Canaan is based of a video game named 428: Fūsasareta Shibuya de, and Is created by type-moon who made the popular series Fate/Stay Night, and ongoing movie series Kara no Kyoukai.  After only the opening I was very impressed by the animation. The first episode throws your right in the middle of a chaotic battle between unknown forces in the middle of Shanhai during a huge festival. It is very fast paced and introduces alot of characters and special matrix like powers so fast I’m not 100% sure if I caught everything even.

Rating: 9/10

Summary:

The opening was Mind as Judgment by Faylan. The song is good, but I was more impressed by the animation.

The episode begins with a young woman with blond/white hair sniping ballons floating in the sky from the festivities in the city. We will later learn that this woman is canaan and the protagonist of the series. Another young woman with dark black hair (whose name I did not catch) seems to have been captured and is being transferred from a boat by the military.  She appears to be a member, or perhaps even the leader of the organization Canaan is part of.

On an air plane a male reporter is traveling to the city with a optimistic looking photographer by the name of Maria. She apparently has a passion for photography and wants to catch all the things that people don’t see in the world on film. During this conversation scenes of the festivities are shown and a group of men wearing animal head gear are passing through. One of these men looses their hat and begins to loose their mind throwing themself into a river while all the onlookers just think its part of the festival.

In a hotel room two business men of some sort talking about “Synesthesia” (Try saying that 5 times fast). Synesthia is a special ability where a human can use all their senses at the same time at super levels. In the room next to these two men is a woman naked and talking about “purifying her body before meeting her sister.” She blabbers on more about pulsations in her abdomen and the red inside of her burning when she thinks of her sister… o____o at this point she comes out into the room where the men are speaking totally naked and tells him its time to do something.

At this point it has become night and Maria is taking pictures of  the festivities. One of the men with animal head costumes looses his mask his eyes go crazy. At this point its probably safe to assume that these people had Synesthesia of some sort. He writhes in pain throwing up blood till he dies. Maria ends where he is and takes a picture of him. Some men come out of the crowd shooting at her, but Canaan appears and runs with her to saftey (picking up a stuffed cat doll on the wayxD.) Apparently Canaan and Maria are good friend though we don’t get any back story yet. Cannan ties Maria up in some sort of Yuri Bondage a red ribbon that apparently symbolizes their friendship and begs that she doesn’t follow.

Canaan runs back into the city and starts firing away at her pursuers with use of some amazing eye abilities.  I was very impressed at the fighting choreography even though it was shorter that I would have hoped. The episode ends with the captured woman that appeared in the beginning. She is being transported in car by some soldiers. She happily hums to herself as the cars start to be blown up by an unknown enemy.

The ending theme was “My Heaven” by Annabel. It was mellow, but also did not stand out that much.

Impressions:

+ Great Animation
+ Decent Pace
+ Intriguing Plot

- I have no idea what the heck is going on xD

I definitely look forward to the next episode though.
It kinda reminds me of a mix between Kara no Kyoukai and Black Lagoon. Canaan’s super eyes remind me alot of Shiki’s “Mystic Eyes of Death Perception” from Kara no Kyoukai though I doubt there will be a direct relation.