El Cazador de la Bruja is the third installment in Bee Train’s “girls-with-guns” trilogy, following Noir and Madlax. Although I cannot say I’ve seen either of the two aforementioned titles, I will say that the term “girls-with-guns” is what appealed me to this show. It’s recently become one of my favorite subsets of anime, because there’s nothing more awesome than a badass girl who puts people in their place, right?
That said, El Cazador isn’t your typical girls-with-guns anime. The series focuses much on its characters, and there actually isn’t as much action in the show as one would come to expect. However, I’m totally okay with this because the show delivers well where it intends to.
Ellis is a mysterious girl who does not remember her past. For reasons unknown to her, there is a large bounty on her head, and naturally many people are after her. This attracts Nadie, the main heroine of the story. Rather than claim the bounty on Ellis, Nadie, for her own reasons, chooses to help her discover her past. The story focuses on their quest, the people they meet, and the troubles they run into along the way. The story is not all that deep, and because of this, there is plenty of filler. However, El Cazador makes up for this in its character design and presentation.
The two main characters, Ellis and Nadie, are quite enjoyable. Ellis is a quiet and often dense girl who is obviously very confused with what’s going on in her life. Nadie is the cheerful, supportive, but also tough girl who protects Ellis. Together, the two of them make for an interesting and often humorous duo. There are several moments in each episode that will have one laughing out loud. What improves the effectiveness of these humorous parts is the show’s excellent dub. I’m usually very picky with dubs, so it means a lot when I say that FUNimation did a great job here.
Another aspect about this show worth mentioning is its outstanding music. Composed by Yuki Kajiura of Tsubasa, .hack, and Noir fame, the music certainly gives the series a “mysterious fantasy” kind of feel. While this may seem unfitting for a show like El Cazador, it actually works quite well, and really enhances the presentation.
Overall, El Cazador is a fun watch, and despite its slow pacing, the dub, music, and character designs make it worth watching. Throughout all 26 episodes, there wasn’t a single point where I felt that I wasn’t enjoying the show. That’s an indication of a good anime.
El Cazador de la Bruja is licensed and distributed by FUNimation Entertainment. Part 1 and Part 2 are on sale now. Review copy provided by The Anime Almanac.
ENJOYMENT – Excellent cast of characters, music, and dub make it a very fun show
RECOMMENDATION VALUE – Definitely worth checking out
REWATCH VALUE – Worth a rewatch, even if just for the humor
