Every once in a while you’ll hear about a concept and say to yourself “Nah… this could never work”. Yet… when you see the thing in action, it turns out to be a unique and great idea all the same. Trinity Blood is one such anime that has such a concept that while theoretically weak, is practically quite applicable (if only due to the talent of the Anime Producers). Trinity Blood may be an anime that uses a weak concept and executes it to an amazing level, however, it’s also an anime that starts out great, but ends rather abruptly and lacks proper planning.

Trinity Blood’s story is set in a world where Vampires (Mesuleth) and Humans (Terrans) co-exist. After the “Armageddon” that left the world torn in two, the Vampires emerged and have since gained quite a footing in the world. Currently, there are two major Empires inhabiting the World. The Empire that is controlled by Vampires, and The Humans that are led by the “Vatican”. As expected, Humans and Vampires have little love for each other, and are constantly having feuds and wars. To make matters ever more interesting, it seems a third type of being exists in the world, “The Crusnik”. The Crusnik is a being that survives but thriving on the blood of vampires.

Conceptually, all of this may seem pretty cheesy, weird and somewhat half baked. It actually is, but the anime does well to execute the ideas, and presents such a believable vision of the world where Vampires and Humans Co-Exist that it’s impossible to really accuse it of being a bad idea. Even more so, the idea of a being that’s actually at the top of the food chain (i.e the Crusnik) seems even more unsuitable. Yet... The Crusnik concept is also very well fitted in the world where humans and vampires are at war. That said, the world, concept and outline is very very well done.

The plot itself however… is one of the series major downfalls. While the world that the anime takes place in is so well crafted, the Plot is pretty weak. It seems like it’s been rushed, wasn’t preplanned, and some important bits of the story are either left out, or shown hurriedly. What’s sad about the anime is the fact that it starts out so impressive, and slowly introduces each prominent character, and slowly acquaints you with the world of Trinity Blood. It does well for about 20 episodes, after which, it tends to go downhill as it starts to focus on the main plot. Trinity Blood spends quite a bit of time on the side characters of the anime, which isn’t really bad, but given the fact that it sacrifices that time on the side characters rather than on the main story, is “very bad”. The result, is an anime that grabs your attention as it starts, and totally disappoints you near the end with a highly unsuited ending that really contrasts to many of the character’s personalities and roles.

The cast of characters on the other hand, is very superb. Each character has a great deal of character development and a very deep personality. The main character, Abel Nightroad, seems like a mixture of “Vash the Stampede” (Trigun) and Alucard (Hellsing). Clumsy, funny and really nice in his human form, Abel resembles Vash greatly, while he’s near invincible, powerful and god-like in his Crusnik form, therefore resembling Alucard. Many of the other characters, have diverse and interesting personalities, weapons and abilities that contribute to the overall feel of the series. What is sad is that some characters are given more time than others and that can sometimes really be annoying, especially if your favourite character is shelved in favor of a more main character. An example of such an event is the character “Huges” (Sword Dancer). Introduced magnificently in a whole episode that’s dedicated to him, he rarely makes big appearances in the anime later on except for some main battles, where his role is limited. You also get to know very little about him, his motives or his past, which all seem very intriguing. Despite all of that, mostly all the characters are loveable, interesting and memorable enough to raise the overall appeal of the anime significantly.

The art and animation are top-notch. The art is quite possible one of the best ever seen in anime. The art gives of a sort of vibe of the “Castelvania” video games by Konami and that really contributes to the “vampire” feel of the anime. The Animation, although well done, is underused, probably due to budget constraints. Most of the fight scenes, while unimpressive in the fact that they end too quickly or don’t have enough “cool looking segments” are still gorgeously animated. The special effects for Abel’s Crusnik form in particular are just awesome to look at. Everything from his red Reaper Staff to the electricity that encircles him are well done. It’s disappointing that while Abel is so magnificently designed and animated, he rarely shows of any spectacular fighting, and most of the time, quickly ends his battles with an attack or two. Characters like Huges on the other hand, are brought to life with spectacular fighting scenes and jaw dropping action. In the end, while the art is superb all around, the animation is just not utilized as well as it could’ve been, and just leaves you wanting more.

The sound, voices, special effects and music are well suited to the anime. Rarely do they disappoint and mostly every bit of the sound compliments the anime’s superb style and world. The theme for Abel’s Crusnik form gives off a feel of horror and sacredness, while the music for the fight scenes is fast paced and heart pounding. Not needing to be said, the sound is great.

Overall, Trinity Blood is one of those anime that start out potentially great and really hype up your interest but just fail to deliver in the end. It seems that the anime Producers just weren’t afforded the time they needed to tell the tale of this splendid universe. Trinity Blood went from being just a 13 episode series to a 24 episode series, but it seems that even that wasn’t enough, and the last few episodes have a story of about 10 episodes crammed into them. That said, it’s difficult to recommend Trinity Blood because of it’s disappointing ending, lackluster plot and rushed pace in the final episodes. The disappointing ending doesn’t merit the anime a rewatch either and hence, we award the anime with a “B” Grade. Here’s hoping the series is redone or get’s a second season.


~Reviewed By Death Grin