Blood Shadow Review

[Executioner]

Blood Shadow is a three part OVA that follows the members of the Crimson Lotus, an elite fighting unit of specially trained warriors, whose sole purpose is the investigation and eradication of demons from the land. Rekka, a young man who has been raised since he was little to be a member of the Crimson Lotus is, for all intents and purposes, the leader of the group and only male member. This is sort of strange since, while the demons are happy to kill anyone who crosses their path, they like nothing better than kidnapping women, raping them and finally killing them when they’re finished. Not only does this happen to members of the group, who’re often getting snatched by demons and having to be saved, but this unfortunate outcome has recently befallen Rekka’s closest ally and confidant Tsukikage, who gave her life so he could escape from a deadly situation they found themselves in. (She was already mortally wounded; it’s not as bad as it sounds). Fill with anger and sorrow, Rekka is out for revenge and with his demon fighting companions in tow, they’re off to find and stop the demon infestation that’s plaguing the land. Will any of his comrades make it though this without getting molested by demons? I think not.

Rarely in the world does one encounter a title such as Blood Shadow; an OVA that actually has a story to tell along with all the bare chests and demon rapes. It’s like watching a fantasy OVA, but with the added benefit of a couple sex scenes each episode. The whole thing is fairly straightforward as Rekka and crew investigate strange demon blamed happenings, usually resulting in one of the women being sexually assaulted in some way and a little demon donkey being subsequently kicked. As they fight progressively stronger demons they encounter the Black Steel, another demon fighting force such as their own, but one which always takes the demons they kill with them for unknown reasons. There are a couple twists, with a certain someone not actually being dead and an innocent girl with a dark power lurking within her. None of it is going to knock your socks off but it does well enough. It certainly helps that the animation is actually competent, showcasing actual fight scenes with smooth animation and a minimal number of “action” backgrounds. And one cannot even put a value on having an actual soundtrack in one of these titles, that’s just another of the many bonuses you get with Blood Shadow and its “do it right” attitude. Even the dub isn’t bad! Now that’s saying something.

This means Blood Shadow can showcase all its explicit glory without pulling any punches. From the sex scenes to just the pure graphic nature of the fight scenes, you’re getting slammed from both directions. Women are raped and ripped apart, people and demons alike are cut into pieces all over the place, and just a general sprinkling of rather disturbing events top it off. I mean, towards the end a gigantic she-demon starts using a person’s entire body to pleasure herself, during which she crushes his body which shoots his head off like it’s a rocket. That should give you the clearest indication of just how graphic Blood Shadow gets. The same holds true for the sex scenes, and the handful that go the distance are quite well done, almost always with a different female and don’t overstay their welcome. They’re just long enough to get the intimate details across before they all continue on with their journey. Other than sex with rather large demons, the only scene of note is a lesbian scene in which one woman has been possessed by a powerful spirit and they both get really into it. Now that’s what I like to see!

Blood Shadow is a anime title in true form. Not often does one find a title which so successfully incorporates action, adventure and sex as to create a bona fide anime viewing experience. As long as you’re not just in it for the sex, Blood Shadow should be a welcome change of pace, and a great show to watch.