BlazBlue: Alter Memory

BlazBlue: Alter Memory is the anime adaptation of the BlazBlue series. It roughly follows the events of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger and BlazBlue: Continuum Shift. It was produced by Hoods Entertainment and teamKG, first airing in Japan on October 8th, 2013.

Plot

Catch all your favorite BlazBlue characters in action in this thrilling anime based on the popular fighting game franchise!

Long ago, an insidious black beast sought to obliterate the human race, but the monster was defeated by a valiant Band of Heroes wielding the power of Ars Magus: a potent combo of magic and technology. Now, a roguish outlaw known as Ragna the Bloodedge seeks to wreak havoc upon the Librarium, a clandestine organization that governs Ars Magus. Armed with the mighty Azure Grimoire, Ragna quickly becomes the target of vigilantes, scientists, vampires, and Librarium foot soldiers. As he spirals toward a violent showdown with the maniacal Hazama, Ragna will discover just how closely his fate is tied to the future of our world!

Discover the story behind gamings deadliest moves in this series from the animation studio behind the BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma cutscenes!

Episodes

1. The Red Rebel
2. The Azure Successor
3. The Spectating Eye
4. Probabilistic Events
5. The Pair of White Guns
6. False World
7. The Wings of Judgement
8. The Mechanical Soul
9. The Power of Order
10. The God-Killer's Cocoon
11. The Murakumo Awakens
12. The Price for the Future

Characters

• Ragna the Bloodedge
• Jin Kisaragi
• Noel Vermillion
• Rachel Alucard
• Iron Tager
• Taokaka
• Litchi Faye-Ling
• Arakune
• Bang Shishigami
• Carl Clover
• Hakumen
• Nu-13
• Lambda-11
• Tsubaki Yayoi
• Hazama
• Mu-12
• Makoto Nanaya
• Valkenhayn R. Hellsing
• Platinum the Trinity
• Relius Clover
• Kokonoe
• Yuuki Terumi
• Celica A. Mercury (flashback)
• Nine the Phantom (as Phantom)
• Izanami
• Jubei
• Trinity Glassfille
• Linhua
• Nago
• Gii
• Totokaka
• Kaka Kittens
• Ada Clover (as Deus Machina: Nirvana)
• Ignis Clover (as Fluctus Redactum: Ignis)

Reception

The reception for Alter Memory was mixed among critics, but the response to the show was fairly poor. Kotaku gave a scathing review which criticised the anime's inability to explain terminology and its treatment of the many characters in the story; the only positive they gave was the use of the time-loops and Continuum Shift to show some character depth. The article's title called it "an utter mess". MyAnimeList's conglomerate user score rates the anime as 6.26/10. IMDB has a similar score of 6.6/10.

One of the most scathing reviews comes from Japan Curiosity which was written by a BlazBlue fan. The review criticizes the animation, calling it "cumbersome" and complains about the treatment of the cast of characters. The anime received a 10% out of a possible 100 with the ending thoughts labelling Alter Memory as "an anime that has murdered a game and now wears the game's skin as it tries to sickeningly infiltrate its family reunion".