Pumpkin Scissors
Written by Jeremy Snow
Published on 05/22/2007
Originally from Binary Culture / [the-lowdown.net]
http://www.binaryculture.net

You know what they say about guys with big guns? The like to turn on blue lanterns and go on berserker rampages. Well, maybe not all the time, but Randel Oland certainly fits the bill as the monstrously huge protagonist in one of the better anime series to come out recently, Pumpkin Scissors.

While the series has an odd title, it more than makes up for it with character development, as well as a wicked opening theme and fantastic action. A spectacular blend of political intrigue, class struggle and edge of your seat, “Holy shit I can’t believe he just did that!” action, Pumpkin Scissors is a title that is sure to please.

As the series opens you are introduced to Alice L. Malvin during the graduation ceremony of the Officers Academy. She seems ready and willing to fight for her country when a messenger runs in announcing the end of the war. Within a blink you are then introduced to the oversized Randel Oland, who asks, after remembering the death and carnage that surrounded him on the battlefield: Why didn’t it happen earlier?

From there the story springs forward a few years and introduces Alice Malvin yet again, this time as the Lieutenant of a unit known as “Pumpkin Scissors” (a name that is justified, as much as a name like Pumpkin Scissors can be justified, later on), also known as the ‘easygoing’ unit because of their easy missions. However, this ‘easygoing’ unit soon finds themselves in a web of military intrigue and deception as Randel Oland joins their ranks.
One thing that this series does very well is character development. Besides Alice and Randel there are three (four, including animals) other members of the Pumpkin Scissors unit: the nerdy and by-the-book Machs, the womanizing yet honorable Oreld and finally the awkward and optimistic Stekkin (who takes care of the mascot and 4th member of the Pumpkin Scissors unit, Mercury).

Alice Malvin, the lieutenant, is first portrayed as the rigid lieutenant who desires nothing but to “Slay evil immediately!” (Thanks Shinsengumi) However, as the story goes on her tale will beautifully reveal itself before the attentive viewers eyes. A pretty interesting tale if I do say so myself.

Randel Oland, or ‘The Amazing Man-Mountain’, is a troubled veteran. His unit number, classifying him as 901, is cursed (for reasons later explained). His sleep is tormented by nightmares and his only desire is to remain sleeping under a bridge taking care of stray cats. Odd, no? Nevertheless, his story is also one that is worth the wait, and as the second season was recently announced, we can only hope for more gaps to be filled in as time goes on.

Now, as the series goes on, it doesn’t make the mistake that others have of zooming in on Randel and Alice, diving deep into their childhood histories, friends’ histories, grandmas’/cousins’/boyfriends’ histories…etc. Instead, it offers an interesting view at each of the characters in times of triumph and tribulation, including the other officers of the Pumpkin Scissors unit.

Machs isn’t just the nerdy, by the book character for long. You begin to really understand his relationship with Oreld, and his purpose (or at least, what he believes is his purpose) in the Pumpkin Scissors unit.

Oreld isn’t just a womanizer, he makes very deep reflections on the situations of the commoners’ in a post-war era, reveals sympathy for those who have slipped through the cracks of the system and also feels a deep sense of obligation to said demographic to make things right again.
Stekkin isn’t just the shy girl who is clumsily trying to engage in personal relationships with everyone else. You see her impetus become more apparent as the series goes on, her desire to be stronger and to contribute more to the unit, and her frustration when she is unable to do so.

Perhaps the most beautiful part about this character development is that it isn’t done in a “Here’s the character development episode for…Oreld!” format. Instead, the characters develop naturally and individually through the conflicts that the unit goes through together. It’s more natural than that, and as you watch it you will notice that it isn’t mechanical or generic, but fluid.

One great example is later on in the series, as a Noble is confronted with an angry mob who wishes to kill him after embezzlement charges have been brought to the public’s attention. “Why do they hate me so much?” he asks Oreld “It’s not like it would have helped them any!” Oreld responds with a beautiful soliloquy regarding the importance of even one grain of rice in the mouth of a starving child.
It’s a very moving scene that allows viewers to really peer into Oreld’s mental process, granting him even more respect than was previously attributed to him.

This show has yet another strength: the music. Most notably: the opening theme. The music is well done, nothing exceptional like the epic soundtrack that is .hack//sign or Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight, but it gets the job done. Where it really shines through for me is in the opening theme song. Now, I’m a sucker for great opening theme songs. If you’ve got a great opening theme song, you’ve got me for at least one episode. So, when I saw the opening song for this series, you won’t blame me for wanting to watch more regardless of what was about to unfold. The tempo and lyrical style reminded me of Cruel Angel’s Thesis (if ever so slightly), and the rest of it is in a category all it’s own. It is one of the best opening theme songs, definitely in my top 5 (right around GitS: SAC themes 1 and 2, Cruel Angel’s Thesis and a toss up between Code Geass and Nanoha season one).

Of course, in an action series, it’s always good to know if the action is worth it. Well, I’m here to tell you: it most definitely is. Just when you think that Randel couldn’t get any cooler, he does. Personally, I don’t see how he got eliminated so early from this year’s SaiGar competition. He’s 8 feet tall and takes on tanks by himself! If that’s not Gar, then what is? Anyways, enough ranting. The action in this series is solid, although, it does taper off comparatively near the end. While the first 20 episodes or so has a good deal of Randel taking on tanks and other badass weapons, near the end of the series it does slow down a bit. That doesn’t mean that the action isn’t just as good. It’s still very engaging and edge of your seat stuff, it’s just different when it’s a duel between one guy and a tank as opposed to just two people.

So, good characters: check. Good action: check. Good music: check.
Story? Check and check. From the moment Randel joins the Pumpkin Scissors until the credits roll at the end of episode 24, the story tells itself beautifully and masterfully stacks one element atop of another. Now, much like Jenga, there are some elements that are missing from the tower…but it still holds itself up. And really, that’s all that matters. Not all the loose ends are tied up at the end, but there’s a second season for that… and we will replace those missing blocks and tie up those loose ends when that second season comes out, which I am eagerly awaiting.

Overall, this series has been an absolute joy to watch. I am hoping to hear a licensing announcement for this series very shortly. As for continuation, as I said before the second season should be coming out soon, so get watching so that you can catch the second season with the rest of us! Come on now, GET TO IT!