A Woman Sought After: El Cazador de la Bruja

It seems that the most accurate translation for this show’s title would be “The Witch Hunter”, as a specific witch is mentioned – so I have been told. It is Bee Train’s third and last Anime in the girls-with-guns genre, and this time we find ourselves somewhere in Mexico. Nadie is skilled with her firearm and bounty-hunts for a living. She does that alone and so far it’s good money. One day, she encounters a young woman named Ellis, who seems a little weird. Not only with the way she talks but also with the way she… well, is and behaves.

Nadie did not meet Ellis by accident – she was asked to find her, and feed back information to a certain organization. For some reason, Ellis wants to travel south, but has no exact location or destination, she only wants to go south. What begins as a rather unusual job for Nadie, and as just following the intuition Ellis has for herself, becomes a life-altering journey for everyone involved.

Ellis and Nadie – a bounty head and bounty hunter embark on a journey they will never forget

As they travel south, you soon come to learn that there seems be something going on with Ellis, and that a few people have different interest in her, for various reasons. Ellis carries a reddish stone around with her. Nadie soon finds out why these people are after her… Supernatural powers. However when Ellis finds out herself she is very confused by it. This does not stop the people after her. Learning about this intensifies Ellis’ urge to travel south.

The one who stands out is probably the guy named L.A. (that’s right!). Whether if he is truly insane or not… you find that out for yourself – ’nuff said when I tell you that he’s ready to go to extreme lenghts for ‘his’ Ellis. Or so he firmly maintains.

Intelligent ads for Madlax and Noir (“MDX” on the left, one of the ‘two maidens who govern death’ on the right), Bee Train’s other two girls-with-guns shows, are lit up in a city.
Visible in episode 3, “A Woman Rained Upon ~raining girl~”

A lab room labeled R-338 is assigned to Dr. Doug Rosenberg. An expert in his field. Seemingly the leader of a project named Leviathan. He has a very elevated interest in Ellis, probably because of something that has happened to him or her, or both, in the past. What is really up to and what is his connection? I think you should find out for yourself.

Another bounty hunter, Ricardo, and a child that goes everywhere he goes, Lirio, seem to consistently cross paths with Ellis and Nadie on their journey south. While not entirely clear what his agenda really is, you’re lead to believe that he is helping the two girls. But to what end?

Miss Hayward works for Dr. Rosenberg on the Leviathan project. We’ll come to know this lady later as Blue-Eyes, who takes matters into her own hands. It seems as if she introduced herself to Nadie earlier as “Blue-Eyes” already. She is also the one who instructed Nadie to watch over Ellis, provide information, and in return Nadie would be paid well. But as you can imagine, things go a lot different than planned.

They all have to do with Nadie and Ellis in some way.
From top – L.A., Dr. Doug Rosenberg, Ricardo, Lirio, and Blue-Eyes

It is commonly believed by some, that witches did exist in earlier times and truly did have awesome abilities. What exactly these abilities were, no one can be certain anymore today. Fact is however that people with very unique or extraordinary abilities exist today, and have so throughout the 19th and 20th century. A more or less known example of those people with special abilities being ‘hunted’ was the “Stargate” project in the 70′s conducted by the CIA. In this project, so-called “See-ers” were hired. Those people claimed to be able to see what’s going on in other places in the world without actually being there – a phenomenon still today known as Remote Viewing. This would imply to be consciously able to leave your physical body. Legend has it, that these people and the “Stargate” project lead to the discovery of a top-secret base and operation somwhere in Russia, where the first nuclear submarine was built.

With “El Cazador de la Bruja”, Bee Train suggests a theory how people with certain abilities came into existence – at least in modern times. The name of project “Leviathan” of which Dr. Rosenberg is the leader of, was carefully chosen by the makers. In the Bible, a Leviathan is a huge sea monster or creature that brought sadness and destruction.

How exactly does this relate to Ellis? I think you should really find this out for yourself. Seriously.

With FictionJunction / YUUKA and Yuki Kajiura on board for the soundtrack, you can be sure that this is, yet again, a treat for your ears as well as eyes. The music is superbly done as always by Yuki. The finale will touch you, it will make you cry – I promise you that. It’s another show not to be missed, and concludes the book on a journey of very different girls with guns. It’s a show you should get right now.

El Cazador de la Bruja
Director: Kōichi Mashimo
Genre: Adventure, Comedy-drama, Western
Episodes: 26
Original run: April 2, 2007 – September 24, 2007
Studio: Bee Train, A-1 Pictures