Many will look down over Thunderbolt Fantasy, for the simple reason that it's a puppet show. It doesn't matter if the series is presented in the style of Chinese Opera, which the show does and thus is considered an art piece. To the naysayers, they'll say "If it's puppets, I ain't gonna watch it." Blame it on the stigmatism that puppet shows are for little kids, ergo it shouldn't be taken as seriously as live-action, or even anime.
Too bad for those naysayers, because they are missing out on what is likely a contender for Best Series of 2016.
The story of Thunderbolt Fantasy is not too complex and is in tone with the show's setting and theme. A wanderer by the name of Shang Bu Huang is coerced by the mysterious Lin Xue Ya, to aid a young woman named Dan Fei. Dan Fei is a priestess with the task of guarding a piece of a Celestial Sword called the Tian Xing Jian, roughly translated as the Heaven's Retribution Sword.
Dan Fei is under constant pursuit by the Xuan Gui Zong, or Onyx Demons, led by their leader and main antagonist Mie Tian Hai, who is determined to obtain the pieces of the Tian Xing Jian at all costs as it said to contain incredible power.
Later, new characters will join the trio in their quest to defeat Mie Tian Hai - the One-Eyed Archer Shou Yun Xiao, his spear-wielding sworn brother Juan Can Yun, the sultry demoness Xing Hai, and the ruthless swordsman Sha Wu Sheng.
If you think the plot is something you would see in an episode of the Legend of Korra, you'd be partially right. Thunderbolt Fantasy is a 'Wuxia' series, the simplest definition being Kung-Fu with Fantasy elements. An example of this genre well-known to English-speaking audiences are the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movies. Dreamworks's Kung-Fu Panda, despite being an American franchise, is considered and hailed in China as a Wuxia film.
As Thunderbolt Fantasy is a Wuxia series, at the same time, it is also part Chinese Opera. As such, you will hear each character's soliloquy, or monologue, as the narrative progresses. This isn't new, as even JoJo's Bizarre Adventure had characters speaking in monologues very often. The characters from Thunderbolt Fantasy, from their puppet designs, to their personalities, are actually quite likeable. In my case, there's virtually no one in the series that I particularly didn't like.
To sweeten the appeal, Thunderbolt Fantasy incorporates one of the most satisfying fight choreographies in recent memory. This is a puppet show, mind you, but damn! The fight scenes are REALLY that good! The right use of movements, camera shots, and a dash of 3D Graphics, and you can see how each character are total badasses. Even more, the fights can reach cosmic levels, so Saitama, Goku, and Superman may sweat a bit on these new challengers.
All of the awesomeness is thanks to creator and writer Gen Urobuchi. Anime fans will know him as the man behind the Madoka Magica franchise, Fate/Zero, Psycho-Pass, and the upcoming animated Godzilla film coming in 2017. Urobuchi's style of storytelling is seen throughout Thunderbolt Fantasy, though unlike his other works, this one is made in a more positive light. Also thanks to Urobuchi's writing, the series has this anime-like feel all over.
So yes, I will say even though it's a puppet show, the way it's crafted and presented, Thunderbolt Fantasy is as much an anime series as every other one out there. And to top if off, it's that bloody good. Fun story and entry to Chinese Opera, great action, likeable characters - what's there to hate? It's disappointing if the reason people don't like this series is because it's a puppet show. I mean, if fans can forgive the terrible artwork of the original One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100 webcomics and enjoy it for what it is, why not Thunderbolt Fantasy? I'll say it again, they are missing out on what is likely a contender for Best Series of 2016.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 1, a 5 out of 5.
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