The outbreak of creatures in Germany is getting worse. In Blassreiter, corpses are returning to life and merging with machines, becoming horrific monsters called Amalgams, or "Demoniacs" that leave a wave of carnage in their path. The worst part, however, is the humans that are becoming infected. The XAT (Xenogenesis Assault Team) was a special police force designed to handle the Demoniacs, but they were destroyed by treachery from within and attacks from without.  Beatrice is a woman working for a mysterious man named Xargin. Blue (Joseph), the demoniac/human the XAT was once chasing, who may be the only hope for humanity and the XAT survivor(s?) as they become embroiled in conspiracies with ancient organizations and a plot to end the world as we know it…the Blassreiter is coming, and the world may be forever changed!  The series deals not only in high-octane fight sequences between stylishly rendered 3D creatures and humans, but their consequences on the people involved; the pain of suffering and hurting others, loss and the concept of justice in a cruel, possibly indifferent world are just some of the themes present in Blassreiter. In this second set, religious and theological questions also arise –  what sort of God would allow a world to be so filled with suffering?

Highlights

The set begins with the two-episode flashback to Joseph's past. This isn't the snooze fest it sounds like though; these are quite possibly the two most desperate, heart-wrenching episodes in the entire series. Young Joseph is an orphan in a time when the world is not kind to orphans and outcasts; we see him and the people and things he loves suffer, struggle and,  frequently, die.  I highly recommend seeing Blassreiter: The Complete Series Part 1 first, because in these episodes we learn about the tragic pasts of Joseph, Xargin and other new characters that set the entire series in motion, and it's here that Blassreiter really begins to amp up the themes of despair, hoplesssness and the cruelty of man against man.

It's almost a relief to get back to the present, and the Demoniac epidemic; one that's threatening to become a pandemic. Amanda, the apparent lone survivor of the XAT,  ends up at Zwolf, a paramilitary religious organization that was once known as (gasp) The Knights Templar! Their leader, who was undercover in the XAT as their director, Victor Strachus,  seems nearly as mad as Xargin when we meet him, blurring the lines between good and evil. The factions split and bend, and some unlikely alliances are drawn.

Many of the episodes in this set are far more exciting than the previous season's one-on-one battles.  After the slower  moving two parters, it's one huge battle after another as armies of demoniacs attack Zwolf, aerial dogfights occur with scores of missiles being fired, and Zwolf's own mechs take on Xargin and his most powerful henchmen, including Wolf, the XAT traitor. Joseph himself,  however, is mysteriously absent for a lot of it, as some previously assumed dead characters return to help fill roles (not to mention some of the Zwolf members such as Shido become main characters in their own right).  It's a good thing, because the battles are so high-octane our heroes will need all the help they can get. Sometimes they even get a little EXTREEEMEEE, with Beatrice in her demoniac form literally surfing a satellite out of orbit as a projectile, and with all the zipping and darting about and firing hordes of seeking missiles. Sometimes it gets a little out of hand and hard to follow, but the best battles are still a sight to behold.

The opening credit sequences to the final episode are also quite cool. They're a retrospective of exciting moments from the series –  the most dramatic battles and the most emotional moments. It really helps bring things full circle.Blassreiter has used the credits in a couple of  interesting ways in the last set as well, but this one really stands out. The music is exciting as well, and this is coming from someone who doesn't usually notice that kind of thing. The cast of Blassreiter does a quality job overall, except for Ellia's annoying chirping. Their real claim to fame, however, is in their screams of agony and pain. There were a few particularly chilling ones.

Overall

Three words: Massive. Character. Deaths. Blassreiter tries very hard to be an adult series, with adult themes. Overall, I think it does a fantastic job. If you aren't filled with anger at some of the cruelties inflicted on the characters, you aren't watching the same show I was. If you don't feel the loss, tragedy and fear, you aren't human. To underscore this, the series is very much an "anyone can die" show. At one point they go so overboard with this concept by introducing what seems to be a major character with her own backstory, only to kill her in the very next episode. Blassreiter never wastes a chance to give someone a tragic history, then kill or maim them. Never. It's an emotional rollercoaster. I don't recommend it to someone just looking for some lighthearted fun with "robot dudes on motorcycles".

Suffice to say that while many of the big confrontations are pulled off exceptionally well (I was on the edge of my seat) the final encounter showcases both the best and worst that Blassreiter  has to offer. The battle itself is tight, has lots of tension (missiles! missiles! Possible nuclear Armageddon!) and some great surprises.  The Jesus imagery that Joseph was taking on becomes even more blatant and the characters begin to speak in homilies, leeching some of the natural tension that has built between the characters. The series sometimes tilts dangerously between immensely quotable and "Oscar moment", but it's a breath of fresh air for me, to see a series that takes itself seriously and is serious about serious things. It's given me something to think about as well as some great battle scenes, and touching characterizations.

 I enjoyed Blassreiter, but as before, the CG in battle scenes, despite being improved, may be distracting for some. At the heart of the series is, as hard as it is to believe, a message of hope and overcoming adversity. In such a bleak world, the greatest coin is hope. Now look, they've got me doing it. Despite a few rough edges, Blassreiter  is action with a purpose, a notable show in what's become a sea of anime choices.

 

ComicsOnline gives Blassreiter The Complete Series Part 2 4 out of 5 Demoniacs.