The Opening Animation (not OP song) is spectacular albeit... not... smooth, but spectacular nonetheless. As far as characters are concerned, I did not get the "Noir-ish" feeling as mention in above post.
The premise of this show is what's dragging me in at this point--a post-apocolyptic Metro-Tokyo with the obligatory urban chaos and human decay. It's a place where things have gotten so bad, that the strict Japanese gun-control laws*** that we know in reality are moot, so much so that the government in this near-future fanstasyland has simply declared to its people, "Go ahead and arm yourselves, it's a dangerous world."
If anything, Baku-Tenshi reminds me more of R.O.D. the TV series, in that here (again) is a freelance group of people (girls) working for an unknown entity, making a living stealing from petty-crooks and mobsters.
The characters, as expected of most 1st episode, are largely uncommited and besides the obligatory run-and-gun, there was little in terms of development. Then again, it is the first episode.
As I skimmed the preview, the mention of "Shibuya" and its "utter chaos and lawlessness" cracked me up as it is true in the Shibuya, Japan we know today, albeit without too much of the general urban decay seen in Baku-Tenshi. I remember being in Shibuya a couple years back and boy was I glad I was there during the day
By all accounts, according to a Japanese friend of mine(a guy named Jun 純 ... I poke fun at him at lot for that
), it's a mess in Shibuya. Maybe kj can shed more light on that as he's only a few JR rides away
In any case, I'm expecting good thing out of this series, and am keeping an open mind just because it's GONZO
***Source:
http://www.n-p-s.net/new0001.htm
Note: Damn that was a good read at 7 A.M. Please excuse and correct any translation discrepencies.
Japanese Deadly Weapons-control laws--rough translations here... it's a good read
Chapter One basically says "Anyone, with the exception to those in the circumstances listed herein, are NOT to possess firearms." The Chaptor One list is long, specific, and far more restrictive than the ones in the States. Then again, in the United States, we just have the 2nd Amendment, which recogizes the right to bear arms (personally I don't agree with the current interpretation, but that's just me, my opinion, and don't flame me for it) and plenty of restrictions to keep us safe.
Chaptor Two recognizes the need for deadly weapons in very specific circumstances (sea-fishing, hunting, and such...) and list out the requirements as well as a strigent screening and registration policy.
Bah read the rest yourself if you want
I'm tired. Oh and Chaptor Five lists ou the punishment for the violators of these statutes.