Some months ago, I reviewed the first volume of King of Bandit Jing, and my verdict was far from positive- if anything, the series seemed to be the most pointless and generic action-based ‘comedy’ that ever existed. Nonetheless, since the whole series was only thirteen episodes long, I resolved to watch the rest, and at long last, that task has been accomplished. Fortunately for me, each subsequent volume of the series only contained three episodes, which, by skipping both OP and ED, can be condensed into little more than an hour’s viewing. Under this new, less painful, viewing arrangement, Jing did prove to be better than it first appeared, if only slightly.

The first volume of Jing was formulaic to a fault, and the rest of the series is no exception, with each mission following the exact pattern detailed in my first review. Fortunately, not all of the stories are as forgettable as those seen in the first four episodes, with a handful of episodes, such as a two-parter in which Jing searches for the key to immortality, actually proving to be mildly entertaining. There’s no hint of a main plot whatsoever, but perhaps that is for the best; under the circumstances, trying to wedge one into such a mediocre series would probably have only been tiresome at best.

Perhaps what is most disappointing about the series is not the fact that it is so average, but that it would have taken very little to make it that much better. Instead of being something of a one-trick character, Jing would have been far more interesting if we had seen him use a repertoire of attacks and tricks befitting a boy who somehow earned the title of King of Bandits. An episode or two looking into his past would not have gone amiss either, and would certainly have given his rather paper-thin personality the development it needed.

Visually, King of Bandit Jing remains as generally unappealing as it did in the first volume- Jing and the token weekly female may not be too bad, but the vast majority of supporting characters are somewhat bizarre and ugly. Background music is simplistic, but generally in keeping with the tone of the series.

Final Thoughts
Although it did pick up a little in comparison to its earlier episodes, King of Bandit Jing was ultimately a low budget series that could never rise above the realms of the entirely average. If you’re in the mood for a mix of comedy, fantasy and action, try Rune Soldier instead.

King of Bandit Jing is a title that seems to have passed under the radar of many an anime fan, and having watched the first DVD for myself, I can firmly say that this quite definitely a good thing. Based on the tone of the series, it is presumably meant to be a comedy, but nonetheless there’s precious little amusement to be found from this uniquely uninspiring brand of slapstick ‘humour’. Every story follows the exact same pattern: Jing comes to steal item from bad guy; Jing meets girl; girl helps Jing defeat bad guy; assorted townspeople are saved, the end. Add some lazy plot devices, such as a mysterious guy who repeatedly shows up to advance the story, or Jing’s ability to defeat any enemy by ‘equipping’ Kir on his arm and firing ‘Kir Royale’ energy blasts, and there isn’t really much to hold the attention.

Such an average series could still be made workable if its lead characters were actually likeable, but unfortunately, King of Bandit Jing fails in this department as well. Jing himself is relatively inoffensive, but only by virtue of having little in the way of personality- we don’t even know how he came to meet up with Kir and become the King of Bandits. Kir, meanwhile, is entirely dislikeable, coming across as little more than an old lecher with a poor taste in jokes, whilst the rest of the cast is of the generic one-shot variety.

By this point, it should come as no surprise that the visuals are nothing special- animation is simplistic, whilst the vast majority of character designs are just plain ugly. Action scenes are equally low-budget, relying almost entirely on the Kir Royale attack and its accompanying recycled animation.

Final Thoughts
I’ll probably rent the rest of King of Bandit Jing for the sake of completion, but don’t take this as an endorsement- the series is both tedious and unexciting. For your own sake, leave well alone.