WARNING: SPOILERS!
I should warn the prospective reader that there’s definitely SPOILERs here! I consider myself spoiler proof. After all, if it’s ruined just by someone telling you what happens, then it couldn’t have been very good to begin with, right? However, there are plenty of people out there who’d be very angry if they read on only to find a series spoiled for them. So here’s the warning…read at your own risk.
Most series set in the first part of 20th century Japan show the modern world slowly encroaching on traditional Japanese life. Technology like trains and guns are depicted as unique marvels of science to be looked upon in awe, or fear. Villains like Demon Slayer’s Muzan Kibutsuji are dressed smartly in pin striped suits and fedoras while the opposing forces of the Demon Slaying Corps are dressed in the traditional haori of the Taisho era. In contrast, Sirius the Jaeger’s 1930 Showa era setting reveals technology that is already deeply embedded in everyday life. Cars are commonplace as are guns.
Meanwhile, a gang known as the Hyakko Party lurks in the shadows, desperate to pull Japan into the preceding feudal era. The series’ meta is also steeped in 1930’s pop, right down to the stylish, Bella Legosi like Kershner funding the creation of a Frankestien’s monster abomination. There are shots of classy detectives staring up at office buildings, high speed car chases, and extravagant parties with wealthy, unsuspecting young ladies.
Sirius introduces its major conflicts early on, saving the viewer from overwhelming and dull exposition for a short time. Unfortunately, the main plot fails to come to a satisfying conclusion, instead settling for an ending rife with sequel-bait teasers despite the fact that most of the major storylines have concluded.
Plot
The central conflict revolves around the Vampires and those that hunt them, a group of international fighters known as the Jaegers. This war is exemplified when the Jaeger Yuliy Jirov discovers his older brother Mikhail is still alive, but has aligned himself with the vampires. Through flashbacks, we also learn that Willard, the leader of the Jaegers has been hiding a devastating secret: he is inadvertently responsible for the destruction of Yuliy and Mikhail’s village. A massacre carried out as the Vampires search desperately for something. It turns out, they are succumbing to an insidious disease that may eventually lead to their extinction. The only solution is the mysterious artifact known as the Ark of Sirius thought to be located in the village. With his brother now a Vampire, it’s up to Yuliy as the only surviving “Sirius”, a.k.a. Werewolf, to find the location of the Ark and stop it from being used for evil. Along the way, he discovers the legacy of his father in relation to the Ark, makes friends with a Japanese nobleman and his daughter, and finally comes into his own power. Of course, Major Hideomi Iba of the Japanese Imperial Army is hot on the trail of the Jaegers as he investigates a string of murders and winds up entangled in events far larger than he imagined.
Review
Sirius the Jaeger revels in its environment and packs it full of violent action. It’s clear the Sirius villagers, covered in scars, live an unpredictable life in the wild of the unforgiving frozen wilderness. Vampires like Kershner ooze a hammy charm and insist on using old school tactics, like sword fighting, against their enemies.
A direct correlation is drawn between them and the Japanese traditionalist Hyakko Party. Both groups are relics of the past struggling to maintain relevance in this new modern Japan. Both are slowly dying out; literally from disease of the body in the case of the Vampires, and figuratively from corruption in the case of Momosei Naotora and his gang.
With all of this world building and its unique cast of teammates and villains, the series should be listed as a must-see. For the most part it rings hollow, though, especially when it comes to the dispute between the brothers. What should be a heart pounding, high tension conflict, fizzles. Mikhail’s hatred of the Vampires is made evident with the fact that he was forcefully turned. It may have been better if he were legitimately convinced to turn, maybe out of a misdirected hatred for his brother. Thus making the eventual reconciliation much more rewarding. It would have been incredibly cliche, but most cliches and tropes can work if done well. And this show is very full of everything that has been done before.
Another weak point is the side characters. We see very little of the motivations of the other Jaegers, with the exception of Phillip whose parents were murdered by a Sirius werewolf. Even this revelation only leads to a brief spat before the status quo is reestablished with the group, although it does explain Philip’s sarcastic behavior toward Yuliy.
Dorothea gets a little development when she flirts with fellow Jaeger-turned-Vampire Bishop, but that might just be a last ditch effort to have her do something other than tease the other characters and spray bullets from a variety of guns.
Fallon is even more one dimensional and is relegated to the role of Muscle Man of the group. Also, if you’re going to boast a cast with varied international backgrounds, then you should make use of accents for characters. I might just be spoiled by the English dub of the Hellsing franchise, but imagine my disappointment when Fallon opened his mouth and instead of a beautiful Irish brogue, he had a modern American accent. Now, Fallon is supposed to be Irish-American, but since the show tries so hard to visually represent the time period, one would think the showrunners would have also focused on cultural aspects of the characters such as speech patterns. He probably would have sounded like a Bostonian. I’m not sure if it was due to the limitations of the voice cast, or if it was an effort not to be racist or maybe to avoid stereotypes. I’m also not familiar enough with Japanese to be able to tell if they used various accents for the original Japanese version.
The other supposed antagonist/ally in the form of Iba provides an outsider point of view to the events and a little tension during the action. However, as with the other supporting characters, he’s surprisingly flat. We see him sort through papers and stare intently into the distance, but we’re never really allowed inside his head.
The aforementioned nobleman’s daughter, Ryoko Naoe is also a good civilian counterpart to her guests, but the love story between her and Yuliy remains one sided without much sexual tension to really drive it.
Her conversations with Dorothea about love allow Ryoko to have a little bit of growth, especially towards the end when it seems that that love will never be realized. Even so, she is relegated to the background for most of the story.
Some other critics laud the action scenes as basically the saving grace of the show. However, series like Black Lagoon and Hellsing offer up far more intense and visceral action. Sirius isn’t just lacking in depth, it’s also lacking in the extreme violence viewers have become accustomed to in anime horror. There’s still plenty of blood and guts, but it’s lacking in stylish flare and exuberance making it pretty boring to watch. The result is a toothless offering of a Vampire show. It simply doesn’t give itself enough time to ponder the central sibling rivalry, the idea that the Vampires aren’t as immortal or invulnerable as thought (we see plenty of them destroyed by magic bullets), or even build a decent team dynamic between Yuliy and his fellow Jaegers.
The entire show feels like twenty six episodes of plot points crammed into twelve. Plots and subplots are churned out, but few of them are resolved in a satisfying manner. The Ark mentioned is a nebulous Mcguffin in the shape of an FX laden orb, that along with its twin, forms a font of power. Its abilities are never really defined. Another mysterious orb is introduced to explain that the first orb is too mysterious for most people to use except for the Sirius clan. Unfortunately, beyond that the secondary orb’s powers are also not defined. This vast knowledge also apparently doesn’t seem to transfer to the main villain Yevgraf, who selfishly uses it to become a super regenerating monster who then neglects his promise to use the Ark to heal the Vampire clan. This is really the only time the Vampires feel dangerous. Even the evil child characters of Larissa and Tamara don’t come off nearly as creepy or menacing as they should, although they are stylish.
The ending is really the ultimate disappointment here. Yevgraf uses one half of the Ark to upgrade his powers and while he does feel more like a threat, his super powered character design looks like a cheap J-Rock costume.
After Yevgraf’s defeat and Mikhail’s subsequent death, Yuliy, having become one with the Ark, heads out on his own aboard a train. He’s seemingly made peace with his brother and learned compassion for his Vampire enemies in his search for a cure. Willard preps his team as Jaegers from all over the world are put on alert to search for Yuliy and the Ark. But don’t worry, Willard’s group is out to find Yuliy before the others do. There’s something of a set up for season two, ala John Wick, with Yuliy being chased around the world with his former comrades hot on his heels. It’s all just so mediocre.
If you’re really into Vampire anime or are trying to work your way through a challenge like watching all of Netflix’s anime series or all of the series for the Summer season of 2018, then you’ll inevitably wind up watching Sirius the Jaeger. For everyone else, there are far better Vampire action shows to scratch that itch.
Mystikk Tales 