Welcome all my dear she’s, he’s, and them’s! For today’s Sunday Select, the topic is an anime called Zetsuen no Tempest, meaning Blast of Tempest. The title is replaced with “Civilization Blaster” in some English versions. Blast of Tempest is 24-episode series aired in 2012 and produced by studio Bones. Genres include action, drama, fantasy, mystery, and psychological. While it may not count as an obscure anime, I’ve only talked with 4 other people who knew of its existence. Only two of them had actually seen it. So I think Blast of Tempest deserves some recognition. Here are some reasons to give it a try!
7. “It’s The End of The World As We Know It”
Do like stories where the world as we know it comes to an end? Want to see huge swathes of the population die off? How about calamity, chaos, and disaster? I never want to see it reality, but for some reason I love stories where this kind of thing happens. In the interest of being spoiler-free, I won’t say what is causing this apocalypse or whether humanity is able to make a comeback or not. Also note that the worldwide apocalypse isn’t the main focus of Blast of Tempest; the main focus is the characters and their psychology.
6. References to and quotes from Shakespeare’s Works
“I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not,
with all their quantity of love, make up my sum.”
~Hamlet from Shakespeare’s Hamlet
My knowledge of Shakespeare and his works is pretty pathetic, but according to what I can gather, the main quotes and themes are from Hamlet and Tempest. Literally anything else I say on this matter could lead to spoilers of the story and major themes in Blast of Tempest. So you’ll have to see for yourself. Anyway, if you like old, classic literature and plays, and know a little about Shakespeare, it’s likely that you’ll enjoy this anime all the more for it.
5. Kana Hanazawa, Miyuki Sawashiro and Other Seiyuu
Blast of Tempest‘s cast is made up of talented, memorable Japanese seiyuu. Kana Hanazawa is one of my top 3 favorite female seiyuu ever, and she plays Aika Fuwa. Another voice actress I admire is Miyuki Sawashiro, and I think she did an especially great job with playing Princess Hakaze Kusaribe in this anime. Kouki Uchiyama plays Yoshino, the male main character. Although I’m not as familiar with the roles of Toshiyuki Toyonaga, he does a fantastic job acting the role of Mahiro Fuwa. In the series’ second half, Hanemura is voiced by Yuki Kaji. A couple of other talents, such as Junichi Suwabe, appear in supporting roles.
4. An Unusual Main Character
He doesn’t look like much— a typical anime protagonist with slightly spiky brown hair and green eyes. But that’s only his character design. Yoshino Takigawa is unusual as an anime hero, and highly interesting to me, because of his complete reliance on logic, practicality, and good sense. You won’t see many emotional outbursts from this guy, whether angry, crying, or happy. It’s not that he doesn’t have emotions or that he’s bored and apathetic. Yoshino takes interest in everything happening around him, and he cares deeply about his best friend Mahiro. It’s just that he’s generally quiet, reserved, and private. On the other hand, he’s not shy, and not particularly sensitive. Yoshino speaks his mind often, arguing logically. Few things really rattle him. I’ve never encountered another anime protagonist quite like Yoshino.
3. Interesting World Lore/ Magic System
Writing a thousand word post about the magic system in Blast of Tempest would be too easy. I’m certain I would get carried away, so it’s better not try to summarize it here. While the complexity doesn’t reach the levels of power systems in anime classics (like alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist), the magic in Blast of Tempest is still much more impressive than what you see in your average fantasy or isekai anime. The world lore of the Trees of Genesis and Exodus is fascinating, as well. Definitely try this anime if you like different versions of “magic theory.”
2. “Psychological Elements” and Plot Twists
Blast of Tempest does best not as a fantasy/action tale, overall, but as a psychological and character-driven story. The puzzles, mysteries, and games of logic are great, particularly in the first half of the series; but there’s some interesting stuff in the second half here and there. Blast of Tempest also managed to keep me entertained with the plot twists. Another part of it I loved was the exploration and development of the characters and their psychology and personalities. The themes are fascinating, too. The main reasons Blast of Tempest spoke to me on a personal level were the themes of grief and brokeness. The show also discusses fate/ determinism, secrets, technology, logical paradoxes, the nature of love, and the strength of friendship.
1. Aika
Blast of Tempest is not a masterpiece. It has its problems. But that’s ok, because Aika. No matter what it did wrong, the show has Aika. Therefore, any shortcomings are forgiven. That’s how feel because I love Aika so much. The second half of the series feels almost like a different story than the first, and the world has changed completely. But that’s ok, because Aika! A key scene with Mahiro and Yoshino in the second half was incredibly anti-climatic. But that’s ok, because Aika!! Many people dislike the the new boy character in the second half. But that’s ok, because Aika!!! Other narrative and character related problems? They don’t matter, because of Aika.
Seriously though, Aika Fuwa will amaze you. She’s criminally cute and waaayy too sexy for her age, not that I’m complaining. She’s got a personality that’s sure to tick you off at times, but if you’re like me, you’ll grow to adore it. Aika wouldn’t be Aika if she wasn’t a huge tease and didn’t have that sharp wit, quick tongue, impressive insight, and love of arguing. If you love a lolita with a smart mouth and attitude, you can’t go wrong with Blast of Tempest‘s Aika Fuwa.
That wraps up the 7 reasons you should try watching Zetsuen no Tempest. For reading my work today here at Anime Rants, I sincerely thank you. Please have a safe and happy Sunday. 🙂
(All gifs and images were found by searching the web and I don’t own any of them.)
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