Anime Hajime Review: Black Rock Shooter (OVA)

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Black Rock Shooter the OVA. Reader discretion is advised.***

OVA Synopsis

Our story takes place in two worlds.

In one Mato Kuroi (voiced by Kana Hanazawa) is beginning her new middle school life. There she meets Yomi Takanashi (voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro). The two click right away. It doesn’t take long before they become inseparable.

In the other, battles are the only way of life. Here, one combatant is searching for someone. This twined pigtailed, cannon wielding fighter goes by the name Black Rock Shooter. And she is looking for the one known as Dead Master.

Back in the real world, Mato and Yomi spend as much time together as possible. But the realities of life have a habit of getting in the way. Yomi grows concerned that she's losing her dearest friend. Then one day, Yomi goes missing. At a loss, Mato does everything in her power to find her.

In Otherworld, Black Rock Shooter manages to locate Dead Master. Upon doing so, she gives Dead Master the chance to come peacefully. To no avail. The two begin an all-out duel.

The intensity of this faceoff comes from the emotions of the real world. And the lengths a person is willing to go to save the one most precious to them will be put to the test.

OVA Positives

At the end of my Black Rock Shooter review, I mentioned the original OVA. If memory serves, I said something along the lines of. “If anything, you should at least give this a watch.” Two years later, it’s time to explain what I meant by that.

Black Rock Shooter

Before going further, let’s acknowledge this. The OVA and the series are two different stories. Though they use many of the same characters, they are separate entities. So, it doesn’t matter which order you watch them in.

Mato

There’s only one thing you need to ask yourself. “Would you rather have an upgrade or start off strong?”

Regardless of how you answer that, the result will be the same. The Black Rock Shooter OVA is the stronger of the two.

Story and Characters

Yomi

The story is good the first time. But this is the type of story that grows even better with a second viewing. It makes a lot more sense when you know what’s going on the whole way through.

In the series, the stories of Otherworld and the real world were in tandem. The connection between the two played out at the same pace, at the same time. Plus, it was denser. There was much more going on in the anime. The scope of that plot was bigger. Which makes sense.

Dead Master

The series had the time to delve into the details. It could take on a lot more. It could show a lot more. There’s only so much you can do in a fifty minute OVA.

Yet the strength of the OVA wasn’t in quantity. It was in quality. The meat of this story was better.

In both the series and OVA, the story centered around the relationship between Mato and Yomi. The show focused more on the beginnings of their friendship. As well as Mato trying to help Yomi overcome a rather hostile facet of her life.

What the series did was fine. It worked. It did its job. But it was harder to make a connection with. I’m going to go out on a limb and say most people have not experienced what Yomi went through. Of course, you felt sorry for her. But the series was more of a beginning step. The OVA went the distance.

The OVA’s story was as good as it was due to its two leads. This version of Mato and Yomi were worlds better.

The differences between the anime and OVA Matos were more subtle. But they were noticeable.

Mato’s motivation for wanting to save Yomi here in the OVA were deeper. Now she was saving her best friend. Instead of someone she just met and felt pity for. Naturally, helping a new friend is not outlandish. For a character like Mato, both in the OVA and anime, it’s something she would do. This was a girl who had a strong desire to aid people in need. It didn't matter how long she may have known that person.

I want you to imagine that same desire to help others. Consider how far Mato was willing to go to save someone who was recently a stranger to her. Now apply that drive to the person she loves more than anyone. Someone who means the world to her. For Mato, going to the ends of the Earth to protect this person is negligible. Especially when the universe itself isn’t a big enough barrier to stop her.

Holds a bit more weight, doesn’t it?

Then there was Yomi herself. If I were to re-review the anime, its interpretation of Yomi would be a glaring negative. It's such a downgrade. The OVA’s Yomi is superior in every shape and form. Again, it comes down to what the stories had in mind.

In the OVA, Yomi was more grounded. Her life wasn’t an extreme Hell hole. It didn’t require every ounce of her strength for her to continue moving forward. Here, she went home to a loving family every night. She had a closer than close friend to support her and stand by her.

What the Yomi in the anime went through is an exception, not the rule of reality. It worked in the series because of how extreme it was. And yes, it can happen. The OVA didn’t have to go to such extremes, though.

Here, Yomi was a sweet and loving girl. A girl prone to jealousy and insecurity. Two feelings we’ve all felt to some degree in our lives. This version of Yomi’s story hits closer to home.

In the OVA, the bond between Mato and Yomi had a lot more meaning. This translated into a tenser, more powerful struggle in Otherworld. Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master were better representations of their counterpart’s emotions. Black Rock Shooter’s unrelenting pursuit. Dead Master’s struggle to maintain control. You saw where they were coming from. You saw why they fought so hard.

Even after being beaten, chained, and denied, Black Rock Shooter’s reaction was never retaliation. It was always, “come with me.”

The length of a story is irrelevant. As long as it resonates.

One last thing, the actual character designs for both Mato and Yomi I like a lot more here than in the anime. Thought I should add that.

OVA Negatives

The Black Rock Shooter OVA was great. I understand how it generated so much hype for the anime. I also understand how the anime didn’t quite live up to said hype. Except, I don’t believe that was all the anime’s fault. The OVA kind of set it up for failure.

To start, we've talked about how the OVA’s version of the real world is the superior of the two. The series, on the other hand, did Otherworld a bit better. The Black Rock Shooter and Dead Master fight in the OVA was more meaningful. But it lacked the spectacle of the anime.

Fights were more entertaining in the series. They were bigger. They were more intense. They were more fun. Although the OVA had a strong reason behind its main fight, the series had at least some kind of reason for all its fights.

The OVA started off with a battle between Black Rock Shooter and Black Gold Saw. It was neat, sure. Except it didn’t do or add anything. It was only a reason to have Black Gold Saw show up. By the way, I only know Black Gold Saw’s name from the anime. It was never once mentioned here. Neither was Dead Master’s for that matter, but at least you knew who she was meant to be.

The character Strength also made an appearance. Again, a name I know from the anime. But unlike Black Gold Saw who was in a fight, Strength was just here. She didn’t do anything. And she wasn’t around as a cameo. The camera hung on her long enough to indicate she was part of the story. Except she wasn’t.

Since I knew who she was from the series, I can theorize what she was doing in the OVA. What I’ve come up with works in my head I guess. But I had to make so many assumptions and ignore so much that happened in this story to get to where I got. So, it’s much easier to ignore Strength was even here.

Plus, the ending sequel baited. This is was one of the main reasons the OVA screwed over the anime. The anime's not a sequel. It’s an alternative story. It didn't take into account the events of the OVA. Way back when, I went into the anime expecting to get a resolution. That never came.

The OVA had a lot of details that didn’t fit with everything that was happening. “Distracting” isn’t the right word. “Unneeded” or “unnecessary” are a little too easy. If I had to guess, someone somewhere stepped in and demanded a few inclusions. I’ve got nothing to back that up. It's only a hunch.

Final Thoughts

For this OVA review alone, I must have watched this like five times. It was that good. As well as short enough that I felt it allowed for it.

In terms of raw entertainment and visuals, the edge goes to the anime. For everything else, it’s the OVA. The story. The characters. The purpose behind fights. The Black Rock Shooter OVA was a glimpse into what the series could’ve been.

I said it two years ago and now here are my reasons why. If there’s one thing you watch from the Black Rock Shooter franchise, make it this one.

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