Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set – Limited Edition (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

I can’t help but think how awesome this series was to watch!  From the stylish presentation, the wacky humor, the adult-like humor and pervertedness and the imaginative mecha Gunmen robots and attack modes, the battles and the fun characters and the music, there is just too much to like about “Gurren Lagann”.   “Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set – Limited Edition” is definitely is definitely deserving of five stars and receives our highest recommendation!

Image courtesy of © GAINAX, Kazuki Nakashima/Aniplex, KDE-J, TV Tokyo, DENTSU. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set Limited Edition (天元突破グレンラガン Tengen Toppa Guren Ragan)

DURATION: Episodes 1-27

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 LB, Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Subtitles

COMPANY: Aniplex Inc.

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

Release Date: May 14, 2013

Created by GAINAX

Director: Hiroyuki Imaishi

Assistant Director: Masahiko Ohtsuka

Series Directors: Kazuki Nakashima

Character Designs: Atsushi Nishigori

Mecha Designs: You Yoshinari

Design Works: Shigeto Koyama

 Art Director: Yuka Hirama (BIHOU)

 Color Design: Harumi Takahoshi

 Director of Photography: Toyonori Yamada

 Editing: Junichi Uematsu

 Sound Director: Tohru Nakano

 Music: Taku Iwasaki

Produced by TV Tokyo, DENTSU, Aniplex

Featuring the following voice talent:

 Katsuyuki Konishi/Kyle Herbert (as Kamina)

 Marina Inoue/Michelle Ruff (as Yoko Littner)

 Tetsuya Kakihara/Yuri Lowenthal (as Simon)

 Yukari Fukui/Bridget Hoffman, Hynden Walch (as Nia)

 Daiki Nakamura/Doug Stone (as Dayakka)

 Kana Asumi (as Kiyal)

 Kana Ueda/Stephanie Sheh (as Kinon)

 Kisho Taniyama (as Kittan)

 Masaya Onosaka/Steven Blum (as Leeron)

 Mitsuki Saiga/Johnny Yong Bosch (as Rossiu)

 Nobuyuki Hiyama/Sam Ergal (as Viral)

 Rina Satou/Karen Strassman (as Kiyoh)

 Shizuka Itou/Julie Ann Taylor (as Boota and Darry)

This is the story of a man who has yet to realize what destiny holds in store for him…

 

In the distant future, mankind has lived quietly and restlessly underground for hundreds of years, subject to earthquakes and cave-ins. Living in one such village are two young men: one named Simon who is shy and naive, and the other named Kamina who believes in the existence of a “surface” world above their heads. The destiny of these two starts moving drastically when the ceiling of their village falls in, and a gigantic “Gunmen” and a beautiful girl named Yoko, wielding a superconductive rifle, come from the surface. Together, Kamina, Simon, and Yoko ride the mecha “Lagann” that Simon digs out of the ground, and fly up to the surface!

Fantastic!

It’s the single word that describes how I feel about the brand new “Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set Limited Edition″ released by Aniplex, Inc.

In 2007, GAINAX, Aniplex and Konami would bring a new mecha anime series to television.  Known as “Tengen Toppa Gurenn Lagann” in Japan, the 27-episode series would air on TV Tokyo with a huge following and received positive reviews.

Featuring anime production by GAINAX, “Gurren Lagann” was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi  (“Dead Leaves”, “Eureka 7: Astral Ocean”, “Anime Tencho”), featuring series composition by Kazuki Nakashima (“Kill la Kill”, “Nodam Cantabile: Finale”), music by Taku Iwasaki (“009-1″, “Black Butler”, “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure”, “Getbackers”), character design by Atsushi Nishigori (“The Idolm@ster Movie”, “Magi – The Labrynth of Magic”) and background art by Yuka Hirama (“Fractale”, “Gad Guard”, “Tales of Phantasia”, “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”).

While a limited edition of the series was released on DVD by Bandai Entertainment back in the 2009 in three parts, many people missed out on the opportunity to get the sets.  With Bandai Entertainment’s presence for releasing anime in the U.S. on physical media having ended in 2012, in May 2013, Aniplex Inc. acquired the rights to release the series via a complete set known as “Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set – Limited Edition” featuring all 27 episodes, two soundtrack CD’s and as usual from Aniplex, Inc., a large number of anime swag that fans have come to love about the company.

What is “Gurrenn Lagann” about?

The series centered around two characters Simon and Kamina.  Both live underground with a bunch of orphans and due to earthquakes, they developed a system of people using manual drilling holes in order to move around.  But one day, the life of a young driller named Simon discovers a small mini drill underground. Simon is a shy young guy.  Not too confident in himself and hates how his parents were killed during an earthquake.  So, he works hard in order for everyone to live but also to collect whichever treasure he can find.   While continuing his digging, he discovers a small drill and not long after, he discovers a huge robotic face.

As for Kamina, he’s the cool leader of a gang.  He once saw the atmosphere with his father a long time ago and dreams of making it up to the surface but no one underground believes him.  He comes up with a plan to get to the surface with the help of Simon’s drill.  The plan backfires and Kamina is put into a jail.  Meanwhile, a big monster robot-like figure comes out of the sky and lands in the group’s village underground.  A girl sporting a bikini top and tight short shorts with a large rifle starts fighting with the monster robot.   Her name is Yoko and all of a sudden both Kamina and Simon try to assist her.

As the monster grows vicious, Simon introduces Kamina and Yoko to what he found underground.  It happens to be a small robot that Simon takes control of and eventually the three fight the robotic monster and end up defeating it. Also, end up making it above the surface where they discover sunlight, blue skies, mountains and more…monster robots.  It is learned that these things are called “Gunmen” and are piloted by Beastmen who have a hatred towards humans.  The three must survive and outwit and defeat the Gunmen and with Kamina’s leadership and willing to take anything head on with his machismo ego, he calls Simon’s robot Lagann.  Kamina eventually commandeers a Gunmen robot and calls it Gurren.  As a duo, the group is called Gurren Lagann.

With episode after episode, the three would gain more people to ally alongside with them and take on the Beast men.  These animal like beings who worked for Lord Genome and would try to kill the humans with these huge mecha robots known as Gunmen.

Kamina, Simon and others in the alliance known as Team Dai-Gurren have been successful in taking control of Gunmen and make their way towards the Beastman Empire in order to take on the Spiral King.  But the King orders  Thymilph, the first of the four divine Generals of the the Spiral King was the first to go onto battle and thus the battle ensued with Team Dai-Gurren winning but losing someone special to them.

As the first half deals with Kamina, Simon and Yoko growing as friends and as a team, the second half of “Gurren Lagann” fast forwards seven years later after the battle with the Beast Men and the Beastman Empire.

Years later, Simon has become the new leader of Kamina City while Rossiu Addai became second-in-command.  The other members of Team Dai Gurren have become officers or employees of Kamina City while Yoko Littner became a school teacher.

But the seven year peace in the planet did not last as the anti-spirals wreaked havoc on the city.  But will humanity be ready to fight again for their survival?

“Gurren Lagann” features a total of 27 episodes.  A summary of each episode (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS):

1. Episode 1 – Bust through the Heavens with your Drill! - The main episodes that introduces us to Simon, Kamina and Yoko.   The three join forces to take on the monster gunmen.
   
2. Episode 2 – I Said I’m Gonna Pilot That Thing!! - With Simon having his own robot and more Gunmen showing up to fight, Kamina decides to get a gunmen mecha all for himself which he names “Gurren”.  But they get some support from the people of Yoko’s village and the village’s top mechanic, Leeron (a savvy and intelligent mechanic but who happens to be gay and not afraid to flirt with Kamina and Simon).  But with Kamina and Simon now having their own mecha’s, they name their team “Gurren Lagann”.
3. Episode 3 – Who Do You Think You Are, Having Two Faces? - With the defeat of the Beastmen and their Gunmen, Simon, Kamina and Yoko go to hunt for some food but while Kamina retrieves some food, he runs into a Beastman named Viral.  A savage warrior who becomes the major rival for Kamina.  But Viral pilots a Gunmen with a second head that shoots out a devastating attack.  Kamina feels that Gurren Lagann can combine and by unifying, they can become unstoppable.
4. Episode 4 – Having Lots of Faces Doesn’t Make You Great!  – After the battle with Viral,  Simon, Kamina, Yoko and Leeron decide to destroy the Beastmen’s base.  By eliminating it, the group might have that peace that they wanted.  But while looking for food, the group run into another group known as the Black Siblings…friend or foe?  We are introduced to Kittan Bachika, the leader of the Black Siblings who is accompanied by his three younger sisters as they try to eliminate Beastmen.
5. Episode 5 – I Don’t Get It, Not One Bit! - As the group continues on their travels, they end up in another underground village and brought their by a teen named Rosiu.  But in this village, they have their own strict religion and strict rules in which they can only keep their population  at 50 people or less.    Well, things change when a couple has a set of triplets, thus going over the 50-person mark.  Gurren Lagann receives a new member to the team.
6. Episode 6 – There are Some Things I Just Have to See! - There are two versions of episode 6.  The unedited version and the TV version which is part of the special features.  For the unedited version, the group really smell bad and it seems they met some luck as they are invited to the hot springs with food galore!  The group run into their friends, the three women of the Black Siblings and as the group relaxes in the hot springs, both Kamina and Simon can’t stand hearing the women talk about their breasts.  Being the horny guys that they are, both men do what they can do get a peek of the ladies nude.  But awaiting them is some trouble as well courtesy of the Beastmen.
7. Episode 7  – You’re Gonna Do It! – With the defeat of the Beastmen, Viral makes his return but this time, one of the four leaders who pilots a giant Gunmen fortress.  While Gurren Lagan tries to fight them, they are joined by some old friends who have followed Kamina’s lead and stolen some gunmen for themselves.
8. Episode 8 – Later, Buddy – With Simon’s quick thinking in the last episode, the group manages to get the Gunmen fortress to be trapped.  But Kamina wants to take control of the fortress in order to protect everyone and this time have a super combination to create Dai Gurren Lagann.  So, one major battle in order to take the Beastmen leader’s mega fortress.   But while Simon starts to think about Yoko and tell her his feelings for her, he sees both Kamina and Yoko kissing.  So, as they go into battle, Kamina depends on Simon to have Lagann penetrate the fortress but because his emotions all out of whack due to seeing the kiss, it’s going to cost someone’s life.
9. Episode 9 – What, Exactly, Is a Human? – With the events of the last episode, everyone is in mourning.  Meanwhile, a new character named Nia is introduced.  Who is she and why is she so curious about humans?
10. Episode 10 – Who Is This Bro? - The group comes head to head against Adiane, the second of the Spiral Kings Four Divine Generals.  But retreats when she sees Nia.  It appears Nia is the daughter of the Spiral King.  Nia appears to be very naive about humans, their emotions, etc.  She doesn’t understand why Simon would be depressed over someone who’s dead.
    
11. Episode 11 – Simon, Hands-off - The team meets Guame, the third of Spiral Kings Four Divine Generals.  He uses Beastmen disguised as women to fool the crew and ends up taking over their ship and putting the crew underground in prison.  Only Simon and his drilling can save the day and for Nia, she learns why she was discarded by her father.
12. Episode 12 – Yoko, Will You Do Me a Favor? - Team Dai-Gurren’s fortress needs to be refitted to travel in the water.  So, the crew goes through a little R&R and becomes too friendly with Nia and favoring her over Kyoko.  Kyoko is not sure he can trust her and sure enough, the crew goes into battle against Adiane.
13. Episode 13 – Eat Up, Everyone – Nia really wants to fit in, so she found a job for herself, to become a cook.  Meanwhile, Cytomander, the fourth of Spiral King’s Divine Four Generals makes his attack on the crew and with Rossiu sick, Kyoko must fill in and be Simon’s co-pilot for Gurren Lagann.
14. Episode 14 -Well, Met Everyone - The crew arrives near the Beastman Empire but must take on the last two of Spiral King’s Four Divine Generals – Cytomander and Guame to the death.
15. Episode 15 – I Will Head Towards Tomorrow - Team Dai-Gurren now has one final battle left and that’s against the Spiral King.  It’s all or nothing!
16. Episode 16 – Compilation Episode – This episode serves as a bridge for between the first arc and the second arc of the series.  It’s literally a special episode condensing major scenes from the first 15 episodes to one episode.  Mainly focusing on Kamina, Simon, Kyoko and Nia.
17. Episode 17 – You Don’t Know Anything – With Team Dai-Gurren successful against the Spiral King, the series flash forwards seven years later.  The planet has flourished with cities and vehicles, Simon, Rossiu and everyone else has grown up.  People own homes and have their own jobs.  Simon is in his early 20′s and is the Supreme Commander and is bored doing paper work.  Rossiu is the Chief who does all of the work but unlike Simon, holds an iron fist on how the city should be ran and for some members of Team Dai-Gurren are just head employees who answer phones.   They wonder what Lord Genome meant by his final words before he died of a new emanating threat and sure enough, that threat has materialized on the planet.  Meanwhile, something has happened to Nia.
18. Episode 18 – Tell Me the Secrets of the World – A new evil has appeared on the planet and says that because Earth has reached 1,000,000 people and has used Spiral technology to further their growth, they will now be exterminated.  Simon goes to battle against one of the enemies and succeeds in defeating it but since the enemy is composed of energy, that energy becomes like bombs and when Simon defeated the enemy and it exploded, in essence many people have died, buildings and structures destroyed and people want blood…Simon’s blood.    Nia’s true purpose is revealed and Rossiu keeps a secret.
19. Episode 19 – We Will Survive, By Any Means Necessary - The public is very upset against the government because of the destruction and deaths from the Gurren Lagann attack against the Anti-Spiral and Second-in-Command Rossiu knows the only way they will appease the public is with the arrest and the execution of Simon.  But with another attack on the city by an Anti-Spiral, Rossiu has to release Simon temporarily from custody to fight the enemy.
    
20. Episode 20 – How Far Will God Test Us? -  Simon is put into the same prison with his cell next to Viral.  Meanwhile Kittan who is incensed that his sister is siding with Rossiu in the execution and imprisonment of Simon.
21. Episode 21 – You Are Someone Who Ought To Survive - The story shifts to Yoko as a school teacher who is stern but caring for the kids.  When she finds out what is happening with Simon, she decides that she must return back to Kamina City immediately.
22. Episode 22 – This is My Final Duty  – Rossiu must make the most difficult choice by trying to rescue as many people he can in a secret spaceship and escape the planet but knowing that many will have to perish from the moon crashing down on the planet.  But on planet, Simon and Viral team up with Gurren Lagann and Arc Gurren as both join forces to form Arc-Gurren-Lagann and stop the Human Extermination System that the Anti-Spirals have implemented.
23. Episode 23 – Let’s Go, This is the Final Battle - Team Dai Gurren prepares for the war against the anti-spirals.  Meanwhile, Rossiu who is amazed with how Simon is able to save everyone decides that his life is not worth living.  Can Simon get to Rossiu in time?
24. Episode 24 – I Will Never Forget This Minute, This Second - With the help of Lordgenome, while Rossiu takes command on the planet, Simon and Viral lead several members from Team Dai Gurren to transport right into the Anti-Spirals home world.  Simon had made a promise that he would save Nia and is determined to do so.  Meanwhile, the Team suffers a loss of a few team members.
25. Episode 25 – I Accept Your Last Wish - Team Dai-Gurren is caught in the ocean of despair set by the Anti-Spirals.  Meanwhile, another major team member of Team Dai Gurren sacrifices his life to save his friends.
26. Episode 26 – Let’s Go Buddy - Simon,Viral and Team Dai Gurren combine into Super Galaxy Gurren-Lagann in order rescue Nia.  Meanwhile, the Anti-Spiral uses their own memories against them.  But a familiar face from the past is there to help Simon, Kyoko and Team Dai Gurren.
27. Episode 27 – The Lights In the Sky Are Stars - One of the Team Dai Gurren members decides to take a stand against the Anti-Spiral and sacrifices themself in order for Simon to gain the enemies drill.  Simon, Nia, Viral and Team Dai Gurren put everything they have on the line to become the galaxy sized Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann in the final battle against the enemy.

VIDEO, AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

Each episode is  featured in 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen.  The character designs by Atsushi Nishigori are fresh and very different.  I absolutely enjoy the character and mechanical designs and the whole anime is quite vibrant and looks stylish and pretty cool.  And it yet makes me wonder why this series has not been released on Blu-ray?

As for the audio, the Digital 5.1 effects utilized in the English dub is actually very well done.  I liked the effective use of splitting the audio of action scenes through the various speaker channels and overall, the audio track for the 5.1 English dub is well done.

The Japanese audio is featured only in 2.0 Stereo but the dialogue and action scenes also come clear through the front channels, the main difference is that the war seems to come alive on the English dub.  As one can expect with the 5.1 soundtrack, very good use of surround channels and LFE, so the dub gets a nod for being immersive and having a better dynamic range.

Both soundtracks feature exceptional acting.  The Japanese voice acting were wonderful when it came to the emotional performance by Tetsuya Kakihara, Katsuyuki Konishi and Marina Inoue.  But “Gurren Lagann” also features a fantastic performance from the English dub cast.  Yuri Lowenthal was perfect as Simon, Kyle Hebert and Michelle Ruff were also marvelous in their acting role as Kamina and Yoko.  It’s important to note that this is the same English dub that was featured on the Bandai Entertainment DVD release in 2009.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set Limited Edition” comes with the following special features:

• Preview of episode #6 (TV) – (:16) English episode #6 preview with a little fan service.
• Episode 6 (TV Version)
• Yoko Goes to Gainax -Study Animation at GAINAX- – (24:48) Marina Inoue, Japanese voice actress for Yoko goes to GAINAX and sees how people create “Gurren Lagann”.  The featurette features Marina  learning the difference between “Key Animation” and “In-Between Animation” and “Composition”.  She actually takes part in doing in-between work for the first time and also, learning some of the jobs the staff did for “Gurren Lagann”.  A very fun featurette!
• GAINAX Interview – (10:21) A very cool featurette with producer Takeda from GAINAX, GAINAX President Yamaga and assistant director Otsuka on the concept of “Gurren Lagann” and what their goal was in creating this anime series.
• Sangizen 3D Test Footage -  (15:16) The Sangizen 3D Test Footage is a 15-minute featurette with various preliminary 3D features of the Anti-Spirals destroying city structures, to the combination of the mecha and various fight scenes.  Many were created but only selected footage were used in the final cut.
• Shokotan Interview – (7:36) The interview with Shoko Nakagawa (aka “Shokotan”) who sings the main theme song was done in the US after her appearance at Anime Expo in Los Angeles in 2008.  Shoko talks about being an otaku and also said that she wanted to become a mangaka while growing up.  Also, her happiness to perform in the US and to meet the fans and much more.
• Textless Opening and Ending themes – For those who love the cool music of opening theme “Sorairo Days” by Shoko Nakagawa and ending theme “Underground” by High Voltage.
• Japanese Trailer
• U.S. Trailer

EXTRAS:

“Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set Limited Edition” comes with the following special features:

• Gurren Lagann Slipcase (Rigid Box illustrated by You Yoshinari/Mechanical Design)
• 2-Tray clear Amaray cases with reversible wraps of original Japanese DVD cover design
• 36-Page Deluxe Illustration Booklet
• 2-Sided Poster (Yoko & Kamina)
• 2-Stickers of Kamina’s Famous Remarks
• 12 Postcards of Japanese DVD Cover Art & Original Illustration by You Yoshinari (Mechanical Design)

• Gurren Lagann Original Soundtrack CD’s 1 & 2

DISC 1 (Duration:1:09:45)

1. 仕方ねえ!1分20秒だけ媚びてやる
2. モグラはモグラのままなのか?
3. ラップは漢の魂だ!己を信じて天を指差す怒涛の男・カミナ様のテーマを耳の穴かっぽじってよ~く聴きやがれ!!
4. ブタモグラは螺旋の夢を見るか?
5. ボインVSボイン
6. 燃えてばかりでいいのかい?
7. お前の×××で天を衝け!! ~初めて見た地上ver.~
8. 骸骨になっちまったカミナの親父に寄せる哀歌
9. 狼が来た!!
10. Nikopol
11. 月と星とア・タ・シ
12. 萌えろ三姉妹
13. ああああッ!骸骨がぁ!! 骸骨がぁ!!!
14. お前ら全員燃えてしまえっ!!!
15. お前の×××よ、そそり立て!
16. He is so ×××
17. ラブリーボイン
18. Peeping Tom
19. 髭とハーレム
20. 親父の塊
21. お前なんか信じられっか!
22. 今は準備が必要なんだよ!!
23. 合体なんてクソくらえ!(合体挿入曲第一番 ハ短調アレグロ K2564)
24. 「萌え」っていったい何ですか?
25. お前の×××で…
26. 愛・掴みますI

Disc 2 (Duration: 1:10:37)

1. 愛・掴みますII
2. ラップは漢の魂だ!無理を通して道理を蹴っ飛ばす!俺たち大グレン団のテーマを耳の穴かっぽじってよ~く聴きやがれ!!(Short Start Edit)
3. 旅ってなぁ疲れるもんなんだよ
4. 「萌え」っていったい…?
5. 暗闇の中で何を考えてやがるッ!!
6. BafBaf! そんなに燃えるのが…好きかい?
7. 超合体(合体挿入曲第二番K3845プログレ)
8. 回って回って回って回っ!?
9. 回って回って回って回ってててて…
10. 熱砂の荒野を抜けて大グレン団が行くのだ
11. 愛・掴みますIII
12. 愛・掴みますIV
13. 月日は百代の過客なり
14. アダイ村のデコ助
15. メガネで決めよう
16. どうだ!俺のトランペットは凄いだろ!!
17. ラップは漢の魂……だった…よな…
18. リゾートライフのイロハ
19. ポイズンプリズン
20. 誰かが誰かを恨んでる
21. The Blue monday e”r”ectrical parade
22. “Libera me”from hell
23. Love Conservative
24. お前の×××で天を…
25. お前の×××で天を衝け!!
26.  商品の概要に戻る

For the “Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set – Limited Edition”, included is the two-CD album “Tengen Toppa Guren Ragan Original Soundtrack” that was released in 2008.  This is different from the Bandai Entertainment vol. 3 DVD release which came with the “Tengen Toppa Guren Ragan BEST SOUND” album which came with the vocal tracks.  The primary difference is that this original soundtrack album comes 51 tracks with the primarily instrumental music featured throughout the series.  The music is composed by Taku Iwasaki and also features music by tarantura and quadtbep.

For anyone wondering if there are any vocal tracks, there are four.  On Disc 1, there is “Kamina’s Theme” (ラップは漢の魂だ! 己を信じて天を指差す怒涛の男・カミナ様のテーマを耳の穴かっぽじってよ～く聴きやがれ!!) which comes with the rap that people hear throughout the series ala “Bro! Bro! Fight the Power!”.   Also, quadtbep’s guitar churning rock tracks “Nikopol” and “合体なんてクソくらえ! (合体挿入曲第一番 ハ短調アレグロ K2564)” are included.

Also, included on Disc 2 is “Libera me” from hell featuring Tarantura and Taku Iwasaki, so you get the hip hop “Bro, Bro Fight the Power!” song but with beats from Tarantura and piano by Taku Iwasaki along with an operatic element.  But if you want the Shoko Nakagawa, HIGH VOLTAGE or Afuroman tracks, those tracks are included on the BEST SOUND album.

But the soundtrack, if you enjoy instrumentals is fantastic.  Tracks incorporating jazz elements, ambient, gentle harp and wind instrument tracks, synth pop, synth choir to heavy hitting rock tracks.  The soundtrack is a wonderful addition to the “Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set – Limited Edition”.

I can’t help but think how awesome this series was to watch!  From the stylish presentation, the wacky humor, the adult-like humor and pervertedness and the imaginative mecha Gunmen robots and attack modes, the battles and the fun characters and the music, there is just too much to like about “Gurren Lagann”.  I absolute found the series to be exciting, a lot of fun, yes a bit perverted but ultimately…fantastic!

The character of Kamina is just so wild and crazy with how he is just so carefree and just doesn’t plan for battle, he just does what he believes in and what he thinks is right and decides at the spur of the moment.  He has a way with his words, no matter how crazy it may sound but it makes his character so cool!

As for Simon, he is simply the underdog.  He is a major component to the team because he pilots Lagann but at the same time, his fear and his emotions get the best of him.  But like most underdogs in anime series, it’s the confidence and support that gets them going and Simon turns out to be a fascinating character to watch overtime.

Yoko, her character is sexy and cool.  Sometimes you wonder if GAINAX or the character designer Atsushi Nishigori created such a sexy character for the purpose of being sexy or for the fact that many cosplayers will try to emulate the character and not wear much clothes.  Nevertheless, her character is cool as her body features somehow provide the fan service and also gets Simon distracted.

But Team Gurren Lagann are simply fun to watch and to see them engage in battle with the Beast Men but also see other members join the team and see how Team Gurran Lagann grows over time during this war between humanity and the Beastman Empire.

But the series is rather fascinating as the first half deals with humanity wanting to be free and to fight to live on the land, while the second half deals with humanity now thriving seven years later but with humanity in trouble once again.  The way things are for both halves are completely different and it’s like watching two seasons but both are just captivating, addictive and mecha fans and I think also anime fans in general, can get into this series!

While many early episodes feature a bit of fan service, things become less perverted from episode 10 and on.  Granted, the series becomes a bit more dark, emotional and dramatic especially due to Simon’s worsening depression.  So, while there are episodes such as episode 6 that tend to focus on adult humor and fan service, the series gets better overtime in terms of plot and character development.

I’m sure there are people who purchased the Bandai Entertainment DVD sets, that are wondering if there are any significant difference with the Aniplex, Inc. DVD releases.  There are some slight differences.  The episodes remain the same, the post cards that Bandai Entertainment released were fewer than what is included on Aniplex, Inc.’s set, also the Aniplex versions do not have any writing, logos or numbers as the Bandai Entertainment postcards had.

But another primary difference is that the Bandai Entertainment version included the first vol. 1 of the manga (since Bandai Entertainment released manga at the time in the U.S.) and that the CD soundtrack featured was the “Gurren Lagann BEST SOUND” soundtrack (which had the vocal tracks by Shoko Nakagawa, HIGH VOLTAGE and Afuromania).  For the Aniplex Inc. version, you get the “Gurren Lagann Original Soundtracks” (Both CD’s which are primarily the instrumental music tracks).  The Aniplex Inc. version also comes with the 36-page booklet and 2-sided poster and stickers that the Bandai Entertainment set did not have.

So, for those wondering if you should upgrade your Bandai Entertainment DVD to the new Aniplex, Inc. DVD, the answer is no. It’s the same content DVD-wise, just different swag offered by both companies.  With that being said, the question is if the “Gurren Lagann” Blu-ray set will be released in America.  There is an import Blu-ray release that will be available in June 2013 that does have English subtitles, also comes with the “Gurren Lagann” movies and the drama CD’s with a ton of features, but the price for this “Gurren Lagann”Blu-ray Complete Box Set” is $550.

Let’s just hope Aniplex, Inc. considers releasing a Blu-ray release for “Gurren Lagann” as this series just looks too good and sounds too awesome that it’s deserving of a Blu-ray release.

But as far as the DVD goes, picture quality is still very good, soundtrack especially the English dubtrack receives the 5.1 treatment and is a bit immersive as it does utilize the surround channels and LFE.  Both voice acting soundtracks are magnificent, with the Japanese hitting the nail on the more emotional scenes, but when it comes to action, the English soundtrack has the better dynamic range and use of the surround channels.  And the English dub is also well-done!

Overall, the experience of watching “Gurren Lagann” was wonderful!  From the stylish presentation, the wacky humor, perverseness and the imaginative mecha Gunmen robots and attack modes, the battles and the fun characters and the music, there is just too much to like about “Gurren Lagann”.

Just how the pacing of the anime series goes from people wanting to get out of the underground and seeking freedom, to the characters fighting to survive and eventually growing up but having to face their own insecurities and also consequence and then furthering their adventures as we see the characters start off young and right to end where they are older adults.  And of course, this anime series is action-packed but most of all well-acted (both in Japanese and English), awesome animation, great character development and well-written storyline.

“Gurren Lagann” can be described in one word and that is “Fantastic!” but to experience the complete series from beginning to the end, what an experience!  “Gurren Lagann DVD TV Series Box Set – Limited Edition” is definitely deserving of five stars and receives our highest recommendation!

AniplexChannel.com is the New Channel for Fans to Access their Favorite Aniplex Shows in one place

SANTA MONICA, CA (April 25, 2013) – Anime fans will be delighted to hear that Aniplex of America will be launching their own Aniplex Channel starting today at AniplexChannel.com. Fans can now easily access all of their favorite Aniplex of America titles in one place for free. The channel features a convenient interface where users can enjoy high-quality streaming videos powered by HULU, a products page making purchases a breeze, and latest information regarding Aniplex releases and featured events.

Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

“Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc” was a pretty cool way to celebrate its 15th year anniversary.  I found the two OVA’s to be entertaining and I enjoyed them for the fact that it reunited the Japanese cast, features all new animation and its presented in HD.   It’s caveat is due to the fact a large part of that storyline has been eliminated in order to fit the entire arc in two 45-minute OVA’s, which may not please the more hardcore fans.  But for those who have no intention of watching the older series or even reading all the manga, may be fine with this Blu-ray release.  Until the original series is released on Blu-ray, “Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc” is worth checking out!

Image courtesy of © 2013 Sentai Filmworks, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc (るろうに剣心―明治剣客浪満譚― 新京都編)

YEAR: 2011

DURATION: 2 OAV’s (90 minutes total)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Aniplex/Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV MA V

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi

Script: Mari Okada

Music by Noriyuki Asakura

Originally Created by Nobuhiro Watsuki

Character Design by Hiromitsu Hagiwara

Art Director: Ken Naito

Chief Animation Director: Hiromitsu Hagiwara

Art Design by Kazuhiro Itou

Anime Production: Studio DEEN

Featuring the following voice talent:

Mayo Suzukaze/J. Shannon Weaver as Kenshin Himura

Kanako Irie/Claire Hamilton as Yumi Komagata

Ken Narita/John Swasey as Hajime Saitō

Masaaki Ishikawa/Leraldo Anzaldua as Seikū Arai

Masanori Ikeda/David Wald as Makoto Shishio

Miina Tominaga/Blake Shepard as Yahiko Myoujin

Miki Fujitani/Amanda Hanawa as Kaoru Kamiya

Noriko Hidaka/Clint Bickham as Sōjirō Seta

Shinichi Fukumoto/David Matranga as Chō Sawagejō

Sho Ryuzanji/David Matranga as Usui Uonuma

Shuuichi Ikeda/Andrew Love as Seijūrō Hiko

Tamio Ohki/Marty Fleck as Nenji Kashiwazaki (Okina)

Tomo Sakurai/Meg Bauman as Misao Makimachi

Unshou Ishizuka/Lowell Bartholomee as Fuji

Yasuyoshi Hara/Lowel Bartholomee as Anji Yūkyūzan

Yoshito Yasuhara/John Gremillion as Aoshi Shinomori

Yuji Ueda//Gray Haddock as Sanosuke Sagara

Although she’s only sixteen and looks even younger, Misao Makimachi is already a skilled and competent member of the Oniwabansh? ninja clan. Which is a fortunate thing for Misao, as her onimitsu talents may be all that keeps her alive when a journey in search of the leader of the clan, Aoshi Shinomori, leads her instead into a face-to-face encounter with an even more dangerous man and a plot to overthrow the Meiji government! Quickly enmeshed in the affairs of the legendary assassin Hitokiri Batt?sai, now known as Kenshin Himura wielder of the reverse-blade sword, Misao finds herself pulled into the middle of a deadly intrigue against Makoto Shishio, who is orchestrating the conquest of all Japan, beginning with Kyoto! Get ready for blades to flash and blood to flow as Nobuhiro Watsuki’s acclaimed Rurouni Kenshin returns at long last to the world of animation in an epic masterpiece: Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc!

In the 1990′s, the manga and anime series “Rurouni Kenshin” by Nobuhiro Watsuki, was one of the first major anime series to attract fans outside of Japan because it was aired on the Cartoon Network’s Toonami block but in Japan, it was published in Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump”.

The series would lead to two OVA’s, two animated films and most recently a live-action film plus video games, light novels and more.

And while the series ended back in 1999, in 2012, the manga series of “Rurouni Kenshin” had sold over 55 million copies and the anime has ranked among the 100 most watched series in Japan.

And to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of “Rurouni Kenshin”, a new manga series titled “Rurouni Kenshin Restoration” is being published in “Weekly Shonen Jump” and two new animated films were created in Japan based on the Kyoto Arc, with part one debuting in theaters in 2011 and part two in 2012.  And now, these two 45-minute films will be released in the U.S. as a 2-part OVA on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.

What is “Rurouni Kenshin” about?

“Rurouni Kenshin” is a series that was set in the early Meiji era and focused on a former assassin named Kenshin Himura , who was feared by many as he held the title of “Hitokiri Battosai”.  No longer wanting to kill or become an assassin, Kenshin has become a wanderer who would offer protection to people in order to atone for the murders he has committed.

He eventually makes friends wih Kaoru Kamiya (who he becomes very close with); orphan Yahiko Myojin ;  former Sekiho army member, Sanosuke Sagara.  Meanwhile dealing rivals and foes which include Oniwabanshu’s Aoshi Shinomori and the Shinsengumi leader Hajime Saito .

And over the course of the series, we see Kenshin and friends taking on a variety of enemies.

But one major enemy of Kenshin is Makoto Shishio (for the New Kyoto Arc), a powerful swordsman (and sociopath) who is covered by bandages after sustaining severe damages to his entire body and must wear the bandages, since he is unable to regulate his body temperature.  Believing that only the strong survive, along with his Ten Swords, Shisho plans to overthrow the Meiji government.

Which leads us to “Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc”

The first OVA features Himura Kenshin is heading to Kyoto to fight Shishio Makoto.  He is confronted by Misao Makimachi who wants to know more about him but also Aoshi Shinomori  and how determined she is of finding him.

Meanwhile, the two end up finding the place of where Shishio Makoto is residing and Shishio chastises Himura of not being able to kill and thus, he’s not worth his time to even fight.  Accompanied by his girlfriend, a geisha named Yumi Komagata (a woman who loves Shishio despite his appearance), both Shishio and her leave, while leaving his protege Sojiro Seta to fight against Kenshin.

During battle, Sojiro ends up destroying Kenshin’s blade and leaving him without a sword.

Now, Kenshin must get a new sword but and while he and Misao go to meet with the son of a well-known swordmaker, Shishio allows one of his henchman to fight against Kenshin.  Meanwhile, friends of Kenshin are also going to Tokyo.  Kaoru Kamiya and Yahiko Myojin have been looking for Kenshin.  And Sanosuke Sagura also is looking to help out his friend.  But also Aoshi ends up joining on Shishio’s side, determined to fight a battle againt Kenshin.

Hajime interrogates one of Shishio’s men and finds out that Shishio has a big black warship and with his men, intends to burn down Kyoto and to make matters worse, 50 of Hajime’s officers were all slain by Shishio’s group.  Who will defend Kyoto from Shishio and his group.

For the second OVA, as everyone braces for Shishio’s attack against Kyoto, Hajime Saito finds a way to get on board to take on Shishio, meanwhile Sanosuke takes on a fallen monk working for Shishio. As everyone is in battle, Kenshin sets out to board the black warship and take on three major nemesis set on killing him.

Who will become victorious?

VIDEO:

“Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc” is presented in 1080p High Definition.  Unlike the original series made in the ’90s or the films and OVA’s that were made in the early 2000′s, the “New Kyoto Arc” features new animation by Studio DEEN.  Featuring all new animation, beautifully painted backgrounds and animation that is much more vibrant, sharper and better line-detail, I would imagine that fans should be happy with the HD presentation of the film.  I didn’t see any banding issues, artifacts or any problematic issues with picture quality.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc” is presented in English and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.  It’s important for people to know that the English dub does not feature the ’90s Bang Zoom cast but does feature the ADV cast used for the original OVA and animated film release.  Personally, I feel that the English dub is subjective but in my opinion, the voice acting felt a bit off with a few characters, so I decided to watch both OVA’s in its original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles.  For one, you get the same voice actors from the original television series and I felt that the dynamic range was slightly better than its English dub counterpart.

But both soundtracks are crystal clear, as with its musical soundtrack.  I didn’t notice the surround channels being used or any LFE.  If anything, it was a front/center channel mix.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc” did not come with any special features.

I was very thrilled to know that with the 15th anniversary of “Rurouni Kenshi”, we would get a brand new release of the Kyoto Arc of “Rurouni Kenshin”.

For those who have watched animated films and are used to the abridged version of the stories, while it would have been nice to have three films (OVA’s) instead of two, to include more storyline and feature more of the characters, for the most part, these two OVA’s are easily accessible for those without any prior knowledge of the manga and anime series.

But by saying that, I know there are people who despise abridged storylines and would rather see a full TV series or multiple OVA’s or movies to mirror the manga series.  So, if you are one of those people, you’re probably going to complain about this release.

Otherwise, if you are used to seeing abridged films or OVA’s but wanting to see “Rurouni Kenshin” in HD, then you can look at these two OVA’s as a bonus to celebrate “Rurouni Kenshin” being released on Blu-ray.

For one, Studio DEEN did a magnificent job with the animation and art backgrounds.  The return of Mayo Suzukaze as Kenshin Himura is fantastic, also seeing the original Japanese cast return 15-years later is a major treat.  It was great to have Noriko Hidaka reprise her role as Sojiro Seta (a few years ago, she also reprised her role for the “Gunbuster” animated film release).  But you have Tomo Sakurai returning as Misao, Miina Tominaga as Yahiko, Ken Narita as Hajime Saitou and more.  So, it’s a great reunion after all these years to bring back the Japanese voice actors.

And I hope that with the release of the two OVA’s, it may lead people to watching the older releases or even purchasing the manga. But once again, those who never watched or read “Rurouni Kenshin” should be fine watching “Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc” as they were released as films and directors know that chances of new viewers is quite high and try to make these storyline’s, not too complex for them.

Sure, it helps to know the background of the characters and the storyline leading to the New Kyoto Arc but it’s a pretty self explanatory storyline and the writers made it simple enough for those who have no intention of reading the manga series or watching the older anime.

But while the reunion of the voice talent and animation quality was a plus, I have to admit that its main hindrance lies in the fact that the storyline was too condensed.  Major battles were too quick for my taste and you miss out on storyline relating to the characters.  But I suppose one can easily watch the anime TV series or read the manga, but I felt that perhaps a third OVA could have made things much better, especially in the fighting sequences.

As for the Blu-ray release, picture quality for both OVA’s are very good and audio quality is in lossless, crystal clear dialogue but not too active when it comes to surround sound use or LFE.  And unfortunately, there are no special features which is a surprise, considering it would have been great to interview the director or even the original Japanese voice acting talent about reuniting nearly 15-years later.  Also, with this New Kyoto Arc, you get a rating of TV MA V because of the violence but also a sex scene (no nudity) featuring Nishio and Yumi.

Overall, “Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc” was a pretty cool way to celebrate its 15th year anniversary.  I found the two OVA’s to be entertaining and I enjoyed them for the fact that it reunited the Japanese cast, features all new animation and its presented in HD.   It’s caveat is due to the fact a large part of that storyline has been eliminated in order to fit the entire arc in two 45-minute OVA’s, which may not please the more hardcore fans.  But for those who have no intention of watching the older series or even reading all the manga, may be fine with this Blu-ray release.

Until the original series is released on Blu-ray, “Rurouni Kenshi: New Kyoto Arc” is worth checking out!

Nisemonogatari – Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

A worthy sequel in the Monogatari series… “Nisemonogatari – Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” is probably one of the craziest, most audacious anime series to be released on Blu-ray in 2013.  Featuring wonderful animation and a fresh, unique storyline with crazy characters, “Nisemonogatari” is an anime series that I recommend!

Image courtesy of © NISIOISIN/KODANSHA, ANIPLEX, SHAFT. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Nisemonogatari – Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set

YEAR: 2012

DURATION: 11 Episodes (280 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Japanese Linear PCM Stereo, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Aniplex

RATED: 16+

Release Date: February 27, 2013

Series Director: Tomoyuki Itamura

Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo

Series Composition by Akiyuki Shinbo, Fuyashi Tou

Music by Satoru Kousaki

Originally Created by NisiOisin

Original Character Design by VOfan

Character Design by Akio Watanabe

Art Director: Hisaharu Iijima

Anime Production: SHAFT

Featuring the following voice talent:

Eri Kitamura as Karen Araragi

Hiroshi Kamiya as Koyomi Araragi

Yuka Iguchi as Tsukihi Araragi

Chiwa Saito as Hitagi Senjōgahara

Emiri Katō as Mayoi Hachikuji

Kana Hanazawa as Nadeko Sengoku

Maaya Sakamoto as Shinobu Oshino

Miyuki Sawashiro as Suruga Kanbaru

Ryoko Shiraishi as Yozuru Kagenui

Saori Hayami as Yotsugi Ononoki

Shinichiro Miki as Deishū Kaiki

Yui Horie as Tsubasa Hanekawa

The sequel to Bakemonogatari!

Crab, snail, monkey, snake and cat… Supernatural incidents revolving around five girls were solved thanks to Koyomi Araragi. With these mysteries laid to rest, Koyomi Araragi can now begin to live a normal life, or at least so it seems…

His “unusual” life starts when Koyomi wakes up in a ruined school building, captured and chained by Hitagi Senjyogahara. She says, “I will protect you, Araragi!” Exactly what is Senjyogahara up to?! With Koyomi’s two younger sisters Karen and Tsukihi (a.k.a the Fire Sisters) now involved, Koyomi once again finds himself tangled with apparitions!

“Nisemonogatari”, the animated series sequel to Japanese novelist Nisio Isin’s “Bakemonogatari” returns with Koyomi Araragi dealing with a new threat closer to home!

The series will be released in the United States from Aniplex courtesy of a Limited Edition Blu-ray box set which includes all eleven episodes on five Blu-ray discs, a slipcase and a 36-page deluxe booklet.

Before “Nisemonogatari” there was “Bakamonogatari”

In 2006, a light novel titled “Bakemonogatari” was written by Nisio Isin and featured the illustrations by Vofan.

For Isin, he is known for his “Zaregoto” novel series (2002-2005) which led to series such as “Ningen” and “Sekai”published by Kodansha.  By 2006, Isin would begin working on the “Bakemonogatari” series which is based on short stories published in “Mephisto Magazine”.

The first story featured a first volume with three stories “Hitagi Crab”, “Mayoi Snail”, “Suruguta Monkey” and a second volume with two “Nadeko Snake” and “Tsubasa Cat”.

“Bakemonogatari” focused on a third year high school student named Koyomi Araragi.  A perverted teenager with a loli complex who doesn’t do well in school.  One day, Koyomi was attacked by a vampire named Shinobu Oshino, a 500-year-old vampire who once was a vicious, beautiful vampire but now has the appearance of an eight-year old girl.

Koyomi turned into a vampire but thanks to Meme Oshino (an expert in the apparitions field), he was able to become human again but still has several side effects including seeing in the dark, his eyes turning red when incredibly angry, amazing healing power and strength.

While his parents are away, Koyomi helps raise his two young sisters, Karen (the middle child who is taller than Koyomi and likes to take part in martial arts and outdoor activities) and his little sister Tsukihi, who is the opposite of Karen and rather do indoor activities but also prefers wearing a yukata (Japanese traditional outfit).

With this new power of Koyomi, in “Bakemonogatari”, he had to help characters with apparitions.

Hitagi Senjogahara was a weak-girl who was possessed by a crab that stole her weight.  Because of this, she has avoided all contact with people in order to hide her secret, so she developed a tsundere attitude and is often verbally abusive towards Koyomi.  Because Koyomi sacrificed her life for her, she and Koyomi start dating, despite how badly she treats him.

Koyomi also had to help a ghost of a fifth-grade elementary student named Mayou Hachikuchi, a girl who has a habit of saying Koyomi’s name wrong but yet knows that he has a loli complex and knows that he is always trying to touch her.

Suruga Kanbaru, a popular female athlete who is a lesbian and masochist and prefers to be at home in the nude.  She inherited the Monkey’s Paw and thus wears a bandage on her one arm to hide it.  She began stalking Koyomi when he found out he was dating Hitagi.

Nadeko Sengoku is a person who was cursed with invisible snakes (that were trying to strangle her).  Thanks to Koyomi, he saved her life and while shy, likes to be close to Koyomi.

Tsubasa Hanekawa is Koyomi’s classmate and the class representative.  She was possessed by a bakaneko and is danger of turning into Black Hanekawa.  She often stresses about her family and her feelings for Koyomi.

The first series  revolved around Koyomi trying to help these characters deal with their apparition.

A prequel to “Bakemonogatari” titled “Koyomi Vamp” which focused on Shinobu Oshino and her role as a vampire before attacking Koyomi and a separate volume known as “Kizumonogatari” was published in Pandora Magazine in 2008.

In 2009, “Bakemonogatari” was adapted into an anime series.

Which leads us to the sequel, “Nisemonogatari”

The sequel to “Bakemonogatari” titled “Nisemonogatari” which was released in 2008 and adapted to an anime series in 2012.

The story focuses on Koyomi’s two sisters Karen and Tsuki with chapters titled “Karen Bee” and “Tsukihi Phoenix”.

The series begins with Koyomi being held captive.  When he wakes up, he finds out that Hitagi has captured and imprisoned him.  And we are taken to a flashback days before this happened.

While Koyomi was making his rounds of meeting his female friends, one day he comes into contact with an ominous man named Kaiki Deishu.  When he tells Hitagi about the man he met, she imprisons him in the sake of protecting him from Kaiki. And that she is determined in getting revenge on the man.

But things hit close to home when Koyomi finds out that Kaiki also unleashed a lethal, supernatural bee on his sister Karen.

In the second storyline for “Tsukihi Phoenix”, after the events of “Karen Bee”, Koyomi starts to recognize his sister Karen in a different way.  Especially with his sister flirting with her brother and looking more feminine, Koyomi tries to distract himself from paying attention to his sister, who is wanting her brother to introduce her to his friend Suruga Kanbaru.  Knowing that Suruga is not a good influence and worries about his sister being close to her, he issues her a contest of allowing him to brush her teeth for five minutes without stopping him.

Meanwhile, as Koyomi and Karen are heading towards Suruga’s home, they are encountered by Yozuru Kagenui, who is looking for directions.  When Koyomi spends time with Mayou, they are both encountered by a girl named Yotsugi Ononoki, also looking for the same address.

What Koyomi doesn’t know is that these two onmyougi’s have targeted someone who is precious to him.

VIDEO:

“Ninesemonogatari” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:78:1) and this TV series is gorgeous.  SHAFT really puts a lot of time into character design, shading but also carrying out changes in character design.  From regular/series looking characters to goofy, cartoonish characters and many location scenes featured throughout this series.  Colors are vibrant, black levels are nice and deep, animation gets creative in an artistic type of way, image is sharp and line detail is very good.  I saw no edge enhancement or excessive banding.

I felt that production value is much improved in this sequel and for the most part I feel that fans of “Bakemonogatari” will feel that “Nisemonogatari” looks fantastic on Blu-ray.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Nisemonogatari” is presented in uncompressed Japanese LPCM 2.0 with English subtitles.  Dialogue is crisp and clear and is front-channel driven.  I detected no problems with audio and English subtitles were easy to read.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Nisemonogatari” comes with the following special features :

• TEXTLESS OPENING & ENDING – Featuring four different openings and three different endings.
• TRAILERS – (1:59) Japanese theatrical trailer for “Nisemonogatari”.
• TV Spots – (2:37) Japanese TV spots for “Nisemonogatari”.
• BD & DVD ADS – (1:50) The Japanese Blu-ray and DVD ads for “Nisemonogatari”.

EXTRAS:

“Nisemonogatari – Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” comes with a slip case and a 36-page booklet with episode summaries and character profiles.

It’s not an easy task to create a sequel that will better than its original.   While it has been done, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” to George Lucas films like “Empire Strikes Back” and even the second “Indiana Jones” or “Transformers II” which was much better than the first film.  The same goes for anime series.  Many fans enjoyed “Dragon Ball Z” than the original, “Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood” fans preferred the second series over the first.

But do creators try to top their first series? Or just create something related but not be a copycat of the original?

For Nisio Isin, “Nisemonogatari” is an adaptation of a two-volume light novel that was created to be a continuing storyline.  Not trying to better the first, but expand on its storyline featuring its perverted and crazy character Koyomi Araragi but also his relationship with his sisters and the characters that were introduced in “Bakemonogatari”.

But part of the difficulty that “Nisemonogatari” has is trying to find its appeal to viewers who are interested in certain aspects of the series.  There are those who love the harem anime series and fan service, there are those who like the darker more violent aspect and action scenes.

The first season was appealing to viewers as Koyomi had to help characters that had been possessed by apparitions.  Not the case for “Nisemonogatari”.  This time, it’s about a creepy guy that is tied to Hitagi’s past and what happens when one hurts Koyomi’s sister.  But there are some strange and unusual things in store for viewers in this sequel.

For me, “Nisemonogatari” is odd, crazy but also a series that I enjoyed for its crazy antics and unexpected episodes with a storyline that just come out of nowhere.  By saying that, there is humor in the series that will turn some viewers off.

While the character of Koyomi Araragi may have had his perversion toned down for the anime series there is no doubt that the writers explore the more sexual and fan service nature of the animated series by feeding off his perversion.

For example, the first episode when Koyomi sees Mayoi (a fifth-grade elementary school girl who is a ghost), Koyomi’s loli complex is at its all time high.  He can’t help himself from hugging her or even wanting to see her panties.  While humorous to anime fans who understand the whole loli complex, one may find that an older teenager getting all slobbery and perverted over a girl is wrong.  One scene shows Koyomi seeing Mayoi’s panties and then we see a cream pie exploding in Koyomi’s face.   What symbolism can that mean?  Hmm…

After he’s done with Mayoi, he then goes to Nadeko’s home.  Nadeko is the shy individual who starts trying to flirt with Koyomi by feeling hot and heavy, showing off her panties and wanting to play a game of Twister with Koyomi who is behaving like he is naive to what Nadeko is trying to accomplish.  But perhaps he is that naive. Hmm….

Then he heads off to Suruga’s house to help clean her bedroom and as always with Suruga, she is not wearing anything and just teases by showing her rear backside to him.  But despite all the perversion, is he really too modest to stand their and pretend he shouldn’t be taking a peek despite his perverted nature?

But the antics, don’t stop there, it also extends to Koyomi’s household as he starts to realize his sister’s are getting older and their bodies are now much more developed that even he’s having a hard time containing himself.

In one episode alone, he challenges his sister that if he is to introduce her to Suruga, she must not try to stop him from brushing her teeth.  And of course, the words coming out of Koyomi is his ability to use the toothbrush inside her mouth, we see Karen enjoying it to the point where she begins moaning and submitting herself to her brother who desperately wants to grope her breast.

From loli complex to sister complex, the antics continue with his younger Tsukihi.  He wants to see if the scars on her body and strips off his sister’s clothes and grabs her breasts because he felt like doing it.

So, I have no doubt that there are people who will see these actions as wrong and those who don’t like seeing this, will probably not want to watch this animated series.

The whole loli and sister complex maybe too crazy for viewers but this series was never created to be politically correct.  In fact, this is a perverted anime series plays upon taboo situations with humor.  Yes, they may be offensive but the point of these actions is that it’s so wrong, that’s why they are doing it and it’s been a major point of “Nisemonogatari” and the series before it.

But also the allure of the series is its changing animation and not following banal anime tradition by being like any other series.  There is no doubt that the object was to be more perverted and crazy but to also pull off the series with cool style.  From its use of colors, use of location, use of differing animated character designs.  I enjoyed the series for being different and being crazy!

While the series is only eleven episodes long, there is still a lot going for the series.  The antagonist Kaiki Deishu for the “Karen Bee” storyline is quite fascinating.  A con man that is heartless and an absolute liar, his sort of logic and why he does what he does, is rather cold and calculating.  While the majority of the episodes are dedicated to the “Karen Bee” arc, it works because it leads to more character development for Koyomi’s sister Karen, Hitagi but also the vampire Shinobu Oshino.

While “Tsukihi Phoenix” deals with more perversion but also a deep storyline of one brother willing to fight and die for his family.  The action sequences between Koyomi is quite entertaining and while the series goes from Koyomi being a pervert towards his sisters, the storyline begins to be much more serious when Koyomi and Shinobu confront two characters who are set out in killing Tsukihi.

But overall writing is very good as it tries to go from one perverted extreme to being something much more complex and even smart at times.  It makes “Nisemonogatari” so hard to describe because I don’t think I have watched an anime series with so much fan service, so many crazy antics but yet manages to get deep when the episode calls for it.  These are characters that one is unlikely to see in another anime series, it’s what makes up Nisemonogatari’s charm.

As for the Blu-ray set for “Nisemonogatari – Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set”, picture quality is fantastic and vibrant, while its uncompressed LPCM 2.0 soundtrack is crisp and clear with English subtitles that are easy to read.  You get a slipcase and a 36-page booklet.  But if there are any negatives that anime fans may feel towards this Blu-ray release is its price at nearly $150.

With a third final storyline left to be made to an anime series, for this Blu-ray release of the sequel “Nisemonogatari”, one shouldn’t really compare to the original.  Sure, “Bakemonogatari” had much more to offer in terms of action and story, while “Nisemonogatari” tends to be more driven by perversion, fan service and making comedy over modern society’s taboos.  When the series wants to go crazy, it goes all out in trying to be far out there and this helps with the appeal to the series.  It’s quite a crazy storyline that not everyone will be pleased with, but for those familiar with the first series, can leave their political correctness out the door because this series is crazy but yet so much fun.

Overall, a worthy sequel in the Monogatari series… “Nisemonogatari – Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set” is probably one of the craziest, most audacious anime series to be released on Blu-ray in 2013.  Featuring wonderful animation and a fresh, unique storyline with crazy characters, “Nisemonogatari” is an anime series that I recommend!

 

Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

A gritty, dark and violent film adaptation of Tow Ubukata’s light novels.  “Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” is the second film of the trilogy and will no doubt entertain those who have been craving darker, violent anime with an edge.

Images courtesy of © 2012 FUNimation. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion

DURATION: 81 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

RATED: TV MA VSD

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RELEASE DATE: January 1, 2013

Directed by Susumu Kudo

Screenplay by Tow Ubukata

Music by Conisch

Original Creator: Tow Ubukata

Character Design by Jun Nakai, Shingo Suzuki

Art Direction by Masanobu Nomura

Chief Animation Director: Jun Nakai, Shingo Suzuki

Mechanical Design by Hiroshi Okubo

CGI Director: Tetsuro Kodama

Director of Photography: Toru Fukushi

Anime Production: GoHands

Featuring the voices of:

Megumi Hayashibara/Hilary Haag as Rune Balot

Norito Yashima/Andy McAvin as Œufcoque Penteano

Hiroki Touchi/David Matranga as Dr. Easter

Kazuya Nakai/Kalob Martinez as Shell Septinos

Tsutomu Isobe/David Wald as Dimsdale Boiled

Norio Wakamoto/Chris Ayres as Medium the Fingernail

Akiko Katsuta/Luci Christian as Octavia

Daisuke Namikawa/Mark X. Laskowski as Tweedledum

Kinryuu Arimoto/Carl Masterson as Professor Faceman

Takaya Hashi/Brett Weaver as Ashley Harvest

Toshiko Fujita/Susan Koozin as Bellwing

Yumiko Kobayashi/Corey Hartzog as Tweedledee

Rescued by Doctor Easter from a deadly assault on their headquarters by Dimsdale Boiled, Rune Balot finds temporary shelter in “Paradise,” a high-tech laboratory where the Scramble 09 protocol originated. While the severely injured Oeufcoque regenerates in a healing vat, Rune struggles to find the answers within herself that will let her equally injured psyche find some measure of peace. But as the search for clues to the location of Shell’s hidden memories continues, Boiled finds them again, and Rune and the Doctor decide it’s time to carry the war to the enemy.

In 2003, Japanese sci-fi light novel, manga and anime creator, Tow Ubukata (“Le Chevalier D’Eon”, “Heroic Age”, “Chaos Legion”, “Sokyu no Fafner”) created the light novel “Mardock Scramble”.

For Ubukata’s “Mardock Scramble”, originally the series was planned as an OVA series release but  instead, would first receive a manga adaptation and then later was released as an anime film trilogy courtesy of GoHands Studio and produced by Aniplex.

With the first film “Mardock Scramble: The First Compression” released on DVD back in September 2011 and followed by a Director’s Cut version released on Blu-ray in March, the second film of the trilogy titled “Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” will be released on Blu-ray on New Year’s Day 2013.

“Mardock Scramble” is directed by Susumu Kudo (“Mizuiro Jidai”, “Hoop Days”, “Captain Tsubasa J”) and features creator Tow Ubukata as the screenwriter of the anime films.  Character designs are by Jun Nakai (“Tokyo Majin”, “Samurai 7″) and Shingo Suzuki (“Shanghai Dragon”, “Witchblade”, “Baccano!”) with music by Conisch (“Linebarrels of Iron”, “ToHeart2″ and art direction by Masanobu Nomura (“Obvliion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror”,  “Patlabor WXIII”, “Blue Exorcist”, “Gad Guard”, “Gurren Lagann”).

“Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” on Blu-ray will feature both the regular version of the film, but also a Director’s Cut.

Before I get into the second film, I need to start off with what was “Mardock Scramble: The First Compression” all about.

“Mardock Scramble: The First Compression” is a series that takes place in the futuristic city known as Mardock City and focuses on a girl named Rune Ballot who was taken by a renown gambler named Shell Septinous, notorious for using girls for slavery.

One day, Shell has his bodyguard Dimsdale Boiled take Rune out in the middle of nowhere and murders her in a poisonous gas explosion and also in the process, has Shell’s memory was erased, so he can’t be arrested.

But not far from where Rune is killed is Dr. Easter.  Easter is able to save Rune’s life but to keep her alive, he rebuilds her as a killer cyborg and together he and along with a robotic mouse named Oefcoque help Rune with the latest in cyborg technology to try and search for Shell Septinous, the man who killed her and the man who also happens to be Dr. Easter’s enemy.

But when Shell and Dimsdale find out that Rune is still alive, they will do anything to stop her from testifying against him.

For the second film, “Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion”, begins with a shootout between Rune and Dimsdale Boiled who will do all he can to kill Rune.

But she is rescued by Dr. Easter in the nick of time and he takes her to Paradise, where she is introduced to the Scramble 09 Technology.  And the secrets of Mardock City is revealed.

Meanwhile, Shell who can’t remember anything because his memory is erased, can’t understand why he desperately wants to kill Rune so badly and orders Dimsdale Boiled to kill her now!

This leads to Dimsdale Boiled and another assassin to infiltrate Paradise to kill Rune and some of Dimsdale Boiled’s history is revealed and why he hates Paradise so much.

But as Rune wants to get her revenge and get Shell tried for his crimes, she along with the help of Dr. Easter and Oefcoque, go to a casino where Shell his memories in casino chips.  But to obtain the chips, they must find a way to win at gambling without creating any suspicion.

VIDEO:

“Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” is presented in 1080p High Definition and as mentioned of the original film, one thing that the film has is grittiness.  A good use of blues and greens and also blacks to set the landscape of a dingy city. In fact, there was a good amount of grain purposely added to the animation to add to the grittiness.

But for the second film, what is noticeable is the use of colors primarily in Paradise where pastel to blue and green colors are used effectively to create a dreamlike world.

The character designs are cool as you have the main character Rune looking the most purest character in the whole film while everyone else look disgusting or evil.   Also, this is a bloody anime series with a lot of violence but not as excessive as the first film as most of the action does take place at the beginning and towards the latter half of the film.

AUDIO:

As for the audio, “Mardock Scramble :The Second Combustion” is presented in 1080p High Definition.  Both vocal tracks are well done, especially well acted.  The Japanese soundtrack benefits from using seiyuu legend Megumi Hayashibara (“Ranma 1/2″, “Slayers”, “Love Hina”, “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, “All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku”) but while the Japanese soundtrack was well-acted, the English dub soundtrack makes up also in grittiness with its use of profanity. So, for a Westerner, the dialogue seemed much more appropriate for this anime series and so I preferred the English dub over the Japanese soundtrack.

And there is a good amount of violence and gun shots galore, so this is not a dialogue driven front and center channel type of anime series. There is a good amount of audio coming from the surround channels but it’s not as immersive as I would have liked.  I was hoping to hear a lot of LFE and directional sound effects but for the most part, the anime series sounds very good in HD.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” does not come with any special features but Sentai Filmworks trailers.

“Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” continues where the last film “The First Compression” left off.

I mentioned in my review of the first film of how I felt it was one of the grittiest, darkest, violent anime film I have seen in a long while.  And while there is quite a bit of violence and blood in the second film, the violence is not as pronounced as the focus is on Rune trying to achieve justice by getting the evidence required to get a conviction on Shell.

If anything, this second volume is more about revelations and Rune learning about Paradise and also more about why Dimsdale Boiled is so upset about Paradise and wants to destroy it.  But you can see this film as more calm as it features her trying to find evidence of the atrocities committed by Shell and that leads the group in going to a casino in order to find these specialized memory chips.

And I have to say that its an interesting visceral type of anime series with how the city is portrayed as dirty, gritty, rundown in the painted backgrounds but also a colorful unique take on Paradise and some experimentation on the look and feel of various locations.

While some may be upset that  “Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” doesn’t carry over a lot of the action and the violence of the first film.  But it still does feature a lot of violence but the second film  tries to focus on the storyline and its plot that centers around Rune trying to obtain evidence and Dimsdale Boiled trying to infiltrate Paradise.

Definitely not for the timid, “Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” is a violent, bloody anime that shows body parts, nudity and all.  So, you don’t watch this anime with children around!

As for the Blu-ray release, picture quality is very good, colorful and looks great in HD although I wish there were special features included. The film does come with the Director’s Cut and the original theatrical version of the film.

But overall, the film shows good promise but a the same time, I feel the story would have flowed much better if it was a 12-episode TV or OVA series rather than a film trilogy.  Sometimes I feel there is much more story to tell and that each film is trying to fit within its hour length.  But with the second film being good and more calm compared to the first film, no doubt is the second film setting up viewers for something much more explosive and deadly for the final third film.

A gritty, dark and violent film adaptation of Tow Ubukata’s light novels.  “Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion” is the second film of the trilogy and will no doubt entertain those who have been craving darker, violent anime with an edge.

 

Aniplex of America to Simulcast the Animated series MAGI on Hulu and Crunchyroll

The highly anticipated anime series is set for its International Simulcast starting in October

SANTA MONICA, CA (October 3, 2012) –Aniplex of America has just announced the simulcast of one
the most anticipated Anime series this year, MAGI. The TV series will premiere on Hulu.com, the Hulu
Plus subscription service (www.hulu.com/magi) and Crunchyroll (www.crunchyroll.com/magi). The
multi-stream simulcast premiere will be distributed in the US via Hulu and Crunchyroll, and will also be
available for streaming in Canada and South Africa through Crunchyroll. The 1st episode (English
subtitled) will premiere at 10:00am PST on Wednesday, October 10th, three days after its initial airing in
Japan on Sunday.

Set in a mythical world of filled with magic and flying carpets, MAGI follows the story of a young boy
named Aladdin as he travels to a mysterious continent that is home to a cryptic ruin known as the
“Dungeon”, in which great treasure is said to lay hidden. Aladdin will go on a quest to clear the “Dungeon” in order to claim the treasures within. As his quest brings new encounters and farewells,Aladdin will come to learn of his true destiny.

“We’re looking forward to utilize digital media distribution in showcasing MAGI to as many fans as
possible. It’s exciting to be able to simulcast MAGI and enjoy this series nearly the same time as it airs
in Japan ” says Hideki Goto, the president of Animation Business of Aniplex of America. “MAGI is a
highly anticipated title for Aniplex and I hope many viewers will enjoy this fantasy adventure.”

About Magi

A young boy, Aladdin, travels to a mysterious continent that is home to a mysterious ruin known as the
“Dungeon”, in which great treasure is said to lay hidden. During his travels, the young boy meets
Alibaba, and together they attempt to clear the “Dungeon” in order to claim the treasures within.
As their quest brings about new encounters and farewells, Aladdin will come to learn of his true destiny.

About Aniplex of America Inc.
Aniplex of America Inc. (Santa Monica, California) is a subsidiary of Aniplex Inc. (headquartered in
Tokyo, Japan), a group of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. and leading provider of anime content
and music production and distribution in Japan. Aniplex of America has launched fan-favorite DVD and
Blu-Ray releases such as Gurren Lagann the Movies, Durarara!!, R.O.D series, the Garden of Sinners
and Baccano! The company’s ever-growing line-up of shows includes our most recent titles, Blue
Exorcist, Rurouki Kenshin OVA and Movie, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
www.magi-usa.com
www.Youtube.com/AniplexUS

About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is a leading global video network and developer of social media applications for Japanese
anime and Asian media. Through applications like Crunchyroll for iPhone, iPad, Android, TV set-top
boxes, affiliate websites and its own streaming website, Crunchyroll delivers officially-licensed content
from leading Asian media producers directly to consumers.

http://www.crunchyroll.com

About Hulu
Hulu is an online video service that offers a selection of hit shows, clips, movies and more at Hulu.com,
numerous destination sites online, and through our ad-supported subscription service, Hulu Plus. Our
mission is to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium video content when, where and how they
want it.
www.Hulu.com

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 3 – Limited Edition Box Set (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Review)

A fresh, enjoyable yet dark storyline that is absolutely captivating and addictive! “Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 3 – Limited Edition Box Set” concludes the series with a bang!  And like the previous two limited edition releases, volume three is another must-own anime on Blu-ray release for anime collectors and is definitely one of the best anime TV series on Blu-ray released in America for 2012. Once again, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is highly recommended!

Purchase this title from Rightstuf

Image courtesy of © 2012 ANIPLEX, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 3 – Limited Edition Box Set

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2011

DURATION: Episodes 9-11 (100 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (16:9LB Wide Screen), Japanese Linear PCM Stereo, English Linear PCM Stereo, English subtitles

COMPANY: Aniplex, Inc.

Release Date: June 12, 2012

Series Directed by Yukihiro Miyamoto

Director: Akiyuki Shinbo

Series Composition: Gen Urobuchi

Music by Yuki Kajiura

Original Character Design by Ume Aoki

Character Design by Takahiro Kishida

Art Director: Kunihiko Inaba

Chief Animation Director: Junichiro Taniguchi, Mika Takahashi

Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka

Director of Photography: Shinichiro Eto

Anime Production: Aniplex, Shaft

Featuring the following voice talents:

Aoi Yūki/Christine Marie Cabanos as Madoka Kaname

Chiwa Saito/Cristina Vee as Homura Akemi

Emiri Katou/Cassandra Lee as Kyubey

Ai Nonaka/Laura Landa as Kyōko Sakura

Eri Kitamura/Sarah Williams as Sayaka Miki

Junko Iwao as Kazuko Saotome

Kaori Mizuhashi as Mami Tomoe/Tatsuya Kaname

Ryoko Shintani as Hitomi Shizuki

Seiko Yoshida as Kyōsuke Kamijō

Tetsuya Iwanaga as Tomohisa Kaname

Yuko Goto as Junko Kaname

“Has a loving family and best friends, laughs and cries from time to time…” Madoka Kaname, an eighth grader at Mitakihara middle school, lives such a life. One day, she has a very magical encounter. She doesn’t know if it’s by chance or by fate yet, but this meeting will change her destiny. This is the beginning of a new story of magical girls…

This limited edition combo box set includes the third soundtrack CD, an exclusive collector’s box, two double-sided posters, collectible postcards, and a deluxe 24-page booklet with character designs, a special short manga by Aoki Ume and more!

All is revealed in the final volume of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” vol. 3.  Madoka Kaname must make the final decision… Will she become a Magical Girl despite knowing all the risks involved?

For anime fans who grew up with magical girl (majo shojo) anime series, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” combines the sweet characters that many fans expect from a magical girl series, but this time around, also a darker and more tragic storyline.

Created in 2011, the anime TV series known as “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is produced by Shaft and Aniplex.

The 12-episode anime TV series would feature a talented working staff which included director Akiyuki Shinbo (“Hidamari Sketch”, “Dance in the Vampire Bund”, “Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko”) and series composition by Gen Urobuchi (“Fate/Zero”, “Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom”~, “Blassreiter”). Music composition is by Yuki Kajiura (“.hack” series, “Noir”, “My-HiME”, “Mobile Suit Gundam Seed”, “Fate/Zero”), character design by Takahiro Kishida (“Noein – to your other self”, “Macross Zero”, “Durarara!!”) and background art by Kunhiko Inaba (“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”, “C-Control – The Money and Soul of Possibility”).

The series was well-received and it won the Television Award at the 16th Animation Kobe Awards, it won 12 NewType Anime Awards and also won the Grand Prize for animation in the 2011 Japan Media Awards.

When the series streamed on the Japanese video streaming site Nico Nico Douga in June 2011, it surpassed the previous record held by Lucky Star (at 570,000 viewers) with around 1 million viewers. Also, the first Blu-ray for “Puella Magica Madoka Magica” broke the record of “Bakemonogatari” by selling 53,000 copies in its first week, 22,000 copies on its first day.

The popularity of the series eventually led to a manga series, a Sony PSP video game released in March 2012 and also, a three-film project that is in the works.

In the United States, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” Vol. 1-2 was released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Aniplex. And in June 2012, the final third volume featuring episodes 9-12 will be released.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” Summary

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is a series about a young teenager named Madoka Kaname. She’s 14-years-old and comes from a loving family.  She loves hanging out with her best friend Sayaka Miki and Hitomi Shizuki.

But lately, Madoka has been having nightmares. A dark world filled with destruction and she watches these girls in battle. As she watches and wishes they would be stopped, she is told by an extra terrestrial known as Kyubey that Madoka can stop it if she makes a contract with him and become a “Magical Girl”.

Meanwhile, a new girl named Akemi Homura has transferred to Madoka’s school and during her introduction in class, she gives Madoka a hateful glance. Homura quickly becomes popular in school and excels in academics and athletics.

When she meets Madoka, Madoka tells her about her love for her family and friends and Homura responds by telling her her not to change.

One day, while Madoka and Sayaka were at a music store, Madoka hears a plea for help and she is led to a dark warehouse and finds a Kyubey that is hurt. She then sees Homura and is frightened that she is about to hurt it. Immediately, Sayaka comes to Madoka’s aid.

As the two are running away, both are whisked into a magical world where they meet a other magical girls such as  Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura.  But when one of them is tragically killed, the death affects both Madoka and Sayaka and with the prodding of Kyubey, one of them becomes a magical girl.

Magical Girls receive a soul gem which gives them their power. The contract of becoming a magical girl states that a girl will get one wish in exchange for her using magic to fight against witches (which are evil entities born from magical girls who have fallen into despair and failed to purify their soul gem). Each battle features a large amount of risk and during these fights, typically one dies.

Homura for some reason is trying her best to prevent Madoka from accepting the contract in becoming a magical girl but one of them has chosen the path to become a magical girl but also finds out quickly, that if one harbors too much negative energy, they can easily be consumed by it and be turned into a witch.

Volume 3 of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”

With the final volume of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, tragedy happens once again and Madoka is not sure if she can take any more of it.  Kyubey finally reveals the true reason why he wants Madoka to become a magical girl and also the secret is revealed in regards to the wishes that magical girls are promised.  It is also revealed why Homura has been trying to prevent Madoka from being a magical girl.

It leads to Madoka’s final decision… Will she become a magical girl knowing the risks? Or will Homura succeed in protecting Madoka and preventing her from becoming one?

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” features the following characters:

• Madoka Kaname – A caring teenager who loves her family, loves hanging out with her friends and enjoying life. But lately, she has been having nightmares about witches and one of girls from her dream, a girl named Akemi Homura, shows up to her school.  From this point on, Madoka Kaname learns about the role of a magical girl but also the challenge that awaits them.  With the prodding by an extra terrestrial named Kyubey to become a magical girl, will she do so?
• Akemi Homura – A new transfer to Madoka’s school and a teenager trying to prevent Madoka from becoming a magical girl.  For what reason is Homura going to great lengths of protecting Madoka?
• Sayaka Miki – Madoka Kaname’s best friend and a girl who is in love with a boy who is ill.  She knows that being a magical girl, she can be granted one wish.  Will she do it?
• Mami Tomoe – The first magical girl to befriend Madoka and Sayaka and the first magical girl tragedy that both Madoka and Sayaka had to experience.  A kindhearted person.
• Kyoko Sakura – A magical girl who is constantly hungry and befriends Sayaka.  Kyoko learned how making a wish can always backfire, as she wished for her father, a preacher, to gain more followers.  Instead it led to her father’s insanity with tragic consequences for her entire family.
• Kyubey – An extra terrestrial who tries to get young girls to become magical girls.  Those who form a contract with him will get one wish but in return, they must defeat witches that feed upon the hopes and dreams of people.  But there is more to Kyubey and overtime, Madoka learns the true intention of the Kyubey came to Earth.  Kyubey’s do not have emotions, so they do not understand the feelings of the girls they come in contact with.  There only main intention is to have girls become magical girls.

VIDEO:

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is presented in 1080p High Definition and is presented in 16:9 LB. I have to admit that Shaft and Aniplex have done a fantastic job in this series. For one, the amount of detail for the art backgrounds is incredible.

A lot of time obviously went into creating the atmosphere of this TV Series and I have to give Takahiro Kishida (the character designer) and Kunihiko Inaba a lot of credit for the visual presentatio of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica. As for character designs, the character designs manage to keep with the “majo shojo” theme of characters looking young, even the older characters looking young. But they are nicely drawn, good amount shading and also at times showing a sketched look.

Typically, most TV series tend to focus on trees, skies, clouds and buildings but with “”Puella Magica Madoka Magica”, a lot of thought went into the series from objects, wallpaper (even Mami’s wall-paper was designed and not just a straight painted background). You see the changes during the day and night, you can see sunset with the orange sky illuminating the area,the magical world with its creative and artistic design.

And overall, these colors really pop via HD. Reds and pinks, greens…they come are absolutely vibrant. Comparisons between the Blu-ray and DVD are mostly in the vibrancy of the colors in HD, while things look a bit softer for the DVD version.

Black levels are nice and deep, the series features vibrant colors galore. If anything, the picture quality for “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is very good considering this is anime TV series. Anime fans should be happy with the overall visual presentation on Blu-ray.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Puella Magica Madoka Magica” is presented in Japanese and English Linear PCM Stereo and subtitles are in English. While I would have hoped for a 5.1 soundtrack (as I would have loved to have more immersion with the surround channels and LFE), most anime TV series aren’t and are presented in stereo. Still, fans should be happy that two linear PCM tracks are included. They are front-channel driven and for the most part, dialogue and sound effects are quite clear and understandable.

The voice acting on both the Japanese and English soundtracks are well-done. I was expecting the Japanese soundtrack to feature high-pitch voices considering this is a magical girl series, but they kept the voices to the ages of Madoka and friends as 14-year-olds and older. Voice actress Aoi Yuki (“The World God Only Knows”, “Persona 4: The Animation”, “Dance in the Vampire Bund”) takes on the more emotional role as Madoka and her voice acting is wonderful as we see her going through various degrees of emotions from happiness to sadness. But for vol. 2, these are Sayaka-driven episodes and voice actress Ai Nonaka (“Air”, “Negima!?”, “R.O.D. – The TV”) has to play a wide-range of emotions like Aoi Yuki but also a more twisted version of the character as well.

English voice acting was well-done. Similar to the Japanese voices, Christine Marie Cabanos and Lauren Landa had to be much more emotional in these episodes and both voice actresses do a wonderful job for their characters.

And as mentioned in my last review, what stands out the most for me in the TV series is the wonderful musical soundtrack by Yuki Kajiura.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 3″ comes with the following special features:

• Textless Ending – Textless ending.

EXTRAS:

Aniplex is a Japanese company that is well-known for their anime releases but also for giving fans wonderful additions with the limited edition releases.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 3 – Limited Edition Box Set” comes with the following:

• 3 Discs – Blu-ray, DVD and the original soundtrack

This third soundtrack (which was originally released with vol. 6 of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” in Japan) comes with the following tracks:

1. Numquam vincar    2:07
2. Quamobrem?    1:31
3. Cor destructum    1:28
4. Surgam identidem    3:36
5. Confessio    1:49
6. Sagitta luminis    5:43
7. Nux Walpurgis    2:34
8. Cubilulum album    2:19
9. Taenia memoriae    2:11
10. La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin    2:34
11. Symposium magarum    1:47
12. Pergo pugnare    2:19
13. コネクト -ゲームインスト-    1:34

• Deluxe Collector’s Slipcase
• Reversible 2-sided cover for BD/DVD case
• 2-sided cover for Soundtrack CD case
• 24-page booklet: Staff and voice actor interviews, character designs, special 4-panel manga by aokiume and art gallery by INUCURRY! (and more!)
• Exclusive 2-sided posters
• Exclusive postcards of “preview Illustrations” from episodes 9-11

Having watched the first eight episodes of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, it has been quite interesting to see how emotional and dark this series had turned out to be.

Typically, there is a banality that is seen with magical girl anime shows.  And while most are sweet, cute and lighthearted, in addition to each episode having some type of resolution at the end, this is not the case with “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”.

With this anime series, there is a continuing storyline that revolves around the character of Madoka, as she experiences the pain of watching people she cares about, meeting a tragic end or in a lot of pain.

The writers have made sure that with every four episodes, there is something learned about the life of a magical girl.  And with each lesson learned, it usually takes place after tragedy.

In the first volume, Madoka learns that these battles against the witches are not easy.  And she doesn’t quite understand why Akemi Homura is often trying to protect her, nor does she know why she has a cold demeanor.  But she did learn how tragic things can be for a magical girl.

In the second volume, with the death of Mami, Sayaka who wants one of her wishes granted, decides to become a magical girl herself.  But unfortunately, unlike Madoka who has a pure heart, Sayaka is a person that has despair in her soul and these negative emotions start to build up within her, to the point that her soul gem begins to darken.

The lesson learned is that even magical girl can easily become a witch because of the despair within them and further causing harm to their soul gem.  In the case of Sayaka, she becomes the witch known as Oktavia von Seckendorff and unfortunately, there is no sparing her life.  A witch will do all it takes to kill a magical girl and the magical girl must beat the witch in order to survive.

So, unfortunately, there is no positive way out.  And as Madoka grows tired of the killing, the emotional pain, she must make a decision.  Will she accept Kyubey’s request to be a magical girl, knowing the risks?  Or will Akemi Homura find a way to protect her?

With the third volume, writer Gen Urobuchi was able to craft a continuing storyline that slowly builds up to a magnificent finale.  Definitely an ending unlike any other magical girl anime series that I have seen before and for the most part, the efficacy of the storyline is greatly due to a finale that I never expected to happen.  So, I was greatly pleased of how the overall anime series turned out and how things concluded with this sereis.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” turned out to be a wonderful series with great attention to character development but also a storyline that is fresh, unique and captivating.

As for the Blu-ray release, once again, production quality is fantastic, colorful and picture quality is very good for an anime TV series. The lossless soundtrack is Linear PCM Stereo and most series in Japan are released in stereo and while I would love to hear a lossless immersive soundtrack for “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, dialogue is still crystal clear, as are the effects but most notably, for its wonderful music soundtrack.

And of course, with the limited edition, Aniplex returns with as many wonderful extras that the first limited edition came with. From a beautiful second soundtrack to cool postcards, poster and an informative booklet (and much more), fans of “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” will find this third volume limited edition to be another must-own release.  Actually, I felt that all three limited editions are must-own releases!

Overall, “Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 3 – Limited Edition Box Set”, is another home run for Aniplex. The storyline is just as captivating and addictive as the last volume but also a bit more emotional and dark. And like the previous two volumes, it’s another perfect release for Aniplex.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica Vol. 3 – Limited Edition Box Set” is highly recommended!

Purchase this title from Rightstuf

Blue Exorcist Vol. 4 (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

The exciting, action-packed finale of “Blue Exorcist” is here!   Twin brothers, Rin and Yukio must join forces in confronting their demonic father, Satan!  Will both survive this incredible battle?  Find out in volume 4 of “Blue Exorcist”!  Highly recommended!

PLEASE PURCHASE THIS ANIME SERIES FROM RIGHTSTUF

Image courtesy of © 2009 by Kazue Kato/SHUEISHA, Blue Exorcist Committee, MBS. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Blue Exorcist Vol. 4

DURATION: Episodes 20-25 (150 minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0, 16:9 LB, Dolby Digital

COMPANY: Aniplex Inc.

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2012

Based on the manga by Kazue Kato

Directed by Tensai Okamura

Series Composition by Ryota Yamaguchi

Music by Hiroyuki Sawano

Character Design by Keigo Sasaki

Art Director: Masatoshi Kai

Chief Animation Director: Keigo Sasaki

Anime Production: A-1 Pictures

Featuring the following voice talent:

Jun Fukuyama as Yukio Okumura

Kana Hanazawa as Shiemi Moriyama

Kazuya Nakai as Ryūji Suguro

Nobuhiko Okamoto as Rin Okumura

Ayahi Takagaki as Kuro

Eri Kitamura as Izumo Kamiki

Hiroshi Kamiya as Mephisto Pheles

Keiji Fujiwara as Shirō Fujimoto

Koji Yusa as Renzō Shima

Rina Satou as Shura Kirigakure

Tetsuya Kakihara as Amaimon

Yuuki Kaji as Konekomaru Miw

“Assiah, the realm of humans, and Gehenna, the realm of demons. Normally, these two dimensions would never intersect, but having possessed all material substances, the demons are now intruding on the material world. But among the human race, there are those who can exorcise such demons.” - the Exorcists.

Amidst all the turmoil in True Cross Academy, an elderly man named Ernst appears, saying he is the grandfather of Yukio and Rin. Mephisto is dismissed from his post as director of True Cross Academy and the Grigori, are ousted as well, paving the way for Ernst to become Pope. As Ernst schemes to invoke the Gehenna Gate by sacrificing Rin, hordes of demons are spilling out of the gate. Yukio and Rin head towards the gate to protect their beloved friends and the world!

It’s the battle that “Blue Exorcist” fans have been waiting for… Rin and Yukio and True Cross Academy vs. their father Satan.  And also the backstory is revealed of Rin and Yuko’s human mother and how she died.  All this and more in the final volume 4 of “Blue Exorcist”!

So, What is “Blue Exorcist”?

“Ao no Exorcist” (Blue Exorcist) is an anime adaptation of a manga series written and illustrated by Kazue Kato, a mangaka who won a Tenkaichi Manga Award back in 1999 at the age of 19 and won a Tezuka Award in 2000 for his manga “The Witch and the Rabbit”. Kato is also known for his 2006 manga series “Robot Usakichi” (Space Traveler Robo & Usakichi).

“Blue Exorcist” was serialized on Jump Square Magazine by Shueisha since April 2009 and is still an ongoing manga series (as of January 2012, there have been a total of 30 chapters released).

With the popularity of the manga series, an anime adaptation was produced by A-1 Pictures with Hitoshi Okamura as the producer. The series began back in April 2011 and 25-episodes have aired in Japan. And now the second volume of “Blue Exorcist” will be released on DVD courtesy of Aniplex.

The anime series revolves around a hotheaded teenager named Rin Okumura. Both he and his brother Yukio have been raised by Father Fujimoto at the Cross Academy Town – Southern Cross Boys Monastery. While Yuki shows great intelligence and is attending school at True Cross Academy to become a doctor, Rin is quite the opposite. He tends to get himself in trouble, fights a lot and is continually told by Father Fujimoto to find a job.

Unfortunately for Rin, finding and holding onto a job is difficult. But one day, while working at a supermarket, he sees a monster in a girl’s scarf. He tells Father Fujimoto of what he has seen and Father Fujimoto starts to fear that something is happening. One day, Rin encounters a group of thugs and its leader that he had beaten up earlier and suddenly sees him turn into a demon. The demon tells Rin that satan is waiting for him and immediately, Father Fujimoto is there to save him and exorcise the demon. Fortunately, Father Fujimoto is there to help but it is all revealed to Rin about why he can see monsters.

It’s the fact that he is not truly human. He is the son of a human woman and satan. And the monsters he have seen, it is explained to Rin that in the world, there is Assiah, the realm of humans, and Gehenna, the realm of demons. Both are not supposed to come in contact with each other but they have and as an exorcist, it is his duty to send the demons back to where they belong. And satan wants to reunite with his son.

To protect Rin, Father Fujimoto gives him the Kamkakushi key, so he can hide anything. And he is also given the Koma Sword, a magic sword passed down from generation to generation and a sword where Rin’s powers have been sealed since birth. Rin’s flame resides inside the sword and is sealed by the scabbard. If he draws it, he will assume his demonic nature and will never be able to live as a human again.

One day, he and Father Fujimoto try to prepare for an imminent attack and tells Rin that he must seek shelter where satan can’t get to him but Rin takes it as his father trying to get rid of him forever. In return, Rin said some hurtful things to Father Fujimoto and the pain that Father Fujimoto felt was enough for satan, the demon to possess him.

Satan shows up to claim his son and attacks Father Fujimoto. Satan reveals that he created Rin from a human woman in order to create a container that would be powerful enough to hold him.

But it’s something that Father Fujimoto will not let happen to the boy, he looked at as a son. In order to save Rin, Father Fujimoto risks his own life to keep satan away and is killed in the process.

Now Rin mourns for the one person he knew as his father and when Mephisto Pheles, a friend of Father Fujimoto comes to visit, he tells him that they represent the Knights of the True Cross and they exorcise demons. And Rin has two choices, they will kill him, or he kills the demons. Instead, Rin tells him that he could care less about being human or a demon, he wants to become an exorcist like Father Fujimoto and avenge him and that means defeating his own father.

So, from that point on, Rin must be trained to become an exorcist and will have to follow special rules (which includes not revealing his true nature). But the first thing that he will need to do is enroll at the same school that his brother Yukio attends. When Rin sees his brother, Yukio is in the top of the class and that he is a special leader that people follow at the school and he is no longer the scrawny younger brother he once knew.

As Rin is now a student at the Knights of the True Cross, many of the elders are not too thrilled because Rin is the son of Satan and because Rin tends to be more of a hothead, they are not too sure if he can fit into the Academy. But Rin is determined to make good on his promise to his deceased father and to protect people, but most of all, to kill satan.

With volume 2 of “Blue Exorcist”, the story continues as Rin continues to study along with his classmates and each are trying to be Esquires, in order to take on various missions. But others at the Academy and the higher ups want to test Rin and find out if he is a person that can be taught and eventually fight with the other exorcists in defeating demons and satan himself.

While people question a demon being an exorcist, for Rin, he makes a goal that one day, he will become a Paladin (highest level of exorcism) like his adoptive father, Father Shiro and prove that because he is satan’s son, that having a caring father like Shiro can make a big change in the life of a person, even if they are a demon.

And now in volume 3 of “Blue Exorcist”, with the Demon King of Earth, Amaimon making his attack against Rin and friends during training, there is no way Rin can hide his secret. He will need to draw the Kurikara sword and turn into demon form in order to fight and defend his friends. But by using this sword, Rin can lose control in a very bad way!  It was also revealed in volume three that Rin’s twin brother Yukio, who was assumed to not have any of satan’s traits, has now developed it.

And now, all is revealed in the latest, final fourth volume of “Blue Exorcist” as Yukio would do anything to protect his twin brother Rin, but not knowing that a conspiracy within True Cross Academy is leading him to not protect his brother, but actually sacrificing him.

Meanwhile, as Yukio is developing satan’s traits, satan looks to use Yukio as his vessel.  This leads to Yukio learning the truth about how his mother was killed and more!

Volume four features the final battle between the Okumura brothers who must take on their father, but will they have enough power to do so!?

“Blue Exorcist” features the following characters:

• Rin Okamura – The main protagonist. The son of Satan but born from a human mother. He and his brother Yukio are twins but he inherited his father’s powers. Rin’s power was sealed inside a sword by Mephisto Pheles, so he can live a human life. Rin was raised by the priest Shiro Fujimoto as normal humans with compassion and love. Despite getting into a lot of trouble and his abilities tend to be more of fighting or cooking, since discovering his power and identity, he vows to use his power to avenge his adoptive father Shiro Fujimoto’s death and defeat Satan. He vows to attend True Cross Academy and do all it takes to become a Paladin and a “Meister” (Knight). Rin also has taken in a dog demon (Cat Sith) which he names Kuro.
• Yukio Okamura – The son of Satan but born from a human mother. Unlike Rin he did not inherit Satan’s powers. Known as the intellectual person of the family, unbeknown to Rin was that he has been secretly trained to become an exorcist since the age of seven in order to protect his brother. So, now he is an instructor at True Cross Academy and responsible for looking after his brother. But he harbors a secret…dark spots are starting to appear on his body which Yukio has told no one about, despite being tested daily if Satan’s power is in him.
• Mephisto Pheles – The Chairman of True Cross Academy. He and Shiro Fujimoto worked together in order to seal Rin’s power and make him human. Mephisto is a powerful exorcist but because he is a demon, many do not believe him while others believe he has proven he is on the side to fight against Satan.
• Ryuji Suguro – Also known as “Bon” to his classmates. He has a high temper and is often fighting and arguing with Rin. But despite his attitude, he is the best student in the class and dedicated to his studies. Part of his drive is because Satan destroyed his family temple.
• Shiemi Moriyama – The daughter of a woman who runs an exorcist-only shop. She lacks confidence and she is quite sheltered (having lived with her grandmother and her only friends were plants) but when given the chance to meet and make friends at True Cross Academy, being in school gives her a new lease on life. It appears that both Rin and Yukio may have feelings towards her. Shiemi is a tamer and can summon a greenman spirit to produce herbs and barriers.
• Izumo Kamiki – She always has a cold attitude and known for her eyebrows. The only friend she is close to is her best friend Paku but slowly (very slowly), she is starting to befriend her classmates. She can summon two Baykko (foxes) to fight.
• Konkomaru Miwa – Very smart but very shy. He is the strategist and is loyal to his best friend Ryuji and Renzo, since they grew up at the same temple that was destroyed. His parents were killed by Satan.
• Renzo Shima – Carefee, loves to flirt with girls (especially Paku and Izumi) but has a major phobia of insects. He also grew up with Ryuji and Konekomaru. Renzo carries a K’rik staff to fight.
• Shura Kirigakure – The carefree, hardly wears anything, loves alcohol, upper first class exorcist who was asked by priest Shiro Fujimoto to train Rin and help him become a “Meister”. She can draw a demon sword from her chest and stomach and is an excellent fighter.
• Shiro Fujimoto – The priest of Southern Cross Monastery who raised both Yukio and Rin as a loving father. He is a Paladin in the True Cross Order and was the strongest exorcist. Was thought to be the only man who could not be possessed by Satan but after an argument with Rin (and Rin saying some hurtful things) which shocked Shiro, it was enough time for Satan to possess Shiro. In order to protect himself from hurting Rin and Yukio, Shiro sacrificed himself.

“Blue Exorcist Vol. 4″ features episodes 20-25 on one DVD. Here is a spoiler-less summary of each episode:

• EPISODE 20 – Mask - Someone with a mask has attacked the monastery.  Who is the masked individual?
• EPISODE 21 – The Secret Garden – Yukio is involved in a secret meeting with Ernst Frederik Egin, a man who claims to be his grandfather and shows him top secret plans to fight against satan.
• EPISODE 22 – Demon Hunting – Ernst Frederik Egin becomes the new leader of True Cross Academy and Yukio is promoted as Paladin.  But Ernst shows his true intentions of why he needed Yukio.
• EPISODE 23 – Truth – Satan reveals the truth to Yukio of how his mother was killed and who was responsible.
• EPISODE 24 – Satan’s Spawn – Rin and friends vs. Satan.
• EPISODE 25 – Stop, Time – Rin and Yukio take on their father, satan.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Blue Exorcist” is presented in 16:9 lb and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 with English subtitles. The anime production is well-done. The surrounding environments are well-detailed, painted nicely, while the character designs are vibrant, clear and I wouldn’t be surprised if this series is given the Blu-ray treatment in the near future because it looks very good on DVD.

If anything, character designer Keigo Sasaki (“Night Raid 1931″, “Sengoku Basara”) does a great job of bringing the characters from Kazue Kato’s manga series to life, while art director Masatoshi Kai (“Akira”, “Dead Girls”, “Earthian”, “Red Garden”) did a wonderful job in bringing the series to life with the scenery and painted backgrounds.

I’m pretty impressed of how this anime looks visually.  And I wouldn’t be surprised if Aniplex gave this series the Blu-ray treatment in the near future!

As for audio, the stereo audio is clear coming from the front channels. I personally had my receiver set to stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack. But dialogue is understandable and English subtitles are easy to read.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Blue Exorcist, Vol. 4″ features the following special features:

• URA-EX (Bonus Short Movies) – Featuring three short omake anime stories (about 1:25 per omake) that are shown after an episode is completed.
• Web Previews – Featuring the “next episode” web previews voiced by various demon characters (about 17 seconds each).
• Textless OP#2 – Blue Exorcist opening theme without text.
• Textless ED#2 - Blue Exorcist ending theme without text.
• Aniplex Trailers

EXTRAS:

“Blue Exorcist” Vol. 4 comes with a slipcover case, 2-sided reversible cover, exclusive 2-sided poster and an O-sleeve with key visual art.

As I finished watching the final episode of the “Blue Exorcist” anime series, I have to say that the “Blue Exorcist” storyline was very good and with only eight volumes of the manga series having been printed, hopefully Kazue Kato continues the series and eventually giving fans of the series some hope that there will be a possibility of a second series.

The series has been developed quite well in terms of storyline pacing, animation, voice acting and just overall enjoyment.  The third volume was exciting because we got to see more of Rin’s friends involved in the fight against the demons but most importantly, seeing that the straight-laced Yukio has been hiding a major secret, that his demon powers were awakening.

While there was an emphasis on showcasing Rin and friends in previous episodes, the storyline comes full circle in the fact that it comes back to the main two characters, Rin and his younger twin brother Yukio and the fact that they will be going up against their father, satan.

But as one would expect a banal storyline of satan being the ultimate evil, once we get to know more about Rin and Yukio’s human mother, we realize that Satan and the woman were indeed in love and also one of the main reasons why satan is trying to attempt in gaining a vessel.  Also, how Shiro was given the duty of raising both Rin and Yukio.  This was an intriguing backstory and you feel for the Rin and Yukio’s mother because she was a compassionate woman, trying to understand how one side could hate something.  Wondering if they even gave the demon a chance?  In her mind, perhaps humans and demons can co-exist, because she was able to see a good side of things.

But as she sided with satan, she also saw the ugly side of humanity, which even fed the rage to satan and its understandable as religions have shown the fight against evil and to do all that is possible to stop it.  And in this case, despite Rin and Yuki being raised with love and dedicate their lives to fight demons, there are those who believed that no matter how different the twins were raised, as long as they are the children of satan, they are evil.

So, these final episodes were rather intriguing and as expected, action-packed.  And for fans of the series who have stuck through volumes 1-3, the final volume 4 was overall awesome!  And I wouldn’t be surprised if you craved for more episodes.

As for the overall series, the character designs are actually pretty cool, especially the costume designs for the characters. Also, the art backgrounds for this series is nicely detailed and range from pastels to really vibrant colors. Something you typically don’t see in a TV Series.

“Blue Exorcist” has a good balance of humor, action and an interesting concept in balance with awesome animation and beautiful art backgrounds. While the action may be it a bit too visual for younger anime viewers (as this is suggested for 13 and up), for fans of action-based anime or manga series such as “Naruto” and “Bleach” will find “Blue Exorcist” to their liking.

Overall, “Blue Exorcist” turned out to be a wonderful, action-packed series that I highly recommend!

PLEASE PURCHASE THIS ANIME SERIES FROM RIGHTSTUF or BANDAI ENT. ONLINE STORE

Shiki: Part Two (A J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

The second half of “Shiki”, the roles are reversed as the humans fight back against the vampires.  But which side will you be more sympathetic towards?  Overall, “Shiki” has turned out to be an enjoyable, dark and violent series that fans of that genre will enjoy.  Recommended!

Images courtesy of ©2012 FUNimation Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Shiki: Part Two

DURATION: Episodes 13-22 (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition 16×9 HD Native, Dolby TrueHD English 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD Japanese 2.0, Subtitles: English

RATED: TV MA

COMPANY: Aniplex/FUNimation Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2012

Originally Created by Fuyumi Ono

Directed by Tetsuro Amino

Series Composition by Kenji Sugihara

Music by Yasuharu Takanashi

Created by Fuyumi Ono

Manga by Ryu Fujisaki

Character Design by Shinji Ochi

Art Director: Ichirou Tatsuta

Anime Production by Daume

Featuring the voices of:

Kazuyuki Okitsu/John Burgmeier as Seishin Muroi

Kouki Uchiyama/Jerry Jewell as Natsuno Yūki

Toru Ohkawa/David Wald as Toshio Ozaki

Ai Orikasa/Lydia Mackay as Chizuru Kirishiki

Aoi Yūki/Cherami Leigh as Sunako Kirishiki

Ayano Ishikawa as Azusa Koide (Natsuno’s mother)

Gackt/J. Michael Tatum as Seishirō Kirishiki

Haruka Nagashima as Kaori Tanaka

Haruka Tomatsu/Tia Ballard as Megumi Shimizu

Keiko Kawakami/Luci Christian as Akira Tanaka

Nobuhiko Okamoto/Chris Burnett as Tōru Mutō

Nozomi Sasaki as Ritsuko Kunihiro

Shinya Takahashi/Todd Haberkorn as Masao Murasako

Wataru Takagi/Ian Sinclair as Tatsumi

Yuko Mizutani as Kyouko Ozaki

When citizens of a secluded village begin dying off in alarming numbers, the sole hospital’s head doctor tries desperately to save his patients – but his efforts are in vain. Entire families are wiped out while others desert their homes. All hell breaks loose as the villagers discover their loved ones’ corpses are rising from the grave with an insatiable thirst for human blood. Who is safe when the urge to kill in order to survive blurs the line between man and monster?

Dark, eerie, scary…these are are words that some have used to describe Fuyumi Ono’s horror novel “Shiki”.

A story that would lead to a manga adaptation featuring artwork drawn by Ryu Fujisaki and serialized in the magazine “Jump SQ” from December 2007-2011, the popularity of the series would lead to an anime TV series in 2010 produced by anime studio, Daume (best known for “Onegai Teacher!”). The series also caught a lot of attention when Japanese rock star Gackt announced he would voice one of the characters in the series.

And now the series will be released on Blu-ray and DVD (in two parts) in May 2012 courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment.

What is “Shiki” About?

“Shiki” (which translates to “Corpse Demon”) revolves around a small town known as Sotoba.

But dark things have been happening in Sotoba of late. Many people who have caught sickness and are now dying. There was a folk tale long ago that the village had many deaths due to okiagari (vampires) but it is looked only as an old tale that people today don’t take seriously.

Meanwhile, the main doctor in town, Toshi Ozaki is growing frustrated because each person he tries to help looks like they are suffering from anemia but later grow tired to the point that they die. Why are they dying? Is there an epidemic in town?

While scientifically, an epidemic may seem plausible but when teenager Natsuno Yuuki/Koide sees a former classmate that passed away, has risen from the dead, he tells Toshi Ozaki and both believe that perhaps the town is infested with okiagari…vampires or some type of demon who feeds on the living in the small town.

But are these rumors of the okiagari shiki true? But most importantly, can anyone stop it?

In the second half of “Shiki”, after having seen the vampires (okiagari) going after humans and literally increasing the body count.  We have seen a few people starting to know that there is no epidemic in the small village and also seeing the dead awaken and walking around town.

But how can these individuals such as Dr. Toshi Ozaki, Natsuno Yuki, the Tanaka siblings and others alert others that the okiagari exists.  As for now, without any solid proof, it’s hard to prove.  Meanwhile, Natsuno Yuki was targeted by the vampires and is now dying.  With Natsuno being one of the main people in the village to uncover the secret, what will happen now?

“Shiki” features the following characters:

• Natsuno Yuuki/Koide – The first protagonist of the series. Natsuno has a cold demeanor. Quiet and sometimes emotionless, Natsuno hates living in Sotoba and prefers living in the city. But because of his parents wanting a change of environment and become more creative, they moved away from the city to Sotoba for inspiration.
• Toshi Ozaki – The Dean and doctor of the local hospital, Toshi is a married man but is often working late. He resigned from a university hospital to take his father’s position and despite people bringing up his father, Toshio was not supportive of his mother or his father due to them putting the Ozaki family’s reputation before anything else. He slowly starts to grow frustrated as he tries to find out what is killing the people in the village.
• Sunako Kirishiki – A teenager girl who lives in the Kanemasa mansion with her family. She has a genetic disorder known as SLE and can only come out during the night time. She also exhibits these black filled eyes that resemble some of the vampires/demons.
• Seishi Muroi- A priest and author, he is currently working on a novel about “Shiki” and can detect actual shiki. He is good friends with Toshi Ozaki.
• Touro Mutou – The son of Takeshi Mutou, director of the Ozaki Clinic. He is the eldest in the family and he is good friends with Natsuno.
• Kaori Tanaka – A naive girl who thinks Megumi Shimizu is her best friend (despite Megumi disliking her). She and her younger brother Akira are among the few that believe the area is infested with okiagari shiki and hopes people will believe them.
• Tatsumi – He is the servant to the Kirishiki family but also a special vampire “Jinrou” that can withstand sunlight and is quite powerful. He leads the Shiki.

VIDEO:

“Shiki” is presented in 1080p High Definition and the anime studio Daume has done a wonderful job in character design and art backgrounds. Typically anime studios are on a time restraint and are working on multiple anime series at a time but Daume is one of the few studios that tend to put all their focus onto a single series at a time.

The art backgrounds are lush and beautiful, homes and overall village structures are well-detailed and the character designs are actually quite stylish and with colors that support the darker anime feel but also a colors that look absolutely vibrant at times.

With that being said, the anime series still has a softness (that most anime TV series has) and one should not expect OVA or film quality type of anime, but still this is a series that looks fantastic with its detail of structures and interior of homes. “Shiki” definitely looks very good!

AUDIO:

“Shiki” is presented in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese DolbyTrue HD 2.0. This is an anime series that primarily focuses on dialogue and if there are action sequences, the action is quick. But the series does make up in ambiance. You’ll hear like insects flying, heartbeats, wind, cars passing by and everything that one can expect in a rural village. If anything, the series utilizes a spooky ambiance and sound effects to freak viewers out. The English soundtrack has more dynamic range but when it comes to voice acting, both are well-done.

The biggest standout for this series is the music. The musical soundtrack by Yasuharu Takanashi is fantastic, especially the opening and ending theme of the series.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Shiki: Part Two” comes with the following special features:

• Episode 18 Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by Mike McFarland (Line Producer, ADR Director, voice of Yuki), Ian Sinclair (voice of Tatsumi), J. Michael Tatum (voice of Seishiro) and Lydia Mackay (voice of Chizuru).
  
• Episode 22 Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by Mike McFarland (Line Producer, ADR Director, voice of Yuki), Cherami Leigh (voice of Sunako), John Burgmeier (voice of Seishin) and David Wald (voice of Toshio).
• Preview Featurette Vol. 05 – (1:46) The original Japanese DVD Volume preview for Vol. 5.
• Preview Featurette Vol. 06 – (1:46) The original Japanese DVD Volume previews for Vol. 6.
• Preview Featurette Vol. 07 – (1:16) The original Japanese DVD Volume previews for Vol. 7.
  
• Preview Featurette Vol. 08 – (1:14) The original Japanese DVD Volume previews for Vol. 8.
• Preview Featurette Vol. 09 – (:39) The original Japanese DVD Volume previews for Vol. 9.
• Textless Opening Song – Calendula Requiem
  
• Textless Closing Songs – Gekka-Reijin
  
• TRAILERS – FUNimation Entertainment trailers

EXTRAS:

“Shiki: Part Two” comes with both the Blu-ray and DVD of episodes 13-22.

There have been a few dark, creepy anime that has made it to America within the last five years. And similar to the United States, even Japan has had its share of anime series incorporating vampires to a storyline.

But what makes “Shiki” so unique is that it doesn’t retain the banality of the usual vampire storyline. This is not a series about a group of teenagers unleashing a counterattack against the vampires, nor is this a storyline about a vampire or human falling in love. This is a story about a rural Japanese town in which the vampires plan to eradicate all humanity and literally turn everyone into a vampire.

Each time we were introduced to a character, you would expect that this character would be a main character in the storyline, but beginning with the first episode, viewers quickly learn that each character is essentially going to be a victim. In some way, it reminded me of “Boogiepop Phantom”, a darker anime series from 2000 that seemed every character introduced, their livelihoods were futile.

But what makes the anime series work is that we get to meet these villagers, learn of their quirks and if anything, feel comfortable with each and everyone of them…that is until the okiagari begin to target them.

The same can be said with “Shiki” as the townspeople think that people are dying of an epidemic, while very few people suspect that a new family that has moved to the area is responsible. And sure enough, when people start to see old friends who have died, walking around, what do you do? How you can fight against these reborn monsters?

The first half of the series focused on the deaths of many in the village and the discovery by Natsuno Yuuki, Toshio Ozaki and brother and sister, Kaori and Akira Tanaka discovering that there is no epidemic but deaths caused by the okiagari (vampire). And to make things worst, there appears to be no defense against them. They keep rising and they are growing by the numbers. Also, it doesn’t help that there are specialized vampires such as Tatsumi who can withstand the sunlight and literally use his charm to get people to let him into their homes and thus leading to a person’s quick death.

The second half of the series, the roles are reversed dramatically.  We knew that the people of the village were starting to find out about the vampires, we knew that Natsuno and Toshio Ozaki had to do something.  And that something begins with this second half of the series.

We have seen the perspective of the humans, the second half gives us a glimpse of the vampires.  While some seem vicious, those of the village who were brought back as vampires struggle with their past human feelings of caring for an individual, wanting to be with a person or their family but unfortunately, because of what they are, they crave blood and when they don’t feed, that is when the vampire takes over their body and literally makes them to vicious monsters.

Unfortunately, without spoiling the series, there is not much that I can say but that everything you watched in the first half of the series and made you sympathetic towards the humans, your perspective may change as you get to see other side of things.  Especially learning of the history of certain individuals.  But for those who have been wanting to see humanity fight back, will then you’re going to love what happens in the second half of the series.

And if there is anything that I can say is that the violence and bloodshed will increase dramatically with each episode and for those who have a low tolerance towards blood, you have been warned… as this series gets bloodier and bloodier with each episode.

Also, don’t forget to watch what happens after the ending credits of the final episode.

As for the Blu-ray release, Daume, an anime studio who usually doesn’t rush into anime production has once again done a fantastic job with this series. With most TV series, many anime studios are typically hampered by multiple projects they have to get to a television studio but with Daume, one of the few that tends to focus on a series and thus dedicates its staff into making wonderful looking anime series. Granted, the setting is the country and a lot of the backgrounds one will see are trees, fields, forests, etc. But they manage to put quite a bit of detail on their background art and also on the actual character designs which are quite stylish. Especially with the combination of dark to vibrant colors that really pop on Blu-ray. The voice acting is well-done on both lossless soundtracks and there are a few audio commentary tracks included.

Overall, It’s been a long while since I have watched an anime series so dark, eerie and where situations are so unexpected. And from this second half of “Shiki”, all I can say is that… I enjoyed this series a lot.  It’s quite violent and bloody but for those who are up to a very intense but enjoyable series featuring humans vs. vampires, will find “Shiki” to be a series worth watching.

Recommended for anime fans who enjoy violent, dark and eerie anime!

Shiki: Part One (A J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

It’s been a long while since I have watched an anime series so dark, eerie and where situations are so unexpected.  And from this first half of “Shiki”, all I can say is that… I’m loving every minute of it! 

Images courtesy of ©2012 FUNimation Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Shiki: Part One

DURATION: 12-Episodes (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition 16×9 HD Native, Dolby TrueHD English 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD Japanese 2.0, Subtitles: English

RATED: TV MA

COMPANY: Aniplex/FUNimation Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2012

Originally Created by Fuyumi Ono

Directed by Tetsuro Amino

Series Composition by Kenji Sugihara

Music by Yasuharu Takanashi

Created by Fuyumi Ono

Manga by Ryu Fujisaki

Character Design by Shinji Ochi

Art Director: Ichirou Tatsuta

Anime Production by Daume

Featuring the voices of:

Kazuyuki Okitsu/John Burgmeier as Seishin Muroi

Kouki Uchiyama/Jerry Jewell as Natsuno Yūki

Toru Ohkawa/David Wald as Toshio Ozaki

Ai Orikasa/Lydia Mackay as Chizuru Kirishiki

Aoi Yūki/Cherami Leigh as Sunako Kirishiki

Ayano Ishikawa as Azusa Koide (Natsuno’s mother)

Gackt/J. Michael Tatum as Seishirō Kirishiki

Haruka Nagashima as Kaori Tanaka

Haruka Tomatsu/Tia Ballard as Megumi Shimizu

Keiko Kawakami/Luci Christian as Akira Tanaka

Nobuhiko Okamoto/Chris Burnett as Tōru Mutō

Nozomi Sasaki as Ritsuko Kunihiro

Shinya Takahashi/Todd Haberkorn as Masao Murasako

Wataru Takagi/Ian Sinclair as Tatsumi

Yuko Mizutani as Kyouko Ozaki

When citizens of a secluded village begin dying off in alarming numbers, the sole hospital’s head doctor tries desperately to save his patients – but his efforts are in vain. Entire families are wiped out while others desert their homes. All hell breaks loose as the villagers discover their loved ones’ corpses are rising from the grave with an insatiable thirst for human blood. Who is safe when the urge to kill in order to survive blurs the line between man and monster?

Dark, eerie, scary…these are are words that some have used to describe Fuyumi Ono’s horror novel “Shiki”.

A story that would lead to a manga adaptation featuring artwork drawn by Ryu Fujisaki and serialized in the magazine “Jump SQ” from December 2007-2011, the popularity of the series would lead to an anime TV series in 2010 produced by anime studio, Daume (best known for “Onegai Teacher!”).  The series also caught a lot of attention when Japanese rock star Gackt announced he would voice one of the characters in the series.

And now the series will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in May 2012 courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment.

“Shiki” (which translates to “Corpse Demon”) revolves around a small town known as Sotoba.

But dark things have been happening in Sotoba of late.  Many people who have caught sickness and are now dying.  There was a folk tale long ago that the village had many deaths due to okiagari (vampires) but it is looked only as an old tale that people today don’t take seriously.

Meanwhile, the main doctor in town, Toshi Ozaki is growing frustrated because each person he tries to help looks like they are suffering from anemia but later grow tired to the point that they die.  Why are they dying? Is there an epidemic in town?

While scientifically, an epidemic may seem plausible but when teenager Natsuno Yuuki/Koide sees a former classmate that passed away, has risen from the dead, he tells Toshi Ozaki and both believe that perhaps the town is infested with okiagari…vampires or some type of demon who feeds on the living in the small town.

But are these rumors of the okiagari shiki  true?  But most importantly, can anyone stop it?

“Shiki” features the following characters:

• Natsuno Yuuki/Koide – The first protagonist of the series.  Natsuno has a cold demeanor.  Quiet and sometimes emotionless, Natsuno hates living in Sotoba and prefers living in the city.  But because of his parents wanting a change of environment and become more creative, they moved away from the city to Sotoba for inspiration.
• Toshi Ozaki – The Dean and doctor of the local hospital, Toshi is a married man but is often working late.  He resigned from a university hospital to take his father’s position and despite people bringing up his father, Toshio was not supportive of his mother or his father due to them putting the Ozaki family’s reputation before anything else.  He slowly starts to grow frustrated as he tries to find out what is killing the people in the village.
• Sunako Kirishiki – A teenager girl who lives in the Kanemasa mansion with her family.  She has a genetic disorder known as SLE and can only come out during the night time.  She also exhibits these black filled eyes that resemble some of the vampires/demons.
• Seishi Muroi- A priest and author, he is currently working on a novel about “Shiki” and can detect actual shiki.  He is good friends with Toshi Ozaki.
• Touro Mutou – The son of Takeshi Mutou, director of the Ozaki Clinic.  He is the eldest in the family and he is good friends with Natsuno.
• Kaori Tanaka – A naive girl who thinks Megumi Shimizu is her best friend (despite Megumi disliking her).  She and her younger brother Akira are among the few that believe the area is infested with okiagari shiki and hopes people will believe them.
• Tatsumi – He is the servant to the Kirishiki family but also a special vampire “Jinrou” that can withstand sunlight and is quite powerful.  He leads the Shiki.

VIDEO:

“Shiki” is presented in 1080p High Definition and the anime studio Daume has done a wonderful job in character design and art backgrounds.  Typically anime studios are on a time restraint and are working on multiple anime series at a time but Daume is one of the few studios that tend to put all their focus onto a single series at a time.

The art backgrounds are lush and beautiful, homes and overall village structures are well-detailed and the character designs are actually quite stylish and with colors that support the darker anime feel but also a colors that look absolutely vibrant at times.

With that being said, the anime series still has a softness (that most anime TV series has) and one should not expect OVA or film quality type of anime, but still this is a series that looks fantastic with its detail of structures and interior of homes.  “Shiki” definitely looks very good!

AUDIO:

“Shiki” is presented in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and Japanese DolbyTrue HD 2.0.  This is an anime series that primarily focuses on dialogue and if there are action sequences, the action is quick.  But the series does make up in ambiance.  You’ll hear like insects flying, heartbeats, wind, cars passing by and everything that one can expect in a rural village.   If anything, the series utilizes a spooky ambiance and sound effects to freak viewers out.  The English soundtrack has more dynamic range but when it comes to voice acting, both are well-done.

The biggest standout for this series is the music. The musical soundtrack by Yasuharu Takanashi is fantastic, especially the opening and ending theme of the series.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Shiki: Part One” comes with the following special features:

• Episode 1 Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by Mike McFarland (Line Producer, ADR Director, voice of Yuki), Jerry Jewell (voice of Natsuno Yuki), David Wald (voice of Toshio Ozaki) and John Burgmeier (voice of Seishin).
  
• Episode 12 Commentary – Featuring audio commentary by Mike McFarland (Line Producer, ADR Director, voice of Yuki), Chris Burnett (voice of Toru), Tia Ballard (voice of Megumi) and Alexis Tipton (voice of Kaori).
• Preview Featurette Vol. 01 – (2:17) The original Japanese DVD Volume preview for Vol. 1.
• Preview Featurette Vol. 02 – (1:46) The original Japanese DVD Volume previews for Vol. 2.
• Preview Featurette Vol. 03 – (1:45) The original Japanese DVD Volume previews for Vol. 3.
  
• Preview Featurette Vol. 04 – (1:46) The original Japanese DVD Volume previews for Vol. 4.
• Textless Opening Song – Kuchizuke – (1:32) Featuring Buck-Tick’s theme song “Kuchizuke”.
• Textless Closing Songs – Walk no Yakusoku – (1:27)  Featuring Nangi’s ending theme “Walk no Yakusoku”.
• TRAILERS – FUNimation Entertainment trailers

EXTRAS:

“Shiki: Part One” comes with both the Blu-ray and DVD versions of episodes 1-12.

There have been a few dark, creepy anime that has made it to America within the last five years.  And similar to the United States, even Japan has had its share of anime series incorporating vampires to a storyline.

But what makes “Shiki” so unique is that it doesn’t retain the banality of the usual vampire storyline.  This is not a series about a group of teenagers unleashing a counterattack against the vampires, nor is this a storyline about a vampire or human falling in love.  This is a story about a rural Japanese town in which the vampires plan to eradicate all humanity and literally turn everyone into a vampire.

Each time we were introduced to a character, you would expect that this character would be a main character in the storyline, but beginning with the first episode, viewers quickly learn that each character is essentially going to be a victim.  In some way, it reminded me of “Boogiepop Phantom”, a darker anime series from 2000 that seemed every character introduced, their livelihoods were futile.

But what makes the anime series work is that we get to meet these villagers, learn of their quirks and if anything, feel comfortable with each and everyone of them…that is until the okiagari begin to target them.

The same can be said with “Shiki” as the townspeople think that people are dying of an epidemic, while very few people suspect that a new family that has moved to the area is responsible.  And sure enough, when people start to see old friends who have died, walking around, what do you do?  How you can fight against these reborn monsters?

The first half of the series focuses on the deaths of many in the village and the discovery by Natsuno Yuuki, Toshio Ozaki and brother and sister, Kaori and Akira Tanaka discovering that there is no epidemic but deaths caused by the okiagari (vampire).  And to make things worst, there appears to be no defense against them.  They keep rising and they are growing by the numbers.  Also, it doesn’t help that there are specialized vampires such as Tatsumi who can withstand the sunlight and literally use his charm to get people to let him into their homes and thus leading to a person’s quick death.

But of course, with everything looking quite dark and the viewer is left wondering if certain characters are going to survive, one can only hope there is a glimmer of light that these humans can find a way to fight back. And for that, let’s hope that things get even better in the second half of the series.

As for the Blu-ray release, Daume, an anime studio who usually doesn’t rush into anime production has once again done a fantastic job with this series.  With most TV series, many anime studios are typically hampered by multiple projects they have to get to a television studio but with Daume, one of the few that tends to focus on a series and thus dedicates its staff into making wonderful looking anime series.  Granted, the setting is the country and a lot of the backgrounds one will see are trees, fields, forests, etc.  But they manage to put quite a bit of detail on their background art and also on the actual character designs which are quite stylish.  Especially with the combination of dark to vibrant colors that really pop on Blu-ray.  The voice acting is well-done on both lossless soundtracks and there are a few audio commentary tracks included.

Overall, It’s been a long while since I have watched an anime series so dark, eerie and where situations are so unexpected.  And from this first half of “Shiki”, all I can say is that… I’m loving every minute of it!

Recommended for anime fans who like dark and eerie anime!

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