Gleipnir Review

We were brought together by destiny

Clair Aoki, Gleipnir 

Is Gleipnir anime any good? Is it Worth Watching? And when will we get a Second Season of Gleipnir? Gleipnir is a 2020 anime that managed to create a sizable fandom and an anime that is either loved or hated. So I will be sharing my opinion to help you decide if you should give Gleipnir a chance. So let’s discuss Gleipnir!

Gleipnir

Episodes 13 | Aired Spring 2020 | Produced by Pine Jam

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Plot Summary

Shuichi Kagaya isn’t human. He has an unnatural sense of smell and can transform into an incredibly powerful beast… of sorts. He does all he can to avoid standing out and being discovered, but no good deed goes unpunished, and his decision to use his power to save a girl spells the end of his quiet life.

What did I think?

Gleipnir is an anime that seems to borrow from Norse mythology, with an Alien that acts like the trickster Loki and a boy that turns into a wolf-like mascot outfit, who has been subdued mentally to forget his past and if he ever does break free from these shackles and remembers will be the beginning of the end.

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Gleipnir meaning “the open one” is an anime about monsters, human desire, unity and interpersonal relationships. Gleipnir is definitely not your ordinary anime, offering some fresh experiences in how it explores many deep issues about young adult minds.

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STORY

Gleipnir has a lot of crazy, unique and exciting things to offer. It is relatively short, which makes it easy for anyone to pick up and watch without worrying about having to catch up on 100+ episodes. 

Its an anime with a very slow unravelling plot that leaves more unanswered mysteries than answered mysteries. And dialogue that can be considered confusing and unrealistic sometimes. Gleipnir continuous fanservice halfway through the series also felt unnecessary at certain scenes.

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But some of Gleipnir faults might be from the herculean task of trying to fit so much of the plot into 13 episodes. Gleipnir is a dark gory story that can be seen as a coming-of-age story as our protagonists Clair Aoki and Shuichi Kagaya, start to come to terms with their traumas and desires.

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Gleipnir plot is unique, with battle royale elements and an interesting building theme on the weight of one’s own sins. It can be very convoluted the first four episodes, with the way it throws a lot of themes at you at once but it does start to settle down.

CHARACTER

The two protagonists are our classic red and blue ogre, yin and yang protagonist pairing. Separately Clair and Shuichi will have ended up being meh characters but together they balance each other’s personalities out and help us learn a little bit more about themselves in each episode. It was interesting to watch both characters development and see them trying to find that middle ground.

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Other characters sometimes felt one-dimensional or like afterthoughts kept to fill the world of Gleipnir. But even though they didn’t feel fully fleshed-out, characters were complex, with flaws and reasons that explained why they acted the way they did. And made it feel strangely like it was done intentionally to make you feel like you were meeting actual strangers that if you got to see more of, learnt more about but if you didn’t really, wouldn’t know anything about them.

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Animation

The animation quality was really great. Characters, transformations, choreographed battles and scenes seemed to have more depth to them. Even little things like characters changing clothes or moving from point A to B was actually well animated and thought of. Gleipnir art is really pleasing to the eyes especially during its moments of calm and less dark and brutal moments.

Sound

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Gleipnir music can be wonderful at times, helping complement the narration, thrill and mystery. I especially noticed how it helped set the mood for some fights and made them feel more fleshed-out than they were.


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Favourite moment?

Episode 7 of Gleipnir. We got to see another side of Shuuichi and get an idea of how powerful he and Clair could be. It was another side of him I would like to see more of next season.

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Least favourite moment?

Episode 12 of Gleipnir. Gleipnir didn’t pull the punches in this episode, it was completely dark and brutal. No one should ever feel unloved or unwanted.

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Favourite character?

Madoka

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He is a character that I can relate with to some point, he is socially awkward, not necessarily good at anything but still trying his best and failing a lot and he’s pretty much an underdog. He acts tough but he’s someone that cares deeply for every member of his gang and will never abandon them. Madoka wants power not for himself alone but to be able to take care of the people he cares about, which is admirable and sweet.

Least favourite character?

Madoka

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“Among monsters and humans, there are only two types. Those who undergo suffering and spread it to others. And those who undergo suffering and avoid giving it to others.”

– Alice.

Even though I like him, he’s definitely not perfect he is completely crazy. Madoka’s heart might be in the right place but he was passing his suffering on to others. Which makes all the good he wants to do void.

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What did I learn?

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What I learnt from Gleipnir;

  1. Never ever jump to conclusions.
  2. No one deserves to feel unloved, unwanted or easily replaceable.
  3. “Evil is created when someone gives up on someone else. It appears when everyone gives up on someone as a lost cause and removes their path to salvation. Once they are cut off from everyone else, they become evil.” – Othinus.
  4. Everyone needs to be supported no matter how strong they look on the outside.
  5. How we treat people matters.

Would I watch more?

Overall, Gleipnir is an anime with an interesting enough premise, that throws a lot of themes at its viewers and the potential to be dark and creepy. The series tries to work with too much at once but in the end, Gleipnir really started to shine. I would definitely like to watch another season to see where the story goes from where we were left.

Gleipnir is watchable, but don’t expect to be completely swept off your feet with this first season.

When is Gleipnir Season 2 Release Date?

As of now, there is no official release date mentioned from any of the staff or studio. But, if we were to speculate, with the success of season 1 then we expect Gleipnir to be released in 2021, fall, or summer 2022.

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So with that, I am done! What do you think? Have you seen Gleipnir? What are your feelings about it? Drop a comment below and let us know what you think!

Till next time… Remember you’re amazing!

YumDeku
YumDeku

Blogger / Jujutsu Sorcerer / Unpredictable knuckle head Ninja that spends his free time writing, reading, watching and playing all things Anime, Manga and Gaming.

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