The Book Of Bantorra
| Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra | |
|---|---|
| Original Manga | Ishio Yamagata (light novel author) |
| Director/Artist | Toshiya Shinohara |
| Format | Anime (TV) |
| Made By | David Production |
| Episode Length | 24 minutes |
| # of Eps/Volumes | 27 |
Contents
Genre
Sum it up in a Sentence
The souls of dead people are turned into stone "books" that anyone can read, and magic-wielding librarians fight people from an evil church in order to protect their secrets.
Main Description
Somewhere in the future there exists a great library called Bantorra containing tons of books, but in this world the "books" are stone tablets containing the memories of dead people. Anyone can read the memories contained within a book simply by touching the tablet, and some of these books are so worthwhile that there's even a small underground market for them.
Safeguarding these books and the labyrinth in which many of them reside are the Armed Librarians ("Tatakau Shisho"), a group of elite fighters equipped with everything from slingshots to empathic magic powers as they travel around the world. Their tasks range from looking for special books and cracking down on illegal dealers to battling the malicious Church of Drowning in God's Grace, led by self-styled "True Men" who seek to destroy the Library and its leader Hamyutz Meseta.
Characters
Here's a list of some of the bigger names you might come across.
Hamyutz Meseta
The "Acting Director" of the Bantorra Library. She has a few powers like sensory threads, the ability to kill almost anything with small rocks in a sling, and large breasts. She seems to have a death wish, but being the main character of the story she's not allowed to die.
Mattalast "Matt" Balory
A dashing rogue who wears a spiffy bow tie and bowler hat. This Armed Librarian carries a revolver and has the power to see a few seconds into the future. Matt is possibly the only person capable of turning on Hamyutz without getting killed in the process.
Volken MacMarney
Green-haired kid with a naive sense of justice. Disappears for most of the show, called a traitor, returns about ten episodes later and calls for Hamyutz' head.
Mirepoch Finder
Boyish-looking woman with a bowl cut who always walks around in a military uniform. Mostly a support character, and has the power to send/recieve telepathic messages, but gets her first taste of combat later in the series.
Noloty Maruchie
Pacifistic pugilist and rookie Armed Librarian who refuses to kill anyone even if it means her own death.
Cigal
Self-styled "True Man" from the Church of Drowning in God's Grace, his main power seems to be acting like a smug asshole. The antagonist of the first mini-arc.
Ganbanzel
Evil old bastard and "True Man" from the Church of Drowning in God's Grace.
If You Liked This, You Might Like...
- Fullmetal Alchemist -- Romi Park voices both Edward Alric and Hamyutz Meseta. Also, there's magic in the air.
- Asura Cryin' -- Another light novel series converted into an anime with a bunch of subplots.
Personal Opinions
Kleptobot
It may seem hard to keep track of the many, many characters that Bantorra throws at you from the first episode and slowly expands as the show goes on. However, if you are willing to slowly watch the story unfold, then this show will eventually grow on you. The characters may have one or two defining traits, but they play them up incredibly well that it's surprising. Even the designated "Walking Breasts" of the show is a surprisingly smug badass on her own. Unlike Asura Cryin', it actually takes the time to wrap up some subplots before throwing new ones at you. Bottom line, if you are looking for a story-driven series that doesn't rely on cheap fanservice or shoving the plot down your throat in one episode, then definitely watch this thing.
Links
- Offical Bantorra Site (Japanese)
- Crunchyroll archive of subtitled Bantorra episodes (warning, US IP address may be needed to view episodes)
