Anime Reviews
Gun X Sword
GUN×SWORD ガン × ソード
Mouse2010's Rating: 8 / 10

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rating for this title.

 Content Overview
Violence: 5 / 10
Nudity: 6 / 10
Theo Theme: 2 / 10
Neg Them: 5 / 10

Mouse2010's Review
Overall: Gun X Sword is an action-adventure which includes many comic elements and an emphasis on character development. Some viewers find that it starts off a bit slow, but the plot begins intensifying mid-way through the series, building to a climactic and generally satisfying conclusion. The series is derivative, borrowing elements from earlier anime and from works of Western cinema, but it generally makes good use (sometimes, hilarious use) of the elements it borrows.

Violence:
Gun X Sword involves fighting of some kind in almost every episode, and some of the fights end in death. However, there's very little gore; much of the time the fighting is bloodless, as it involves destruction of enemy armor (mechs). Note that there is some violence aimed at minors Spoiler: including the death of children.

Nudity/Sexual Content:
This is an anime to skip if you don't want any fanservice. Some of the female characters wear quite revealing clothing, so there is some fanservice scattered throughout the series. There is a beach episode/swimsuit episode (episode 17) that's fairly heavy on the fanservice, including some minor fanservice involving an underage girl. In terms of sexual content, there is a sex scene with brief nudity. There is also some sexual humor. Sensitive viewers should be warned that an early episode involves the threatened sexual assault of a minor.

This point doesn't quite fit any category, so might as well go here: some viewers may be uncomfortable with the emotionally intense relationship that develops between Van (a grown man) and Wendy (a middle-school-aged girl). This relationship is primarily Platonic, with Van relating to Wendy the way a protective older brother might relate to a beloved-but-annoying little sister.

spoiler Eventually Wendy does fall in love with Van. There is no clear indication that Van ever reciprocates her feelings in a romantic way, but the end of the series seems to intentionally leave open the possibility that a romantic relationship between the two might develop once Wendy is of age.



Theological themes:
There is little direct religious content, except for vague references to God or prayer. Cross imagery is frequently associated with the protagonist, though it doesn't seem to have any real theological significance. It might be worth noting that the villains of the series sometimes employ language which sounds very much like religious language, and one character in particular could be seen as a false messiah.

Other problematic themes:
This is a revenge drama, and the protagonist's pursuit of revenge may not jibe well with Christian views on vengeance. (In the end, viewers may question whether Van was justified in some of his actions.) Note that there is minor-to-moderate swearing, and in the English dub, this occasionally involves taking the Lord's name in vain. There are frequent references to alcohol or drunkenness, and several scenes involving drunken characters.

Added: August, 2011