First Impression: Übel Blatt

In the year 3972 A.D., fourteen heroes are sent to prevent an invasion. But deep in the Forest of Death, seven of them betray and kill the others in order to bring about “The Age of Glory” and establish their kingdom. One of the heroes who appears to have been killed was named Ascheriit. Twenty years later, a mysterious young boy named Köinzell meets a young girl whom he names “Peepi” (that’s pronounced “pee-pee” in case you’re wondering…) while they are both trying to stow away into the kingdom of the seven heroes. Köinzell has a scar on his left eye (matching Ascheriit’s cut eye in the opening scene), claims he has met the Seven Heroes face to face, and has a voice that sounds awfully similar to Ascheriit, so I’m sure you can guess where this is going. Köinzell and Peepi get caught while attempting to be smuggled into the city, only to meet a smuggler named Wied who rescues them from being executed. Wied brings them to a shady tavern where they meet with the boss of the smugglers, Altea. An attempt by the four of them to sneak aboard a ship to gain entrance to the kingdom doesn’t go so smoothly though, as they encounter monsters and their military pursuers when the ship begins to take off. Can Köinzell save the group from meeting their demise?

Übel Blatt begins with a scene of backstory that is cut using caption cards to introduce lore in a really interesting way. While I wish there was more meat to the flashback, I’m sure future episodes will tell us more about this backstory. The opening is followed by an actually interesting opening credits sequence featuring the song “Zainin” (罪人) (Sinners) by Garnidelia, whose lyrics convey the idea that the series is a revenge quest. The opening also gives us our first glimpse into what appears to be the biggest influence on this series, Fate/Stay Night. While Übel Blatt is based on a manga from 2004, this anime clearly borrows a lot from Fate/Stay Night. The intro sequence, the fight scenes, the color palette, and the lighting style all seem to have a strong influence, and as a massive Fate fan, I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, so long as Übel Blatt can pave its own way forward. But the best part about Übel Blatt’s opening episode for me was the world-building. The ships we see are not regular boats; they fly like futuristic ships—a cross between a boat, a blimp, and a spaceship. This hybrid reminds me of Disney’s Treasure Planet using pirate ships for space travel. Since the date of the episode is 3992 A.D., it seems like a new medieval age has begun with some advanced technology, while the weapons seem to only be swords, lances, etc. The world of Übel Blatt is intriguing, and I want to know more about it, and about why the Seven Heroes betrayed the others. Was there more going on than we know, or were they merely selfish jerks in search of glory? I’m sure future episodes will tell us more. My biggest complaint, though, would be the treatment of the female characters. Neither of them prove very useful and the amount of fanservice doesn’t give me confidence they will be treated respectfully. But those detractors aside, if you are looking for a fantasy (possibly science-fantasy?) anime with plenty of edginess and interesting world-building, you can do much worse than check out Übel Blatt. For myself, I may give it at least another episode or two to see where it goes.

Übel Blatt is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

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