There is something to be said for owning your concept. Nobunagun is essentially about giving descendants of mankind's greats access to their progenitors' abilities so that they can fight off aliens who have an uncanny knack for evolving, and had it been handled with less panache, it could have been a goofy mess. Luckily this series goes all out with its visuals, music, and storytelling so that by a few episodes in we are totally onboard with not only the concept, but also the idea of fighters blessed with the powers of Mahatma Gandhi and Jack the Ripper as a heroic figure. That's no small accomplishment if you stop to think about it.

The story follows Sio Ogura, a socially awkward military otaku of a high school girl who just can't seem to get out of bed on time. By this point in her life she has accepted being the odd girl out, and if it isn't fun, it is at least comfortable. She's thrown out of her comfort zone by two things, both of which happen on her class trip to Taiwan: Kaoru Asao, a girl in her class, makes overtures of friendship, and aliens attack the tourist site the school is visiting. Showing a bravery she doesn't seem sure she had, Sio runs headlong into the fray to save the one girl who tried to be her friend...and in the process discovers that there was something more than her subconscious giving her dreams of what she (in the dub) calls “a derpy geezer.” That old guy turns out to be none other than Oda Nobunaga, anime's favorite Sengoku era warlord, and through a deliberate trick of genetics, Sio has inherited his E-Gene, which allows her to access his strengths and transform them into physical manifestations of power. Grabbing a strange sphere from a British guy named Adam who is the E-Gene holder of Jack the Ripper, Sio accesses her abilities and ends up toting an enormous gun...as well as attracting the attention of DOGOO, the Defense Organization aGainst Outer Objects. They lead the fight against these particular aliens, and Sio soon finds herself joining their ranks.

Sio herself is definitely one of the main attractions of the show. Adorably petite yet not conforming to stereotypical moe standards, she's an enticing mix of the clumsy schoolgirl cliché and a strong action heroine. Her fondness for military equipment combines well with Nobunaga's tactical sense (oddly enough, the fact that he was also a tactician seems to be forgotten by most of DOGOO), allowing her to realize victories no one saw coming. Her crush on Adam is nicely underplayed, neither consuming her thoughts nor being saved until the last minutes of the show (although those are pretty nice in terms of the romantic subplot), and in general she's just a genuinely likable character.

Most of the characters are an interesting combination of themselves and the influence of their E-Gene donors, with Jack and Gandhi being two of the more interesting on this front. The noncombative holders show somewhat less variation between themselves and their progenitors; Vidocq (founder of the French National Police and model for Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, among others) is nearly indistinguishable from his regular personality. More interesting is the way that some of the holders use their powers: Gandhi creates forcefield barriers rather than using offensive tactics, while Gaudì, an architect, builds walls or ramps.

The voices in both the Japanese and English tracks are excellent, with strong performances especially from Jad Saxton and Shiori Mutō as Sio. What may make some viewers' decision is the fact that accents have been used in the dub, so Adam/Jack sounds vaguely like a character on Ripper Street, Galileo has an Italian accent, etc. While most of them aren't too offensive (at least to someone whose only claim to an accent is “New England”), Josh Grelle's Vidocq sounds like a combination of Maurice Chevalier and the character DuQuoi from the 1980s film Top Secret: mangled. At times when either he or Jason Liebrecht (Jack) are speaking, I almost wished for subtitles. Equally as striking as the voices are the visuals, which pull some very interesting tricks, such as patterned overlays to denote emotion, a complete change of color scheme between battles and everyday life, and very well-timed animation with the opening theme. Hands down it is one of the more striking shows in recent memory.

While there is a bit of drag around episode seven, on the whole the show maintains a good pace and saves some impressive plot twists for the finale. Even the slower episodes have their moments of fascination, and nothing is really without a point, except possibly Newton's kissing habit. (Gotta love the flowery tongue wriggling forward.) Even the alien leader of DOGOO's character design is deliberate: while our first reaction might be “Easter Bunny from Hell,” she's actually a living dogu figure, a type of Jomon Era pottery. (It is thought that they were used as good luck charms, which adds an interesting dimension to her character.)

If you've written Nobunagun off as having a silly name or a lame premise or just weren't intrigued by the preview you saw on another disc, it is worth putting your skepticism aside and giving it a chance. Full of historical references, great visuals, and good plot twists, plus an excellent vocal cast in both languages, this is an action show that you don't want to miss. There are a plethora of Oda Nobunaga themed shows out there; if you're only going to watch one, this should be it.