I've never
really been a fan of over-the-top action just for the sake of action. However,
some people like to just sit back and revel in the general bad-assery of a well-choreographed
action sequence. Okay, I lied. I love to turn off my brain and enjoy a good action
show once in a while. The framing and flow of a good action scene can really
get the blood flowing. There’s only one problem. While exciting action sequences
can be exhilarating, they belong more in the realm of movies than TV.
TV has to
hook someone for episodes and seasons whereas a movie just has to keep your
attention for a couple of hours. How does an action TV show keep an audience
interested? I feel that the answer is found in an anime called Jormungand. Jormungand is funny, intense, intelligent, and full of action. All
of these factors combine to create a show that can really keep an audience
hooked.
Jormungand is about an impossibly pale weapons
dealer named Koko Hekmatyar and her team of bodyguards. They travel the world
selling weapons to governments, warlords, mafias, and terrorists. It doesn’t
matter who they sell to as long as they have the cash. (Just don’t pay using drugs, she
doesn’t like that.) The show focuses on plans to sell weapons, survive
assassination attempts, and further Koko’s ultimate plan known as Jormungand.
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| Koko, cold and calculating |
This show
has many supporting characters each with their own arcs varying in importance.
For the sake of this review, I will focus on the two main characters: Koko
Hekmatyar and Jonah. Koko is a pale young woman who is equal parts goofy and
immature as well as cold and ruthless. She always smiles, never showing her
true feelings while carrying out all sorts of risky schemes. Although she doesn’t
seem to take things very seriously or act cautiously, Koko is a master
strategist. Her mind is always racing and planning. She is at least two steps
ahead of everyone around her at any given time. This intelligence has gained
her the respect of her subordinates (many of them hardened soldiers) who follow
her orders without question. Her strange, goofy mannerisms combined with her
young age cause people to underestimate her to their ultimate detriment. To
those that follow her, she is kind and friendly; however, to her enemies, there
isn’t a more cold, calculating, and ruthless angel of death.
 |
| Koko, lighthearted and goofy |
Jonah is a
child soldier who ironically despises weapons dealers. After his family was
killed by soldiers armed with weapons dealt to them by Koko’s brother Kasper,
he had always despised them. Needing a place to stay and a sense of direction in
life, he decided to work for Koko as the newest addition to her bodyguard team.
Koko has a soft spot for Jonah and treats him like a little brother while
making sure he gets an education. The various team members attempt with
varying levels of success to teach him math, science, and languages. Jonah’s
dislike for weapons and weapon dealers results in him being a great commentator
for the actions taken by Koko and her group. He softens his stance towards Koko
as time goes on.
 |
| Jonah |
Overall,
this show has an interesting, if a little trite, premise. Although the show
excels at making sure all the supporting characters are unique, I wish the
writers spent more time developing them and showing their stories and unique
talents in different ways. I would’ve really liked to get to know the characters better as such. This is
the biggest shortcoming with the show. Project Jormungand was not as interesting
as I wanted it to be. I feel like the writers should’ve dedicated more screen
time to the project and its development or canned the idea altogether. The show
was very likeable already with its more episodic nature. I would rate this
anime an overall score of 7.1/10. It's a pretty good show with pretty good
characters and a pretty good premise. It isn’t a masterpiece by any stretch,
but if you're itching for some action, it may be worth a watch.
H. Logan Christensen
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