Dai anime
#DAI ANIME SERIES#
The first half of the series sets up this harem, slowly introducing both the three main girls and several of the side characters, which it actually does quite well. So, I did expect some fireworks here and while it does bring in some of the social and political issues of the time, it sadly squanders its potential by presenting itself as a harem fantasy, pushing history into a corner and focussing squarely on Keiichiro’s buxom babes. While this is not a series that is new to me, having watched it when it first debuted on Crunchyroll several years ago, I still think that the backstory to the series is quite fascinating at a glance, as it’s not often you see an anime look at the period of history around the Meiji Restoration and the Boshin War. As the dust settles, Keiichiro’s adoptive grandmother reveals he is the heir to the Tokugawa Shogunate and must fulfil his duty by travelling to Edo and reclaiming it from Shigeyoshi. As his noble heritage is revealed, Keiichiro uncovers his own Onigami: Susanoo, and manages to drive Houkouin off with the help of the female Iga ninja, Kiriko. This seemingly idyllic life can’t last forever, as he is soon hunted down by a mysterious assassin – the buxom and venomous Houkouin. Keiichiro however, has no knowledge of his noble heritage, and spends his time with his best buddy Hyakusuke brawling in the streets and lusting after women using the bathhouse that he lives in. Despite killing the Prime Minister, it turns out that the Shogun had fathered an heir who had escaped the turmoil: the series’ hero, Keiichiro Tokugawa. Disliking the Prime Minister’s rule and seeing a chance to grab power for himself, Shigeyoshi and his loyal band of retainers, the Shinsengumi, rise in rebellion. With the Americans no longer in the picture, the Meiji Restoration never happens, resulting in a time of political turmoil and upheaval, as the Shogun dies without an apparent heir and Japan falls into the hands of his greedy and lustful prime minister. Set in 19th century Japan, 21 years after the arrival of the Americans and their Black Ships, Dai Shogun – Great Revolution presents an alternative take on history, where instead of Captain Matthew Perry forcing Japan to open up to foreign influence, the Americans are beaten back by Shigeyoshi Hitotsubashi and his giant armoured mecha, the Onigami known as Takemikazuchi destroying the Black Ships with its overpowering energy beam.