By: Eule Vix
~*PLEASE NOTE: Some picture are cut off, click pictures to view full pictures if you want.*~
Bandit King Jing seems to be a anime that is some-what of a acquired taste. The animation in it is smooth and looks good but unless you like animes where the first episode is the same as all the others you probable wont like this anime.
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It was created originally in manga form, which is very different and has more story development then the anime, and was made by the manga-ka Yuichi Kumakura, with a total of 7 manga books total, around 1995. The anime was eventually made and was directed by the director of Slayers Hiroshi Watanabe and aired around 2002. Hiroshi also directed the next installation of Jing called Jing, King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven which was aired in 2004. Still today there are various OVA's still bing made that explain more about Jing history and background.
Picture created by: Yuichi Kumakura
~*NOTE: I could not find a pictures of Yuichi Kumakura or Hiroshi Watanabe sorry.*~
Bandit King Jing is all about a young boy called Jing. He is famous and known everywhere he goes, but because no one thinks a Bandit King, who is said to even steal the stars, is as young as Jing is. With his bird Kir who attaches to his arm as his “gun” and fires “Kir Royals” he travels and fights across many different places; along with a messenger called Postino who gives Jing hints on the treasures he's looking for. Though he goes to steal these great treasures from each place he goes he usually ends up just stealing the heart of the girl in the episode and not really leaving with much else. Since each episode has a new girl in it these girls have ended up kinda like the “Bond Girls” of James Bond with the fans referring to them affectionately as the “Jing Girls”. In the story of Jing you'll not only notice the Jing Girls, but you'll also notice that there are many alcohol references in this anime. The first being Jing and Kir's attack being called a “Kir Royal” which is actually a drink as well as the more obvious name of “Vodka” who appears in the first episode. Though the alcohol references are fun this anime still can lack plot and each episode seems like the last with just a different scene.
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Though the scenes might be the same the transition from Subbed to Dubbed is quite good. In the subbed there is tons of dialogue and even if you's a senior watcher of sub animes this one might give you some trouble; at least in the beginning. With the dubbed though the lost of dialogue is not really seen and all the words that are said are actually worked in quite well. The only thing that might make some people want to watch it subbed is that hearing “Kir Royal” is better then “Gimme a Kir Royal”, or it is at least in my opptinion; I guess it just sounds kinda cheesy.
There is one thing though that haters of this anime and lovers of it will be able to agree on, or at least most will. There these adorable animals in the world of Jing that appear a few times with in the anime. These little guys looks to be at least two feet tall and eat chocolate bars off of trees (Which seems to be their natural food.) and they look like giant living plushies with dark ears. There's a trait about them though that will make you not want to squeeze them too hard and that's they explode. In the Jing world these little creatures are actually used to like dynamite to further mine shafts. The name of these little guys are the Por Vora, and personally I would watch another episode just for these guys.
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Anime vs. Manga time now, the manga has more story but Jing's hair holds a great resemblance to that of something like Yugi's from Yu-gi-oh with it sticking out the back and being too big for his head. In the anime Jing doesn't have many faults and always seems to be there are the right time in the right place, to the point where he doesn't really feel human. Jing in the manga has a vast knowledge like the Jing of the anime but has more character flaws, making him human. Jing in the manga also looks more like a kid, though Jing in the anime doesn't look old he just doesn't seem to fit the idea of “kid” but rather “young adult”. The places Jing goes in the anime are portrayed quite well from the manga, though the personality of the “bad guys” differ the places are pretty much the same.
All in all I give this anime a 7 out of 10 for visual graphics, a 9 out of 10 for verbal linking and transition from Sub to Dub, a total of 5 out of 10 for how much it's worth watching, and a 3 out of 10 for story/plot quality.
It's not a bad anime, if you don't mind the plot not being there then you will like this anime. The characters are fun and lovable and the anime is easy to watch and not hard to follow. Overall rate of this anime is a 6 out of 10, not the best not the worst but it's something fun to watch!
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