Last Updated on by
This review is Spoiler-Free
2024 was a big year for Toonami, in more ways than one. Not only did they continue acquiring big anime titles such as Demon Slayer and Zom 100 but they would premiere a lot of their original anime projects like Ninja Kamui and the long delayed Uzumaki. However, amidst all that was a cluckin’ new announcement that would strut its way into the lives of many fans. During San Diego Comic Con of that year Viz Media and Adult Swim would announce a joint collaboration for a brand new anime based off a recent manga series called Rooster Fighter. While my knowledge of the manga was limited when it was announced I definitely heard about it. My curiosity was peaked so I decided to check out the manga and what turned into a brief, I’ll only read a chapter or two, turned into an around the cluck obsession that had me binging it until the current chapter. Rooster Fighter was an ingenious idea that after reading it, all it needed was to get a great anime adaptation in order to stick the landing. Did it manage to do it?
Rooster Fighter is set in modern day Japan and demons have become more frequent as they’ve been popping up with no explanation. We follow a strong cock by the name of Keiji, who has enough cluck in him to take down these demons with his own powers. Along the way he comes across a small chick Piyoko and a hen by the name of Elizabeth. Will Keiji be able to defeat the demons in Japan or will his comb be too flaccid?
Rooster Fighter off the bat is a great fit for Adult Swim and Toonami. The bizarre premise along with the wacky action sequences is perfect for the network. The basic idea of the show is, what if Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star was a Rooster? It’s not exactly the same, as Keiji is his own character yet the similarities between the two are noticeable. Both are wanders who walk a tumultuous land for there own purpose, along with being strong badasses that can beat the shit out of there foes. This show is very entertaining to watch and as a reader of the source material just seeing how they adapted each page and translating it to the screen is a joy to see. However, even without that knowledge Rooster Fighter is just plain fun. It can go from over the top silliness to more somber moments without it feeling jarring. On top of that the art direction and animation is fantastic. Main production was handled by Sanzigen whose previous work included main production for a lot of CGI anime. They’ve also done hand drawn production work but a majority of the anime they’ve done in the past has been computer graphic images. However, Rooster Fighter isn’t a strict CGI anime. CGI is used but it’s a mix between hand drawn animation and CG. One thing that has always bugged me about modern Seinen anime adaptations is how clunky or bad the CGI is. In Berserk 2016 for example, it ruins the immersion of the show since it looks awful and has no real weight to its animation. Yet, Rooster Fighter despite a majority of it being hand drawn, the CGI is exceptionally well done. Unlike other Adult Swim anime originals that have had bad CGI, the show is smart enough to have it stylized so that it’s consistent with the rest of the show’s art direction. It never took me out of the experience once, whenever CGI was used.
The English dub cast is also phenomenal. Patrick Seitz as Keiji was brilliant casting and always was one of my first choices when I was reading the source material. His deep and powerful voice is a perfect fit for this strong mother clucker. Kimoy Lee, despite me being unaware of her previous projects, her performance as Piyoko did a good job being the cute but annoying chick. Luci Christian does a great job as Elizabeth. While I did not expect her in this dub, her performance as always is solid. She brings a dignified yet hard edge that’s needed for the character. The rest of the cast, at least for the three episodes that were provided to me, were solid.
As mentioned previously, Rooster Fighter as a manga had the potential to go big or go crow. It all hinged on how well the anime was handled. I think what I wrote speaks for itself. Toonami’s originals have had issues and I think my main problem with them is that they feel incomplete. Not that they were rushed. What I mean is that they don’t feel like a completed product that they’ve put this show out in a quick fashion to meet a quota. Obviously, the teams at Adult Swim and Warner Brothers seem to trust the creatives behind those projects but we’ve seen it, even with last year’s Lazarus. Yet, Rooster Fighter feels like the odd hen out. A fully formed bulging cock that took its time and that wait finally seems to be worth it. Toonami finally has a winner winner chicken dinner.
Final Verdict
9/10
