Name(s): Buso Renkin / Busou Renkin / BoRe / BuRe / Arms Alchemy / 武装錬金
Format: TV series (26 24-minute episodes)
Studio(s): Xebec

Review

Buso Renkin is one of those rare series I enjoy that might seem like it would normally be below my standards. Not that I’m going to lie about it and score it lower than how much I enjoyed it. Buso Renkin (BR) is almost shonen by numbers, but it’s just so tightly-written and sincere. BR avoids the incredible fluff that pervades countless, near-endless shonen works and manages to tell a tight story that never loses the plot. It has a consistent feel and structure, and only improves over time. Its stakes only increase over the course of the show.

I had almost forgotten how nice that is. It’s just a loveable, easy watch with a fun, likable cast and perfect pacing. This cohesive, consummate writing more than makes up for some of what’s otherwise just a decent story and cast.