MVM TV Tasters are a chance to see 2 episodes tasters of some of anime’s finest TV series

Witchblade

Sought by the greed of Men since the dawn of Humankind, but only bestowed upon the woman whose fate it forever scars: The Witchblade. Is it the Righteous Sword of God, of the Hand of the Devil Himself? Now a new bearer has been chosen and she must discover the answers for herself. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin…

Masane is a likeable, clumsy, kind young woman trying to look after her daughter Rihoko. She lost her memory in the Great Quake in Tokyo, where she was found lost in the aftermath with nothing but her baby and a mysterious bracelet on her arm to connect her to her old life. Six years later she and Rihoko return to the city for a fresh start, but are pursued by the NSWF, who want to take Rihoko away (that’s the National Science and Welfare company, although if you read it as NSFW… you wouldn’t be far off either). When she’s arrested and put in jail, Masane is attacked and discovers that the bracelet on her arm is the Witchblade – a demonic weapon that fuses with her body and mind.

Based on the cult classic American comic series, Witchblade’s anime adaptation came out in 2006 and quickly achieved the same status. With its metal opening titles, violent action scenes and hyper-sexualised skimpy outfits, it evoked the pulpy dark fantasies of the ‘80s and ‘90s but with a modern, anime edge. The surface level appeal to teenage boys is immediately obvious, but strip all that back and this is, at its heart, a show about a mother trying to do the right thing for her daughter.

The series ran for a single, 24-episode season, wrapping its story up neatly at the end. We’ll be showing the first couple of episodes at BAFF, but the full run is available on Crunchyroll. Whether you’re new to the series and looking for a taster, or you’re a long time fan wanting to see it on a big screen, you won’t want to miss this fantasy epic.