There have been a lot of action anime over the years, but none quite as ambitious as Kurozuka. Telling a story that begins in 12th century Japan, Kurou and his retainer Benkei are on the run from the shogun who seeks to have him beheaded. Kurou encounters the beautiful and mysterious Kuromitsu who offers them sanctuary, but he soon grows suspicious of her behavior. However, more than that, the two have begun to fall in love.

It doesn’t take long for their hiding place to be discovered and soon chaos erupts. As Kurou fights, and so does Kuromitsu, her true nature is revealed. She has been hiding from Kurou the fact that she is a centuries-old vampire. Before they can reconcile with the truth, Kurou is beheaded, and a weeping Kuromitsu is the last thing he sees. Normally this would be the end of most tragic love stories, but for Kurozuka, this is only the beginning.

Kurou awakens, alone, confused and surprisingly in one piece. Naturally, he is shocked by this alone, but he discovers he has awoken more than 900 years in the future. While he has so many questions, his chief one pertains to the fate of his vampire lover Kuromitsu who is no longer by his side.

The future is not a safe place for anyone. A resistance has formed against the vicious Red Emperor who seeks control over everything. Somehow, their sights have been trained on both Kurou and Kuromitsu. Kurou allies himself with those fighting for freedom as they don’t immediately seek to claim his life, but his main goal is to uncover the whereabouts of his beloved.

While Kurou has no memories of his life between feudal Japan and now, his prowess with the sword has not left him. His abilities are also enhanced well beyond anything he had in his former life. Throughout Kurozuka, his battles are beyond belief, and something only studio Madhouse could pull off properly. The one thing no one can say about Kurozuka is that its fight scenes lack emphasis.

The only real complaint with the series is that while it sets up the mystery as to the location and purpose of Kuromitsu, its answers left some viewers wanting more. It tries to explain itself all at the end, and while it does answer every question, it takes a bit more thought to piece things together than it probably should. Overall this didn’t detract from our enjoyment, but it gave us a slight pause.