[Switchblade]

So the sub for the first episode is up on Funimation's site, with simulcast starting tomorrow. They're offering a 2-week trial if anyone is curious to see the show without signing up for a paid account.

The first episode is... I don't know, kinda generic fantasy. It feels less like Garo and more like any other swords and castles fantasy anime. For me, a big part of Garo is the urban fantasy/horror aspect - that the show takes place in the modern era, but with all of these fantasy elements like the Horrors and the Makai Knights and Priests. Transplanting that into a vaguely European medieval setting really robs it of much of its uniqueness.

The plot isn't that interesting, either. The episode is mostly exposition for the setting, as told by one of the show's Makai Knights: Zoro (who is, to be fair, pretty cool). Garo shows up, too, although he doesn't do much outside of get into a fight. The armor is CGI while the Horrors and humans are traditionally animated. It's kind of a weird mix and some of the more frantic scenes are a little hard to follow. Aside from that, though, the art is pretty generic anime.

It was... okay, I guess. I'll see if I can check out the next couple episodes, but so far it's not doing much for me and I doubt that'll change.