Is Plunderer worth your time? – A Complete Review

Plunderer (Purandara) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Suu Minazuki. An anime television series adaptation by Geek Toys aired from January 9th to June 24th, 2020.

The series follows the story of Hina and the other inhabitants of a fictional world called Alcia as they discover the truth about their world and all of its secrets.

This 24-episode anime falls under the action, ecchi, fantasy, and shounen categories.

1. Quick Review

Plunderer is set in a post-apocalyptic fictional universe ruled by numbers. The worth of each individual is measured by a special feature called “Count” that is marked somewhere on their bodies which defines the important aspects of their lives in a number format.

The real danger that the people of this realm face is when the “Count” drops to zero. When this happens, the person will be dragged into “the abyss” below which results in death.

The protagonist, Hina has a Count which represents how many kilometers she has walked. When her mother gets dragged into the abyss, as per her mother’s final wish, she sets off in search of the Legendary Ace.

Hina’s relentless journey takes her down an unexpected path when she meets a peculiar masked knight who goes by the name of Licht Bach. The oddest thing about him besides the mask is the fact that his Count shows a negative number.

Plunderer as a concept could have been a real hit as an anime if there was more attention paid to the story.

Right from the beginning, many mysteries are thrown our way and as the story progresses, some of them get acceptable endings and others are way too absurd that it lacks any real explanation to make it a satisfactory ending.

2. Info Card

3. Is It Worth Watching?

Plunderer will capture your attention pretty much because of the unique world it attempts to build, such as the concept of the “Count” which forms the base of this anime’s universe.

The show has an interesting concept but fails to introduce the characters in a way that clues us in as to who the main characters are or whom we should be rooting for.

Plunderer - Official Trailer #3 | English Sub

So far we’ve got Licht, a pervy masked swordsman, and Hina, who comes off as a naive child who falls in love with Licht, one of the first male characters she comes across.

If you’re hoping to squeeze out a few good laughs from this bizarre anime, it would be worth giving it a shot.

I. Plot

In a dystopian world where numbers determine your fate, each citizen will have their identity branded with their own “Count,” which defines any number related to their life.

The Count depicts numbers based on the most random things such as the distance a person may have traveled or the number of compliments one may have received from others.

The storyline for Plunderer revolves around Hina who has taken up her mother’s dying wish as a mission.

In her adventure, she meets Licht Bach, a half-masked swordsman who doesn’t wish to reveal his identity and is perceived as odd because his Count is represented with negative numbers.

The overall plot of Plunderer initially presents itself as a serious isekai anime until we are introduced to the series’ unusual characters.

The show attempts to pull off a neat combination between action and ecchi but fails to do so resulting in a bizarre representation of what moistly comes across as sexual harassment.

II. Characters

While on her gruesome journey, Hina crosses paths with Licht Bach, a mysterious masked man with a negative Count and other characters who play a vital role in the plot development.

i) Main characters

Hina is the main female protagonist of Plunderer. She lived alone with her mom in the mountains, until her sudden demise.

Hina is introduced as a sheltered and naive girl who easily outs her trust in others. She is whole-hearted and wishes to protect those around her.

Her character shows no signs of cruelty or violence and wishes to be able to put a stop to it. Though she is physically unable to, she almost always puts herself in harm’s way to prevent others from getting hurt.

On her journey to completing her mother’s final wish, she crosses paths with Licht Bach.

Licht Bach is portrayed as the main male protagonist of Plunderer.

His character is portrayed to be mysterious as he hides his face under masks of all designs. He is described as a shamelessly perverted man in an almost comical way.

He could be considered mischievous upon at first sight and is used to being rejected and hated by girls because of his pervy ways.

ii) Secondary main characters

Jail Murdoch is one of the secondary main characters in Plunderer and the squad leader with the rank of Lieutenant in the Althea Royal Guard.

His character is detail-oriented, making him an excellent soldier and a capable combatant. He is a man of conviction which is the driving force of his character development.

As a man with morals and ethics, he tends to make decisions based on his profound sense of justice.

Lyne Mei is the secondary female character of Plunderer and a sergeant who protects Hoemmh which is located at the side of a hill.

Lyne’s character is always first in line to help those in need and her count reflects those she has helped.

She is good-hearted and a little irrational because of her sweet nature. Being a soldier, she does not hesitate to use physical force to protect others and fulfill her duties.

III. Setting

The anime is set in the post-apocalyptic world of Alcia. The citizens of this realm have their worth measured in numbers based on various factors such as distance traveled or likability, that are imprinted on their bodies.

You also lose points based on the things you do. If this number decreases to zero, it results in the individual being dragged down to “the abyss” which would be their eternal resting place.

IV. Theme Songs

Miku Itō performed the series’ first and second opening theme songs “Plunderer,”  and “Kokou no Hikari Lonely dark” respectively.

The first ending theme song “Countless Days” is performed by Rina Honnizumi,  while Honnizumi Rina, Ozawa Ari, and Itō Shizuka performed the series’ second ending theme song “Reason of Life”.

The series has a pretty standard opening and ending theme songs which set the tone for the characters and storyline of the show but are not extraordinary or particularly memorable.

4. Grade:

5. Final Thoughts

Plunderer has an intriguing concept with the introduction of a dystopian world and where your life is measured by numbers in a quite literal way.

The artwork, however, is rather bland with backgrounds that severely lack details which results in a boring representation of what should have been a next-level looking show.