Zetman First Impressions--HULK SMASH

While it wasn't the best first episode, it did its job in getting me interested.

  
I say that it wasn't the best because I don't really feel like I have a good handle on what the show and the story is trying to be after the first episode. Already the show seems to like it's secrets and suspense but its almost to a point where I can't tell what's going on. So this kid Jin, also known as ZET, can transform into something similar to the Players, which were...what exactly? Aliens? Genetic experiments? Jin's existence suggests the latter, but the entire introduction to show only established the Players as beings that were used in basically high-end dog fighting matches that one day gained intelligence. And before we see Jin transform, we see something that looks a lot like ZET in a completely different area. What is going on, show? What am I supposed to take away from this?

Aside from the confusion though, the show did set up the characters pretty well, with Jin as a likable kid despite not really understanding morality and mortality. The censorship for the more violent parts was well done too, using the shadows of the shot to its advantage. Pretty early on there's a sunbeam censor, but it actually looks natural as opposed to a giant ray of light out of nowhere. I also really enjoyed the music in this episode and thought that it went a long way to set the right mood...with the exception of the ED, which sounded ridiculous after hearing such awesome music. Anyway, the comments on MAL say that events have already been changed from the manga, so fans of the original material should be aware of that before going into this show. For myself, I'm interested in seeing how the show will answer my questions about it.

Images from Hulu.com.