A story about a lady with vengeance fighting monsters, Joran; The Princess of Snow and Blood episode 1 impression

I love dark and gritty story-telling because it was usually geared toward mature audiences. So, when I first saw Joran’s anime cover, through its coloring; in which was mostly black and white, I already knew that it was one of the anime that I want to review for this season. It had a historical Japanese background especially during the meiji era. So, if you love watching Kenshin or playing games like the Last Blade, you will feel at home with this anime; even though most of the story depicted was fiction and different entirely to the real history. Still, this anime is definitely not another Rurouni Kenshin anime. In contrast to the more fun-filled and easy to follow plot line like Rurouni Kenshin, It started with a grim and serious tone and I think death will be aplenty for many of its recurring casts(I swear I haven’t read or watch any of it original work; P it is just my hunch). For instance, it started straight away with a fight between a lady;  whom mystical power render her mouth turned into Eren Yeager’s titan mouth alike against monstrous being that resembles a human and animal hybrid. 

You want to see Mikasa face and Eren's titan jaw mixed together?

In regard to the origin of Joran, the princess of snow and blood title, it was still ambiguous whether the main heroine is the titular princes of snow and blood; because the anime haven’t told exactly who or what Joran is. The only thing I know from the first episode of the anime is the leading lady name Yukimura. She rarely or I can say never smiles at all, was cold like an ice, had a very pale complexion like snow and she despised anyone from opposing gender touched her. In contrary to her stiffness; she was a skilled combatant with no-nonsense attitudes, and she had the ability to transform into a stronger being with the help of a white karasu (crow). I bet that there will be another break the ice queen moment in this anime. Or else there will be no character development at all

Yuki onna??

The story set in 1931 Japan during Meiji era. The ruler of Japan is Yoshinobu Tokugawa, who actually was the last Shogun of Tokugawa Shogunate in real life; use an Iron hand to take out any opposition. It was clearly depicted from the first episode with how the police arresting any person who vandalized the walls or expressing their disagreement to the ruling party. Too add the story elements; the anime introduced a natural resource called “Ryumryaku” which the government possess to strengthen further their ruling party. In the first episode, we haven’t even seen the glimpse of the aforementioned material. Is it looks like a log, precious stone, or valuable material like Gold? who knows, it's still too early

Hmm..you re still underage. It's actually illegal you know 

The first part of the anime we will see that Yukimura lives with a younger girl that I think not related by blood. Her expression showed that she was not very keen to her companionship although she was technically the only person who called her sister. Another day going and we can see another man trying to win her heart only to get a rejection plus a dead threat as a bonus. At the beginning, I thought that the man will get more screen time later only to find out at the end of this episode that he was technically just another figuran.

It's very ironic..really ironic

The anime introduced us with the other character like a handsome man name Tsukishiro and a femme fatale Blonde name Hanakaze. Both of them were the acquaintances of Yukimura and by the look of it, they seems to work to an assassin organization with the leader being a man named Kuzuhara. Later they mentioned a name JANOME which I believe looks like the organization or a man that currently Yukimura party opposed too. And that JANOME control a being named changeling. I assumed that changeling is the name of the human and animal shape shifter that appear later in this episode. The anime further tell us that currently they were working for the current government; but they work in the shadow in order to protect their liege’s name who is Yoshinobu himself

As a Mature Anime, there is some nudity scene thou they re not explicit

The second part of the anime we will see how both Hanakaze and Tsukkishiro worked together to eliminate the target who was a smuggler in disguise of a trader executive. They wanted to kill him because the Intel told them he was making a deal with Janome tonight. So they ended up killing the executive and his men using their respective weapons. Tsukishiro was a weapon expert that has a saber which reminded me of a certain “light saber” from another movie series while Hanakaze’s umbrella can work as crossbow. Their part ended with them finding out that they got deceived and the aforementioned valuable was just rice contraband.

Just don't tell me that you are someone else father xD the joke is getting stale now

Meanwhile, in the other places, Yukimura walked alone in the snowy weather while holding a paper umbrella. Even before watching to the end, I already foresaw that our heroine will have her own battle against a changeling or two (too much watching anime somehow made me a clairvoyant lol). The only thing that really surprised me was when it was revealed that the changeling that Yuki slashed is none other as the man who tried to woe her earlier in this episode. This means, some of the changeling didn’t want to be a mindless monster. However, someone else did inject them with some substances and it cost them their sanity and free will. After the battle, Yuki feel exhausted and collapsed. She did regret killing the man not because she had a feeling for him but because he didn’t really want to kill her.

Killing enemies with Samurai Showdown art style

Before the end of the episode, we will see some slight of Yuki's past; whose brother tried to hide her from the assailants as well as a preview of another changeling who may turn out to be their opponents later on. At this point, here is the information from that I can gather from the first episode. First of all, Yukimura is hell-bent for avenging her brother killer. She was a woman, scarred from a past trauma and joined the other assassins in order to find the person responsible for her brother dead. Second, Yoshinobu Tokugawa, may or may not appeared later but he was literally the one who supported the assassin guild and they worked for him from the shadow. Third one, the Changelings are human shape shifter and they serve as Yukimura’s party opponents although Janome was the one who really responsible for the changelings appearances.

This episode is solid although I consider the writing is kinda predictable, I hope the following episode will have even greater impacts and more great character's development. For now I'll continue to watch it and hope more great experience from later episode ^^