull out the rug from under its audiences’ feet. The first few episodes are the lightest in this regard, with physical confrontations between the two leads and the members of the Kurabise clan making up the bulk of the first, and in hindsight least interesting, quarter. In Tempest, the question is rarely “how”, and more often “why” and “should”, with both the ends and the means to them being shrouded in thematic core of the narrative and the backstories of the characters. However, things may be more complicated then they seemed at first.įrom the very beginning, Blast of Tempest sells itself on character conflict, the justification (and manipulation) of character motivations and diverging from the execution of the standard shounen formula. Plot Synopsis: Following the death of their dear friend and the dislocation of the princess of Genesis, the hot headed Mahiro and calculating Yoshino must fight to stop the Kurabise tribe from reawakening the Tree of Exodus. Blast of Tempest delivers an engaging narrative that, though occasionally plagued by pacing problems, manages to deliver strong entertainment value thanks to a diverse cast of colourful characters, deft directing and poetic execution.
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