Übel Blatt - Episodes 1-2

Fans of dark, epic fantasy, rejoice! Etorouji Shiono's long-running, 24-volume manga, Übel Blatt, has finally received an anime adaptation! Originally serialized from 2004 to 2019, the adaptation's belated 2025 broadcast is certainly unexpected, although it may have something to do with marketing synergy for the sequel manga, Übel Blatt II: The Knights of the Deceased King, releasing in 2024.I know many avid readers were both surprised and delighted when this anime was announced, and are now undoubtedly worried about whether the series will do justice to their beloved, edgy drama. Based on the quality of these first two episodes… I'd say things are looking pretty positive.I'll admit, I've never read any of the original manga, so I'll be approaching these reviews from the perspective of a complete Übel Blatt newbie. Though I have enjoyed many other anime and manga in the genre, like Berserk, the most obvious point of comparison by far.If I enjoy the anime, it might even get me to check out the manga sometime.Prologue

Übel Blatt takes place in the year 3992 A.D. (Anno Dunatto), in a Germanic-inspired land filled with brutalist medieval architecture and anachronistic futuristic technology like flying airships.Everything and everyone has German names, including the protagonist Köinzell, the nations of Szaalenden and Wischtech, and even episode titles like DURCH BURCH and UNTER MORGEN MONDEN. Twenty years prior, the Emperor of Szaalenden sent fourteen warriors to fight against the enemy nation of Wischtech, but only seven returned.Of the fourteen, three died performing their duty, and only four completed their task, before being murdered by the remaining seven warriors who were waiting behind them and then betrayed them. These seven treacherous warriors then falsely claimed the victory of their fallen former comrades, declaring themselves to be "The Seven Heroes."The show's opening scene is a flashback to 3972 A.D., depicting these "heroes" ruthlessly slaughtering one of their allies, with blood spurting from his eye socket. It's clear that Übel Blatt intends to start as it means to go on.Seven Heroes

Now, the land of the Seven Heroes is known as a peaceful utopia, attracting asylum seekers from far and wide attempting to sneak through the strict border controls in search of a better life. At the walled border, controlled by a corrupt monastery, we meet a dainty, pink-haired elven girl whose failed attempt to hide in a carriage nearly leads to her execution.She's rescued by a slightly older-looking half-elf boy, Köinzell, who mistakes her for his sister and spontaneously dubs her "Peepi," a name she vehemently protests. We don't seem to learn her real name.Köinzell's apparent youth belies his incredible combat prowess. Some of the best scenes in the first two episodes depict him dispatching waves of enemies to a blood-soaked grave using his amazing swordsmanship skills in a chaotic, yet efficient manner.Revenge Against the Seven Heroes?

For some reason, he's driven by revenge against the Seven Heroes, and flashbacks in the second episode hint that he is connected in some way to one of the warriors they supposedly killed.I presume his mysterious true nature will be revealed at some point, but in the flashback his identity "Aschriit" is a human boy, a different ethnicity, so is this some kind of reincarnation revenge story?So far, Köinzell has only had to deal with a fairly stereotypical, corrupt monk, who reminds me a little of Father Cornello from Fullmetal Alchemist, and his army of shifty-eyed, faceless, metal-masked thugs.The monk's characterization is hardly nuanced; he's just a greedy guy guarding the border because it lines his monastery's coffers. Köinzell's allies are similarly thinly drawn, for the time being.Peepi

Poor Peepi exists mainly to be put in danger or be humiliated; at one point, because her clothes get wet and dirty, she has to put on a very skimpy, completely age-inappropriate outfit, which feels unnecessarily creepy.The human smuggler Altea's outfit is also rather impractical, while all the men are dressed quite conservatively. While it's not a deal-breaker, I find it more than a little salacious. She does run a tavern, though, so perhaps she's also an exotic dancer? Nothing else could explain her bizarre attire.Wied, another smuggler, wears an eyepatch and is the standard gruff but vaguely heroic character who saves Peepi's life on a few occasions. Of the central quartet, Köinzell is by far the most interesting. I especially like his absurdly long braids, which are tied into daggers at the ends. Don't they cut his legs when he walks?Fight Against Normal Monster

The climax of the first episode, a fight against a generic monster, drags on a bit. It isn't as exciting as it should be, which doesn't make for the most positive first impression. Fortunately, the fight against a tattooed mercenary in the second episode is much more engaging.He wields a cursed sword that emits crippling screams from the poor, tormented fairy chained to its hilt, whose existence brings Köinzell to tears of rage. It seems this is a fantasy world where the powerful exploit and profit from the weak; hopefully, fertile ground for a good old, satisfying revenge fantasy.Generally, the second episode is more promising than the first, as it begins to flesh out the world and its characters, providing intriguing backstory and more fantasy elements.By the end of the episode, Köinzell is riding a flying dragon after magically destroying a huge stone structure, the Thousand Stone Spears, by freeing his former comrade's petrified corpse that was bound to it with his magic sword. This kind of large-scale insanity is the type of anime fantasy I can get behind.Conclusion

I wish the aesthetic were a little higher quality to match the grand nature of the narrative. The characters are a little too generic in anime design, and the fight animations could be smoother and more detailed. But I'm glad we aren't facing a disappointment on the level of Berserk 2016. This seems like the kind of story that would have benefited from a Frieren or Delicious in Dungeon level of prestige production, but that sadly isn't quite what we have here.I've heard there are some unpleasant scenes involving rape and sexual assault in the early manga volumes, but so far, that hasn't been the case in this adaptation. I don't necessarily object to such material in fiction, so long as it serves the story appropriately and the characters are treated with respect, and isn't just there for the audience's titillation. If the adaptation continues to omit these scenes, it begs the question of how necessary they were in the first place. Time will tell, I suppose. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication. View original article (German)