In the Kannagi family, power is everything, and when Kazuma failed to master it, his father cast him out. Only Kazuma’s younger brother, Ren, silently hopes Kazuma has come home at last. When the obvious answer to the murder-by-wind question seems apparent, everyone suspects Kazuma, and Ayamo, who is extraordinarily brash and violent-tempered, offers to kill her cousin to avenge the dead . Luckily, the head of the family, Ayamo’s father, has a more even-tempered mind than his reckless daughter and it doesn’t take long for him to encourage Ayamo to work with Kazuma for the family’s benefit.
Very much a paranormal action show, despite the modern setting, the focus of most storylines seems to be the use of magic to fight off otherworldly threats to life, limb, and family. When Ren is kidnapped, for example, Kazuma and Ayano must combine their efforts if they are to turn the tide of battle in their favor and rescue Ren. However, while the show is very exciting, and the players (good and bad) are both unique and really interesting, there is an unfortunate aspect of this show: The puns. Ayano is quick to anger and often reckless in battle, loud, and very opinionated. Her temper is quick to…well, I can’t think of a non-fire associated word for it. She’s fiery, her temper is hot and quick to flare, and, well, the girl wields a magical flaming blade (“Enraiha”, if you’re wondering), for crying out loud. Kazuma, on the other hand, is calm and collected, so “cool” is the word I was trying to avoid. He seems so ruthless and uncaring that at times he has to be called “cold”. Still, despite the myriad of puns available, most notably the horrible one used in promos, trailers, and even the DVD case*, I will attempt to relay all the awesomeness this show exhibits without resorting to 7th grade humor. Besides, that tagline implies a crush-heavy series featuring a girl stalking her love-interest from a distance while secretly pining for him in a very physical way.
Luckily, a third main character joins our two polar opposites in order to provide some balance: Ren Kannagi is a sweet and sensitive young man, who brings out the protective nature in his brother, and can even reign Ayamo in a bit when she’s too far gone. He’s no slouch in the fire-magic department, either, which prevents him from becoming the almost obligatory ‘rescue bait’ that some action animes use for storylines.
Kazuma is, as stated above, awesome. Fire magic is largely about controlling or throwing flame, but that is almost the extent of its possibilities. Wind magic, however, seems like the best thing since sliced bread. Kazuma can: fly, hide himself (be invisible), wield gusts of wind so sharp they can cut a building in half, and effectively make an impenetrable shield to shelter him from blast or ranged attacks. He’s ruthless, but also very funny, and has a dry, sarcastic wit which drives Ayano insane with rage. “Cutting” doesn’t half describe the offhanded remarks he makes about other characters, and at one point (in the Japanese) he comments on a clumsy move by Ayano with “How can one person be so unsexy?” The Kaze no Stigma, from the title, is literally a distinguishing mark of those who have entered into a Contract with a Spirit King, as Kazuma has, so when he is using all the powers of an avatar of the Wind God, then his eyes glow an amazing blue. How can you not want to watch someone this awesome?
With an amazing art style and music that is carefully crafted to accent the scene without drawing undue attention, this series was already headed for popularity. An amazing job was done by both voice casts, as well, especially considering the excessive action sequences and the necessary task of supplying the realistic audio for fights.
All-in-all an exciting magic/paranormal action show, with just enough human element to keep it from being a mindless-brawler type. I really think this show will appeal to almost everyone, from Naruto fans to FMC enthusiasts, especially fans of Ghost Hunt or those seeking a less-mystery-more-fighting Darker Than Black.
*“The cooler he gets, the hotter she burns.” Seriously. Ugh.