Garo: nearly the most awesome thing ever
About a year ago, I finally got around to watching a show I downloaded probably half a year before called Ougon Kishi Garo or just Garo. It was a tokusatsu which is a genre along the same lines as Power Rangers, pretty much a Japanese action show directed at kids. That's what I thought. But I decided to give this show a try because from what I saw of it on youtube it looked interesting.
Then I watched it and decided it was the greatest thing ever.
Garo pretty much centers on the life of a young man named Kouga who is a mystical warrior known as a Makai Knight sworn to destroy these demonic creatures called Horrors that prey on humans by exploiting their weaknesses. During one such battle, he meets Kaoru, an artist who always seems to be switching jobs. He saves Kaoru from being devoured by a Horror but not before she gets a face full of monster blood. Too bad for her since anyone "bathed in the blood of Horror" is destined to die an ugly death in a hundred days. As a knight, its Kouga's duty to slay her to spare her from such a fate. Instead, he changes his mind and decides to keep her alive for the purpose of using her as bait for other Horrors since apparently demon stained virgins are a delicacy. Although stating he would kill her before the hundredth day, as time goes on, he's like to hell with rules and decides to risk life and limb to protect her while searching for a cure for her demon ordained deliciousness. Oh and he never tells her she's dying. Because that never ends horribly. *facepalm*
Show me a plotline that's action filled and a romance to boot and I am sold. But Garo was just too amazing to watch. Each episode was like watching some twenty something minute action movie. The fights are choreographed beautifully, the monsters are interesting (most of them). Yeah it can be cliched and no its not a master peice or a classic. But it is fun and awesome and I have never seen anything like it or since.
The hero, Kouga, trained in martial arts, swordsmanship, and all around stoic badassery. He lives alone with his butler and his talking ring (yes, I know) until Kaoru comes along and decides to crash at his place. And he lets her. For such a antisocial guy, he's quite chill about taking in strangers. But considering she's dying, I guess he sort of has to.
The heroine, Kaoru. I really think I should be more annoyed with Kaoru. In all twenty five episodes of Garo, I believe there were only three in which nothing tried to eat/rape/kill her and I like my heroines strong. And yet, I like her. She's cute and well meaning. And unlike Bella from Twilight, she has dreams of her own aside from scoring the really hot, aloof guy who keeps coming to her rescue.
And although their first meeting went something like him nearly throttling her (he suspected her of being a Horror) and then later on, pointing a sword at her and declaring she had to be killed, they are an OTP.
Usually in stories where its "cold, calculating guy meets sweet, bubbly girl", I find myself getting irritated with Heroine who usually ends up panting after the Hero like a puppy begging for a doggy treat and its as though all that matters to her is being on his radar, making herself look quite stupid. (I'm looking at you, Twilight, Ghost Hunt, Vampire Diaries. Read some Feminine Mystique!) But in this case, everyone and their mom knows Kouga is falling for Kaoru while she herself remains oblivious. Which still makes her look kinda dense. When a guy goes to the underworld twice to save you, I think we've traveled beyond "having a crush" to "please, have my children." Plus look how much taller he is than Kaoru!
Other characters include Rei, aka ZERO another Makai Knight who seeks revenge on Kouga for...something he doesn't even really bothering mention until later after he finds out the truth.
I like Rei. His encounters with Kouga always start with the two of them insulting each other and then ending like this:
Which is funny because they do this while fighting some kind of monster. And despite the fact that Rei is a cocky bastard who really has no right to be picking a fight with Kouga, he does have a reason for why he's such a prick. And he does clock in time as Kaoru's back up body guard when Kouga's not there.
The Watchdogs of the Eastern Tower who send Kouga's messages of the latest monster. I don't like them. There's something their shimmery loli-ness mixed with an edge of manipulation that's unsettling. They're the ones who keep reminding Kouga that Kaoru's time is limited and more or less mock his relationship with her. I'd call them bitches but me being an adult, that just seems wrong.
I just love watching this show. Some people have shows that are like a woobie to them and this is mine. I'll most like marathon it this weekend.
But for now, here's the MV that first motivated me to download it.
Click to view