Witch Hunter Robin: Complete Collection Reviews

• Good drama, style, and characterization, but plot needs work

  
  By A2S8RJGKI73T9D on 2005-05-02
  Witch Hunter Robin is a 26 episode Japanese animation series set in the near future in Japan. In this near future, individuals dubbed Witches who exhibit uncontrolled or psychotic manifestations of supernatural penomena are tracked and hunted by a shadowy international agency. The title character, a quiet teenage girl raised in a European convent who posesses the ability to mentally start fires, works as a hunter for the Japanese branch of this agency (in the STN-J). Some of the people she works with are up-front about their personal histories; others stay secretive. The first half of the series focuses on Robin working within the STN-J to hunt other Witches. Events halfway through the series lead to her becoming a fugitive; the storyline then delves deeper into several subplots concerning Robin's origins, the personal backgrounds of some of the secretive STN-J members, and the activities of the STN-J administrator.
  
  This series is carried by its rich character development and its strong dramatic moments (which are neither forced nor overplayed). The characters, even those who appear in single episodes, are defined deeply in a way that makes the watcher care about them. The storyline slowly (but not too slowly) unfolds within single episodes and across the series as a whole. An air of tension or mystery often permeates the plot. Remarkably, this is all done with relatively little action (many action scenes merely feature people staring at each other while they duel with psychic powers) and with remarkably little nudity. This is a strong dramatic series that holds the viewer at the edge of his or her seat with plotline, not with cheap thrills.
  
  The animation style compliments the storyline very nicely. Everything is cast in dark hues complimented with pale colors. Faces, clothing, and architecture are highly stylized; much of it looks gothic or industrial. A strong emphasis is placed on visuals, particularly visuals of individual faces. While the individual characters and scenery are drawn technically well, the animators did have some problems. Some scenes feature computer-drawn backdrops that look artificial, and cars for some reason are not drawn well when moving along the line of sight. Despite these drawbacks, though, the animation still looks great.
  
  The series only has two problems. The minor problem is the soundtrack, which is somewhat lackluster. The major problem is the predictability of the storyline. In earlier episodes, when Robin is hunting other Witches, the writers leave little mystery as to who will be hunted at the end of the episode, even if it is supposed to be unknown. Often, the hunted Witch is the one character that Robin or someone else in the STN-J interacts with during the episode. The later episodes become less predictable, but a significant portion of the series's finale is disappointingly easy to infer.
  
  I did not view all of the extras on the DVDs, but both the character/equipment overviews and particularly the cultural information were useful.
  
  Overall, this is a very good anime series with excellent drama and characterization as well as a visually-pleasing animation style, although the predictable storyline and lackluster soundtrack inhibit it from being the best. I recommend it to any anime, sci-fi, or fantasy fan.
  
  

• WHR - The Complete Collection

  
  By AJX9A4Q19UTJU on 2005-05-15
  This complete collection consists of the same 6 discs from the individual volumes in a digipak and a collector's pin set. The book-like package that you see in the product image above is actually a flimsy outer housing that holds the pin set and the real digipak. This collection was released in late 2004 for a limited run, mainly to cash in the holiday season.
  
  

• awesome series

  
  By A2UUBPM4ZRSEQ0 on 2005-07-09
  I'm more of the shojo fan. Series like Fushigi Yugi and Ceres Celestial Legend have made it into my anime library. I have recently gotten into the shounen anime such as Inuyasha, Samurai Champloo, and Full Metal Alchemist. And I'll be honest, I much prefer the more boy-oriented anime where romance is second to the series and the story itself is the whole jist of the show.
  
  This is what appealed to me for Witch Hunter Robin. Although more shounen then shojo, Witch Hunter Robin is a mixture of action, mystery, and suspense with a dash of romance. I enjoyed all the characters and was even surprised by the little twists and turns that pop out in later episodes. But what I love most about this series is that Robin is not a WHINEY, GIRLY, BRATTY 15 year old who always has to SHOW HER UNDERWEAR. She's in fact a mature young woman who is patient, and if not monotone, kind, and accepts responsibility.
  
  This series has a Harry Potter meets the Matrix type blend. The witch hunting may bother a few (particulary Wiccans) but the overall message of the anime is positive. As Amon puts it "God never forsakes his creations".
  
  Awesome anime, well worth the money!
  
  

• Great for the Serious Anime Fan

  
  By A2XJIV77C2ALQA on 2005-04-05
  And I mean Serious in the type of anime you like. If you want explosions, huge fights, teardrops, veinpops, and comedy... try something else for now and save this for another night. WHR is a great choice if you like film noir style. The action is mainly low-key, but you get to see some awesome magic- especially as Robin discovers more of her gift. There have been several reviews that talk about holes in the story, but what they didn't seem to understand is that Robin was raised in a convent and was trained that all witchcraft was evil and there's a differentiation between witchcraft and craft users. There was no interaction between herself and the witches she hunted before her transfer to STN-J because witches were killed outright. It's explained to her that STN-J captures witches instead... this is the same spot where you hear her disgust of ORBO. (in the 1st or 2cd episode)You then follow Robin through the realization of her powers, finding the true history of witchdcraft, and her struggle to find out if being a witch means you are inherently evil- especially herself. At the same time you have the conflict between Solomon and STNJ over ORBO, the group dynamics of the actual teammembers of the STN-J, and their growing suspicions that all is not what it seems. If you love untangling plots and a deeper story than most, WHR is for you! If you prefer your plot on a silver platter... you might want to try something else.
  
  

• Well. It's not Shakespear. It's not even funny.

  
  By A2XXV9HF169LCF on 2005-03-12
  Have any of you ever seen La Femme Nikita? Ok, not the movie, the American TV show. Well, maybe I should explain. La Femme Nikita started as a French film about a smack addict who, with her other smack addict friends, knocks over a convienence store and kills the owner. She gets the death penalty. She is killed. She wakes up in a cell, and the secret shadow organization re-makes her from the skinny shaking junkie into the smooth suave killer they want. Jane Bond, in the beginning of her carreer... Why am I telling you this? Patience, grasshopper.
  
  It was a terrific movie: "My Fair Lady" gone paranoid government killer. Anyways, hollywood thought it would be even better is everyone spoke English and hey, the lead should definitely be a blonde. This was remade and renamed ... um... I forget. No, really, I do. Anyways, in the end the main chickie redeems herself and doesn't want to kill anymore and runs away - leaves her friends at the secret org, leaves her lover that the org knows about, and is finally free. This is the sort of ending that cannot be made into a continuing TV series, so when someone decided to make this movie into a TV series they set it between the time she got caught and the time she left. And they turned the name back to La Femme Nikita, because the Hollywood name was not going to work out on a TV show of that sort of budget. And I'm not talking about a big budget, despite the show being fairly decent.
  
  So, now we get to the point of this little trip down memory walk of fame. The show, La Femme Nikita, was all about - get this-a girl in a super-secret organization with a broody good-looking boss who she cared about and who cared about her but they couldn't show it because, at first, he was just too cold; and besides, inter-office relationships are frowned upon; and later there were all sorts of secret agendas and plots twists and the org was very scary, "If you leave us or betray us we will kill you and we'll only be doing it for your own good". And maybe the organization is good, adn maybe it's using evil methods, and ... Super technology, etc, etc... wait, which show am I talking about again? Oh! I'm talking about Witch Hunter Robin, of course.
  
  Anyways. It's very pretty, visually, and some bits -where Robin's playing with her new glasses -are awesome. But overall, it's very hard to understand. Something is lost in translation, I'm guessing. They try so hard to be inscrutable and obscure they obscure the whole dang plot away. Or at least, it moves very.... very.... sloooowly.
  
  It could do with some comprehensable dialogue, that leads somewhere. There's such a thing as letting the viewer figure out for themselves what's going on, and then there's not providing enough information for anyone to figure out anything. This leans towards the second of those.
  
  But it's a good show. It's got a good soundtrack, lovely visuals, and it's quiet; I appriciate quiet, especially when so many shows rely so much on obnoxious use of explosions and gunfire. It's ... the word is thoughtful. It's a thoughtful show where the characters are introspective and yet powerul. I do like it.
  
  
• These Aren't Your Mama's Witches
  By ASVPZSVVF7OAP on 2005-02-23
  The premise, at first, is rather promising. A young girl, Robin Sena, is sent to a Japanese branch of a witch hunting organization known as SOLOMON to... well... hunt witches! (Thus the name of the show for the less observant.) The catch is that Robin, herself, is a "Craft-user," which is a polite of way saying "Witch" -- or "hypocrite" if you prefer.
  
  Instead of the usual spin on witchcraft and the occult, the show attempts to pull an X-Men in regards of explaining these magic wielding un-naturals. Don't get me wrong, there still are spells but it appears that only the likes of bonafide "Witches," "Craft-users," "Sabrina..." can manipulate the Celtic-esque spells to their desires. The job of STN-J, the aforementioned Japanese branch of SOLOMON, and Robin is to hunt down these unsavory criminal witches and send them packing to a scary place known as "Factory" where little green bullets called "Orbo" are produced. (Soylent Green? anyone?)
  
  The first half of the series (episode 1-13) is very episodic as it tries to set up the basics of the show and introduce the main players. One would think that 6 ½ hours would be more than enough time to get the point across that SOLOMON doesn't dig witches while creating memorable characters, but it doesn't. In fact, this half of the show plays out like an ½ hour version of CSI or The X-Files without the "smartness" required for an interesting investigation. (Since the "investigation" in this series usually revolves around Robin picking up a honking piece of evidence that everyone of the "experienced" team just-so-happened to "miss.")
  
  The lack of depth in the episodic stories, sadly enough, seems to be the strong point of WHR compared to the paper thin stereotypes that they pass off as characters. It is hard to like or relate to characters whose entire personalities can be summed up with just a few adjectives. For example: Robin is the "new," "inexperienced" girl; Amon is "tall," "dark," and "mysterious"; Michael is the "greeky," "unfashionable," "couldn't-be-more-platonic-if-they-gave-him-a-goatee," hacker; etc. It, at first, feels like the writers stuck some personality traits into a hat and then assigned them to a particular character, and never under any circumstance do they let them develop into anything more than just stereotypes. Other than a reoccurring and disturbing hint of pedophilia dashed throughout some of the later episodes, this cast doesn't get beyond the above adjectives.
  
  Then, after the eclectic assortment of episodes that make up the first half of the show, you get to the last leg, which, sadly to say, is much worse than the first. You remember those cardboard cutouts that passed for characters? Well, this time around the writers decided to throw caution (and apparently anything redeeming about the show) to the wind and opt for a "deep plot" involving this waif thin cast. The result? A storyline that contains plot-holes large enough to drive a semi through and characters that seemingly disappear half way through the show. You'll have to do even less thinking now to survive this series than you did before in order to maintain the delicate balance that was WHR. Every "surprise" thrown your way could have been seen by episode two. The Hunter becomes the Hunted, the Factory is revealed, and Robin, of course, is a typical Mary Sue who has yet to realize her full potential as a... Goddess!? (But we all knew that going in? Right?) The only redeeming factor that the second half has is a blood relative of one of the main characters.
  
  The artwork seems to be the only saving grace, and even that falters around episode 16 (which should be omen enough to scare the audience away from the second half). The graphics, however, do manage to pick up again later on down the line.
  
  Perhaps what made me the most disillusioned with this show is that it had potential, yet it never lived up to it. The enjoyable "campier" episodes are few and far between the ones that take themselves more seriously. The character moments such as Robin receiving her glasses or accidently "blowing" up the team are fleeting.
  
  Witch Hunter Robin is alright at times and down right unbearable at others. But, all in all I have seen worse... which isn't saying much...
  
  
• Dark drama that does not end well
  By A1VDI1GQKNVA7U on 2006-08-19
  The biggest draw for me in anime is an engaging plotline that really makes you think in new directions. Witch Hunter Robin was recommended to me by a fellow lover of the more serious type of anime. I didn't like it; I found the plotline to be predictable and forced with a 'so-that's-it?' ending I hated.
  
  The animation is top quality with lots of dark tones and the music is appropriately spooky. Good visuals don't make up for bad story though. This serious drama geared is towards adults, and not children. If you like dramatic build-up that delivers, humor, or romantic comedy give this a pass.
  
  
• Robin's a keeper...
  By A2P0ZMEXYJJLZF on 2006-11-15
  At the STNJ, a clandestine government organization, employees are tasked with hunting down and capturing witches and removing them from society. Ostensibly, this is to keep them from becoming menaces as they recognize and begin to use their powers.
  When one of their own is taken away as a witch, a young Italian raised nun, Robin, is sent in as a replacement. She quickly proves adept as a hunter, and takes initiative in hunting, proving herself invaluable to the team.
  
  Viewed as an action title, Robin seems episodic, with the "monster of the week" feel to it. But in watching this series carefully, you realize that, just as in the storyline, not everything is as it seems.
  
  Witch Hunter Robin is an excellent Gothic mystery, full of symbolism, twists, turns, and clues.
  
  Characters develop throughout,and not one is the same as when the character was introduced.
  
  As Robin grows and changes through the series, she learns many things about the STNJ, her often shady co-workers, and her own mysterious past.
  
  This title deals with witchcraft, a subject offensive to many. The initial portrayal is that all witches are evil and should be removed from society. The series deals with its own demons by demonstrating that there are many forms of evil that man visits on his brother, and addresses the paradox of fighting evil with evil. The characters themselves often struggle between what is good and evil when witchcraft is involved, giving the show a vividly realistic feel.
  
  For those concerned with violence or nudity, there is violence, but it is not gratuitous, it is used only to advance the story by demonstrating the various witches' powers. There is no nudity. Robin is seen in the bath from her shoulders up from time to time.
  
  This title is definitely worth seeing, again and again.
  
  
• Starts slow, ends strong
  By A33L5FCCFASOH6 on 2005-02-01
  Witch Hunter Robin is an acquired taste in anime-some dislike its visual style, while others rave about it, some find the stories flat, while others think the plot is brilliant. I think WHR is a more cerebral series than anything else. It has action, certainly, but much of the movement of the plot is between the characters' lines, and in their interactions with each other and the world around them. Robin herself is thrust into fighting people whose powers sometimes eerily resemble her own without knowing why. It is the process of Robin's self-discovery (and the ultimate revelations about herself, STN-J, Orbo, and more) that makes this series captivating. The unique character designs, beautiful artwork and animation, and brilliant soundtrack by the ever capable Taku Iwasaki are just icing on the cake. As I said in the title, this series starts slowly and ends on a very strong note, but the real beauty is in the journey between the two points.
  
  
• Too much filler, too little content!
  By A100B9LAX4RA5A on 2006-10-10
  This is a magic girl series. As such, it does not translate well to male viewers under the best of conditions. From a male point of view - one who loved Rahxephon, Escaflowne and The Last Exile - the plot is agonizingly slow, astonishingly simple, and mostly devoid of intensity.
  
  While there are a handful of very entertaining moments in the series, it is largely dull. Too many times in this series nothing is actually going on in scene after scene. If you get bored doing nothing, why watch anime about people doing nothing? This series defiantly should have been 13 episodes but was stretched out to 24 for some reason. As such, expect 11 episodes of filler in an otherwise solid and fun anime.
  
  10/30/06 Edit:
  Readers beware of review usefulness for this anime. There appears to be a fangirl group slamming the many negative reviews of this anime.
  
  
• Not For Everyone
  By AGO5LRUVQLH0Q on 2005-11-11
  Witch Hunter Robin is a great series which I enjoyed immensely but fails at delivering some of its finer qualities throughout the course of the series. The visuals are first rate, the music (when there is music) is beautiful, and the storyline is intriguing.
  
  Silence and extended stares cloak the characters in mystery... so what's the problem? That same cloak covers the series in what could potentially be a series of yawns.
  
  One of the major problems with Witch Hunter Robin is the pace. Many serious animes either take themselves too seriously or not seriously enough... WHR takes itself much too seriously. Surely the story and visuals are worth it but for some reason there are long, tiring sequences during the course of the series which are supposed to be "meaningful."
  
  They are I suppose in retrospect (one will notice this once they watch the final episodes of WHR), but the events in the series do not warrant such extended periods of self reflection on the part of the main character(s). The psychological and philosophical themes present are obvious toward the end of the series, and where they are not, the intelligent viewer can pretty much guess at them.
  
  I realize that this exhausted review of WHR seems to only be about the tiresome pace at which the series progresses, but it's an important factor as it leaves many to simply drop the series half way before ever seeing the later episodes (the best episodes in my opinion).
  
  A second problem is also the fact that there are a number of "witch capturing" which take place during the series that seem... well, silly. The beginning of the series is all about these capturing - surely after seeing the last couple of episodes the viewer begins to understand how this ties into rounding out the characters but during the course of the series this might just bore you to tears especially if a number of episodes feature witch/enemies that simply don't interest you (which they may not, the creativity and design behind many of them is poor to say the least).
  
  In the end the series is about the characters, story, and visuals not the enemies which frequently populated much of the series - if you find yourself hooked on the main characters and their back-stories when they are introduced in the beginning of the series then you might like the whole thing.
  
  Lastly as for reviewers that were expecting something "scary," most of the shows on Adult Swim are for adults and the anime shows featured on Adult Swim are geared toward those typically interested in other things beside quick thrills (needless to say those watching the series probably aren't into it because the name of the series is "Witch Hunter," they are instead - hopefully - looking for a high quality, cohesive action/drama anime). This is not for individuals wanting to watch an action anime however... it's more of a beautiful drama. Younger anime viewers are not bound to like this one at all!!!
  
  I'd give it a try first renting it before you go out and spend money on it!
  
  
• This is a fair series
  By A3PNYEGCCAU6YX on 2006-04-26
  After reading the reviews here I decided to watch the series. The plot is interesting in the beginning but I found myself waiting for the story to unfold. However it did so very slowly, and when it did, it was too little too late in my opinion. In other series like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun or Samurai Champloo, many early episodes unseemingly added small parts of a greater story which would unfold later in a powerfull way. I think there is too much hunting adding very little to the story in the first part of the series. The characters are well drawn but I think their personnalities and interrelations could have been more complex. The quality of the animation is top notch and the music is good. This was an OK series but I was dissapointed. For those looking for something similar but much better, I suggest checking out Full Metal Alchemist which has a very moving story, complex characters and presents deep interesting themes.
  
  
• A Wonderful Purchase
  By AS5NYLGXAI0D5 on 2007-01-05
  I originally saw Robin on Adult Swim and fell in love with it. However after it ended I wanted to be able to watch it over and over again. I also didn't want to pay to buy multiple DVD's when I knew I could be the complete uncut set which almost always comes with extras not found on the single DVDs.
  
  I got it for christmas and all I have to say is this: It was worth the wait. I managed to watch the whole thing in 2 days and honestly even after that would gladly watch it again and again without ever tiring of it.
  
  Robin is the kind of show that has a new surprise each time you watch it. There will be something that you missed that when you watch it you feel like you are watching for the first time even after 100 watches.
  
  To those who are interested in the show, I say buy it. It's not a waste and it is a great gift for any anime fan.
  
  
• Definitely a collectors item
  By A15DIJ13KDXTH6 on 2005-01-03
  Witch Hunter Robin is a wonderful series, I thoroughly enjoyed all episodes. Some may find that the beginning of the series may be a bit slow but give it time and you'll see a better pace closer to the end. With this DVD set my likes were the special pin collection and haveing all DVDs in the fake book binding. My dislikes were not having the reversible covers of the single DVD volume covers. The DVD video is crisp and the sound is very good for 2.0 audio; both in japanese and english. This isn't something you get, watch once and that's the end. I found myself watching WHR again whenever I had the opportunity. For fans of WHR definitely get this set. For anime fans in general see the series first and then decide for yourself.
  
  
• Monotone diologue!!
  By A2TB1PYKMDZ8Y3 on 2005-03-18
  I bought this collection at a sale for $75, so I figured that I might as well. I have a mini collection of anime and i have watched my share of them, but this, by far, has been the biggest waste of money (anime wise). I can handle crappy animation (Fist of the North Star), at least it keeps me busy until i find something better, but, crappy diologue with stupidity and monotone brakes my limit. Their supposed to be a crime fighting agency, law enforcement, and yet Robin doesnt know that shes not supposed to take evidence from a crime scene. Theres something wrong with the whole series; its hard to get attached to the characters unlike other animes and its actually easy to get anoyed by the main character (thats a first, for me at least)
  
  
• Best I have seen.
  By A3SQYFYWHX5R3D on 2004-10-06
  If you like drama with supernatural themes then "Witch Hunter Robin" is for you.
  
  "Witch Hunter Robin" is a fascinating Japanese animation by Sunrise (of Cowboy Bebop and Gundam Wing fame). I am not much into Anime, but this one was great. A cross between "X-men" and "The X-Files" with parts of the old TV show "The Others" and CJ Carella's "Witchcraft" thrown in for good measure. A great tale of government conspiracy, occult themes, and witches. What is not to love about all of that?
  
  Fifteen year old Robin is the newest hunter to be assigned to Solomon Toukatsu Nin'idantai (Solomon Executive Organization) - Japan, or STN-J. Robin though is different. Robin is a craft-user. A witch.
  
  Now "Witch Hunter Robin" is different than most American fare. It is by it's nature, slower; it takes time to build up to the main plot. We need to see her reactions to the various day-to-day operations of STN-J. Like how she relates to fellow hunter Amon (is she crushing on him? does he want/need to kill her?), or what is the deal with Dojima anyway (great payoff there!). Or why she refuses to use the anti-Witch Orboro guns.
  It lacks sex, T&A and some of the things that we have become accustom to on American TV, but the story is first rate. I don't know much about anime really, but the visual style is fantastic. It is very easy to see this being remade as a live action drama. The musical score is also reminiscent of "the X-files", haunting, dramatic and really just very, very good.
  
  I highly recomend it and this complete collection looks fantastic.
  
  
• Quality work
  By A7SXV4495F1WU on 2004-11-20
  I'm about halfway through watching this series for the second time, and like all truly good things, enjoying it even more. I first came across this series flipping through the channels late one night, and was captivated by the somber mood and beautiful music. The story can be enjoyed at different levels, but what I find most fascinating is Robin's search for herself, which is the story that spans the whole series. Don't we all go through that in life? The story line is at a level that makes you think, rather than being spoon fed to the viewer, the way "The Da Vinci Code" was when I read it. I only wish they had come up with a second season for this show.
  
  
• The Most Captivating Anime I Have Seen To Date!
  By A3ANXYKD3F7R9V on 2004-12-11
  I started watching Witch Hunter Robin when Cartoon Network added it to their Monday-through-Wednesday lineup on Adult Swim. The first few episodes were curiously slow, but after a while I found that I'd get antsy on the days when I couldn't watch it! (Even though I had Fullmetal Alchemist and Stand-Alone Complex to keep me busy!) So yeah, long story short: after seeing Episode 15, Time to Say Goodbye, I couldn't contain my excitement for how incredible the story line was, and I ran out to buy the box set - something I have never done on impulse before in my entire life. I even opened it in the car on my way home, that's how anxious I was... And I've never looked back!
  Besides... Check out the Limited Edition Pins!
  
  
• Neon Genesis warmed over
  By A3FWVQ4OU30WU1 on 2005-01-16
  More of the 'Angst ridden teens save the world' plot line.
  
  Who these witches are, why they are, why they do what they do , why we should care and why 15 year old kids are fighting them, are never explained. We just know they are bad and only high school students can stop them.
  
  Unless you just can't get enough of Evangelion give this one a pass.
  
  
• quite possibly the best "new stlye" anime i've seen
  By APNWNLIHKXJXK on 2005-06-15
  I originally started watching this particular anime when it was still on cartoon network's adult swim. I have been a big fan of anime since the Dragon Ball series, but I have got to say, this is by far the darkest, legal, anime I've seen in a while. Even if you are not in to the whole dark thing, or you've never seen an anime before, then I suggest you start by watching this. The show has so many twist and turns that keep you guessing, and on top of that the action and artwork are down right astonishing! A must view for lovers of anime!
  
  
• Excellent "Dark" anime..
  By A3S34VW0BBC9L6 on 2007-04-14
  if I can call it that? Can I? Well anyways..this is an excellent anime worthy of great praise. The story line is great, even if it might look like its cliche (it really is not!). The characters are great, with great development. The music is pretty darn good, (even though its mainly the same two songs, intro and outro you would hear the most, they still are good..and how can you forget the piano playing at Harry's?) AND the animation is decent. I found the english voice acting was very good, in fact I like. Not many stupid little sayings (like in Inuyasha) so it's all good. I would rate this anime at a 4.5, but since there isn't any, I'll give it a 5. Highly recommended to anyone..unless of course you don't want anything to do with the occult...but yeah.
  
  
• Lots of potential but story and plot suffered greatly
  By ADH5E2OE07PAQ on 2008-03-06
  Okay, I know I'm going to be on the receiving end of some harsh remarks from those who troll the boards on they favorite shows because lets not forget, a majority of anime fans cannot respect a different opinion. But somebody has to atleast try to balance out the ratings on anime like this. Witch Hunter Robin is an anime I put off for a very long time. And this is one time I really wish I trusted my instincts. This anime begins very very boring and repetitive. One would think that in the beginning they had no ideas at all. And it was just "by the numbers".
  
  Witch Hunter Robin is about an agency that hunts witches using a special ammo. And also have witches working for them. They battle using mostly telekinesis. Robin the main character uses pyrokinesis.
  
  First off, the entire first half. Like around the end of the third disk is all filler. They detect a witch, battle with them and beat them. This exact same premise continues for some time. This was their way of somehow developing the characters who are so one dimensional that it was hard for me to like any of them. Robin is about as interesting as watching paint dry with her monotone dialogue.
  
  So after a few repetitive episodes. You're treated to a few more near worthless episodes with an attempt for a very deep plot. That you would have to be completely not paying attention to, not to figure out. I found it to be too predictable at times. I won't add any spoilers on this end, others already did that.
  
  Now of course, an anime called "Witch Hunter" must have battles. Well, don't come into this looking for anything epic. The battles were a drag to me. There is no real variety in the witches powers. They all hurl things with their minds with a tiny change here and there. Except for Robin, she uses that same fire trick over and over.
  
  Now I won't say that I feel this anime is totally bad. It has a very good music score which gets better somewhere in the middle. The animation is very well done and detailed. The dark atmosphere fits very well with the mood of the show. But it's not perfect, there are several stills during the beginning. The animation to me looks the best during some of the more intense battles.
  
  They do a pretty good job wrapping up the ending so I don't agree with others saying a whole lot of things wasn't solved. They just missed it or gave up. And it's very easy to miss or give up on. This series was so boring and repetitive to me at times, I just started watching one disk every 2-3 hours. So if you're very short on patience don't try to watch all this at once.
  
  Now take note, I'm not complaining about the very slow pace. Texnolyze, Boogie Pop Phantom and Serial Experiments Lain are some very slow shows. But they're better than this by leaps and bounds. This anime is very slow but an over repetitive first half, non charasmatic characters, predictable plot, monotone dialogue are all the ingrediants for a delicious boring show. And to me, Witch Hunter Robin is a very boring show. I'm not even going to say avoid it. Watch this if you feel like it. It just might be for you.
  
  And for those who LOVE to say, "well there's always Dragonball Z." That's very true but try these instead. Crest of the Stars, Paranoia Agent, Martian Successor Nadesico, Cowboy Bebop, NGE, Mushi Shi, Noein, Kino's Journey, Ghost in the Shell SAC, Full Metal Alchemist, Boogie Pop Phantom, Escaflowne, Basilisk, and so many more.
  
  
  
• Greatest anime ever made!
  By A2C9SYSWPAJ8DD on 2005-03-30
  Witch Hunter Robin, The Complete Collection is finally out. I've been waiting for a collection like this to come out since I seen all 26 episodes on Cartoon Network channel, on "adult swim". I was very very happy watching the whole series because I am a fan of action, anyone that is a fan of action would find this series excellent. It is a cartoon or anime which is Japanese animation but the characters, storyline is very real and watching it is a real adventure. It does not "drag" like some movies I've seen but maybe just a little bit. The characters voices are absolutely perfect for the characters. The only unfortunate thing is, is the ending is pretty dissapointing. I rather not say the ending to not spoil the series for anyone, but it is certanily I think the best anime ever made and I would watch it again!!
  
  
• great series and cute anime character
  By A2P5DHT5BNT3DS on 2005-12-09
  This show had it ALL but a great story...in my opinion this would have been my favority show if it weren't for the story. First off ALL characters were likable...there was not one character who did not fit in the whole ordeal. Second, the music is great, it's perfect for the atmosphere!!! The show has a great setting (great atmosphere and mood)...and it's a good mystery show. I was having sooo much fun with it and therefore expected a lot from the story (since there was lots of mystery and suspense) but I was pretty disappointed with the story....In genereal great show!!!
  
  
• The best of the best... WITCH HUNTER ROBIN!!
  By A4B4Y8ZTF56O9 on 2006-07-31
  If you don't like this review, tell me why!!
  
  Now, I have read many bad reviews and heard some awful comments about this, but they are all wrong. Witch Hunter Robin is one of the best animes in the universe. Believe me. Do you like tall dark and handsome guys? !AMON =)! Do you like a alot of action? A tiny pinch of romance? I got to say that if it wasn't for my library I would have never have even heard or Witch Hunter Robin. I never got into animes with guns, but I was hungry for a new anime and this was there staring me in the eye on a shelf. After seeing this I saw Cowboy Bebop (by the same people who did Witch Hunter Robin). It wasn't as good as Witch Hunter Robin, but it would still deserve 5 stars.
  The characters are:
  Robin Sena
  Amon
  Dojima
  Miho Karasuma
  Micheal Lee
  Hotohori
  Zeizen (Boss)
  Harry (Master)
  And many more...!!
  
  Some people don't notice this sorta side story.
  Amon is wary of Robin in the beginning, but later he begins to warm up to her. Zeizen is worried that if Robin does something to put the STN-J in danger, Amon won't report to him like he was ordered. So, Amon begins to grow colder to Robin. Until at last he begins to hunt her...
  
  sorry... but I'll have to contiue this review later.
  
  
• The Witch it Out There
  By A1OKMIT8B373YD on 2004-10-18
  Think of the X-files with witches and you have Witch Hunter Robin. Robin is a young girl with some witchy powers, she has pyrokinesis. She joins the STNJ, and orginization that hunts down witches and captures them, but does not kill them. She seems to fit in with everyone but one person, who hates her powers and is afraid for everyone but shows it by not saying much and being pretty snippy with Robin.
  
  This show is filled with more twists than M. Night Shyamalan could even think up for all of his movies. If you want something serious, somewhat somber, and aren't afraid of dark and bad things happening to good people and mad twists galore, get this.
  
  The only downside is the expensive price. That is way too much to ask for what would really turn out to be about one season of a normal tv show on DVD not an entire series.
  
  
• my favorite anime
  By A3A6L4KXTYSUE2 on 2007-01-04
  my favorite anime of all time. i've watched it so many times even my friends that don't like anime recognize the theme music. a purcase that i would make again and again. please watch, and own, witch hunter robin. i know the beginning discs start off a little slow, but i promise the ending ones make up for it.
  
  
• Quiet, surprising look at witchcraft- anime style
  By A2480F6E2X1GDB on 2007-07-05
  Some say this series starts out slow, but I found it intriguing from the start. There are your "monster of the week" episodes with explanation of characters and development for the first few episodes, and then you get into a series long arc, which is absolutely engrossing. I loved having the series, so I didn't have to wait for the next episode.
  
  The plots obviously involve hunting witches, but there is a delicious twist about halfway through.
  
  A must have for any serious anime fan.
  
  
• WOW!
  By A7OGHFWRTH5UI on 2004-10-19
  Witch Hunter Robin is an amazing anime! I read the other reviews for it and saw people compaired it to X-Flies and such. The very first thing that came to my mind when I saw Witch Hunter Robin...was how it reminded me of the Le Femme Nikita TV series. The relationships between the characters...the characters themselves. I can't even find the words to say how wonderful this anime is...but I wanted to give another perspective on a show it relates to. :D
  
  
• This is an amazing show
  By A2QMMXKAU3X12D on 2005-01-15
  okay as many other ppl have already stated it takes a few e.p. to get started but so do alot of great books. they do alot of set up. the characters all have there own agendas and there is always some mystery to their true motives. i highly enjoy this show and recomend it to everyone. i have the 3 disc series which is just the e.p.'s and not the pin set. its cheaper that way and its well worth the money you will spend.
  
  
  

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