Übel Blatt Episode 1 Review: Censored The Heck Out Of This One

Today’s episode of Übel Blatt might disappoint and let down many. Let us see how this episode turned out.

Übel Blatt Overview

Übel Blatt (Yūberu Buratto, ユーベルブラット, translating to “Evil Blade” in German) is a manga series written and illustrated by Etorouji Shiono. It first appeared in Young Gangan magazine in December 2004 and continued there until 2009, before transitioning to Monthly Big Gangan, where it concluded in March 2019. The series spans 24 tankōbon volumes, published by Square Enix. Set in a medieval-inspired fantasy world, the plot revolves around Koinzell, a half-human warrior marked by a distinctive scar over his left eye. He embarks on a quest for revenge against seven individuals who betrayed and killed him, now falsely revered as heroes.

In August 2011, a spin-off story titled Übel Blatt Gaiden was published in Young Gangan Big. Yen Press began releasing the manga in North America in October 2014. Additionally, a sequel, Übel Blatt II: The Knights of the Deceased King, began serialization in Monthly Big Gangan in February 2024.

An anime adaptation is set to debut on January 11, 2025, produced by Satelight and Staple Entertainment. Directed by Takashi Naoya, with Tatsuya Takahashi overseeing the scripts, the anime includes character designs by Kiyoshi Tateishi and music by Shun Narita. The opening theme, “Zainin” (Sinner), is performed by Garnidelia, and the ending theme, “Stella,” is sung by Hina Tachibana.

Übel Blatt Episode 1 Review

If you are a manga reader, then be ready to be disappointed. First of all, the anime completely omits the 1st three chapters of the manga and directly picks up from the 4th chapter. Even after that, they cut off a lot of scenes apart from the sexual ones. It is understandable that they cannot show much of the elements that are in the manga, but I would have preferred if they kept the gore intact.

The plot revolves around a boy, Koinzell, who wants to meet the seven heroes who once protected the land. However, at the very beginning, we are shown that these heroes might be the actual villains of the entire series. They supposedly took over the glory of their comrades and are now hailed as protectors. On top of that, this story takes place in a time and land where cruelty reigns supreme, and the decisions of powerful people are the law.

 In that scenario, a small girl, Peepi, gets caught while she tries to escape her current wretched land. The monastery that controls the entry and exit to the empire decides who can get in and who can go out. Their decision also depends on the amount of money they get paid, hence, cruelty is at a maximum high under their watch. This is where our hero, Koinzell, comes to rescue Peepi and kind of takes her under his wing so that they both can get past the border.

They also get help from Wied, another man trying to smuggle himself. But things did not go their way, and they had to face a lot of struggles before they could attempt to get past the border security.

The animation is average, and you can feel that they’re cutting things out, which will keep you confused about the whole scenario most of the time. Hopefully, they will reveal more in the later episodes and fill in the gaps with a better structure.

Verdict

This anime is a PG13 version of its manga, and if you are okay with it, you can enjoy this one. But if you want to read the real story with all its absurd, explicit, and gory elements, stick to the manga.

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