Ani-Mania: ‘Pumpkin Scissors’

I’m always looking for the next big thing. This is different from my personal quest for the next series I’m going to watch — as mentioned last week, I have my own reasons why I like what I like, and that doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with best seller lists. But like it or not, certain titles come along that are so big, they define an era, or sometimes, redefine the whole industry.

Fullmetal Alchemist was a BIG deal. Ghost in the Shell was, and continues to be huge, and has helped bring mainstream attention to what was, at one time, a fringe hobby. Recently, Ouran High School Host Club has been a very big hit, with fans anticipating its release long before the show hit US shores. D. Gray Man seemed poised for similar success, what with the large numbers of black and white costumed exorcists showing up at cons everywhere, but so far, it doesn’t seem to have made quite as big an impression as the cosplay presence seemed to suggest.

If I had to guess, I’d say Soul Eater, when it comes out next summer, will probably be the next huge explosion, especially with the announcement that Laura Bailey will be voicing Maka. Spice & Wolf, due out the end of this year, is my own pet favorite (bad pun intended), but I don’t know how much buzz it will carry. It’s a very intellectual show, and I’m not sure how that will play with the fans.

But all of this aside — all the fame and buzz and hype and the it factor — lots of worthy shows go unnoticed. Not everything can be the “BEST SHOW EVER!!!”. And not everything has to be. Sometimes, while we’re watching out for greatness (and I’m all for greatness), something else that’s pretty darn good falls through the cracks. So today in AniMania we’re going to examine a series that’s something of a sleeper.

When I first picked up the box for Pumpkin Scissors, I was skeptical at best. Skeptical is putting it lightly — my reaction was more like “What kind of lame show is called ‘Pumpkin Scissors’?” I had no idea what the series was about. The name conjured up vague mental pictures of sword fighting in a pumpkin patch, like some sort of Charlie Brown Halloween episode gone horribly wrong. The little logo of a pair of scissors open around a Jack-O-Lantern didn’t help. I sat down to watch it, trying to be neutral, and not really wanting to. I got through the first episode. Then the second. And the next thing I knew, I was wanting to see more.

Pumpkin Scissors tells the story of Alice Malvin, an ambitious young lieutenant who’s Imperial Army graduation ceremony is interrupted by the news that the Great War is over. Peace has broken out. Brimming with all the enthusiasm and idealism of youth, Alice is eager for heroic adventures, and woefully unprepared for the sudden armistice. She winds up commanding the Army’s Intelligence Section III, a pencil pushing propaganda outfit who’s few members have no intentions of going anywhere near a battlefield. Everyone else would be content to sit back and relax, but not Alice. She approaches her new peace mission at full charge.

Then Alice and her fellow soldiers cross paths with Randel Oland. Randel is Alice’s opposite. A seasoned veteran from a feared anti-tank unit, he has seen the ugly side of war. Randel has no romantic illusions, but he’s intrigued by Alice’s idea of a war relief unit that helps people to rebuild their lives.

But as time wears on, Alice and her cohorts start to hear more and more rumors about a legendary program, “The Invisible Nine”, whose recruits turn into super human killers by the light of an eerie blue lantern. Randel is from the 901st — a unit that doesn’t exist. And he carries a mysterious blue light. Could their friend be harboring a dark secret?

Admittedly, in some respects, Pumpkin Scissors is a bit of a B-series. The idea behind the name — a unit whose purpose is “to cut through the thick skin of deception” is cheesy. The animation on Mercury, the show’s shaggy dog mascot, is sub par, and in some places, the time honored still shot — a staple feature of anime cost cutting — still gets brought out, even for key action scenes. The idea for zombie-like super soldiers sounds like something out of Wolfenstein 3D.

The characters are fairly cliche: Randel is a good natured tough guy with a mysterious past, Oreldo is your typical lech, and Martis is the standard bookworm. But cliches wouldn’t get to be cliches if they didn’t work, and while the quote on the box touting the series’ supposed similarities with FMA might be a little optimistic, Pumpkin Scissors uses good storytelling to present an interesting plot, and it makes you care about the characters. At the end of the day, what more can you want?

The cast turn in a solid performance. You might remember the voice of Alice Malvin, Kaytha Coker, from her work in Abenobashi and Pretear. Randel Oland gets his voice from the talents of Adam Dudley, who has also appeared in Getter Robo and Guyver. The womanizing Oreldo is played by Gary Haddock, who also played in Jing: King of Bandits, while the bookish Martis gets his voice from Blake Shepard, who also played in Air Gear and Blade of the Phantom Master. Mercury gets his voice, er woofs, from two sources: Smokey Delange for episodes 1-4, and George Manley for 7-24. Manley, when not barking into a microphone, was also writing the script.

If you only see one anime series this year, this might not be it, but if you’re looking for a well crafted tale a bit off the beaten path, consider giving Pumpkin Scissors a try.