Rooster Fighter Episodes 1-3 Review

Join Swimpedia as we review screeners of the first three episodes of Rooster Fighter with minimal spoilers, and find out how a Toonami original fares as a manga adaptation.

[MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD]

Adult Swim has made several goofy, absurd shows in the past that feel like anime, including Perfect Hair Forever, Gemusetto Machu Picchu, and Ballmastrz: 9009. However, with Rooster Fighter, this is the first time that they’ve made an anime that feels like a goofy Adult Swim show.

Based on the manga that started in 2020, Rooster Fighter is the latest addition to Adult Swim’s mixed bag of anime co-productions made for their Toonami block. The show follows Keiji, a wandering hero who goes from town to town saving humans from demons, only he happens to be a rooster. Keiji saw his sister eaten by one of these demons a long time ago, and has since learned the power of “resonance” (think a high-pitched voice cracking a glass cup) to kill any demon he comes across. It’s a very simple premise, that is easily mined for comedy, as well as some genuinely interesting and entertaining fights. The show feels much sillier than several of the other anime that have come before it, but the fact that the show takes itself deadly seriously adds to the humor. Rooster Fighter is not a parody of a shonen, in many ways it’s a traditional shonen, just starring chickens in the lead roles.

While he is the most compelling, Keiji isn’t the only character we get to spend time with thus far. Throughout the first three episodes, the show begins to build a supporting cast of other chickens for Keiji to bounce off of, including his ex-flame Elizabeth, who has since dedicated herself to demon hunting and revenge on Keiji for breaking her heart, and Piyoko, a shrill baby chicken who looks up to Keiji and wants to help him on his quest. Elizabeth is a great character, and her presence makes the third episode the most engaging. Piyoko on the other hand, can be a tad grating, and people who aren’t accustomed to the archetype of shrill screeching anime character might find her to be an insufferable addition.

In general, the animation is generally on par with Adult Swim’s other co-productions, featuring plenty of cool fights and engaging action sequences. They also utilize 3D on the demons (and sometimes Keiji) pretty well, but it’s not genre-defining and won’t win any awards. Both the opening and end themes are fantastic however, which is something that these co-productions often seem to nail. From top to bottom, the music in this show is quite well done. The end credits sequence even features a different piece of fan art each episode, which is a great way to pay homage to the manga’s fanbase.

Rooster Fighter stands out as something much more goofier and sillier than most anime that airs on Toonami, making it feel right at home with some of Adult Swim’s more absurd original series like 12 oz. Mouse, The Drinky Crow Show, or Assy McGee. This makes it feel much more like an Adult Swim show, not just an anime produced by Adult Swim. Overall, it’s a good time and definitely worth checking out whether you’re looking for a shonen anime or something on the comedic side of anime.

The first episode of Rooster Fighter premieres on Toonami on Saturday, March 14th at midnight!