Tekken: Bloodline follows Jin Kazama as he seeks the refuge of his grandfather Heihachi to become a trained fighter and avenge his mother’s death at the hand of Ogre.
Produced by Studio Hibari and Larx Entertainment, Tekken: Bloodline‘s events are set between Tekken 2 and Tekken 3 with some of the fan-favorite characters from the fighting games making an experience, much to the fans’ pleasure.
Directed by Yoshikazu Miyao and Wataru Arakawa, the series focuses on the events after the death of Jun Kazama as her son Jin sets foot on a path of vengeance to train under his grandfather in the Mishima style of fighting.
The Story
Jun Kazama moved to a remote island with Jin to ensure he remained protected from the evilness of the world outside. Training Jin Kazama in the Kazama style of fighting that focuses on defense and strategy rather than brute attack, Jun tries to train Jin in a manner he becomes fit to utilize his powers for the greater good.
However, things change when Ogre pays a visit to their house in the forest and kills Jun while Jin stands helpless in front of the whole affair.
After Jun dies, following his mother’s advice, Jin approaches his grandfather Heihachi Mishima, who agrees to train him.
However, to satisfy Heihachi and win The King of Iron Fist Tournament, Jin must shed his pacifism and embrace the brute style of Mishimas to emerge as a worthy match for Ogre. While doing so, Jin discovers more about his father Kazuya Mishima and his tainted bloodline.
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Reasons To Stream
For the benefit of first-time tourists who have decided to explore the world of Tekken, the anime series does a fine job of establishing some key characters without creating too much confusion for a newer audience, presenting an offering that can be enjoyed by hardcore fans and curious watchers together.
The storyline remains pretty straightforward throughout without convoluting any of the details. It’s a revenge story from start to finish with some of the coming-of-age elements as Jin discovers more about his father and his bloodline. Having a strong protagonist with a strong reason for motivation also works in the anime series’ strength.
The fighting scenes will appeal to long-time fans who are familiar with the moves and the combos from the games. The adaptation to anime has been a faithful one with most of the key moves of each character making it to the crucial fight scenes.
The soundtrack definitely adds to the thrilling action sequences in which the characters duel in their classic fighting styles.
Reasons To Skip
A department where Tekken: Bloodline could have improved is the world-building as the mythmaking is minimal with passing references to places of relevance.
The minimal world-building can also be traced to the 6-episode length of the series as the story progresses quite dynamically without enough time devoted to character building and exploring.
The story, while straightforward, may not come with any surprises for fans who possess even limited knowledge of the game’s characters and storyline. It feels that some potential for imagination and creative tweaking may have been lost in the process to present a simplistic revenge saga.
The Verdict
The creators have treaded smartly, coming up with a familiar storyline that retains aspects of nostalgia and freshness in equal amounts for old fans and new followers alike. While it would be expected that Tekken has enough material to come up with something unseen before, Tekken: Bloodline walks on familiar paths to present something simple and breezy to watch in this latest video game anime adaptation.
While it could use some nuanced world-building, there is enough to keep viewers waiting for at least one more season.
Rating: 3.5/5
Tekken: Bloodline is now streaming on Netflix.
Watch the trailer of Tekken: Bloodline here:
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