Namu Amida Butsu!: Rendai Utena – Episodes 1-6 Review

This show caught my interest because I always liked the premise of all these spirits and deities fighting. Seeing different takes on mythic figures can be fascinating and funny, as well as make for interesting fights. So yeah, the idea of a show with these Thirteen Buddhas and three additional spirits seemed like it would be a pretty fun action-packed show.

And that was my mistake, thinking that would be the kind of show I was getting into. Instead what I have is a show about a bunch of pretty boys doing cute and hilariously silly pretty boy things. I have stumbled across a fan service show for the ladies. I bring this up because, while I have plenty of valid things to say, this show was not made for me. So this review is really only going to be useful to those who aren't interested in the 'pretty boys being silly' element of the show and want to know what else the show has to offer.

The answer to that is almost nothing. Most episodes begin and end with some kind of promise of confrontation and epic battle, but I'd be surprised if more then two minutes an episode have any kind of actual fighting up until this point. What little you do get also ends very anticlimactically. A brief summary of an example of this, the strongest of all the Buddha’s is finally here, but for some reason is unable to fight. They are getting beat down for a few moments until one of the other Buddha’s just shows up and one-shots the Vice they are fighting. This is a good summation of how this show has gone thus far.

The whole job of the Buddhas, as we know at least, is to help purge people of their vices, but in this day and age, they seem largely content to allow people to face vices on their own and overcome them, only interfering in extreme circumstances when a person allows vice to consume them and the vice gains some kind of power and becomes dangerous. Our two leading men are frustrated they don't get to go out clearing vices, and are instead just learning how to live in everyday life in the temple for the majority of an episode.

It's like the show is going out of its way to set up interesting ideas and premises, only to pull the rug out from under you and make you watch half dressed muscly men teasing each other for fifteen minutes, or being mopey and sad, or confused and frustrated.

The animation and designs, however, are actually really great. I love the flashy outfits all the Buddhas where, their weapons and fights all look great when you actually get them, and the Vices actually look pretty terrifying when they come out.

The characters are all wonderfully expressive, and while they aren't the deepest of characters they do have some pretty great moments. One of the Buddhas, I forget his name off the top of my head, is known for his great memory. You realize he isn't really able to forget anything at all, so something that may have happened a hundred years ago is just as fresh in his mind were it to have happened yesterday. There are moments like this that make it seem like there really is something to this show and characters.

But in the end, the show doesn't get away from the fact it is largely just pretty anime boys doing the things they do. I do think that, regardless, the show suffers a fair bit due to the lack of focus on the main plot six episodes in, but honestly if you like this kind of fan service and find it adorable or charming, there is a good chance you will find yourself enjoying the show. If that's not your thing though, there isn't really a reason to give this show any time.