It is becoming more common that anime are coming out alongside their manga source material instead of long after. 2013’s “Kill la Kill” actually aired its first episode of the anime a day before the manga was released. If shows are going to be as funny as that one or show as much promise as Hamatora, then I am all for simultaneous release or something near to that. To give fans an idea of what to expect, the first episode immediately made me think of two classics: Trigun and Cowboy Bebop. In the anime world I’d like to see someone buy a better bump than that.

Hamatora is about a rather unorthodox private investigation agency of the same name. The four members (Nice, Murasaki, Ratio and Birthday) are minimum holders, humans with special abilities that they activate under specific conditions. They use their powers to solve crimes that the police don’t have time for. Nice and Murasaki comprise the “Minimum Holder PI Duo,” which makes them infamous in both civilian and criminal circles. Murasaki is the serious member of the pair that cares more about money than what a case is about. His ability has not been fully explained yet, but it appears to be defensive and is activated when he removes his glasses. Nice reminds me somewhat of Vash the Stampede because he acts like an idiot but seems to be a very caring individual that can whoop some serious ass. Given the choice, he would take a low paying mission that helps those in need over a high paying one that doesn’t. He puts on his headphones to activate his ability which allows him to see sound waves. Further explanation is needed on his power because it also seems to up his strength and speed. The way he moves reminds me of Spike from Cowboy Bebop. The other two members of the team are just as mismatched together. Ratio seems like he would be better paired with Murasaki as they are both serious individuals and seems to be concerned with style and neatness. Ratio may also be the real power man of the team because his ability (activated by removing the patch over his right eye) lets him see the physical weaknesses in a person’s body. Combined with his cybernetic “golden arms,” he is a beast in a fight. His ability might be exploitable if the opponent is too fast. Birthday probably has the most dangerous power of the group; he comes off as reckless and activates his control of electricity by biting down on one of the nodes of an active taser. The show itself (or at least the first story arc) seems to revolve around a serial killer that is targeting minimum holders. That would lead one to think the killer must be one as well, but it would make the story more interesting if they were a normal human. Only time will tell on that part but. Hamatora looks to be a fun, action-oriented cop-drama with sci-fi elements. If you enjoyed the anime I have referenced then this is probably a show for you to add to your list.

Also, what the hell is up with this guy in the cat mascot costume?

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