Phantom: Requiem of the Phantom

Title: Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom

Distributor: FUNimation Ent. 
Genre(s): crime, drama, action
Age Rating: TVMA (violence)

Episodes: 26
Aired: Apr 2, 2009 to Sep 24, 2009
Official Site: at www.FUNimation.com


Authors Rating: 7.5/10








Anime is no stranger to violence or death. It's most popular market has been dominated by it, with titles such as Dragonball, Hellsing, and Elfen Lied, there is no shortage of protagonists and villains that are straight-up, bad-ass killing machines. 


But when do the viewers stop to question the morality of such acts? Indeed, when does anime ever seriously focus upon what this violence creates and the impact upon those who carry out such heinous acts. We as viewers never really think about such things, and instead relish upon the intense fight scenes and dynamic animation of the impossible becoming for a short time reality... Here we have something special, something unique. I give you Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom an anime unlike the author has ever seen that asks the question ''What does it mean to kill?'' 



We begin with a young Japanese student, who after an unfortunate series of events, inadvertently steps on the toes of Inferno, a worldwide criminal empire. Self-dubbed the "United Nations of Crime," Inferno lives up to its name; anyone, and they mean anyone, who doesn't play by their rules gets reduced to ashes, both figuratively and if necessary, literally.

Inferno becomes aware of the young boy after he witnesses the assassin Ein, a young girl trained by the criminal syndicate, killing an American reporter who managed to dig up some dirt on them. Scared for his life, the young boy runs from the masked girl, and actually manages to elude her for quite some time. This feat, unheard of for anyone Ein is assigned to kill, impresses the Scythe Master, Ein's trainer and master.




Drawn to the boy's "perfect survival instinct," Scythe Master decides to spare the boy's life and make him a Phantom, the world's deadliest assassin, second only to Ein. Erasing his memory and giving him the codename Zwei (German for "two"). He, along with Ein ("one") make up Phantom, Inferno's deadly assassins who eliminate anyone they deem to be a hindrance to their organization. They are so feared that even a mention of their name is enough to make people step in line and sing to Inferno's horrible, wretched tune.




What then follows in Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom, is a sequence of missions in which Zwei becomes accustomed to his new life as a heartless killer. However, he continuously questions why he is doing the horrid tasks given to him, as well as grows close to Ein. Eventually deciding he doesn't belong to Inferno (despite their grave misgivings), he escapes the organization with Ein in tow. Inferno of course goes after them, but being the most skilled killers on Earth has its fringe benefits, as both Ein and Zwei fight off Inferno as well as discover their true identities.