This has Sentai Filmworks' name written all over it AND then some!
As most anime enthusiasts by now know, Toonami has made Sentai Filmworks their latest Japanese animated programs partner in a most likely attempt to air anime outside of their scope. The first anime acquisition of this curious partnership is last year's Akame ga Kill!
I won't go into too much detail regarding an opinionated-yet-summarizing review of the premiere on Toonami, as there was already plenty of "bloody" detail to grasp within. The episode begins with a hostile creature dubbed an "earth dragon" running amok on a grassy trail, to which the show's main protagonist Tatsumi strikes it a new one. Regardless of whether or not this earth dragon actually looked like one in proper anime form, we are then greeted to scenes featuring Tatsumi roaming through town being your usual bloated and ungrateful protagonist holding up a short sword and it's unsettling point to a merchant's face. Taking a break for the time being, a stranger then approaches Tatsumi who we then find out later to be Leone with a proposition that ends up becoming a classic money scam that Tatsumi happened to fall for.
The situation then shifts to Tatsumi reminiscing of being with his friends in a frigid terrain and Tatsumi aiding a wealthy girl of a famed family and their snob mansion. What occurs later on during the rest of the night is the murderous organization of the show's debut known as Night Raid with member Akame seen committing a clean death of someone in the mansion to later regroup, albeit a rather obvious sighting by Tatsumi through the glass windows. Slightly afraid of his well being, Tatsumi rushes to find the wealthy young girl to protect her and aid the guards, to a small amount of failure. Having the guards cut down in their prime by Night Raid (along with one notable example of weak voice-acting uttered), Tatsumi then proceeds to hold his own against Akame in order to save the girl's life. After realizing he can't hold an ounce of strength to Akame, Tatsumi asks why is the girl of utmost importance to kill to which Akame waves her blade towards Tatsumi's neck, getting a close second at almost decapitating Tatsumi until Leone of Night Raid returns to halt her attack.
Leone goes on to explain why she had verbally stopped Akame's attack by shedding some light on the situation with the girl Tatsumi has been ordered to protect. Tatsumi nods his head back in disbelief and questions what harm a charming girl like her could do, much to Leone and Akame's indifference already. The group goes on to crack open the doors of a barn they were fighting in front of. The barn doors open to reveal the workings of a deranged lunatic female and her sick, twisted torture-house fantasy with endless lashings and beatings to victims such as the aforementioned friends that Tatsumi was reminded of. Having a final moment with his beaten-to-death friend since the other was already stripped naked and dead, Tatsumi's curiosity soon turns into rage. Tatsumi takes a look at the girl who then struggles to defend her own hide, exposing herself as the relentless foul witch that she is (with exaggerated art included). Night Raid assumes that Tatsumi is still on the girl's side, with a swift response back from Tatsumi stating "no" otherwise, and quickly proceeds to slicing her in half without a second's worth of hesitation. Night Raid continues moving from there back to their headquarters, holding Tatsumi hostage-like with them knighting him a member of Night Raid, as they were impressed with his latest "personal deed" to the world.
Having said all that, the episode cuts to an alternate outro with Tatsumi asking himself what he just got his own self into (since this is a brand new acquisition and all, I guess there were corners to be cut somewhere thanks to Sentai Filmworks and the length of the show's episodes). From there on all of my short, constructive thoughts after the episode finished covered overall feelings ranging from praise like "entertaining" to criticisms such as "literally fucked up".
But I digress. Despite the horrifying ending with Tatsumi's friends and a certain girl running a gruesome madhouse, Akame ga Kill!'s premiere on Toonami was somewhat entertaining. Something I didn't expect from the current Toonami's recent "darkened" trends. I'd love for the action and light humor to continue at the very least, but something tells me that won't last even one bit. I'll continue to watch, however, as I've personally just started watching the show (oh, boy)....