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Episode 1: A New Life
Air date: October 4th 2006
Channel: TV Tokyo
Length: 23 minutes
Summary
Kazuki Mutou, a normal high school student, dies trying to protect a strange girl from a monster. But this girl, Tokiko, saves his life by transpanting a mysterious metal into his chest... The kakugane, created by alchemy, which cannot only heal mortal wounds - replace a person's heart - but which can also be transformed into a powerful weapon - the busou renkin.
At first, Kazuki writes this off as a dream, but when he and his sister are attacked by the same monster, and Tokiko comes to the rescue, his memories come back, and Kazuki learns the full truth about the secret battle against the homunculus-monsters.
Tokiko, who is a renkin senshi - alchemy soldier - and very dedicated to the fight against the homunculi, does not want Kazuki to join her cause, but rather go on with his life as if nothing had happened. But Kazuki can't close his eyes to the truth and just ignore that a delicate young girl is out there risking her life, while he, too, has the power to help her and protect his friends.
Kazuki makes his decision, and goes to help Tokiko.
New main characters introduced:
Kazuki Mutou (Jun Fukuyama)
Tokiko Tsumura (Ryouka Yuzuki)
Mahiro Mutou (Aya Hirano)
Guest starring:
Ryoutarou Okiayu as Mita
Compared to the manga...
For the most part, the episode stays true to the manga. It covers the first two episodes, A New Life and Midnight Run.
The main difference between manga and anime is that in the anime, Kazuki does not materialize his busou renkin during the battle against Mita; instead, Tokiko saves him and Mahiro. This serves to make the awakening of Kazuki's powers and his coming to help to Tokiko the climax of the episode. Another effect is that Tokiko gets a good opportunity to demonstrate her powers. Overall, this change is absolutely justifiable.
Another difference is that while in the manga, the students come too late to school and get in some additional trouble with Mita, here they are on time. Their two scenes - the walk to school and the lunch break - are both still there, but the dialogues etc have been rearranged a bit.
Opinion
I've been looking forward to this ever since its announcement on May 21; my mindset makes it impossible to be disappointed. But even so, this is a rather well-done episode. The animations are very nice, the background music is pretty awesome and even though the episode ha to cover two chapters - including two action sequences - it flows nicely. Most scenes were lifted directly from the manga, thus preserving many classic and memorable scenes - there's nothing more satisfying for a fan than to find all his or her favourite scenes in the adaptation.
The episode immediately starts with the "nightmare" sequence, and leaves out the opening, so I cannot yet say anything about it. Leaving it out means we have more time for the actual episode... still, I am dying to see the opening.
ED: Hoshiakari by Juukai
The ending clip consists of a number of stills of the empty school building. Only near the end does Tokiko show up, eventually joined by Kazuki. The song is melancholic, soothing, and in my opinion quite beautiful. Just maybe I would have preferred to have the ending focus on the silly aspects of Busou Renkin. But then again, the serious, emotional themes, like the relationship between Kazuki and Tokiko, are too easily forgotten, and it's probably for the better that they're given this attention.
(Written by Kaeli on October 5th)