Tatakau Shisho - The Book of Bantorra | First Impressions

The first victim show to cross my path this season is none other than Tatakau Shisho (Armed Librarians) - The Book of Bantorra. Is it any good? Let's find out, shall we?

As expected, Romi Paku's Hamyuts is to die for,

despite the fact that she acts rather childish at times.

The premise of the series is an interesting one. In this world, the deceased become "books." If someone "reads" ones of these books, they get a glimpse into the dead person's past. The Armed Librarians, wielding supernatural abilities, manage the Bantorra Library and protect the books from their enemy, a religious society known as the Shindeki Church. One of weapons this society uses are human bombs called "Meats."

To go along with the interesting premise are pretty good production values. The character designs and backgrounds look sharp, and the animation isn't half had either, though the CG could use some work. The music is unremarkable, save for ALI PROJECT's catchy Noir-esque opening theme.



The execution leaves a little to be desired though. The series certainly shows promise, but the first episode wasn't structured all that well, making for a rather incoherent feel. A lot is thrown at us, and there is plenty that doesn't make sense. It will surely be explained later, but it certainly doesn't leave a favorable impression.

This is one of those series that tries to hook you by being cryptic in the first episode. This won't work for everyone, but the foundation and potential is certainly there. I'm just not sold on it yet. It will take another episode or two to determine if the book on Bantorra must be closed or left open.

I really want to like this series, for the sake of Hamyuts's breasts. Would be a shame to have to give them her up.