This post is part of The 30 Day Anime Challenge Series alongside the Cosmic Anvil Kickstarter campaign. Click here to read the introduction, and click here to check out and support the campaign to help us fund the printing and distribution of our first collected volume of our manga-inspired comic series, Age of Revolution.
[SPOILER ALERT: There will be spoilers about the outcomes of certain battles in this post!]
Some of these topics are really tough to name just one particular anime for! This was another one of those topics for me. So much too choose from, but I’m going to go with the attack Kaneki uses to defeat Jason at the end of Tokyo Ghoul. After being completely broken, Kaneki turns the fight around and Jason gets a taste of his own brutality. I’ve also chosen this one because all of the Kagune attacks are brilliant, beautiful, and terrifying all at the same time.
[Warning: The video below is the uncensored version!]
There are some big gaps in my fighting anime knowledge, so as much as I know that iconic attacks from Gurren Lagan, Beserk, and Fist of the North Star should probably be mentioned here, I unfortunately have yet to watch them! Massive, OTT displays of power and prowess can be impressive, but my choice for this post is an attack that is neither big, bloody, or even physical. It is instead one that I think is one of the most creative and ingenious I’ve ever seen in anime: Writing a name in the Death Note from Death Note.
The Death Note
Dropped by a Death God named Ryuk, the Death Note has the power to kill simply by the writer describing a person’s name, the cause of death, it’s consequences, and picturing their victim in their head as they write. How can any other attack even compare to the nightmarish, omnipotent power of that? No wonder it turns it’s user – the conniving and sociopathic Light Yagami – from a bored, straight-A school boy into a supreme megalomaniac. (And a supreme dick.)
But, the one thing it certainly does have in common with most other anime attacks is ridiculous melodrama:
Honourable mentions: Titan transformation (Attack on Titan), Miranda Lotto’s ‘Time Record’ (D.Gray-Man), Maka Albarn’s “Witch Hunter” (Soul Eater), Allen Walker’s “Crown Clown” (D.Gray-Man), Captain Byakuya Kuchiki’s “Senbonzakura Kageyoshi” (Bleach)
First you have to ask yourself, what do I want my attack to do? You want it to destroy your enemies, and you want it done fast. Normally in these situations I would go for a Dragon Ball move, but they take up so much time to power up!
One of the fastest and hardest-hitting heroes that I know in anime, is Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece. I remember watching One Piece for the first time (unfortunately it was the awful 4Kids dub), and being amazed at how strong Luffy was, but also how fast and agile he was. I was also impressed how imaginative Oda is with Luffy’s powers. He might just be made of rubber, but damn he can utilise it. My favourite attack by Luffy is one that I feel truly utilises all of his ‘Rubber Man’ powers.
Luffy can inflate his body by puncturing his bones and blowing into them, this is called Gear 3rd. His over-sized limbs possess huge strength, mostly used to smash bad guys, breaking their bones into a million pieces.
Luffy busting out a fortress with Gear 3rd.
Luffy also learns how to control Haki. Haki, literally meaning ‘Will,’ is a power that anyone can control as long as they have strong enough willpower at their disposal. One of the abilities you can master with your Haki is called, Adamant Haki. This gives you the ability to strengthen any part of your body, or any weapon you hold with potentially limitless strength and durability.
Luffy using his Adamant Haki.
Now I have explained the two elements of my favourite attack, I will now show and tell. My favourite attack is the Gommu Gommu no Elephant Gatling Gun. To pull this move off, Luffy inflates his bones to provide him with humongous fists, then using his Adamant Haki to harden them, he essentially turns his fists into ‘Battleship Sized Cannon Balls’. Finally with his elastic band speed he launches his fists into a flurry of punches. This move is fast and powerful, it can destroy buildings in seconds.
To watch the destruction, check out this clip (it takes him to warm up, as it’s his first time using the move):
Written by The Cosmic Anvil Team.
Check out our own Welsh-manga (or ‘Wanga’) series, AGE OF REVOLUTION on our official site and Comixology! And if you want to join the fight to get the AGE OF REVOLUTION Volume printed check out our Kickstarter page!
The Cosmic Anvil Blog 