3ET: Nobunagun

"So, I'm a reincarnated spirit with a giant gun who fights aliens? AWESOME!"

Studio: Bridge

Director: Kondou Nobuhiro (SD Gundam Force)

Writer: Yamaguchi Hiroshi (Rosario to Vampire, Gingitsune)

Main Cast:

Mutou Shiori as Ogura Shio

Character Design: Matsushita Hiromi (Puchi Puri YuushiI)

Music: Yutaka Shin’ya

Nobunagun is the newest show that illustrates Japan's deep, undying, obsessive love for its Sengoku period, and specifically Oda Nobunaga. This time, Nobunaga's spirit has been reincarnated as a high school girl named Ogura Shio who happens to be a military otaku. She is able to summon the powers of Nobunaga to help repel an alien invasion and joins a para-military organization called DOGOO to fight them. She then meets reincarnations of other famous people from history, all who have their own powers. And if this sounds completely absurd, that's because it is.

Thankfully, the show is still enjoyable, despite its ridiculous premise. The main action scene of the first couple of episodes is quite good, as Shio doesn't have the usual angst surrounding her new powers. She pretty much powers up with her "Nobunagun", which is literally a giant machine gun, and starts mowing down alien creatures left and right with an insane joy in her eyes. She also is able to pull out multiple guns as the plot demands it, which is as nonsensical as it is fun. Nobunaga himself shows up in flashbacks, and is a fairly accurate portrayal as far as I can tell. He isn't a misunderstood nice guy, he's a crazed madman. And he likes guns. He really likes guns. The other good thing about this is we see the external effects of the battle, by which I mean people being turned to blood splatters. This seemingly minor touch gives the action scene some weight, as if the results of it actually matter. And therefore, I care about what happens.

Well. You can't buy that at a Wal-Mart.

It's not that this show is without its problems. A lot of time is spent infodumping by other characters just to get the information out there for the audience. There's also the issue of other characters, the only one who spends any meaningful time with Shio is a classmate who wants to be her friend, and who she works hard to save in the initial battle. Really, outside of the scene with Shio and her classmate and the action scenes, the show feels like it is spinning its wheels and not really doing anything. The third episode is a training episode that while not terrible, didn't really do anything to advance the plot.

Looking at Nobunagun, I almost feel like this is a Saturday morning cartoon with more violence. To be honest, I don't think that's a bad thing. In fact, given that I don't think this show is really striving for anything great, that's perfectly accceptable. It's trying to be a fun action show, and as long as it is heavy on the action, I think it will do that just fine. I'm going to pass it, and hope I don't regret it.