Spring Anime 2015: Kekkai Sensen

From creator Yasuhiro Nightow (Trigun, Gungrave) comes new series Kekkai Sensen, which follows an organization named Libra, beings with super-powers in the city Jerusalem's Lot, the re-named New York City after a portal opened letting in all types of supernatural creepies.  Libra is in charge of keeping all these supernatural forces from escaping out into the rest of the world, and our story opens with a  new member joining the team: Leonard Watch, a boy with the "Eyes of God"--an ability that grants him the ability to see "everything", from ghosts to high-level illusions.  Having finished the first two episodes so far, I'll say this for Kekkai Sensen: it's certainly the coolest looking series of the year.  



With a town that basically resembles Big O's Paradigm City but with monsters, animation studio BONES (Cowboy Bebop, FMA: Brotherhood) has brought their usual standard of excellent animation, allowing Kekkai to ooze a sort of stylish coolness that could make it the "big thing" of the season. 

So far, my only real complaint is that the show sort of bounces around too much and doesn't seem to have a real focal point.  The first episode introduces Libra and sees Leonard Watch join at the same time as the city is threatened by an antagonist who seems as if he'd be big enough to be a threat for the entire season, and yet...the second episode has nothing to do with any of that.   After an explosive introduction, the second decides to go for something completely different, and while it's no less well-done, it definitely leaves one wondering what this series is going to be like.  The preview for the third doesn't seem like we're getting back on track, which isn't a great sign considering we're basically a fourth of the way through the series. 

And in general the show leaves one filled with questions.  Where'd the portal come from?  Is there any end to the types of supernatural entities?   How did Libra form, and did they have their powers before this or did the portal make that possible too?   And how does Leonard tie into any of this?   Fortunately, unlike Gunslinger Stratos, I've got faith that at least some of these will be answered considering it's based off a manga that's been going for nearly six years. 

So for now, I'll settle for gorgeous animation, an interesting world begging to be explored, sweet music, balls to the wall action and characters with techniques and abilities that lend themselves to amazing fight scenes.  Yeah, I think that'll do.