Michael is Low on Hit Points

Linebarrels of Iron has a solid concept not quite realized

• Posted  October 15th, 2008 at 4:33 PM ET
• Subjects  Linebarrels of Iron
• Tags  impressions, first look
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Gonzo. Hisashi Hirai. Ali Project. You either love 'em or hate 'em. What some consider the Devil's own Trinity, I personally was looking forward too. Two episodes in, however, and I'm left feeling a bit let down. Ali Project did their job, delivering a terrific opening; by the way, the ED is good too. Hisashi Hirai's character designs work well enough. Gonzo, on the other hand...

Where's the direction? Good anime -- for example, Death Note or Code Geass -- use the first episode or two to lay out where the story is heading. I don't have a clue what is going on in the world of Linebarrel. A short, poignant narration on the state of the world to cap off the first episode would've helped tremendously.

Instead, the leader of JUDA explains to his subordinates what their own organization does, forcing unnatural conversation that solely exists as a poor way to divulge plot points. There's a character, Hisataka, that's the 'bad guy.' Why's he the villain? How is he the villain? Who knows at this point. What's the main conflict in Linebarrel's story? Why am I even watching?

In the end, I'm drawn in to the anime by the simple fact that I love the anti-hero Kouichi. Rebuffing the standard fare, when this wimpy and unstable lead gets power, it only serves to magnify his original weakness. Drowned by power lust, Kouichi is positively demented. He may be one of the most unlikable characters to front an anime, but that same personality is one with a lot of potential depth. Count me in to see how far he falls.