I honestly thought this anime was pretty good. I thought involving a young woman (who is the same age as me) who has secret of turning into a badass monster and bringing up a young girl who wasn't even hers, was pretty inspiring. I really did think that Masane was such an incredible character for bringing the child up and fighting to save the world. However in the end, I badly wanted Masane and Rihoko to interact together one last time before they both went their seperate ways. At least Rihoko did have a family who cared for her and loved her just like Masane did.I actually agree with one reviewer here that this deserves a second season like it would be great for Masane and Rihoko to be able to bond again! This deserves a 8/10 rating!

This series is on par with HBO's Spawn:Animated series. The story is well told, the relationships of the characters are strong. The central mother/daughter theme is simple, powerful, and elegant. I enjoyed all the characters, and the changes they go through, because of a mother's love. For me, most anime is almost senseless, due to my ignorance of Asian culture. I don't care much for giant robots they crush cities and everybody seems to be fine with it. That silly mech. But the machines in this series are relevant, if cannon fodder. The fights were often anti- climatic, ending too soon in one way or another, but easily over-looked when taken into context. No sex, lots of bulbous bosoms (yay!), not much violence against humans and what little there is, is shown off screen or implied in some way. Anyway, worth watching.

I think my biggest gripe with the Witchblade Anime series might be that because of its style (ie: supple and typically barely covered female anatomy), many potential viewers will be quick to write it off as nothing more than a peep show. While it may be true that Witchblade does contain fanservice en-masse, the story is what is truly remarkable here.The trials and tribulations the lead characters endure from beginning to end brought me to tears several times throughout. The characters are lovable, the action is intense, and the characters reactions to the events that are unfolding around them are exceedingly well done.Yes, there will be moments where the series drags its feet and to that I say, what series hasn't? No media can go full bore all the time without becoming mindless (At least in my opinion). Still, even through the slower moments of Witchblade, the story gradually progresses, until reaching a conclusion that still has me begging for more.I could honestly go on for quite some time about how much I truly, and completely enjoyed every bit of this series. However, at risk of getting into spoilers and potential tirades, I leave you with this: If you like anime, and enjoy a great story with fantastic characters, and great action, give Witchblade a try. You won't be disappointed.

This is a solidly entertaining sequel/re-imagining of the American comic book series, Witchblade, created by Top Cow. I'm a big Witchblade reader myself (she's probably my favorite super-heroine, or is it Painkiller Jane? I really can't decide), so I know that when I heard there was a Japanese animation show titled "Witchblade," I just had to see what Japan had to offer on a cult-classic comic book title.Top Cow did have a hand in this Japanese production of their most famed supernatural super-heroine, but "Witchblade" somehow or another remains a uniquely Japanese production that contains a lot of the usual elements of most animation from Japan, not limited to sexy females, troublesome, hard-to-follow story, and big corrupt corporations.Set in Tokyo six years after a catastrophic earthquake, well-endowed single-mom Masane Amaha returns to the city with her cute six-year-old daughter Rihoko. Masane is well-meaning but somewhat childish and immature, so Rihoko often seems like the mother, cooking, cleaning, shopping, taking care of the house, and is otherwise taking care of her mother instead of the other way around. For the longest time, it's just been the two of them, but child-welfare services has been after Masane for some time now, since she has no job, no income, and no way to care for Rihoko.If this is starting to sound like some Lifetime family stuff, hang on for just a minute longer because I'm getting into the meat of the story. Masane is also the wielder of the mystical Witchblade, a powerful sentient artifact of extraterrestrial origin that grants her a vast array of supernatural powers that she uses to slice-and-dice the rogue Ex-Cons (shape-changing humans who have the ability to morph into killer machines) that have been responsible for several mysterious murders around the Tokyo area. In the meantime, Masane, of course, keeps her double life as a monster-smashing super-heroine secret from her daughter, fighting to protect her at all costs, even her own life.As I said before, while "Witchblade" bears the name of the American comic book super-heroine, the Japanese have their own spin on the material that differs greatly from its source material. Pretty much, the only elements that remain the same from its American counterpart are the title, the fact that the protagonist is a woman (a well-endowed woman, at that) who understands little to nothing about what it is she has gotten herself into, and that the Witchblade always chooses a female as its host. In "Witchblade," many of the supernatural themes, fantasy and horror elements of the American comic have been largely done away with, replaced with the typical aforementioned elements of Japanese animation and science fiction. The most significant addition, I think, are the Clone-blades, which as they might sound like, are cloned versions of the Witchblade. They are also in abundance and prove to be more-than-worthy adversaries.But many of these changes work. In addition, there is also some crazy comedy here and there, and touching family scenes between Masane and Rihoko that make them really stand out and you believe that they're mother and daughter. More characters are in abundance, like the residents of the apartment building Masane and Rihoko come to live in, none of whom are cardboard cut-outs but add a lot of dimension, drama, and humor to the story. In essence, these societal losers are the perfect family!However, about halfway through the series things suddenly take a much darker and more somber tone as we come to realize that mother and daughter may not be mother and daughter, and the fact that the mother may not live to see this thing through, and the series ends on a note of pessimism as it is. That's really tragic since you've sat through 24 episodes of seeing these two together only to realize that they may not live happily ever after with one another. Also, the confusing back-story (as is typical of most Japanese animation) tends to be a bit of a unwarranted distraction in a series that at least manages to keep you watching.Anyway, "Witchblade" is a more-than-suitable addition to a great supernatural comic book mythology. I still question whether or not this will see a second season, though.(Americans can see "Witchblade" on IFC at 11:30 p.m. on Friday nights.)9/10