Campione is a thirteen episode anime series that is presently available to buy in the UK courtesy of MVM Entertainment. The show is based on the light novels penned by Jo Taketsuki and at the time of writing can be purchased for a little over £20 (United Publications are selling it for £22, whilst Amazon is asking £26 for the two disc DVD set.) The cartoon follows the exploits of Japanese teenager Kusanagi Godou, who is seen in the first episode travelling to Italy in order to deliver a mystical tablet to one of his grandfather’s acquaintances. During the Mediterranean trip Godou runs into the God of War who is determined to acquire said tablet at any cost. Using his ingenuity, Godou defeats the deity and inherits his powers turning him into a Campione (God Slayer.) Using his newfound abilities Godou must now protect the world from other rogue gods.
CHARACTERS
Over the course of the series Godou’s god slaying adventures see him tangle with the likes of Athena and Perseus, a mighty swordsman who is renowned for vanquishing dragons. Godou also battles an elderly Campione named Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, who has the ability to summon un-dead warriors in addition to shape shifting into a werewolf. Aiding the protagonist against these threats are a quartet of beauties starting with Erica Blandelli, a blonde caster, who is a member of the Copper Black Cross knights. In the opening episode Erica detests Godou, but after the teenager acquires godly powers she cannot resist throwing herself at him. The sudden shift in personality is rather odd and makes her look like a gold digger who despises a guy, until she suddenly realizes that he is a millionaire.
Next in Godou’s harem of servants is Yuri Mariya, an innocent shrine maiden who is gifted with the power of clairvoyance. Her only notable trait is the size of her chest so I’ll move onto the next floozy named Liliana Kranjcar. Miss Kranjcar is a silver haired knight who starts the series serving Voban, before being coerced into switching sides. Despite presenting herself as a solemn warrior Lillian has a secret passion for writing cheesy romance fiction. One of the few occasions when I chortled, whilst watching Campione, was a scene were one of her books gets uncovered causing her to get flustered. Last on the babe list is Ena Seishuin who appears in the final two episodes. Due to insufficient screen time she failed to make any impression on me.
VERDICT
My rating for Campione is a two out of five. Although it’s not a terrible show I have to rank it below average, as it is so generic. It took me several days to complete the series as I lacked the urge to watch more than a couple of episodes per sitting. The tale of a hero who battles gods sounds epic, but all we get is an uninspired anime about a bland teen who flees from the bevy of girls who want to get in his pants. I am usually more tolerant when it comes to scoring harem shows, providing that they entertain me with some exciting action or amusing comedy. but sadly Campione failed to impress me on both counts.
Campione’s attempts at humour seldom registered a laugh and the fight scenes, although flashy in parts, are guilty of concluding in an unsatisfactory manner. For the most part, after trading blows for a bit, Godou spouts some mythological gibberish before dispatching his opponent with a flurry of enchanted blades (yawn.) The portrayal of the female cast is also demeaning. The opening credits have the ladies swooning over Godou or draping themselves all over him. Feminists will cringe as Erica transforms from a strong independent woman into a complete slut within the space of one episode. Last but not least is the manner in which the girls impart Godou with knowledge about the foes he is facing. Do they teach him by loaning him some informative tomes? Nah, they instead give him a French kiss under the pretence of telepathically cramming information into his head. How unrealistic. If locking lips, with an attractive lass, were a viable teaching aid I wouldn’t have flunked all my exams.
Although I know that some viewers have enjoyed Campione I personally cannot recommend it. If you are seeking a better harem show I would recommend Sekirei, which ironically is directed by the same director. Sekirei delivers in terms of thrilling action and the banter between its cast is funnier than anything Campione has to offer. Sekirei also knows that its audience is tuning in for eye candy and duly obliges with plenty of boobies. Campione, despite being equally sexist, is much more tame when it comes to its fan service. Perhaps Godou’s list of slayed deities includes Himeros the god of sexual desire?