While I've seen it mentioned once or twice on these boards, I think it's high time we formally discussed Gungrave. Video Game. Anime hero. Ass kicking necro-risen action figure.
Over the past couple of weekends, my friends and I have been watching a big Gungrave marathon, and I think this show rocks. Right from the intro, with its strangely "Lounge Music" theme and really well done Super-8 lookalike footage (great job on that, Madhouse) this show oozes cool. For those who've been living in a cave with the Taliban, here's the basic premise. After an introductory episode featuring our undead hero killing heaps of "Orcmen" the show proceedes to flash back several decades, to the early days of two young punks named Harry and Brandon. Over the next few years Harry and Brandon join the local mafia, the slightly oddly named "Millenion." Brandon becomes an expert "sweeper" for the mob, while Harry has his eyes set on the top spot. Years pass until a not-so-sudden betrayal sees Brandon killed by his best friend Harry. Now most animes would end here, but Gungrave is just nearing its halfway point.
You see, in the world of Gungrave there exists a technology called Necro Rise. Expecting Harry's inevitable betrayal, Brandon has secretly arranged to have himself Necro Risen, so that he may come back when his "family" in the mob needs him. We flash forward 13 years to finally catch up to the point where the first episode left off and Brandon, now known as Beyond the Grave, wages a one man war agaist what used to be his family while protecting the daughter of the woman he loved.
That's probably simplifying this show far more than I should, but I don't have time to construct a complete but spoiler free guide to this franchise. All I can say is find this show NOW! Or, you can wait until Geneon releases it, hopefully later this year.