Synopsis:
Flame of Recca is a TV series about a teenage boy named, uh, Recca. Recca is just like any other boy, except that he has extraordinary fighting skills and he has the power of flame within him. He falls for a girl named Yanagi and swears to dedicate his life protecting her as her personal ninja. One day, an unknown woman appears from the shadows and changes Recca's life forever. Yanagi then becomes the target of an underground group due to her mysterious healing powers. Armed with mystical weapons, Recca and his friends must uncover the truth which stretches back to the last four centuries. Eventually, Recca must face his long-lost brother in a fight to the death to save Yanagi and the world.

Review:
Flame of Recca takes the basic idea of sibling rivalry and sets it as the stage on which everything develops. What sets it apart from other fighting anime is the intricacy of its plot and the painstaking detail it devotes to the combat sequences. Things happen at a good pace. One is assured of a bone-crunching spectacle almost every episode. Don't get me wrong, this is not your usual punching and kicking spree. The bouts are some of the most strategic and exciting ones I've seen. There is a wide variety of techniques, all of which are pretty awesome. If you're not into action or fighting though, you may find the progression quite tedious.

Everything is nicely drawn and animated for most part. A few eps have sucky art, which is probably due to a different artist's handiwork. Animation is generally fluid and well-executed -- a definite plus for a fighting anime. Although Recca is the main character, I don't like him at all. In fact, I can't stand him. He's a brash, arrogant, and over-confident loudmouth who I enjoy seeing get beaten to a pulp. I liked the supporting characters a lot better. Still, Flame of Recca is an above average series. The soundtrack is worth checking out too.

Miscellanies:
Flame of Recca would probably make a great fighting game.

Screenshots:
Sorry, no screenshots available.

Shopping:

AnimeNation
Flame of Recca (DVDs)
Rightstuf
Flame of Recca (DVD Vol. 1)
Flame of Recca (Graphic Novel Vol. 1)

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