Anime Reviews 2010 Vol.II

 

Fullmetal Alchemist - Brotherhood Collection 1 (Episodes 1-13)

2 Discs (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running time: 318 minutes

One would have to be either a very recent convert to Anime or a dweller under a very large rock to not already be familiar with the story of Edward and Alphonse Elrich. The two brothers attempted to resurrect their dead mother using the power of alchemy which is governed by the law of equivalent exchange. The subsequent failed attempt at the most forbidden use of this powerful gift saw Ed lose his right arm and left leg while Al lost his entire body; thankfully his elder brother was able to transfer Al’s soul into a suit of armour. Learning that the only way to restore their bodies to normal is by employing the power of the Philosopher’s Stone the brothers head off in search of this fabled substance, joining the ranks of the military as State Alchemists in the process.

Arguably one of the most popular and successful franchises of the past decade many would be forgiven for rolling their eyes at this reboot of an already established series. But, unlike the many Hollywood reboots of Superhero franchises for the sake of the almighty dollar, this second telling of the FMA saga is for good reason. The first series which originally ran for 51 episodes in 2003/2004 was hampered by the age old problem of the Anime galloping ahead of the original source material, Hiromu Arakawa’s Manga, leading to a huge deviation in the story for the second half of the show’s run. A valiant and earnest attempt it was but many fans of the Manga remained unsatisfied with the end result, largely due to the major divergence between the two endings. This new version is now unequivocally faithful to the Manga from beginning to end thus providing many fans – especially those who have not read the Manga – with what is a essentially a new and vastly different viewing experience.

Ideally it is therefore good advice to forget everything you know about FMA and approach this as a brand new venture; however the producers were aware that delivering an ostensible frame by frame repeat of the tale up until the detour of the original series would detract from the experience for both themselves and the already clued-up viewer, whilst appreciating that for some this would be a new experience. Therefore the stand alone first episode – which sees Ed, Al and the familiar faces of the military chasing after a renegade State Alchemist Isaac McDougal, whose power is the manipulation of ice - acts as a “welcome back” for the established viewer and brief insight into the characters and the world of Alchemy for new viewers. From then on we are in familiar territory albeit presented in a faster and occasionally altered manner than before.

Many of the outings already covered in the first series are dealt with inside one episode this time around yet nothing is lost in these compact presentations. Within the 13 episodes of these two discs, Ed and Al’s travels through the town of Lior, their initial encounters with the Military, the infamous Chimera episode, the introduction of Scar and the Homunculi, and the mysteries of the Fifth Laboratory are featured. Most of the voice cast for both the Japanese and English dialogue have returned for this show which helps give it an added authenticity and genuine sense of place within the FMA canon. A very palpable difference, aside from the hurried pace, is in the presentation since animation techniques have improved since the original series and it clearly shows from the first episode. The detailing of the artwork is more intense than before and the animation a lot more fluid in the fight sequences thanks to computer animation.

One very noticeable difference is in the tone. The show is both darker and more humorous than before which sounds like a paradox but it’s true. The violence and bloodshed is far more unflinching than before and the whole look has a piercing dark veneer out it, but when the jokes and moments of levity arise – largely through Ed’s disdain at being called short – it’s chibi figures, greyed out silhouettes and sweatdrops galore which in this writer’s mind kind of spoils things even if it is supposed to be good natured, largely as they often employ it at some inopportune moments. But this is a minor complaint to bring up against such an immensely entertaining show of this calibre.

By the time you read this, FMA: Brotherhood has not long finished its 64 episode run in Japan but the good news is that a second film is currently in production. While we Brits will have longer to wait than our Japanese counterparts until that film surfaces, we have this exciting and polished series to sink out teeth into. Long time fans should not feel cheated in anyway as this is more than just a rehash and even with the bulk of this set being duplicated material it still feels remarkably fresh and compelling as before. And once these episodes are through and the new material arrives, fans of the original series while find themselves taken on a brand new journey with a new cast of characters and in directions they never assumed possible.

More than just an old favourite with a new coat of paint FMA: Brotherhood is a superb series in its own right and will not only win over new fans but remind older fans why they loved it in the first place.

Extras:

English Language 5.1 Surround

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

 

DISC 1:

Episode 1 Commentary

DISC 2:

Episode 10 Commentary

Textless Opening

Textless Closing

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Soul Eater Collection 1 Vol 2 (Episodes 14-26)

2 Discs (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running time: 307 minutes

 

Welcome to the Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) where the pupils are allowed to bring their weapons to class – because half the pupils ARE weapons! Known as “Demon Weapons” these supernatural beings are teamed up with wielders called “Meisters” and their ultimate goal is to achieve the status of Death Scythe - a weapon worthy of being wielded by Death himself. To attain this they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch and if they fail they must start again from scratch.

The focus is largely on studious Meister Maka Albarn and her weapon the ineffably cool Soul; the noisy and brash Black Star and his weapon the meek and shy Tsubaki; and the symmetrically obsessed son of the headmaster Death The Kid and his weapons the asymmetrical Thompson Sisters Patty and Liz. Other cast members include Maka’s father Spirit, a Death Scythe who is trying to rebuild his relationship with his daughter only to continually stuff it up; dissection happy Dr. Stein (you can probably guess his first name) and zombie teacher Sid Barrett. The puns and pop culture references don’t stop there as the Acadmey swot is the brainy Ox Ford (geddit?) and Blair the witch (see what they did there?) who is really a cat with witch powers who turns herself into a sexy woman to provide this show with its quota of fan service.

In this second volume the overreaching story arc features a deadly threat to the academy in the form of the “Kishin” - a demon that was formerly a deranged and paranoid meister named Asura who consumed his own weapon and whose key weapon is inflicting madness though hallucinations upon his victims - that Death had sealed up many years before and locked away under the Academy. Suspecting that the school nurse Medusa is a witch Stein and Sid uncover a sinister plot in which - aided by Eruke the frog, Free the werewolf and the mouse like Mizune sisters - Medusa plans to awaken Asura with an injection of deadly black blood in order to use him to help her reshape the world in her own image. 

Bored of Bleach? Narked with Naruto? Then Soul Eater is for you. This shonen series based on Atsushi Ohkubo’s Manga offers up a unique looking entry into the genre with its colourful and quirky images – that include the most evil looking sun and moon and the friendliest imagining of Death you’ve ever seen – coupled with a witty and occasionally thought provoking script and a cast of strong and enjoyable characters. The emphasis is on action with a healthy dose of humour that ranges from the subtle to the outrageous complete with the usual affectations although they are careful not to let the two overlap one another as some shows tend to do. One of the most effective running gags is that of the obsession Death The Kid has for symmetry – ironic considering the white stripes in his black hair only appear on one side. Regardless of the ferocity and gravity of his battles if there is something out of place Kid will be unable to perform due to the overwhelming distress this cause him. The fact that his weapons the Thompson Sisters consist of the taller older Liz who scares easily and shorter, immature but gung ho Patty must be a constant source of upset for Death Jr.

The other characters tend to fulfil the usual anime tropes of the serious one (Maka), the laid back one (Maka), the noisy one (Black Star – who is like Naruto on acid but actually amusing) and the quiet one (Tsubaki), arguably the most polarising character of the entire series is Excalibur, the physical embodiment of the legendary sword who will only serve a master who not only plucks him out of the stone but has to fulfil 1000 tasks. This strange but charismatic fellow who resembles an anthropomorphic anteater totally in white with a hat and cane, sings, dances, calls everyone “fools” and has an ego to make Simon Cowell seem humble. His presence has absolutely no bearing on the story whatsoever and his standalone episodes are the most random and surreal experiences one is likely to come across in Anime. Unfortunately they tend to appear after a cliffhanger episode causing further frustration to the already feeling of pointlessness engendered by these bizarre filler episodes. Depending on your point of view/tolerance level, Excalibur will either be the greatest character in the show or the most annoying thing ever short of a Lady Gaga/Jedward collaboration.

This is much more to the action and madcap antics in this series as the character often slip into some occasional surreal but powerful moments of meditation. The melancholic Demon Swordsman Crona (gender is unspecified but the dub and subtitles say “he” to simplify things) the bullied son of Medusa suffers from sever paranoia, depression and social ineptitude thanks to the treatment of his evil mother. During a fight with Maka their souls resonate with one another and Maka enters into Crona’s desolate and lonely psyche to help him break out of his insular prison. Quite heavy stuff.

While Soul Eater’s biggest strength for many will be the unique and individual visuals and character designs, this is a show of substance that draws the viewer in with the endearing cast, strong storylines and whacky humour. Even with its categorisation seemingly within the horror genre it has the potential to appeal to fans beyond that niche fanbase. A strong contender for Best Series of 2010 in the UK Anime scene this is one title that deserves to take pride of place in anyone’s DVD collection.

Extras:

English Language 5.1 Surround

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

 

DISC 2 only

Soul Eater Late Show

Episode 23 Commentary

Textless Opening Song - Resonance

Textless Closing Song Version 1 – Style

Textless Closing Song Version 2 - Style

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Rozen Maiden Träumend Vol 2 (Episode 7-12)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 145 minutes

 

The Alice Game – the fight to the finish among the Rozen Maiden to determine the one doll suitable to be loved solely by their creator Father – is now the pressing issue among the living dolls.

A quick heads up to warn you that this second volume of Rozen Maiden Träumend isn’t completely free of the manic, ear splitting and puerile attempts at humour; however this is restricted mostly to the first episode on this disc and the remainder is devoted to resolving the issue of the Alice Game. The return at the end of the last volume of Suigintou served as an omen of what was to come. Her alliance with the terminally ill Meg brings to light questions about her own mortality for Suigintou, and with the dangerous Barasuishou in her ear about how the Rosa Mystica can help save Meg’s life, Suigintou is beginning to see things in a very myopic, if noble, light.

For the other Maiden the game conjures up differing feelings. Shunku appears to have discovered feelings within her for Jun and has come to bask in the bond with her fellow dolls, thus deciding she doesn’t want to fight in the Alice Game. Meanwhile Souseiseki begins to experience strange visions about the mystery man known as Father and after another failed attempt by Kanaria to attack the dolls, she slowly convinces herself that fighting to be Alice is the right thing to do. Naturally elder sister Suiseiseki opposes this, bringing out her selfless and emotional side for once. And while the Alice Game remains an unknown quantity to the dolls, Jun makes a discovery of his own about this deadly tournament when he meets the secretive e doll maker Enju, whose bizarre behaviour and attitudes towards his creations raises many questions, and fears, in the young lad’s mind about the realities and dangers of the game.

Talk about a turnaround. The first volume of this series was a two hour exercise in pain and suffering for the viewer with pointlessly inane activities delivered in a decibel busting fashion with little regard for simple things such as a plot. In complete contrast the majority of the episodes presented here are focused primarily by the Alice Game and even manages to achieve the impossible: to create a small measure of sympathy for the Rozen Maiden! Considerably darker in mood and tone we seethe dolls struggling with their inner feelings and desires as they try to come to terms with what is important to them and one can’t help but wonder if there is a deliberate yet subtle swipe at the holding power religion has over people in the concept of Father deeming it so that his creations should all fight to the death to be his perfect doll known as Alice. Shinku is the first doll to realise the futility in this although Jun has been saying as much for longer, only to have his concerns fall on deaf ears.

In a neat twist to their characters, the usually benevolent Souseiseki is the first doll to throw down the challenge to her fellow Maidens including her more rambunctious and selfish twin Suiseiseki, while the seemingly black hearted Suigintou is fighting to prevent her medium Meg from purposely dying. Only Barasuishou is truly intent on playing for keeps showing no mercy to anyone. Kanaria – who manages to resolve her issues with the other Maiden - proves to be the weak link in the group despite her constant bravado although she does finally make an account for herself when it truly matters – not that it had the desired effect. And the uber-irritating Hina-Ichigo? Amazingly she gets to star in one of the more emotionally charged and heartfelt moments of the series, which is handled in a truly delicate and moving manner – the complete antithesis of the zany antics the show is largely built around.

Not wishing to spoil anything, there are still some matters not resolved come the rolling of the final credits in the last episode: such as the true identity of the Demon Laplace, the fate of Meg and most importantly of all, the truth behind Father and Alice. However things are not left completely open-ended and the conclusions presented here are satisfying enough to at least make some sense and wrap things up neatly without leaving the audience feeling cheated.

And so remains the big question: why no earth was so much of this series wasted on the stupid stuff and not on building the drama leading to the final battle of the Alice Game? One can only surmise that the producers wanted to pander to the Gothic Lolita/moe fans watching and assumed that endless noisy and frivolous antics of these supposedly cute dolls would ensure a fixed audience rather than a deep storyline. Also this onslaught of silliness may have been a device to endear the miniature heroines to the viewer for maximum emotional impact come the big battle. If this is the case they failed miserably since the likes of Hina-Ichigo, Suiseiseki and Kanaria did nothing more than irritate on a major scale, leaving this viewer at least wanting to see them hacked to pieces and obliterated in the most painful and violent manner possible. Joking aside, if the entire series – and its predecessor – were more focused and taken as seriously as the last five episodes on this disc it would have been a far more enjoyable show. But the damage has been done.

In closing this second Rozen Maiden Träumend disc has been a huge surprise that almost makes up for the horror of the first volume, delivering a powerful and moving finale. One has to wonder having if people will invest in this should the first volume have put them off. In that respect, put your prejudices aside, skip the first episode then enjoy the rest. However it is for that reason this series is also hard to fully recommend unless you are a hardcore Gothic Lolita/moe fan with a very high tolerance level.

Extras:

English Language

Japanese Language

English Subtitles

Textless Opening

Textless Closing

TV Commercials

Trailers

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Mahoromatic – Something More Beautiful Vol 3 (Episode 11-14 + Summer Special)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 120 minutes

 

When we left this series at the end of volume two, Suguru and Mahoro were plunging to their apparent doom after the battle with The Management. We pick up this volume exactly where we left off and let’s say that it is good that Mahoro and Suguru have such devoted friends (or in this case, pets).

What is learned from this experience is the importance of friendship and the bonds that everyone has formed between each other. However both Mahoro and Minawa suffered greatly at the hands of The Management and are in need major repairs and recuperation – during which a surprising revelation about Minawa is made. Mahoro is not so lucky as the battle served only to see her expend all of her energy and she is now literally living on borrowed time. With VESPER and The Management now at each others throats and a dangerous android named Feldlance with a facsimile of Mahoro’s weaponry on her tail, Mahoro makes one last ditch attempt to save Suguru from harms way – whatever the personal cost may be.

After much faffing about in the previous volumes this final release gets down to the business of wrapping the story up with a concerted effort to remain focused on the matters at hand. Since the very first episode of the first series we knew that Mahoro was not long for this world so a darker and somewhat grave ending was never really in doubt. Amazingly there is little sign of overplayed sentimentality here as the final days of the titular maid android is handled with a sombre maturity for such a frivolous show. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the final episode is a real mind scrambler of near Evangelion proportions. At the risk of revealing too much, this last episode is set twenty years after The Management-Vesper war on a Saint-Earth colony and the Suguru we meet here is a dramatic departure from the one we’ve known thus far. To say this episode is dark is an understatement as it would be an injustice to simply label it “surreal”. Suffice to say, no-one would be blamed for thinking they were watching an episode from a different series when viewing this one.

Presumably to help alleviate the gloomy confusion from the closing episode is the addition on this disc of the Summer Special episode which takes place mid way through the series. Mahoro has found more dirty mags in Suguru’s room and declares war on his entire stash. Suguru and his pals need to find a way to keep their prized porn from being confiscated. If this episode provides us with anything (aside from more nudity) it is the origin of Mahoro’s disdain for prurient materials – and you’ll never guess where that came from.

In the final lap before the big denouement something resembling a serious storyline was introduced, although the hasty way it was introduced with little to no real time given to build up the antagonists involved undermined the gravity of the threat they held over our heroes. In fact, one could be forgiven for not really knowing who the real bad guys were, such is the lack of clarity on offer here. There is an attempt to establish The Management’s agenda although is a very clumsily handled and quite how this was supposed to affect Suguru, Mahoro and co in Japan is a mystery but their campaign begins with the assassination of the President of the USA – leading to a monumental gaff in listing the Kennedy assassination as taking place in 1964! Whoever was at fault – the translators, the subbtitlers or the original script writer - for shame!

Mahoromatic– Something More Beautiful was a never going to be a series of great intellect or even arresting drama although it played a nice hand with teasing the emotions of the viewer with the constant reminders that Mahoro’s life span was ebbing away at the end of each episode. But aside from that, and even with the paper thin irony of an ecchi show having the main character hating sexual material, this is basically a fan service lover’s wet dream of a show – although there must be plenty of viewers uncomfortable with seeing the younger female cast members naked so often, being as they are supposedly just 13! The final episode of the series proper will be the most polarising either scoring points for its daring departure in style and mood or being a huge disappointment after everything that has preceded it.

With a bit more focus on Mahoro’s impending shutdown and the existence of The Management, VESPER and Saint, this could have been a much more rounded and enjoyable show for everyone. As it is, Mahoromatic – Something More Beautiful is an entertaining if occasionally borderline dodgy piece of Anime silliness. With lots of boobs. But don’t dwell on that because dirty thoughts are bad! Mahoro said so!

Extras:

English Language 2.0

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

Textless Opening

Textless Closing

Art Gallery

Trailers

 

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Pet Shop Of Horrors

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 91 minutes

 

In LA’s Chinatown a mysterious, androgynous man named Count D runs an equally mysterious pet shop, filled with the exotic and unusual to ensure one’s dreams and happiness are fulfilled. However with each purchase comes a strict set of conditions that one must adhere to by signing a contract – if they fail to do so, Count D will not be responsible for the consequences. No money back guarantee here then.

This OVA from 1999 is broken down into four separate stories, each one held together by the ongoing investigations of police detective Leon Orcot who suspects Count D of using the pet shop as a façade for drug and human trafficking. The first story entitled “Daughter” concerns a rich family whose spoiled daughter Alice had died and they wanted a pet to replace her. Count D sells them a rabbit that looks exactly like their deceased daughter. Among the three conditions of sale is to never allow her to eat anything other than vegetables and water. When Alice begs for sweets the grief stricken parents just can’t resist complying with their new daughter’s pleas. Big mistake.In “Delicious” popular singer Evangeline Blue falls (or was she pushed?) off a ship and drowns on her wedding night. Her distraught husband and manager Jason visit Count D to pick up a fish Eva had ordered before the wedding, which turns out to be a mermaid resembling the late singer. The third tale “Desire” the fate of one hit wonder actor Robin Hendrix is a prime concern for Det. Orcot after learning his unusual death is related to a pet he bought from Count D. Hendrix, a lizard lover, purchased a lizard called Medusa into whose eyes Robin should never look. Finally, “Dual” follows the exploits of playboy politician Roger Stanford and his loyal but meek assistant Kelly Vincent, who makes a deal with the mythical beast known as the Kirin that grants the wish of its sovereign through the blood of another – and sold to Mrs. Stanford by you-know-who – in order to help Stanford reach his goal of becoming President of the USA.

The pervasive theme of this title – an adaptation of the Manga by Matsuri Akino - is the exploration of the weaknesses of human emotions, most notably that ol’ devil called love – be it parental, spousal or simply narcissistic. It would appear that the bi-shonen looking protagonist Count D revels in exposing the faults of his customers by giving them what they want to fix whatever hole they have in their lives with his implausible array of pets then binds them to a contract which he knows they will breach, then sits back and gleefully watches the heartache unfold without a twinge of contrition. Whenever Det. Orcot confronts the Count about each case there is a little he can do but to listen to the cold logic of how the customer broke the terms of the sale of their own volition leaving the Count completely without culpability.  In the process some of the tales offer a cynical and barbed view on human relationships - “Daughter” for instance warns us of the dangers of parents spoiling their offspring, even to the very end, regardless of whether the motive is genuine parental love or not.

The concept of the three golden rules of the contract and the inevitable breaking of them does admittedly wear thin extremely quickly since tone is set quite clearly in the first instalment and remains unchanged for the remainder of the stories, offering up little in the way of surprises and thus little incentive to see this disc through to the end as the outcome is ostensibly already know. But the eerie atmosphere and wide range of animals and situations do act as a magnet that keep the viewer enticed for that bit longer than they intended, although the last story is something of an anti-climax. A lot of the credit for the ambience created goes to the dated animation style which, even with the addition of some basic computer animation, has that minimalist 80’s feel to it that surprisingly suits this title very well.

The muted colour palette, grainy veneer and CLAMP-eqsue character designs lend themselves almost too comfortably to creating such an unnerving mood.Speaking of character designs, Count D is quite a frustrating chap to look thanks in part to the age old Anime policy of drawing eyes under any stands of hair that fall over the character’s eyes. In this case, the effeminate Count possess a hair style than hangs over both his eyes so the artists have drawn his eyes peering through underneath these thick curtains of hair which, when seen head on, is most bizarre and equally as irritating. But it adds to his quiet and sinister character so perhaps there was a method in their madness. That is of course if the Count really is a “he” since the full make-up, long painted fingernails and flowery outfits strongly suggest otherwise – although the male voice is the big giveaway. In the English dub the voice actor has tried to add a Chinese lilt to his vocal performance and needless to say, fails miserably.Much like Count D’s establishment itself, Pet Shop Of Horrors is something of a curiosity that will have its fans as much as its detractors. The lack of any real graphic horror and archaic animation style will not win over fans weaned on modern Anime while others may find this an interesting if underwhelming nostalgic treat.

 

Extras:

English Language

Japanese Language

English Subtitles

Textless Closing

Trailers

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Ah! My Goddess Series 2: Flights Of Fancy Vol 2 (Episodes 9-16)

2 Discs (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running time: 193 minutes

 

Life with four literal goddesses is not the idea of heaven some might expect it to be for poor Keiichi Morisato, as this second volume of the second series of this long running franchise clearly demonstrates.

Still lacking an over all story arc, we have another collection of largely stand alone episodes across these two discs. First up, interloper Peorth is still trying to win the heart of Keiichi so the matter is expected to be solved when a date between the two is finally granted. Unfortunately for Peorth, Belldandy, Urd and Skuld tag along to play gooseberry. After losing out to Belldandy once again, Poerth lays it on the line and demands Keiichi reveals his wish which is he does: he wants Peorth to fulfil his desires! Not quite the response Peorth was expecting which goes double for Belldandy. The brief diversion of a mini-bike race between Keiichi and the Auto club’s founder member, the tomboy Chihiro, follows then we meet Urd’s former love, the Plum Blossom spirit Troubadour who returns to win back his erstwhile love. But when he spots Keiichi at the house, that old demon known as jealousy rears its ugly head.

Disc two hands over the spotlight to Urd and Skuld. In the first two episodes, the runt of the litter, Skuld, is feeling inadequate since she cannot yet master her magical powers. After Urd teases her for not even being able to ride a bike, Skuld goes off in a strop, later meeting a young bike racer named Sentaro. In return for fixing his bike, Sentaro gives Skuld riding lessons and - wouldn’t you know it – a relationship blossoms, along with Skuld’s magical powers. An accident during training however brings about the premature birth of Skuld’s angel Noble Scarlet. Urd’s story is far more chaotic - she is captured by old enemy Marller and her Goddess and Demon sides are split into two bodies causing much confusion and mayhem back at the house.

The last story premise is arguably the most intriguing one of the entire series thus far yet, in this baffling world known as Anime, it is over and done with in just two episodes.  There was definitely enough potential to eke that out to at least four or five episodes or maybe longer with the right handling. Alas, since the stars of the show – and indeed all the crucial storylines - are Belldandy and Keiichi this was never going to be a reality. Perhaps then, this is the key to why the popularity of Ah! My Goddess and it’s two leads are the reason others may hate it – because they are just too nice. Whenever a major situation arises that threatens to rock the status quo it is dealt with almost immediately then it’s back home for some tea and rice cakes. Gah! Skuld’s coming of age story is also handled with the saccharine approach as Belldandy’s often anodyne dilemmas but not to the point where audience can’t relate to the plight of the youngster.

Belldandy may be an otaku’s (wet) dream girl – being as she is a goddess utterly subservient to her man - but she is ultimately too nice for her own good. A female character like Revy from Black Lagoon might be a foul mouthed, chain smoking, tattooed, trigger happy psycho bitch and the sort of woman you’d only take home to meet your parents if you wanted to give them a heart attack, but damn she is entertaining to watch and kicks ass to boot! Belldandy just takes everything on the chin, soothes it with magic then goes off to make tea for everyone! And even though Keiichi remains immensely loyal to Belldandy despite having the ample charms of Peorth (and occasionally Urd too) handed to him on a plate, he is also too drippy to make a substantial enough stand for his woman – which she usually fixes with her Goddess powers anyway!

Ah! My Goddess may still be a hugely successful franchise in the Anime and Manga for over twenty years, and the sheer simplicity and congeniality of it all may be contributing factors that continuing success. But that is exactly the niggling point about this show: there is actually nothing really to hate about it because it is so earnest. There is always something going on and the supporting cast make for more riveting viewing over the sappy leads so it’s not a total worthless viewing experience – just a somewhat underwhelming one, that frankly belies the show’s iconic status as it is sorely lacking that “classic” aura about it.

Long term fans who enjoy the gentle breeze of this show will unquestionably be in their element but modern Anime fans with more demanding tastes and have heard of the history of Belldandy and co. will be left wondering what al the fuss is about. Not that the Goddess herself will be upset. She’ll simply smile and make some tea. Isn’t that nice?

Extras:

 

English Language

Japanese Language

English Subtitles

Commentary with US voice actors

Clean Opening and Closing

Production Artwork

DVD Credits

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Naruto Shippuden The Movie:

1 Disc (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running time: 95 minutes

A deadly demon named Mōryō had his plans to take over the world thwarted when his body and soul were separated and sealed away by a priestess from the Land of Ogres, Miroku. Time has passed and an evil ninja named Yomi breaks into the shrine containing Mōryō’s soul and frees it, offering his own body as a container until Mōryō’s is freed. The only person who can now seal away Mōryō’s is Miroku’s daughter Shion, a young woman with predictive visions. With Yomi’s giant stone army cutting a swathe across the land, a revised Team 7 – Naruto, Sakura, Rock Lee and Neji – have been assigned as official escorts to accompany Shion to the shrine containing Mōryō’s body and protect her from Yomi’s subordinates, who have been infused with special – but not unlimited – deadly chakra powers.

Another Naruto series, another movie and another escort job for our orange clad ninja. And wouldn’t you know it, Shion is an uppity, spoiled brat who rubs Naruto up the wrong way but eventually warms to him as he does to her. Is there no-one on the production team that can come up with an original concept for these films? It doesn’t seem to matter though as the Naruto faithful in Japan made this another box office hit at the cinema and no doubt this UK DVD release will help Manga’s sales figures for 2010 too.

Interestingly enough, the film opens with Naruto’s death: impaled on the tail of his inner fox demon while trying to save Shion. A shocking way to kick things off but relax – it is only Shion’s prediction, which she is resigned to believing is never wrong. Whether this hold true is what keeps the viewer watching. Since all of the villages have sent their best ninja out to deal with the rampaging stone giant army, it befalls the Hidden Leaf Village to provide protective accompaniment for priestess Shion with Naruto at the bottom of the totem pole. Of course it is not long into the mission that his hastiness and recklessness fully justifies his low ranking in the group even though it is inevitable as the eponymous hero that he will be the one to save the day.

As alluded too before, there is little here to entice new viewers to the world of the trainee ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village nor is there is much to genuinely excite long term fans outside of providing another 95 minute fix of their spiky haired hero. Even as a spin off from the second series Shippuden there is little evidence of any real change from the original series. Naruto may be a taller, sports a redesigned outfit (more black than orange this time) and has improved some of his jutsu but his voice is the same as is his impetuousness and carefree attitude. Presumably this is explored much more deeply in the series but since it has only just been released over here in the UK, for anyone whop hasn’t had a chance to check it out and watches this film first, there is nothing here to suggest any different. Indeed, the idea to release this so soon after the first volume of the series is an odd one by Manga since this film first appeared some six months into its run in Japan, by which time of course, the  fans were already well accustomed to the new look Naruto.

Animation wise only the ill-advised 3D rendered stone army – impressive as they look - gives a hint of where the budget money went to although the clash between these images and the regular 2D animation is risible as it is jarring. And with the predictable and recycled storyline this could easily have been an TV series filler, it offers that little in the way of “must see” content.

Has the Naruto well run dry? With three more Shippuden movies in the books and the TV series now in its eighth season with 166 episodes aired in Japan at time of writing one can assume that it is only in the film spin off department where the fresh ideas appear to be at a premium. Unless of course the fans are that easily pleased.

Honestly if you a die hard fan then by all means add this to your collection; if not, you are really not missing much if you choose to skip this title.

Extras:

 

English Language 5.1

Japanese Language 5.1

English Subtitles

Original Japanese Movie Trailer

“Hero’s Come Back” Special Movie Version

“Michi” Special Movie Version

Line Art Gallery

Naruto Shippuden Series Trailer

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Rozen Maiden Träumend Vol 1 (Episode 1-6)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 145 minutes

Just when you thought it was safe, those creepy Rozen Maiden dolls are back!

After the events of the last series former hikikimori Jun Sakurada is now studying hard in order to return school while the nominal leader of the aforementioned dolls Shinku is being plagued by nightmares of the fallen doll Suigintou along with vision of the mysterious seventh Rozen Maiden Barasuishou. Since none of the other dolls have met this fabled doll, Shinku interprets it as a sign from Father, the dolls’ creator, that the Alice Game – in which all the dolls fight each other to the death to win the love and acceptance of Father - must be brought to an end. Meanwhile, the other dolls Hina-Ichigo and twins Suiseiseki and Souseiseki continue to mess about and be as annoying conceivably possible.

Despite early promises in episode one that Rozen Maiden Träumend will be a much darker and focused series than its predecessor, this first volume is sadly an exercise in slapstick over story.There is no balance between the two giving the show something of a schizophrenic personality. Allowing for the odd moment of levity is one thing but literally jumping from one episode where everyone is concerned about the gravity of the Alice Game to bickering over strawberry rice cakes in the next is another, resulting in a very confusing and draining viewing experience. With six episodes on this disc, watching it in one sitting is not advised.

Aside from teases about the identity of Father – we see a very passionate (read: disturbingly loving towards his creations) doll maker in a shop run by a rather festive chap named Enju - and the arrival of the aforementioned Barasuishou along with another nerve grating doll named Kanaria, there is little story progression to be found here. Instead we are bludgeoned by the hyperactive, high pitched and mostly pointless antics of the dolls ranging from the useless Hina-Ichigo trying to post a letter to Jun to Suiseiseki having a crack at doing the housework. Kanaria, a dainty but very clumsy doll, makes her presence felt by trying to sneak into the house to take the Rosa Mystica of the other dolls, naturally failing miserably. And yes, she is very annoying too.

Amidst these painful outings of forced and over the top attempts at humour, there are some darker moments pertaining to the main story that occasionally filter through. In one episode Barasuishou summons her five remaining sisters into her world where she presents a chilling and violent presage of the Alice Game that doesn’t bode well for the others, automatically making her my favourite doll of the entire set. Incidentally, entry to Alice Game Battleground is via the magic mirror in Jun’s closet (of all convenient places) and upon arrival our helium voiced protagonists are met by and anthropomorphic talking white rabbit. See what they did there? Mirrors? White rabbits? Alice Game? The closing episode on this disc features one doll a face from the past resurrected as she makes a pact with Megu, a terminally ill young woman who wishes for death. This rather morbid experience seems to have an effect even on this black hearted doll.

There is no doubt that this series will have its fans largely due to the moe factor of the main dolls since their designs are heavily influenced by the Gothic Lolita style. The problem is that they are all relentlessly annoying!! Their voices register well beyond the accepted range of high frequency for human ears so anyone watching this who owns a dog, don’t be surprised to see them either attacking your DVD player or leaving a suicide note in their kennel! The English dub voices are equally as bad since they are squeaky, whiney American voices. My advice? Use the mute button and read the subtitles instead. Aside from the ever serious Shinku most of the dolls’ activities involves them squealing at high volume flapping their arms and being very destructive. It would be nice if the scenarios were actually funny but they’re not. When the viewer finds themselves wanting to kill the main protagonists of a show themselves there is quite clearly a problem. The animation is very patchy too which makes one wonder if relying on the simplistic comic affectations was a way to save money by largely depicting the characters in such a watered down manner.

Anyone who enjoyed the first series of Rozen Maiden and wants closure to the Alice Game concept will no doubt be keen to check out Träumend (which is German for “dreaming” and not “trauma” as you may suspect after watching this).  Otherwise do yourself and your hearing a huge favour and avoid this for something which is less of an assault on your senses and indulge in something less harmful to you: like bungee jumping without a rope or driving through Afghanistan with a sign reading “Allah Ate My Ham Sandwich”.

Extras:

 

English Language

Japanese Language

English Subtitles

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Mahoromatic – Something More Beautiful Vol 2 (Episode 6-10)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 121 minutes

 

The whacky and often bawdy happenings surrounding schoolboy Suguru Misato and his android maid Mahoro Ando continue with a look at traditional Japanese celebrations before a return to a coherent storyline reappears.

When clumsy battle droid Minawa first appeared we learned that she was in fact sent by a clandestine organisation called The Management to spy on Mahoro and relay the data collected back to her superiors. Now The Management are becoming impatient with the lack of information being sent so a new plan is formulated: kidnap Suguru to lure Mahoro to them! Minawa is reluctant to comply but she since was promised she would be given a heart for her efforts, Minawa agrees.

In what appears to be a frustrating tradition with many Anime series, there is a lot of frivolous and arguably time wasting episodes to sit through before we get to the meat of the show. Aside from the odd glimpse of The Management surveillance of Mahoro and Minawa, the main story is ignored in favour of ribald hijinks and manic humour which may entertain and allow the various characters to fulfil their trope assignment but ultimately offer little in the way of story development. Only one of these episodes deviates slightly from this forced pointlessness when Valentines Day arrives and the Japanese tradition of girls giving chocolates to the boy they like presents Minawa with a problem: who does she like enough to give her chocolates to? Since Minawa does not possess a heart she has yet to fully experience and understand romantic emotions leaving the poor girl in a bit of a quandary and a box of home made chocolates still in her mitts. After a goofy chase when the chocolates accidentally go walkabout Minawa does experience something resembling that giddy feeling of love when she finally finds then right man for her, which serves as an almost unnoticed portent for the final episode on this disc.

The other three episodes give us an introduction to the Japanese tradition of New Year’s celebration – which is consider a much bigger deal than Christmas to them -  but don’t put any hopes on being educated by Mahoro and friends. There is no explanation for us foreigners as to what is going down and why, so unless one has a fundamental knowledge of Japanese culture and rituals, the antics here will be even more baffling. Also featured is a fight festival involving knocking flowers off your opponents head with foam weapons leads to Mahoro entering into battle with a long time foe while Suguru’s grandfather shows up from out of the blue and is just as perverted as his grandson. Ecchi fans, your heaven awaits.

There is a slight sense of being bludgeoned by the hyperactive mania of the first four episodes since they involve lots of screaming and shouting, brightly coloured and often surreal scenes of OTT humour and of course boobs. The last episode then feels like an act of redemption as not only does it return the focus to the main story but eschews all of the previous nonsense for something far more serious, heartfelt and stable. It veers very close to sentimental territory but not before leaving us with one hell of a cliffhanger that ensures interest in the next and final volume.

This show is something of a paradox in that the madcap humour, hurried animation style, brightly coloured palettes and fairly simple character designs scream “kiddies show”; yet the prurience and occasional nudity prohibit the younger audience from seeing this show as does the ominous and somewhat buzzkiller countdown to Mahoro’s termination at the end of every episode. It makes one wonder if the creators really couldn’t decide until it was too late which direction to go in since the story lends itself to both the kiddies show and a darker adult show.

While the sillier episodes are admittedly enjoyable in a “guilty pleasure” way this second volume of Mahoromatic – Something More Beautiful is saved by the final episode on this disc and one hopes this is a presage that more of this direction awaits in the next.

Extras:

 

English Language 2.0

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Fate/Stay Night Vol 6 – Final Farewells (Episode 21-24)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 97 minutes

 

The final stages of the battle for the Holy Grail are upon us but unfortunately for Shiro Emiya the timing couldn’t be any worse, since he ahs now realised the depth of his affections for his servant Saber. Unaware of how she feels, Shiro wants to make the most of his time left with Saber, but a rather monumental hindrance in the form of the mysterious but powerful eighth Servant who claims Saber to his bride is set to ruin those plans.

Revealing himself to be Gilgamesh the Hero King, this all powerful Servant with a number of Noble Phantasms in his possession brings Shiro and Saber closer together as they seek to protect one another from his seemingly insurmountable armoury. Having done plenty of damage to our smitten pair, Gilgamesh decides to give Saber a little more time to think over his proposal. Now both have their feelings out in the open, a rejuvenated Shiro heads off alone to the church headed by the Priest assigned the task of overseeing the Holy Grail War Kirei Kotomine, but once there Shiro gets a lot more than the answers his was seeking. And with the safety of his friends now at stake the next battle he and Saber enter into could very well be their last.

This closing volume to this fantasy series adopts the “start as you mean to go on” ethos as each episode is as action packed as the last. We’re not even five minutes into the first episode on this disc before the claret begins to flow and bodies are sliced up. It is not a full on onslaught of blood and violence as the relationship between Shiro and Saber is a key proponent of the down time in between battles, as are the many revelations and last minute exposition to fill in the blanks from the story thus far. Thankfully, in keeping with the overall tone of these final episodes, the scenes between Shiro and Saber are never slushy or overly sentimental - rather they are handled with a touch of poignancy and pathos. Considering how much is at stake for the pair, the air of finality present in these scenes is remarkably potent.

Much is made of Saber’s true past which gets a more in depth airing as the climax approaches, returning for some interesting closure in the final scenes on this disc. Shiro’s past is not as simple as we thought it was, although some of it comes across as pure convenience as far as the relationship between he and Saber is concerned. Many truths are revealed en route to the final battle that again feel a little rushed as nary a hint had been dropped before hand, but rest assured everything ends with a nice big bang to deliver a fairly satisfying denouement that actually makes a point of remaining true to the tone and central paradigms of the story.

While the quality of the animation of the characters seems to be a notch below what they were at the start of the series, the battles remain as fluid and exciting as always. If there is a major complaint to be made it would be the attempts to inject some levity in the epilogue. Those who didn’t miss the hyperactive and frankly OTT antics of Ilya and school teacher taiga will probably be just as disappointed as this reviewer to see them reappear for the sole purpose of demonstrating the post “business as usual” life following the Holy Grail War. Gentle amusement to ease us back into normalcy is one thing - the manic, noisy Anime whackiness presented here conflicts with the deservedly sombre tone of the aftermath way too much, serving only to engender feelings of homicidal ire towards the producers.

Fate/Stay Nightplays around with some historical legends and throws in some familiar Anime ingredients to deliver an earnest and enjoyable fantasy romp, which has little in the way of pretension, remaining consistent in telling its story and not deviating for the sake of it. Maybe not a groundbreaking Anime but a noble and rewarding effort nonetheless.

Extras:

 

English Language 2.0

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

Saber Music Clip

Archer Music Clip

Trailers

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Disgaea Complete Series

3 Discs (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 294 minutes approx.

 

King Krichevskoy, the Overlord of the Netherworld, has been assassinated: but to prevent his son Laharl from assuming the throne, the youngster was drugged and put to sleep. Two years later Laharl is presumed dead meaning any the other demons of the Netherworld can stake their claim for the position of Overlord. Meanwhile young trainee angel Flonne who was sent by the Seraph of Celestia to assassinate Krichevskoy, discovers the casket Laharl was dumped in and awakens him. Now the young demon wants to take his rightful place as Overlord of the Netherworld.

Disgaeais another video game adaptation that contrary to its rather dark premise is in fact aimed at the younger market. The character designs and animation style support this fact yet we have quite a fun and occasionally witty show that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Laharl and Flonne have joining them on their journeys the former servant to the late King Etna, a feisty young female demon with a hidden agenda. Her subordinates are the Prinnies - penguin like demons with the souls of sinners sewn up inside them, who call everyone “dood” - the unquestionable show stealers. For the older viewer the recurring supporting characters of the 37^th Defender of Earth Captain Gordon, his busty fan service providing assistant Jennifer and cynical robot Thursday (Anime’s answer to Robbie The Robot) will bring out the nostalgia freak in them, serving as joyful homage to the classic sci-fi heroes such as Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.

As one would expect this series is largely played for laughs although as we near the climax, the story does take a serious turn yet remains still within the mood and framework of the plot line and thus never feels incongruous. While the trek by Laharl and co. to the Kingdom of the Overlord is the main plotline, there are odd episodes which serve to offer unadulterated surreal mayhem, and in one instance, a rather touching look at the fate of the souls that become the Prinnies. Quite surprising for a series that boasts such a boisterous lead character that fits somewhere between Naruto and Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons!

All told, Disgaea is a brightly coloured, energetic bundle of fun that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and either should the viewer. Now presented in this three disc box set, this is a non-taxing and exhuberant series which will provide a temporary but welcome respite from summer holiday boredom – for both kids and parents! Dood!

Extras:

 

English Language

Japanese Language w/ English Subtitles

 

Disc 1:

Textless Opening & Closing

Special Talks w/creator Sohei Niikawa and voice actress Kaori Mizuhashi

English Trailer

Japanese Promo

Trailers

 

Disc 2:

Trailers

 

Disc 3:

Textless Opening & Closing

English Promo

Special Talks

Japanese Promo

Trailers

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Gunparade March Complete Series (Cert 15)

3 Discs (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 279 minutes approx.

 

In 1945 shortly after World War II ended, an alien race named Genjyu invades Earth and wipes out most of the human population. Fast forward to 1999 and the Earth’s defence against the Genjyu is advanced Mecha called Humanoid Walking Tanks (HMTs). To ensure a steady flow of pilots to continue to protect the Earth, the Japanese have instigated a Student Draft where high school students from the age of 16 are recruited and trained to be HWT pilots.

And so we have an all too familiar premise for another Mecha show that is in fact far less exciting than it sounds in terms of the action quotient this series provides. And while there is the now near mandatory tip of the hat to the Godfather of Mecha shows Neon Genesis Evangelion, we are spared the draining teenage angst and psychological breakdowns – replaced instead with a “will they won’t they” romance and situations of almost banal levity. With the safety of the world their supposed main purpose in life it is remarkable therefore to see our young heroes of the 5121^st Platoon instead finding the most of their worries are the production of a puppet show or baking Christmas cakes. The small matter of piloting the only weapons capable of repelling alien invaders is deemed less of a priority.

While then attempts to make this show less derivative than others – a tall task since the basic premise is exactly that – are to be applauded, the change of focus from the Mecha action to the camaraderie and social lives of the teen protagonists will provide as much a fresh alternative for some as it will alienate hardcore Mecha fans. The cast are the usual Anime tropes so one doesn’t have to look too far for the smart one, the shy one, the ladies man, the sporty one, the techy one and the ubiquitous loli – in this case Nonomi Higashihara who amps up the annoyance factor to 11. It is not until the third disc that we finally understand why this 10 year–old child is such an integral part of the team (not to mention still allowed in despite being six years below the required age). Even with this extended cast the focus is largely on the “most likely to get to get together despite initially hating each other” relationship between the shy Atsushi Hayami and the frosty and aloof Mai Shibamura, the transfer student with impressive combat skills that are only matched by her emotional baggage.

While there is little in the way of originality and the noticeable paucity of Mecha action, this show does score points with the animation which remains top notch throughout the 12 episodes. The colour palettes are a largely vibrant without going too over the top and the backgrounds and set pieces are beautifully rendered. The HWT’s are fairly standard in their design but at least the rare battle scenes are fluidly animated and well executed. Shame then that we learn little about the marauding enemy the Genjyu and see even less of them which would have added so much to the show.

Depending on one’s individual tastes, Gunparade March will either slip under the radar due to either being “just another Mecha show” or for its noble attempts at eschewing the typical Mecha show formula to deliver some slice of life drama plus a little Mecha action instead. A case of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”. While there is nothing wrong with this show, it doesn’t quite reach the dizzy heights it clearly aspires to.

An amiable if unspectacular show which makes for easy viewing for a marathon Anime session thanks to this complete series box set release.

 

Extras:

English Language 2.0

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

 

Disc 1:

Textless Opening

Textless Closing

Trailers

 

Disc 2:

Production Art Gallery

Trailers

Disc 3:

Japanese TV commercials

Trailers

 

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

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Mahoromatic – Something More Beautiful Vol 1 (Episode 1-5)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 121 minutes

 

It’s been a few years since the first series of Mahoromatic – Automatic Maiden hit the UK shelves but with the collapse of ADV, MVM has taken up the mantle to bring us the sequel to this sci-fi ecchi comedy.

For the uninitiated, Mahoro Ando is a battle android for the defence organisation VESPER who chooses to live her final 398 days eschewing violence and instead serving as a maid to schoolboy Suguru Misato with the inevitable relationship between the two slowly blossoming. However Mahoro’s disdain for anything of a sexual nature (“Dirty thoughts are bad” is her dictum) has the effects on this teenage boy akin to the result of locking Amy Winehouse out of a boozer.

So, to series two and we pick up the action where series one left off with the extensive cast of characters receiving a new addition in another battle android 370, a clumsy young girl who follows Suguru one day. After helping Mahoro fight off an attack from alien invaders SAINT, 370 is taken in by Suguru and given the name Minawa. The newcomer claims to be a deserter from The Management, another clandestine organisation that apparently has been controlling human history since time immemorial. Since Minawa seems to be the target of much outside as Mahoro is from the likes of SAINT and her erstwhile employers in VESPER, this clumsy young maid-in-training may not be all she seems.

Story wise, that is pretty much all you will find in the five episodes presented here, outside of a few isolated laments from Minawa about not having a heart and thus being unable to enjoy the joys in the new found human lifestyle she finds herself in. The remainder of the antics revolve around Mahoro’s rivalry with Suguru’s top heavy teacher Saori Shikijo, the gate crashing heavy drinker with a VERY unhealthy sexual obsession with our 14 year-old schoolboy protagonist which also takes in the obligatory Christmas episode. When she is not scoffing Mahoro’s food and making advances towards Suguru, Shikijo is belittling Mahoro about her modest sized bosoms which pale in comparison to Shikijo’s monumental mammaries. As it transpires, Mahoro is not the only female in the cast who is concerned about feeling inadequate in the bra filling department since the third episode on this disc is devoted to that very concern.

Amidst this high brow frivolity (sarcasm mode off), there are seeds of something darker with Minawa’s aforementioned pining for humanity and the ambiguous interest VESPER still has in Mahoro. However so far these seeds show little sign of bearing much fruit at this moment. Hopefully this will be addressed in later volumes. Remarkably, despite the unabashed fan service and nudity, the most entertaining character of the series so far is Mahoro’s guardian android panther Slash. This says a lot about this poorly animated show which comes across as nothing more than a rushed and lazily written follow up to an equally ribald first series which at least had a heart and a remote sensibility and charm about it. Here, the ecchi elements are blatant and gratuitous and the noisy, bludgeoning attempts at humour are uncultured at best.

The main irony is of course that Mahoro is resolutely anti-sex while starring in such a shamelessly prurient show (and yes she bares all too) which is a running self referential joke which was funny for about five minutes way back in the first series. While Gainax are responsible for the Anime giant that is Neon Genesis Evangelion and other heavy hitters including FLCL and Gurren Lagann they are also noted for their abundant fan service output which frankly makes for a startling juxtaposition. The only truly redeeming feature so far is the return of the countdown at the end of every episode which reminds us of how many days are left before Mahoro is deactivated, providing some much needed pathos to the proceedings.

Those fans of the first series who watched it for the fan service will be in nosebleed heaven here; those who actually enjoyed the concept of a battle droid winding down while making a difference to an orphaned boy’s life will be sorely disappointed in this follow up. Mahoromatic – Something More Beautiful is arguably the least inappropriate subtitle for this disappointing second series. Let’s hope improvement is on the way.

Extras:

 

English Language 2.0

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Ah! My Goddess Series 2: Flights Of Fancy (Episodes 1-8)

2 Discs (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running time: 193 minutes

 

Picking up where the first season left off – if you can remember that far back - Keiichi, Belldandy, Urd and Skuld are fresh off the Lord Of Terror situation but life is not about to about to return to normal in a hurry. Quite the opposite in fact…

In what is essentially a collection of stand alone episodes, the relationship between Keiichi and Belldandy is put to the test via a series of events, the first being the computers in Heaven losing Keiichi’s original wish in a system crash that could nullify the contract between him and Belldandy and see the Goddesses return home. Then we have some semblance of a running theme as university queen Sayoko deciding to get her claws into Keiichi only to have Belldandy prevail at every turn.

After the brief diversion of Keiichi’s Auto club senpai Otaki falling in love and enduring a sabotaged date, disc two features another challenge for Keiichi’s affection which brings Belldandy’s jealousy to light. Keiichi once again gets a wrong number when making a simple phone call only this time he connects to the Earth Support Office in Heaven, direct rivals to Belladandy’s Goddess Relief Office. His call is answered by the rather headstrong Peorth, who takes on the assignment regardless of Keiichi’s protestations. Upon arriving on Earth, Peorth is a tad put out to see Belldandy and co. already there. Deciding that Keiichi’s true wish hasn’t been fulfilled, Peorth decides to stick around and win Keiichi’s heart. Cue Belldandy, the green eyed monster.

Ah! My Goddesshas been a successful franchise for over twenty years now from its original Manga days – a far cry from the version we see now – to this latest animated outing. For UK fans this impressive run will seem longer since it has been three years since ADV brought us the first season before their dissolution so it’s been down to good old Manga Entertainment to keep things alive on these shores. For those already familiar with Ah! My Goddess will no doubt take huge delight in immersing themselves in the adventures of Belldandy and Keiichi once again, although they will quickly find that it is pretty much more of the same as before.

The battle over Keiichi’s affections which Belldandy finds herself thrust into, sees a knit-off of sorts between Belldandy and Sayoko while Keiichi works numerous jobs to raise the money buy Belldandy an expensive ring for Christmas (which thereafter is not seen or spoken of again) – only guess who gets to the ring first. Finally at a lavish party at Sayoko’s mansion where the hostess with the mostess fails to usurp Belldandy’s popularity, a simple can of cola turns the meek Goddess into a drunken wish making machine with disastrous consequences for Keiichi.

The competition with Peorth is marginally more entertaining since this is a battle of two Godesses thus magical escapades are the order of the day – usually with detrimental results for poor Keiichi. Belldandy’s jealousy however first rears its ugly head when a would be exorcist and university mate Shiho Sakakibara tries to woo Keiichi, believing he is possessed by an evil spirit – or Belldandy as we know her. Urd and Skuld may remain on the outside of these feuds, only interfering for the fun of it and for the opportunity to use their powers, but their loyalties to Belldandy are never in question.

It all sounds like good fun but the truth is that this series is well, too nice to be truly exciting. Aside from a brief moment where Urd compels Keiichi to cop a handful of Shiho’s plentiful bosom in order to fuel Belldandy into action, everything is relatively squeaky clean. While this may not necessarily be a bad thing in the wake of the disturbing abundance of shamelessly prurient titles currently flooding the Anime market, one can’t help but wait for a bit more spice in this show to make it just that much more stimulating. Belldandy may be the quintessential dream heroine for love struck (or love starved) otaku due to her subservient magical girl persona, but she is also arguably the most bland leading lady in Anime. If it wasn’t for the colourful and exhuberant presence of Urd and Skuld, and now Peorth, this would be the Anime equivalent of a rice cake.

Ah! My Goddessis an amiable and harmless enough show and those fully paid up members of the franchise won’t be disappointed with the eight episodes in this volume – except maybe for the bagpipe driven opening theme song (yes, you read that right) – but those who like their harem comedies with a bit more bite (and raunchy) might find this to be one dollop of saccharine too much for them.

Extras:

 

English Language

Japanese Language

English Subtitles

Commentary with US voice actors

Clean Opening and Closing

Production Artwork

DVD Credits

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Romeo X Juliet Vol 4 (Episode 19-24)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 142 minutes

 

After a brief rendezvous with Romeo, Juliet is inspired by his efforts to create a peaceful new village for the outcasts and downtrodden, and finds herself reinvigorated in renewing her fight against Lord Montague’s tyranny over Neo Verona.

This final volume kicks off with Juliet choosing the debut performance of William’s latest play - a romantic tragedy about a forbidden love across two warring families (sound familiar?) – to resurrect her Red Whirlwind alter ego, the symbol of rebellion to the Montague regime. Her secret however is short lived as Juliet’s identity is revealed during a hostile take over of Neo Verona by a well placed arrow from a Carabinieri archer. Aside from incurring even further wrath within Montague this revelation engenders a sense of hope and fighting spirit in the common folk of Neo Verona. In true despotic fashion, Montague responds by ordering the house of the people be burned down, even going as far as killing the speaker of the house to ensure the vote goes his way.

Meanwhile Romeo has been doing a lot of growing up and has finally found his back bone, arriving back home to confront his father and kill him if necessary. But with “adopted” son Mercutio in the way, will Romeo be successful? And what of Juliet? She is faced with a decision of literally life changing proportions having learned the truth of Escalus, the spiritual tree that keep Neo Verona afloat and her hitherto unknown relationship with it. Caught between her love for Romeo and her commitment to restoring prosperity to Neo Verona, the weight of the world is most certainly on this poor young girl’s shoulders.

“To be or not be?” may well be the opening line of the famous monologue from Hamlet but it becomes the pivotal question for the two young lovers of this imaginative adaptation of the Bard’s most famous romantic tragedy. Despite the many superficial changes made by animation giants Gonzo the essential themes and core sentiments of Shakespeare’s original play were very much adhered to – that of course being the fated love between two young people. However for the grand finale the liberties taken with the story supersede anything before it, diverting into the realms of sci-fi hokum. From Ophelia we learn that Escalus is the surviving tree of twins that held Neo Verona together and afloat until the sins of man caused one tree to die. Therefore a covenant was made and the blood of generations of Capulet women flowed through Escalus to keep it alive. Since the life giving tree had been feeling a bit malevolent, causing earthquakes and such, you can guess where Juliet fits into all of this.

This then provides us with a vastly different set up for the inevitable tragic ending (hey, even in Anime there are some parts of a classic story they can’t change too much) which may cause some highbrow eyebrows to be raised in disdain. Opinion of how successful this ending is aside, the sheer unbridled emotion of the moment still permeates through, thankfully without an unnecessary layer of tear jerking saccharine it would have been all to easy to throw in for good measure. In fact, the epilogue that runs under the closing credits is one of hope and positivism for the formerly oppressed folk of Neo Verona.

It has to be aid that up until the final two episodes which centre largely around Juliet’s tussle with Escalus, this series had the fortune of breaking away from your typical Anime veneer thanks in part to the architectural and character designs of yesteryear Europe; that changes for the bulk of the finale as the aesthetic could have easily been a part of any number of shonen fantasy shows. Also, the drop in animation quality is quite noticeable in this final volume, with an over reliance on static images and under drawn characters, although the backgrounds and artwork remain top notch.

Romeo X Julietmay be based on arguably the most famous love story of all but this is not exclusively a Shoujo series – quite the opposite in fact. If people are prepared to put away any prejudices they may have against the Bard (be it from being force fed his work at school or being biased against such “ancient stuff”) a highly entertaining and well told story is to be found in this series. It’s worth repeating that many will find this to be a genuinely pleasant and rewarding experience when they stick this in their DVD players. Very much recommended.

Extras:

 

English 5.1 Surround

Japanese 2.0 Stereo

English Subtitles

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Fate/Stay Night Vol 5 – A Tale Of Two Sisters (Episode 17-20)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 97 minutes

 

While the battle for the Holy Grail continues and Shiro Emiya’s house becomes home to yet another female presence in the form of Loli-con Magus IIlya, whose servant, the behemoth Berserker was defeated by Shiro and Saber, there are now more important matters that need addressing. The number of people falling into comas is on the increase so Shiro, Rin and Saber seek to find out the cause, pinpointing the Ryudōji shrine as the central hub for this epidemic. They discover that one of Shiro’s teachers, Sōichirō Kuzuki, is the dangerous Master of an equally dangerous Servant named Caster.

However Kuzuki has no desire for the Holy Grail; caster on the other hand has a far greater interest in the war’s ultimate prize but unlike Saber and the other Servants, she has no intention of fighting for – after all, she knows how to summon it. All she needs is a human sacrifice, someone with magic powers – and her choice of sacrifice is quite the revelation. And if that wasn’t enough for Shiro and co. to contend with, Saber finds herself in a return battle with the might Assassin while an eighth Servant shows up unexpectedly – a face from Saber’s past who claims her to be his possession. Shiro, for one, is not too happy about this development at all.

We turn the final corner leading to the home stretch for this fantasy series and the surprises just keep on coming as expected to heighten the drama in preparation for the big finale. Unfortunately some of the new additions to the cast list that keep popping out of the woodwork feel a little “tacked on” and are there to fill in little plot gaps or to provide last minute pitfalls for out lead protagonists rather than providing congruent and vital predicaments for them to overcome. The nameless servant (even Saber doesn’t know his name) for instance may be a major force to be reckoned with in the battle stakes – he was the winner of the previous Holy Grail War after all – but his arrival seems to be more of a stumbling block for the awkward “will they, won’t they” relationship between Shiro and Saber, a plot line that seems to come and go as per the writers’ whim. This also takes a dramatic new twist however that should make sure the climax to this show is high on emotion.

The identity of the human sacrifice Caster makes to summon the Holy Grail is a neat twist from the obvious choice many of us would have bet the house on her making –and that includes our heroes. And in addition to that, we do get an info dump on how this came to be to help piece the logic behind it a little better. With that in mind, in the last volume it was revealed that Saber is in none other than the fabled British monarch King Arthur. Sort of. Before you choke on the thought that Arthur wasn’t female therefore, even for Anime this is a bit wild, there does appear to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. Sort of. Our history has been re-written to suit the show’s story and while it is not as incredulous as it might first appear, they’ve done their best to make it more palatable than plausible.

Fate/Stay Nightis soon to draw to a close and while this near action packed volume (the last episode is based largely around a comedic date between Shiro and Saber) attempts to set up for the climax, it just feels lacking in that all important anticipation for the final volume. Despite this niggling gripe, this series has been consistent, so fans who have stuck with it this far should get much out of this penultimate offering.

Extras:

 

English Language 2.0

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

Promo Video

TV Commercial

Trailers

 

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Evangelion 1.11- You Are (Not) Alone

1 Disc (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running Time: 96 minutes

 

If ever there was an Anime cash cow that could be milked for all it was worth then Hideaki Anno’s seminal Neon Genesis Evangelion would almost certainly be at the very top of the list of contenders for that mantle. This series – widely regarded as THE Mecha show of Mecha shows – first appeared on TV in 1995 and has since gone on to international acclaim and popularity. However, that is in part to the infamy surrounding the original ending as much as the densely structured and multi layered storyline complimented by stunning animation and Mecha designs.

The story of a shy teenager with esteem issues to the hilt being recruited to pilot huge Mecha in order to save the world is one that has been told and retold many times since, but Evangelion is the one that explores those themes with greater depth and intelligence. The teen in question here is Shinji Ikari, a 14 year-old who is summoned by his estranged father Gendo to the rebuilt city of Tokyo-3 which is under attack from alien being known as Angels. Gendo is a commander with the NERV organisation, their key weapons of defence being giant bio-mechanical Mechas called Evangelion. Shinji has been recruited to pilot the 01 Unit, something he knows nothing about and frankly is incapable of doing. But since he is desperate for attention and praise from his father Shinji reluctantly agrees; yet despite his arguably remarkable early successes, Gendo shows no warmth towards his son, instead reserving of all his parental concern for another Evangelion pilot, the mysterious blue haired girl Rei Ayanami.

So far so good. But why do we need another version of this classic series? As alluded to earlier, the original TV show ended with more of a confused whimper than the expected bang. The truth was that Anno was suffering from depression and the stresses of creating such a intricate and profound show that took in religion, teenage angst, family relationships, sense of worth and a myriad of other complex issues, along with the pressures from the studios who cut the budget as the series progressed. What started out as a psychoanalysis of young Shinji Ikari ended up becoming a document of Anno’s own mental unravelling, giving fans a climax that left them disappointed and confused. To his credit, Anno addressed this a few years later with “Director’s Cuts” re-imaginings of the final episodes of the TV show. Unfortunately not everyone was satisfied least of all Anno who later presented a further attempt to conclude the story with two films Death & Rebirth and End Of Evangelion. This new series of four feature length theatrical films under the collective title Rebuild Of Evangelion is Anno’s latest attempt of delivering an ending everyone can (hopefully) be happy with.

This first instalment hit the screens in Japan in 2007 and was a huge success, grossing 2 billion yen and became the fourth biggest Anime film of the year. It faithfully covers the events of the first six episodes of the TV series albeit in truncated form yet loses nothing in the process. If anything, the story is easy to understand and should prove to be more accessible for first time viewers. The animation and artwork of the TV show was immensely impressive and remarkably detailed for a medium that still relied on the old cell drawn method as opposed to modern day CGI and 3D animation techniques. Anno clearly felt that Evangelion was screaming out to be rendered on screen using current technology and has done exactly that – most notably in the action scenes involving the Angels and the Evangelion as well as enhancing the artwork and backgrounds. Keen eyed viewer will notice the subtle changes – such as Misato Katsuragi now being a Lieutenant Colonel - and noticeable upgrades to some scenes and the Mecha designs, but in a nice touch, the feel and style of the original cell drawn animation remains in tact, retaining the essence and atmosphere of the original show. To this writer this was quite refreshing in a world of smoothly rendered CGI characters and did not detract at all from the viewing experience. It should also be noted that the mouth movements of the characters are tailored to the Japanese soundtrack so the dubs come across as more clumsy that usual.

It should as no surprise that Anno is still not content with this latest retelling of his magnum opus as demonstrated by this DVD/Blu Ray release. The film was original released as Evangelion 1.0 but there were some issues with scenes being too dark which were fixed for this, along with - surprise surprise – some extra footage, hence the revised title of Evangelion 1.1!

Whether this can be dismissed as further exploitation of a popular and classic franchise or a necessary move to bring us the show as Anno intended will remain a subjective decision. Arguably it is a brave move to rehash what is already a well told story and such cynicism towards it is not entirely without justification; but it is clear that the interest is going to be in the climax which we lead to believe will be the definitive ending to the saga. Therefore do hardened fans need to sit through the lead up all over again, albeit with spruced up visuals and the occasional new scene here and there? Again that is a personal decision to make, but the reality is that Evangelion remains a classic tale and this latest attempt to tell it should win over some new fans and remind older fans – especially the Blu Ray generation - how great it is.

Extras:

 

English 5.1

Japanese 5.1 w/ English Subtitles

Rebuild of Evangelion: 1.01

Angel of Doom Promotional Music Video

News Flashes

Movie Previews: Beautiful World Version 2, Beautiful World Version 2A, Beautiful World Version 2B

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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D.Gray-Man Series 1 Part 2 (Episodes 14-26)

2 Discs (Distributor: Manga Entertainment) Running time: 297 minutes

 

15 year-old Exorcist Allen Walker is still on the trail of the magical substance Innocence, along with his comrades in the Black Order, to prevent it falling into the hands of the evil Millennium Earl.

Spread across the thirteen episodes in this second volume are four major stories. The first sees Allen, Lavi and Yu Kanda investigating a small village that is subject to a constant an unseasonable snowstorm, which they believe is caused by Innocence. Here they meet a father and daughter in search of the Leaf Of Revival, a mystical item that the father hopes will bring his dead son back to life. The Exorcists believe this may be the Innocence they are after; unfortunately so do the Akuma, lead by Noah Clan member Skin Bolic, who have arrived on the scene.

Next up, aloof swordsman Kanda is MIA since being sent to Rome in search of Innocence. Allen and Lenalee have been sent to discover where their colleague has got to, unearthing a tragic tale of loyalty and oppression spanning a thousand years. The third extended adventure finds Allen being sent to Romania to locate his former teacher Cross Marian. Upon arrival Allen is begged by the people of the village to investigate the attacks on their people by a vampire named Arystar Krory. Lavi and Bookman are recruited to aid in the mission, revealing a startling truth about Krory and his beautiful lover Eliade.

Finally the Millennium Earl makes a return to the fold, announcing that the games are over and it is time for the main event to begin. His first victim is Major Yeegar whom Allen meets up with in Belgium. The Noah Clan are not far behind with Road Kamelot and Tyki Mikk confronting the Major, revealing along the way the true intention of the Millennium Earl.

After the impressive opening salvo of this series, it is fair to say that some of that lustre has worn away in this second volume. That is not to say that this isn’t entertaining enough but with a series length of 103 episodes and a story that demands deeper exploration, the keyword here is “unfocused”. Perhaps it is due to the extensive time allotment but this stories on this volume fall largely into the “Akuma of the week” category with little story or character development. One daren’t utter the dreaded “F” word (“filler” in case you were wondering) but that is the feeling this reviewer got from the adventures here, good though as they are. The main antagonist, the despicable Millennium Earl doesn’t even appear until a few episodes into the second disc and that was in a flashback sequence. He finally re-emerges from the wilderness for real in the penultimate episode in this set, making his campaign to seek the mythical Heart Of All Innocence – the most powerful piece of Innocence of all – seem like a rushed addendum to the plot.

Sandwiched between these stories are two one shot episodes of pointless silliness, one involving Chief Kamui’s unhealthy obsession with younger sister’s Lenalee’s love life, another involving the return to the Black Order for a long time lost Exorcist. The latter is more congruent to the story it follows while the former is just random idiocy. For a show with so many dark themes, the arbitrary lapsing into exaggerated humour – usually at the most inappropriate moments – is startling. Levity does have its place in dramatic stories but some Anime tend to go overboard with it, and for this reviewer, this show is a prime example of that.

D.Gray-Manis a shonen series that ticks all the boxes and delivers plenty of action and excitement in spades. What is lacking at the moment is a devotion to character development which is sorely needed since the viewer is expected to journey with the cast for 103 episodes. Naturally as the lead protagonist, Allen has benefited from this treatment, albeit in small doses; now it’s the turn of the other main characters and there are plenty of them. Seeds have been sown in this volume, let’s hope they are followed up in future instalments.

Otherwise volume two of D.Gray-Man should please those already immersed in the world of Exorcists and Akuma.

Extras:

 

English 5.1 Surround

Japanese 2.0 Stereo

English Subtitles

 

Disc 1:

Audio commentary for Episode 18

 

Disc 2:

Textless Opening – Innocent Sorrow

Textless Closing- Snow Kiss

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Romeo X Juliet Vol 3 (Episode 13-18)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 142 minutes

 

Juliet Capulet’s existence has finally been revealed to the tyrannical Lord Montague as has her relationship with Romeo. Naturally the unfeeling despot is not happy about this and metes out his punishment: extradition to a run down penal colony with the order to double the output for Romeo, and execution for Juliet. Parity is apparently a word not in the Lord’s vocabulary.

It is during a daring rescue mission that our young lovers are briefly reunited, making the difficult decision to part ways again for safety’s sake. Juliet is whisked away to the distant village of Mantua, where she is offered refuge at the mansion of Ariel Farnese. Luckily, the Gardisca mines where Romeo was sent to is not too far away, although neither are aware of this fact at this juncture. While Juliet is having a fairly easy time – aside from a surprise meeting with Romeo’s betrothed Hermione – the young Montague is not so fortunate at the mines. The workers, all criminals (although most of the crimes were petty) are pushed to their limits and live under appalling conditions. Romeo tries to show his sympathy towards them but gets no luck, it is not until he begins to muck in with the work, befriends a sickly young lad named Petruchio and helps out the others when a mine shaft collapses following an earthquake does Romeo’s stock rise in the eyes of the workers.

Lord Montague meanwhile remains as devious and manipulative as ever as loyal noble Titus discovered paying the ultimate price while his duplicitous son Mercutio finds himself named the new Prince Montague in place of Romeo’s dismissal.

The action is noticeably less frequent in this third instalment with the drama quotient much more substantial. Since we are at the mid way stage of the series, the almost ubiquitous info dump takes centre stage divulging the pasts of the nasty Lord Montague and the brooding Tybalt, with whom Juliet is reacquainted in Mantua. These revelations will no doubt help shape the outcome of this refreshing take of the Bard’s famous romantic drama when it concludes next volume. One thing has to be said about this series is that there is little wasted material: even the frivolous antics of the camp playwright William have a purpose here beyond providing comic relief from the drama. This helps things move along at a pace that doesn’t make the viewer feel keen to reach for the fast forward button.

There is a nice change in the dichotomy of the conflicting fates of our two leads. The usually privileged Romeo is now the one slumming it at the mines while the renegade Juliet is enjoying comfort and prosperity. She even has time to perform in William’s latest play! Remarkably Romeo shows his gumption at the mines when he refuses preferential treatment from the chiefs. Later after the earthquake Romeo truly shows how big his grapefruits are by vowing to take everyone back to New Verona. Of course the ex-cons are concerned so Romeo suggests the next best thing: they start their own community in a nearby deserted village. And all this time we thought it was Juliet who wore the trousers in this relationship.

Setting up what looks to be an intense and dramatic finale, this third volume of Romeo X Juliet does a fine job of continuing the story without falling into the mid season laziness trap other series succumb to. A visual treat that also packs an emotional punch without drifting into saccharine territory, this is an early contender for a spot in the top ten shows of the year.

Extras:

 

English 5.1 Surround

Japanese 2.0 Stereo

English Subtitles

Original Trailer

Textless Opening – You Raise Me Up

Textless Closing – Goodbye Yesterday

Art Gallery

Trailers

 

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Rozen Maiden Vol 2 (Episode 7-12)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 148 minutes

 

Jun Sakurada the schoolboy hikikimori probably wishes he was back at school after his life was turned upside down upon the arrival of the mischievous Rozen maiden dolls: the aloof Shinku, irritating Hina-Ichigo, the duplicitous Suiseiseki and the dangerous Suigintou.

At the end of the previous volume Shinku had expended al of her energy following a battle with the aforementioned Suigintou as a part of the Alice Game – a series of battles where the dolls endeavour to wipe each other out to become “Alice” the perfect doll in the eyes of their maker known simply as “Father”. In order for Shinku to be awakened, Jun must overcome his fears and return to school to find a book in the library which contains the information that could help. Meanwhile Suigintou is continuing her campaign to be Alice by locating Suiseiseki’s twin sister Souseiseki (the only thing they have in common is the different coloured pupils). She is being held by an old man who is missing his dead son and has Souseiseki chained up, adopting her as a substitute while his wife lays in a coma. While Suiseiseki tries to convince her sister to leave the selfish old man, Suigintou manipulates both sisters into relinquishing their Rosa Mystica (special powers).

A refreshed Shinku is the next victim of Suigintou, challenging her to a Winner takes all battle for their Rosa Mystica. Knowing full well Jun and the other dolls will be wanting to get involved, Suigintou traps Jun within his dream with the intention of driving him mad through nightmarish reminders of his inadequacies, leaving the twins and Hana-Ichigo with an uphill struggle to save their friends.

This second volume of Rozen Maiden is more story driven than the first, although it is still a long time coming. Amidst the gradual reveal of the Rozen Maiden history there is the same frivolous escapades and occasional but uncomfortable loli-con nonsense that will polarise viewers as to whether this detracts from the show or not.

As we progress however there are some interesting and worthy themes being explored among the silliness and creepiness. Jun has been plagued by an incident that has forced him out of school and thus his own self worth is at an all time low. It doesn’t help when the dolls – most notably Suiseiseki – are constantly reminding him how useless he is. Yet it is thanks to them that Jun begins to realise what he does have to offer the world. Similarly we learn the history of the Rozen Maiden and why being Alice is so important to them. It is this startling and quite sad revelation that helps put things into perspective for Jun as he tries to reconcile the pathos of the situation for Shinku, who not only has the strongest feelings for Jun but for the mysterious Father too. For Suigintou, this is also intrinsic to her being and her ultimate downfall.

Had the series focused more on this and the themes of self-worth and belonging from the start then this may have been a more enjoyable and palatable watch. Instead the concept of a boy finding inner strength from a group of talking dolls is quite surreal while the relationships that blossom between them all is simply creepy. It certainly doesn’t help matters when the entire cast are in fact quite dislikeable – all of them irritating or objectionable in one way or another. In one scene where the dolls are forced to wash their outfits after helping Jun’s sister Nori rehearse a play, Jun spies them in their undergarments (full body bloomers before you get too excited) and gets all embarrassed. Of course he should – they’re dolls! Only in Anime.

Rozen Maiden is another series that is based around an interesting concept but doesn’t quite have the conviction to explore it in a more disciplined and intelligent manner, instead settling for the easiest way possible by overloading it with (supposedly) cutesy characters and puerile comedy. It will have its audience, of that there is no question – the second series and two episode OVA that followed is proof of that - but it lacks the substance and amiability to garner a wide enough appeal outside of that niche fanbase.

Extras:

 

English Language

Japanese Language

English Subtitles

Textless Opening

Textless Closing

TV Commercial

Promo Video

Trailers

 

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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Fate/Stay Night Vol 4 (Episode 13-16)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 97 minutes

 

Female warrior Saber, servant to rookie magus Shiro Emiya, may have defeated the mighty Rider at the end of the previous volume but it took its toll on her. Having expended all of her mana (magical powers) using her Noble Phantasm, Excalibur, Saber is now in need of some serious recuperation time which there is little of.

Taking advantage of Saber’s down time, rival magus Illya kidnaps Shiro then hits him with a stunning proposition: ditch Saber and become Illya’s servant. Naturally Shiro refuses such a preposterous offer putting him once again on the wrong side of Illya’s ire. Saber awakes sensing Shiro’s danger so she, Rin and Archer set off to find and save Shiro. Stubborn as always, Saber insists on fighting IIlya’s mammoth servant Berserker and even coming out victorious Saber costs herself more energy points.

With Saber laid up due to further energy depletion Shiro is forced to share some of his latent mana which gives our warrior woman a much needed boost. It is while Saber is in recuperation mode that Shiro has a bizarre dream about his charge that provides us with a startling revelation about Saber’s true identity – although we were given a huge clue earlier. With a little help from Rin, the transfusion of power from Shiro to Saber is enough to put the feisty female back on the front line in the return match against Berserker. However Shiro made Saber promise to use her Noble Phantasm again for fear of it bringing on her possible demise. Can Saber defeat Berserker without resorting to her coup de gras? Luckily Shiro’s improved magical powers may just be able to provide our heroine with a suitable alternative.

The Holy Grail Wars may be in full swing but you wouldn’t know it from this latest volume as the focus remains largely on the relationship between Shiro and Saber. Character development is always an intrinsic element of any story but with a show like Fate/Stay Night that is based around the idea of a supposedly all inclusive war with a life changing prize at the end of it, that facet of the central premise would be played out more. Instead casualties have taken place in record time removing part of the thrill of the chase in what was initially built up as a battle for the ages. We also have yet to see much from the other participants in the War, reducing the scope of creativity and exploration of the other servants taking part. That is not to bemoan the effort put in to create a meaningful enough bond between our two leads that the audience will eventually care about – rather the action vs relationship ratio should ideally be balanced out a little better, perhaps a little more in favour of the former.

The arguable turning points as we move past the halfway stage of this show are the disclosure of Saber’s past and true identity and Shiro finally proving to be of some use on the battle ground. As ridiculous as Saber’s history ostensibly appears to be (this IS Anime after all) it plays a part in Shiro’s growth as a magus and the nurturing of his skills, particularly those that involve him conjuring up weapons from less appropriate sources. At least Shiro’s noble intentions about preventing Saber from serious damage during battle will no carry some weight. And with a new house guest to throw in their two-penneth in his training, all signs point to Shiro fulfilling his destiny and becoming the hero of the hour. Probably.

Fate/Stay Nightis not a genre defining Anime by any stretch of the imagination but it has enough amiable qualities, including some top notch animation and artwork, to warrant one’s attention for a quick Anime fix.

Extras:

 

English Language 2.0

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

Textless Opening #2

Opening Song Music clip

Trailers

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

 

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X Vol 6 (Episode 21-24)

1 Disc (Distributor: MVM) Running Time: 94 minutes

 

So we come to the grand finale of the war between the Dragons of Earth and the Dragons of Heaven to discover which of the two destinies will be fulfilled and which of the two “Kamuis” will prevail.

This final volume opens up, not with the follow up to the closing of the last volume which saw Arashi Kishū heading determinedly to the HQ of the Dragons of Earth after finally accepting her feelings for Sorata Arisugawa, but instead with Dragons of Earth Yūto Kigai and Yatōji Satsuki seemingly getting closer to one another. Unfortunately for the latter her super computer the Beast develops a decidedly human trait of jealousy and punishes the girl for daring to flirt with someone (something?) else. Oops. Yuto also himself has his hands full when he finally faces off against Seiichirō Aoki, but once again sexy pyro Dragon Karen Kasumi can’t resist sticking her nose in.

The body count and injury tally soon mounts up as a shocking defection is revealed and relationships are torn apart. Kamui – the real Kamui that is – finds himself with an even greater burden upon his young shoulders when dreamseer Princess Hinoto makes the ultimate sacrifice for her side to free the seal on the Divine Sword. Kamui and Fuma, the Twin Star or “other Kamui” finally collide in one on one action with the future of the world in the balance.

The end if not just night for the world but this series too. Even at just twenty four episodes it feels like long time coming, thanks largely to its plodding pace and frequent diversions from the main plot. The final four episodes on this disc thankfully eschew this trait for the most part and keep things more focused and linear than before. Ironically some of the developments are quite rushed heading into the final stretch with some characters returning to the screen only to be despatched or simply vanish with all due haste. Whether things are resolved to everyone’s taste will remain subjective, since some of the smaller details are left open ended. Of course this being a CLAMP production there is one little tease right at the very end but nothing to leave a bad taste in one’s mouth.

The show maintains its philosophical and metaphysical edge right up until the closing moments so, for all its faults, X remains true to itself when bowing out. Awash with the signature snow storm of white feathers that feature in everything associated with CLAMP, the show ends on a positive note but – at the risk of spoiling things – the final showdown is quite unspectacular and, dare I say, anticlimactic considering the build up. Then again, since the build up was full of deviations and spurious sub plots one shouldn’t really be too surprised at this.

Xhas a fairly decent story to tell and is blessed with gorgeous – if slightly archaic looking – visuals but tells it in such an unhurried and roundabout way that a few gallons of black coffee or Red Bull (you choice) maybe required in order to fully enjoy this series. For those who like their Anime with a pace that actually gets into first gear may do well to look elsewhere; those with more patience will no doubt lap this up and more power to them.

Extras:

 

English Language 5.1

Japanese Language 2.0

English Subtitles

 

Main Feature:

Extras:

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