AKA: 群青のマグメル ; Magmell of the Sea Blue

Genre: Action/Fantasy

Length: Television series, 13 episodes, 24 minutes each

Distributor: Currently available streaming on Netflix.

Content Rating: TV-14 (Violence, mature themes.)

Related Series: N/A

Also Recommended: Akuma-kun; Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba

Notes: Based on manhua (Chinese manga) by Dainenbyo, published in Fan Manhua

Rating:

Ultramarine Magmell

Synopsis

"35 years ago" a mysterious new continent called Magmell appeared on Earth, complete with myriad monstrous fauna. Inyo is an Angler, which is apparently an expert on Magmellian lifeforms; he's also a Lachter, which seems even more impressive. (Details in review.) His aide (Servant? She does address him as Master) is a young girl named Zero, a name which I will do my utmost to find other terms for in the review.

Review

"People are able to get through tough jobs by watching adorable cat videos"

OK. I've given you the ONE good thing in this show (that quote). You may- in fact, are ENCOURAGED to- otherwise forget the show exists.

Still around? You ARE a masochist. OK, then, here goes:

Back when this originally aired on Netflix, I came across a couple guys' commentary on it. They said that much was omitted from the source material. Not being familiar with that material, I can only say that a lot of backstory certainly seems missing; we get some details of our two leads' pasts, but it only goes so far, and not as far back as the answers to the questions I had would seem to lie.

I did say I would explain the Lachter part. Lachters are able to materialize whatever they like out of thin air. Normally I'd think this would lead to a more profitable way of living than just being a guide in Magmell (Inyo wears what looks like a zookeeper's uniform when he ventures there), even if the things he materializes are only ephemeral (e.g., like the objects Green Lantern used to conjure with his power ring). His "assistant", Miss Sitting Pretty at the Origin of the X-Axis (remember, we're using euphemisms for her name) is ALSO a Lachter, but is only able to create a little flying robot, which serves as his recon/extra pair of hands (and her proxy) in the ventures into Magmell.

In fact, Inyo and his assistant, Miss The Romans Didn't Have One, are chronically broke, despite getting repeat jobs from a certain corporation (which I'll say a bit more about later), as well as a job escorting an extremely wealthy patron back to Magmell to look for some friends he'd abandoned. You'd think they'd be a little more aggressive about their business, but Inyo, in particular, usually seems uninterested in even making an effort; some clients have to press him hard to even get him to take jobs. (These two remind me of other penniless business duos such as those in Get Backers and Akuma-kun.)

Instead, our "heroes" would rather literally, and REPEATEDLY, swindle an apparently honest (if a bit pompous) shopkeeper named Denden Oyaji. Usually they make fake claims of injury to obtain merchandise from him at severe discounts (or even gratis.) When their schemes (please remember, these are SUPPOSED to be the heroes) threaten to drive Denden into bankruptcy, he decides to try seeking his fortune in Magmell- and our Dynamic Duo try to thwart THAT too, through acts of sabotage that, in the real world, would most likely lead to their target's death. I never understood why we were supposed to sympathize with these acts of terrorism by Inyo and Miss Celsius Freezing Point, much less find them funny, but the show clearly expects us to do so. While most of the abuse happens in one episode (DEFINITELY the absolute nadir of this show, no matter HOW bad the rest is), in later episodes Denden will have cutlery thrown at him (with some sticking in his head) by Miss Sum of a Number and its Negative Value. And then, toward the end of the show, everyone in the cast is visiting a bandaged Denden in the hospital, and laughing at his injuries. For the life of me, I don't know what the guy did to earn this contempt- or why ill treatment of him is supposed to be so hilarious.

Yes, there are a few recurring characters. There's a young (maybe 20-ish) woman named Emilia, whose main function in the show seems to be requiring repeated rescue by Inyo, due to being put in repeated peril by her father's company's ill-considered schemes in Magmell. At one point she's in a helicopter which the company insists is "invincible", but of course proves completely vincible. (I know, NOT a word, but logically it SHOULD be.) Miss Value of Y For the Roots of a Quadratic Equation, who looks maybe no more than 14, is frankly jealous of Emilia, calling her "fertile-chested". (According to Anime Database, Emilia's English last name is Chester, so maybe she's a distant ancestor of Scrapped Princess's Winia Chester. If so, while she might have a good START on the boob thing, it might take a few more generations for the lineage to fulfill the ultimate fullness of Winia. Just saying.)

And besides the chronic abuse of Mr. Oyaji, it's kind of an ugly show too. The OP is embarrassingly bombastic, while the character art (particularly the leads) is of the hard-edged, heavily-inked sort that used to be more common in anime, especially in the more cheaply-made series.

The series finale is a three-part showdown that will, in the end, leave you feeling jerked around. (Trust me.) Apparently Lachter-ism can be transmitted to others. I need to find one of those people with that skill- I'm pretty sure I can use it more profitably than the leads in THIS show.

Well, an infuriating treatment of an innocent character by the alleged good guys; an infuriating bit of audience manipulation by the ending; and, honestly, unappealing leads. If I could, I'd give it a star rating that ALSO matches the name of the female lead. — Allen Moody

Recommended Audience: Netflix says TV-14. There are horror elements and general violence and cruelty, some of which, for some reason, is expected to amuse us.