This series started in October 2013, airing on the Noitamina programming block alongside Galilei Donna. A little background about Noitamina before I dive into this odd series. Noitamina is known for it’s unique set of series that had begun way back in 2005. Over the years, the programming network gradually added to its lineup some titles that were more geared towards kids, for example Guilty Crown, which had huge potential with Director Tetsuo Araki [Death Note, Attack on Titan], music by Hiryouki Sawano [Kill La Kill, Blue Exorcist, Attack on Titan], and of course SUPERCELL. This series was a total disaster and the only redeeming factor of that Fall 2011 lineup that saved it was it’s other title UN-GO. 2012 was a fantastic year for Noitamina gearing back to the old days of Josei, and more adult-themed series. These were Kids on the Slope [Director Shinichiro Watanabe of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and Space Dandy] Tsuritama, Natsuyuki Rendezvous that oddly enough had the voice acting completed prior to animation, and of course my favorite Science Fiction Series PSYCHO-PASS. So Noitamina was known for pulling a mixed bag of series every season. Samurai Flamenco was no different and continues to be a compelling, yet crazy and confusing story.

Samurai Flamenco is the story of Hazama Masayoshi who is a male model and yearns to live out his childhood dream of becoming a real-life superhero. Thus the masked hero Samurai Flamenco is brought into play. Starting off, the series is a wonderful deconstruction of superheroes. Hazama always being mezmorized by his favorite heroes of his favorite TV shows like RED AXE, and Harakiri Sunshine. These were wonderful renditions of made up sentai shows for the anime that helped the viewer understand Hazama a little bit more each episode.

Now, there is Hidenori Goto, a real-life cop, and not your rough, action-packed shoot-em-up tough guy. He is a small city cop who travels the streets by bike, more like a patrol officer. I really enjoy this character because he really adds the element of real life within the series and we learn a little bit more about him through the wonderful dialogues between Hazama and him. A wonderful element that was thrown in was his girlfriend, whom we know nothing about other than their relationship consists of text messages and Goto always putting off dates.

The two begin a journey of friendship and Hazama always causes trouble for Goto being Samurai Flamenco, as he fights crime in the city.

It is pretty difficult talking about this series within spoiling anything. This series has genre-shifts throughout, going from reality and straying far away from it, with its wide-range of characters of Flamenco Girls [Idol Group Mineral Miracle Muse] and the Flamengers team, which you will find out towards episode 11. This series is not only an homage to kids and adults who love superhero shows, but the sentai series that are popular in Japan, like Kamen Rider. I never know what this series is going to do next, and that is one of the wonderful joys of watching this series every week! Takahiro Omori [Director of Bacanno! and Durarara!!] does a wonderful job directing this series! You can really tell he has something up his sleeve with the unique acting of Joji [RED AXE], and pushing away the reality characters [Goto, Flamenco Girls, etc.], as Hazama continues his discovery as a Flamenger as this series progresses in its second cour. I am surprised that the writing behind this is Hideyuki Kurata, because he wrote the horrible Dragon Crisis and the script for Galilei Donna. I really do hope we get some answers soon, because I have been reading online about how many people have dropped this series. Only time will tell how good this series will be overall.

YOU CAN WATCH THIS ANIME SERIES on Crunchyroll today!

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This is my first review summary for an anime series, if anyone has any suggests or would like me to post spoilers in my reviews please let me know.