From the dawn of time, mankind’s intelligence has been used for war. Its crown achievement was the fearsome living weapons known as Gears, against which the Crusades were fought. But one day, Ky Kiske, the sword-wielding guardian of Humanity and chief of the International Police Force, fell in love with a Gear: Dizzy, of the blood of the Gear King. Their son, Sin Kiske, is an impossibly muscular blond guy with a fashionable mix of sunglasses and an eyepatch, and who wears a wooden cross around his neck. Under the training regimen of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights’ member Sol Badguy (it’s not pronounced Badgee), he learns to use both his muscles and his sword in the deep forest. In the present day, Ky Kiske is a king and has finally been able to officially proclaim his marriage to Dizzy. Some, like the even-more-muscular Johnny of the Jellyfish Pirates, are happy about the event. Some, like US Senator Nerville Hammer, despise Gears and are burning with rage. But when Johnny spots a suspicious lady, she turns out to be Catwoman-like acrobat Unika, fixated on making the bride lose control of her powers and cause a rampage. When Sin Kiske comes home to the castle, he finds himself in the middle of a battlefield. As he and Johnny fight Unika, the king protects his bride with a powerful magical shield that leaves both of them frozen in time…

Guilty Gear wears its video game roots on its sleeve, and I think it’s the better for it. There is a bold feeling to it: With strong visuals resembling those of Telltale Games’ productions, kinetic fights, upbeat music, and memorable character designs, it manages to sell its simple, almost childlike story with pathos and gusto. More than anything, I think, there is direction to this story: It doesn’t waste time, nor is it afraid to tell us what is important. Sin Kiske is fun and unassuming, an enthusiastic child of loving parents. Like a young Superman, he trains, he fights, he laughs, he jokes around—just like many other similar characters in fiction, really. And yet, his hybrid nature is intriguing, his antics are entertaining, and I find that I do not want to see him orphaned. The Gear-human conflict is similar to many other such conflicts in fiction, but something about the world-building feels grounded, confident, and intriguing. I laughed at the absurdity of an uber-muscular US president called “Vernon” interacting with a superpowered knight who rules a medieval magical kingdom, but I’m also intrigued by it. Even the Jojo-flavored muscular man and the women in skimpy clothes, two stylistic choices I am not fond of, I can accept as part of this strange fantasy world. This was a fun first episode, and if I’m not yet blown away, I certainly had a blast. Recommended.

First Impression: Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Roles is available on Crunchyroll.