Review - Peacemaker

Peacemaker
24 Episodes
SECTION23 FILMS (ADV Films)

Set in Japans past, Peacemaker centers around a 15 year old boy named Tetsunosuke Ichimura. When his parents are murdered in front of his eyes by a gang called the Choshuu, Tetsunosuke vows revenge. Small for his age, his older brother looks out for him until Tetsunosuke in an effort to become stronger joins a samurai group called the Shinsengumi. Once accepted only as a page of a vice-commander, he learns that to gain the true power to inflict revenge requires that he loose his humanity and become a demon. The main plot revolves around this tension within Tetsunosuke.

I picked up this series for myself when it first was released in 2004. That's when the anime club here in the library was in full swing and I was looking for new programs to show. But this one, produced by Gonzo, was a little too violent for me to show. Not as violent as some anime and on finishing the series recently, I didn't find the bloodshed gratuitous. Instead it was necessary to the story to show Tetsunosuke the ugly truth about the life of vengeance.

The series, I found, a little confusing initially. It took me a while to get all the characters straight. But after a dozen episodes thing became clearer. The animation is very good. The fights and action are fluid. The voice acting is good with good actors working back back in the anime heyday of a couple years ago. And there are many moral issues brought up in the course of the series. Does Tetsunosuke need to turn into a cold blooded murderer to become strong? Does his older brother need to be so restrictive in Tetsunosuke upbringing? Is the Shinsenguni more moral or compassionate than the Choshuu? Many dilemmas are raised and many are left unanswered, which always makes for an interesting show.

And though I praise this show, I'm not sure this series is good for most public libraries. As I mention, there is quite a bit of violence. But unlike samurai films and such, this anime might be misconstrued as something good for children. I suspect parents of people under the age of 14 or so might find it a little too rough. There is much to recommend, but there is many other anime series available which might be easier to justify for sensitive parents.