Where to Watch Thunderbolt Fantasy in the UK

Japanese television has a knack for doing more with less, and Thunderbolt Fantasy is a prime example. It's currently available in Australia on Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, and in the US on Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, so there's no reason to keep putting it off. An 8/10 rating means the audience agrees.

Visually distinctive and narratively ambitious, Thunderbolt Fantasy operates well above the animated series average. In an Eastern-styled fantasy setting, a brother and sister team of sacred guardians is beset by the Xuan Gui Zong, minions of Miè Tian Hai, who seeks the Tian Xing Jiàn sword that they possess. Hai showing up himself leads to the defeat of the brother, but his sister, Dan Fei, jumps off a cliff to temporary safety. Later, a wandering swordsman comes across a ruined temple where a statue of Buddha is protected by an umbrella against the rain. Kohsuke Toriumi and Haruka Tomatsu lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. The series ran for 4 seasons (2016–2024), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly.

Genuinely enjoyable for a wide range of viewers. The animation is the delivery mechanism — the storytelling is what matters.