This anime has been on my list for a very long time. I initially added it after watching the excellent crime anime Black Lagoon, as I was looking for something similar. This one was recommended to me. I recently started watching it, and I've now finished it. It may be completely different from Black Lagoon, but I never would have thought that this hidden gem would be so good! So, let me tell you more about this masterpiece.

STORY
The story is neo-noir, paying strong homage to classic noir. The story revolves around Zwei, a pasty and doomed protagonist who has just decided to travel to a country of freedom, and Ein, the femme fatale of this series, And Inferno, which replaces the corrupt cops in the noir genre and sees itself as the UN of the crime world. Zwei is kidnapped after witnessing something he should never have seen. He manages to convince his pursuer, who should have killed him originally, that he has a natural survival instinct by successfully evading his persuer for a long time and defending himself. He suddenly wakes up in a gritty building in the middle of nowhere, where he is greeted by a cold-looking girl who introduces herself as Ein. He can't remember anything, but Ein tells him more than enough. They are both assassins working for the crime syndicate Inferno. From now on, Zwei will be trained by Ein to become a top-tier assassin with the nickname 'Phantom'. I'll stop here to avoid spoiling anything further and taking away the fun of watching this anime. The story is executed really well. It does have flaws, but in my opinion they are minuscule and don't impact the enjoyment of this masterpiece. For example, the first three episodes are rather slow and lack development, but if you push through them, you'll be rewarded with plenty of action and an emotional rollercoaster ranging from thrill and surprise to sadness and happiness and comfort. Another flaw is that a child character somehow manages to look like an adult after just two years, but let's be honest, we've seen far weirder and more illogical examples of anime logic. Let me tell you now more something about the characters.

CHARACTERS

• ZWEI

As mentioned, he is the pale, doomed protagonist who is unwillingly drawn into the world of crime and forced to become an assassin for a crime syndicate. He's a really strong character with many facets who can endure a lot, from getting chewed up in a fight to a lot of mental stuff. At one point in the story, he bears a striking resemblance to Leon, the eponymous character from one of the greatest films, Leon the Professional. Zwei is also the emotional anchor in this anime, always displaying his unwillingness to continue in this way, and his desire for those he cares about to not have to do so either. He even tries to help them. He develops a warm relationship with Ein, and grows close to Lizzie and Cal. As they try to help him, he helps them in return.

• EIN

As mentioned before she's cold and badass. She's the one teaching Zwei all the things needed to be an top tier assassin. Throughout the series, she maintains her mysterious aura. She is the femme fatale in this anime series. Over time, she grows closer to Zwei, developing a warm and close relationship with him. Although nothing is known about her past, she is one of the best-written characters in this anime. She undergoes significant character development as the story progresses, becoming emotionally strong and independent. She transitions from a cold, apathetic girl to a really cute one. Together with Zwei, she is one of the most important characters in this anime series.

• CLAUDIA

Claudia is a sexy and initially mysterious woman about whom we know nothing at first. She even appears to be caring at first. Don't let her caring side fool you; she is obsessed with power and climbing the criminal career ladder, no matter the sacrifices she has to make. Claudia is a very manipulative person who is ready to manipulate even those closest to her. At some point we learn more about her past and the origins of her obsession with power and why she's so manipulative. She goes so far as to build a good relationship with Zwei in order to gain his trust, even using her body to get what she wants. As a supporting character, she plays a significant role in the story, contributing to some of its twists and turns. She is one of the best support characters I have seen. Even though she doesn't have much character development, her backstory makes up for it because it really feels like you are exploring a contradictory character who seems like a villain, but because of her past, she becomes more of a supporting antihero.

• CAL DEVANS

Cal is a small, cute girl who is introduced later in the story. She brings a little bit of cuteness and happiness to a world driven by crime and sad, dramatic events, which is also one of the reasons why she and Zwei develop such a cheerful, close, warm guardian relationship. Zwei tries to protect her cuteness and innocent appearance because, just like Zwei, she was dragged into this world unwillingly. At first, she shares a similarity with Mathilda, the character played by Natalie Portman in the legendary film Leon: The Professional, but with a very unexpected twist: a change of heart. She's also a well-written supporting character who can make viewers smile in this rather unfunny and gritty anime world.

• LIZZIE

The first impression i got of Lizzie is a typical street thug she's more of a hothead and doesn't trust anyone but her childhood friend Claudia they even are so close that she's even her bodyguard. She's also fiercely loyal, and despite her hot-headed personality, she manages to trust those around her. She even warms up to Zwei and develops a friendship with him. As mentioned above, Lizzie starts helping Zwei out, and, as he gets to know Cal, she gradually becomes a big sister figure to her. Lizzie does not undergo much character development, but the character development she does go through is really good.

• SCYTHE MASTER

'Psychopath' and 'mastermind' are the words that best describe Scythe Master. He is a cold-hearted man with a twisted worldview. He has many hobbies, and one of them is manipulation. He manipulates his business partners without hesitation to further his own interests. The Scythe Master feels no loyalty to anyone but himself, as can be seen from his hunger for power. Like the Joker, the Scythe Master is a philosophical antagonist and destroyer of identity and morality, as well as being a master manipulator. This makes the Scythe Master an interesting and formidable villain in this story.

ANIMATIONS
Well, if you're looking for eye candy, then this is definitely the wrong anime. It makes almost no use of special effects, and the animation is clearly old. But for 2009, it's actually pretty good. It's nothing like some of today's anime shows, which are basically just PowerPoint presentations. With that said i can't really complain about the animations since they get their job done very well.

SOUND
The anime's sound design isn't exceptionally good. Let's talk about the openings. There are several of them, and they actually do a good job of capturing the show's vibe, especially the first one, which sounds creepy and mysterious. There is also a third opening, which is pretty good. It doesn't capture the anime's vibe, but it gives you a false sense of security, allowing the show to catch you off guard, a brilliant use of an opening. The outro's here aren't anything special. The third one gives off a sense of calm, but that's all I can say about them. The voice actors match the characters pretty well, and their performances fit the designs. Of course, there is far better voice acting in other anime, but this one didn't really have any bad voice acting. For such a hidden gem, it's really good.

CONCLUSION
Phantom: Requiem of a Phantom is a way too underrated hidden gem. I know some people may think this score is exaggerated, but I believe it is well deserved. I didn't expect much when I started watching it, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The story, setting and characters are all very well-matched, creating a real masterpiece. From start to finish it is really was really thrilling and entertaing with a ending i would have wished was different but in retrospect is actually a good clouser to the story. Some of todays anime shows could actually learn a thing or two from this show when it comes to a good story or really solid characters. I really hope more people get to see and appreciate this masterpiece.