Getbackers ( ゲットバッカーズ -奪還屋- Gettobakkāzu Dakkan'ya -"GetBackers: Recovery Service")was originally an action-adventure comedy Japanese manga series written by Yuya Aoki and illustrated by Rando Ayamine. Getbackers was initially serialized and published by Kodansha’s Weekly Shounen Magazine in the year 1999 until year 2007 having 39 volumes. It was later adapted into an anime series with its first episode airing on October 5th, 2002 having 49 episodes with its last episode being aired on September 20. Getbackers anime was directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and Keitaro Motonaga and was animated by Studio Deen.
Plot: Amano Ginji and Ban Midou is a pair of unique and extremely skilled individuals known as the “Getbackers” professionals who do freelance repossession for various clients. Their job involves recovering lost or stolen items for clients who are willing to pay for their services promising their clients “an almost 100% success rate”. Midou Ban serves as the team’s strategist and the one who negotiate the terms with their clients. He is commonly known with the monicker “The Man with the Evil Eye (邪眼の男 - Jagan no otoko) an ability that allows him to force anyone who makes eye contact with him watch a one-minute long illusion but may feel longer to those affected by the Evil Eye. Amano Ginji on the other hand has the ability to control and generate electricity from his body.
These items can be anything from lost video games or keychains to components of an atomic bomb. Because of the nature of their job, the duo often finds themselves involved in strange and dangerous missions just so they can get back what should not have been lost in the first place. The story mostly revolves around the adventures of the Mido Ban and Amano Ginji which is often complicated by each one’s mysterious past and a mysterious place known as the Infinite Castle (無限城-Mugenjou), a cluster of unused and desolate buildings that form a self-contained habitat.
Characters: Ban Midou - (美堂蛮 Midō Ban)is one of the two main protagonists of the series. He is 18 years old in the manga and 21 years old in the anime. He serves as the strategist of the team and very intelligent and cunning. He is knowledgeable when it comes to science, history, music, art, and magic since he has been studying it since he was young. Midou initially appears as someone who is cold and calculating but he is actually caring and compassionate to those whom he cares for. He has two special abilities; Evil Eye (邪眼 Jagan). An ability who causes someone who makes eye contact with him see an illusion for one minute but somehow feel the effects of the illusion lasting for a very long time. His second ability is called “Snakebite”. By calling forth its power to himself, he gains supernatural strength giving him a gripping force of 200 kilograms in each hand.
Amano Ginji - He is the second male main protagonist of the series. He is portrayed in the anime as an unassuming, energetic and friendly boy with a strong sense of justice. He has the superhuman ability to generate electricity from his body and to control it. He easily makes friends and even without trying as hard and is almost perceived as a naïve young boy. Ginji used to be the fearsome Lightning Emperor (雷帝 Raitei) and leader of the group of superhumans called the “VOLTZ” in the Infinite Castle.
Similar Series: Getbackers is similar to a recently aired anime entitled Hamatora wherein the protagonists undergo missions while having supernatural powers.