Beyond the Grave (Gungrave)

Yasuhiro Nightow created Beyond the Grave

Beyond the Grave was created by manga artist Yasuhiro Nightow. During convention in America and was approached by game developer Red Entertainment, who asked if there was a certain type of game I was interested in making.[1] In creating Grave, Nightow elaborated wanted him to be a silent person as he does not enjoy games where the main character talks too much. Nigthow explained further influences in the making of the character and believed he was satisfied with the final result.[2] He created Grave from his backside due to how the game would be designed and never thought about how hard it would be to animate him. When the Gungrave anime was released, he Nigthow noted the issues he made and made a brief plot summary for the staff. Nightow also took a liking to Grave's younger persona, Brandon Heat, being excited in a convention when he met a cosplayer of him.[3] In Gungrave Overdose the developers wanted to keep showing people Beyond the Grave, as "just how great" he is based on response from the original game.[4] The character is voiced in Japanese by Tomokazu Seki and Kirk Thornton in English.[5][6]

For Gungrave G.O.R.E., Kim Min Soo of Iggymob noted that there were difficulties in making enemies for the player as Beyond the Grave happened to have become a very powerful character across the series. As a result, Soo elaborated that while the enemies will "be hiding in buildings, as an example" to look for the right moment to strike", Grave would not care for their fates and kill them ruthlessly. The character's weaponry were made to the character stand out; Kim states "it doesn't just look cool, it also can be used to keep things, be used as a weapon, and such. It could be one of the things Grave unlocks in a “growth system”, where he can unlock some skills, so yes, there's skill trees in some form or another".[7] Nightow to check the weapons the Grave can wield in combat.[8] Iggymob also discussed the development process of Grave's new design, which was developed in collaboration with Nightow. In the game, Grave had various facial animations for expressing emotions.[9] New fireweapons for Grave were designed by Nightow.[10]

Tomokazu Seki's performance as Grave was well received by fans.

Critical reception to Beyond the Grave has been mixed in his introduction. Game Revolution regarded him as a "true hero" due to the skills he possesses, something the players would like control while describing him as a "arthritic Frankenstein" due to experiments have affected his nearly dead body. Nevertheless, his narrative was found common due to his journey to defeat mafia members with supernatural powers.[12] GameSpot drew a similar statement, considering his looks as mix between "cowboy and a vampire" while still keeping a stylish look and liking his interactions with Mika.[13] IGN enjoyed his main design, comparing it with Nightow's Trigun manga but more gothic and laballed him as "cool" due to the intense firepower he displays.[14] In another review, IGN described Grave as "the one notably detailed character model on screen at any given time, since most of the cannon fodder are given comparatively short shrift in the modeling department" and lamented his lack of more diverse moves.[15] In a further analysis of the game while detailing the revenge story arcs as common in fiction, GameSpy found there is a common misinterpretation of Grave as an anti-hero but instead is portrayed as "the reformed gangster, whose loyalty and caring feelings toward those he loves gives him a type of nobility that allows him to somewhat transcend his bloodthirsty one-man war."[16] GamePro enjoyed the character, but describing him as a "low-rent Max Payne".[17]

Grave's return in Overdose was described by Eurogamer as a forced sequel due to how the plot recycles elements from his original portrayal.[18] GameSpot enjoyed some segments of the game where Grave fights boss character in an appealing fashion.[19] In retrospective, GameSpy he saw him as "undeniably cool, being the strong, silent, undead type" making him one of the best parts from the original game, while adding new sides for his personality in Overdose.[20] While liking the character, IGN appreciated the new moves he was given alongside his new allies.[21] GameZone also liked their "cool" appeal regardless of what happens in the gameplay.[22] Despite criticism to the sequel Gungrave VR, PlayStation LifeStyle considered Grave to be still well designed.[23] WorthPlaying lamented how Grave's new unlockable skin did not improve his skills.[24]

Critics have also commented on the character's arc from Madhouse television series. Upon his introduction, Anime News Network panned his silent attitude displayed in the series' primitive, comparing him negatively with characters with a similar design.[25] When the anime focused on his younger persona, Brandon Heat, ANN still felt it was hard to sympathize with him due to his calm demeanor and the anime's slow pace. Nevertheless, ANN looked forward to the time he and his best friend, Harry MacDowel, become enemies as foreshadowed.[26] By the next review, the same site enjoyed how the character has taken action in Millennium organization alongside Harry while also finding his relationship with love interest Maria appealing.[27] DVD Talk enjoyed the early tragic setting the cast are initially put into and, like how ANN, the two become invested in becoming powerful people.[28] Mania Entertainment enjoyed the backstory due to how such friendly people, Brandon and Harry, would become enemies in the series, making it enjoyable.[29] By a following DVD, Mania enjoyed Brandon's darker characterization as a result of being involved in Millennium and how his loyalty for his boss, Big Daddy, results in his tragedy that would later turn him into Grave.[30] In the final review where Grave's lifespan is reaching its limit while facing Harry's forces was praised by the same site due to how the narrative further explores the friendship between the two main characters despite their current situation.[6] In a more general review, DVD Talk enjoyed the handling of Brandon and Harry's story due to how it changes their personalities while going for enjoyable character arcs.[31] Manga.Tokyo commented that the friendship between Brandon and Harry were the biggest appeal in the anime despite the setting being chaotic due to the quest the two characters face when becoming mafia.[32] Hardcore Gaming 101 enjoyed how the anime corrupts the young Brandon and Harry when working for Millennium leading to the scene in which the former becomes Grave.[33] IGN compared Brandon to Terminator due to his deadly skills but questioned how depressed he is about his job as a gangster and why he would not quit Millennium alongside his love interest.[34] Tomokazu Seki's vocal performance as the two personas was also praised by Mania over the English dub,[6] with Famitsu offering similar comments.[35]

• Gungrave
• Gungrave: Overdose
• Gungrave (TV series)