Reviews (3)

Best Anime I've Ever Seen, Bar None
Simply put, this is among the best anime series you are likely to ever see - I really cannot conceive of any anime fan not enjoying this series. As long as you like far-future sci-fi anime, you really can't go wrong with Gundam Seed. Why? Here's just a few of the reasons this is such a stunning series:

- Characters: The characters are likable; all of the primary characters have believable, fairly deep personalities, and even many of the secondary characters have received a fair amount of attention. No cookie-cutter characters or two-dimensional personalities here.

- Story: Admittedly, it's a lot like previous Gundam series in a lot of respects, but it's been done much better this time around than any previous Gundam series. You could perhaps say "same general concept, utterly superior execution." In addition to being interesting, multi-layered and complex, the pacing is excellent, being fast and action-packed enough to keep anyone's interest, but never overloading you with pointless action scenes and thus making it seem shallow.

- Visuals: The artwork and animation are incredible by absolutely any standard, spiced up with plenty of nice CG effects, and terrific character and mecha designs. Gundam Seed redefines the term "eye candy."

- Action scenes: If you enjoy a good space battle, you'll be hard pressed to find better intense mecha action than in Gundam Seed. Fast-paced, flashy, glitzy, smooth - all of these adjectives do a good job describing the action in this series. Each type of mobile suit or other combat weapon has distinctive attributes that come into play making the fights even more interesting.

- Audio: Not having seen the series airing on Cartoon Network (unfortunately), I couldn't comment on the quality of the English dub, but I have heard more positive remarks than negative regarding it from other people. The original Japanese voices are of course flawless (when are they not?), and the sound effects are all appropriate. The music really stands out; Gundam Seed has probably the best soundtrack I've heard of -any- anime, and I'm even including such terrific soundtracks as X in that assessment.

I could go on, but I think that covers the most important points. In a few words, as long as you enjoy sci-fi anime, I really could not conceive of someone not enjoying this series immensely. My personal favorite all time and highly recommended to all anime fans.

A great start to a great series!
I have seen the entire series around the time it originally came out in Japan and it is one of the most enthralling anime adventures I have watched. At first I thought it was nothing more than the usual Gundam fare but as the episodes progressed the story became so deep, the characters were developed with a sense of reality, and the action made sense and not just combat for the sake of combat. After the last episode I was anxious for this series to be released on dvd. Finally I read that it began airing on Cartoon Network (which I've never seen so I can't comment on the English dubbing) as well as this upcoming dvd release. It's drama and action at it's best. I highly recommend this to any anime fan or as an awesome series to start getting into the genre.

This is the first series I recommend to others when discussing anime. Pick up this dvd and then stick with the series. In the end you won't be sorry.

The Beginning of what is becoming a Gundam epic
Not too long ago, The First few episodes of the newest Gundam series, Gundam Seed, aired on Toonami. Theese episodes, though they resembled the original Mobile Suit Gundam, they still were still visually stunning. The story of theese first couple of episodes are thus: A boy named Kira Yamato has been forced to comondeer a prototype weapon called a the Strike GUNDAM or
General Unillateral Neurallink Dispersive Automated Machine.
The Strike Gundam was one of 5 prototypes, 4 of which were stolen by a geneticly enhanced human race called Coordinators and the orginization ZAFT. Now, Kira, who is also a Cooridinator has been forced in a fierce battle against a former friend, and the Elite ZAFT Corp, Leaded by Rau Le Creuset.

The Episodes that are most likely to be in this DVD are as follows:

1: A False Peace
2: Its Name Is Gundam
3: Collapsing Homeland
4: Silent Run
5: Phase Shift Down
6: The Disappearing Gundam.

This DVD is worth your money, but only if you like anime, or sci fi. If you aren't, you'll just get bored. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nuclear missiles, subs, and jet fighters...oh my!
The second DVD in the series is even better than the first in some ways. Not only do we get a lot of fan service, which is why this show is for ages 17 and up, but great action scenes, truly interesting plots and great artwork. Also, the character of Najica finally asked the two questions which were on my mind, just how MANY humaritts are out there and WHAT were they all made for? You see, after having to deal with a combat model humaritt (in episode six), Najica has become a tad wary of the all missions they keep sending her out on. It seems she spends most of her time capturing rogue humariits than fighting terrorists and it's starting to make her wonder.
The DVD has extras in the form of production sketches, previews and even a commentary by Andy Mcavin (who is the voice for Gento) and Mike Kleinhenz (Majima) of episode eight.
She's no James Bond in panties, she's a lot better looking than that!

Guilty fun but not a lot of substance
I have two reasons for buying this series. The first was to try and fill the void that the ending of Noir brought. The second is Hilary Haag. I know purists prefer the orginal japanese dialogue, but ADV's monster island has some of the best english VAs in the business. I simply love Hilary Haag's voice.
The series is supposed to take place in the future where 17% of our current land is covered by water, though this is never really touched on, save for a few second scenes where we see a sunken city.
The plot is reminiscent of Blade Runner in that Najica has to hunt down rogue androids. though, in this case, instead of "retiring" them, she has to return them to their manufacturer.
This volume shows the deepening bond between Najica and Lila. It is hard to really apprecaite what their relationship is since Najica seems to go back and forth between caring for her android partner and wanting her to make her own decisions or detesting her partner because of her lack of said ability.
While the series does touch on some interesting ideas, it never really comes up with it's own answers. There is fun to be had here, but don't expect to be dwelling on it days later aswas the case with Noir. ... Read more

Description

How much can one kid handle? After the souls of Risa and Saehara are locked away in a stone, Daisuke travels to the future with the help of a new friend, Towa, to save his classmates and Dark. Daisuke has to deal with Mio Hio a crazy new student in his class who has decided that Daisuke will be hers…whether he likes it or not. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very Good! An excellent dub.
Well, perhabs except for one. Jessica Boone does a terrific job for Hio Mio-san who is introduced in this volume. Her voice is whiny and sarcastic enough that it grates on your nerves, which is just what you want for this character. She does "pretend" to fall in love with Daisuke, and manages to freak the poor guy out with chasing him around the school, and glomping him while in a scantaly clad bikini. There are reasons behind this that I shall not reveal though. All those answers will be revealed in the next dvd. Another character is introduced, and her name is Towa no Shirube, Towa for short. (She is known as To-To in the manga, which is a jip since they do call her Towa in the original japanese manga) Anyway, she is "stolen" by Dark and becomes part of the Niwa Household as a maid. All in all, this is a terrific dvd, with excellent dubbing and should be added to your collection.

Daisuke now has another girl chasin after him!!!
A new character is introduced in this dvd. Her name is Mio Hio and oh my god she acts soo....white. Turns out she fell for Daisuke when she meets him in class and every time after that shes been stalking him. Other than that Dark works even harder trying to conceil the truth of the kiss happening from Daisuke. It's sad though how it all has to end for Risa. Turns out that Dark loved her grandmother and that Risa resembles her and for that he claims that he can never see her again. I would recommend this dvd to all fans of the previous dvds and I just want to say that the anime over all is very good. ... Read more

Description

In this epic mini-series based on Jules Verne's novel, Englishman Phileas Fogg (Pierce Brosnan) prides himself on his clockwork discipline. Fogg is so confident of his ability to beat the clock that he bets a small fortune with members of the Reform Club that he can use modern transportation methods to circle the globe in 80 days! With servant Jean Passepartout (Eric Idle), Fogg soon finds himself crossing war-torn Paris, traversing the jungles of India and Burma, and dueling with Jesse James on the American prairie! And if that weren't complicated enough, Fogg is the prime suspect in a London bank robbery, and Detective Wilbur Fix (Peter Ustinov) is pursuing Fogg and Passepartout, in hopes of returning Fogg to England to be arrested-and to collect the reward money!

The voyage even brings an unforeseen responsibility when Fogg rescues the beautiful Princess Aouda (Julia Nickson) and she arouses long-dormant feelings in Fogg's bachelor heart. Can Fogg acknowledge those feelings? Will he win the bet? Will he give Fix the slip? The ending is one you don't want to miss! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Great Entertainment
This is a charming and wonderful journey to watch. I enjoyed it a great deal, but be warned... this is NOT a family movie. Today's youth with short attention spans who like blood and monsters won't understand this one. Save it for the adults. Its well written, well acted and simply great fun.

journey with lots of obsticales
I saw this movie last summer on tv. When I started watching it I had no idea that it was as long as it is, otherwise I probably wouldn't have watched it, what would have been a mistake. Then this movie is wonderful. The only reason I can see that some people might not like it is, that it doesn't use all this high technology, full of action and sex scenes that we are used to now a days, when watching a movie. For me it is a welcome change and I enjoyed it, but everyone has their own opinion and is entitled to it.
Another thing I like about this movie is all the build in obstacles Pierce Brosnan has to go through on his quest. Often, it seems to me, that once he got out of one problem, he faces another one, what creates suspence on whether he will reach his goal or not. Also I highly appreciate the differente cultures portrayed in it.

Lost a lot of fun!!!
I watched the same film in VHS few years ago.
It was very impressive and had a lot of fun.
But after I got this DVD, it really disappointed me!!

A lot of scenes have been REMOVED: just like the chapter in China, Japan and India.And that part(saving the princess) has gone also.

If this is a miniseries, I guess they really didn`t have an idea about when and where to cut it!!!

Excellent movie however DVD lacks quality
This is an excellent movie which aired as an mini movie in 1989. The movie has a nice flow and the characters are quite vivid. Around the world imagery is quite colorful. It was a delight to watch it again. Unfortunately, the DVD quality resembles that of VHS. It was a poor quality transfer for a DVD considering that this movie was shot using Panavision equipment.

Wonderful family movie
I think this is a perfect movie to watch when you have several hours to spend relaxing. It's very long but you don't have to watch it all in one sitting. You'll want to get back to it as soon as possible though because it keeps you wanting more!
I divided it up into two evenings. This is one movie you can watch with your grandmother or with children around and not be embarrassed. I think it's a great family movie. And the picture was fine. I used to have the VHS copy and this DVD was much better quality. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

City Hunter.2 Let the Action continue
On the second part of CH.2 Ryos best friend the American sweeper Robert Harrison came to Japan to visit Ryo or what will he realy in Tokyo ?? or you will see Ryo as Santa Claus on the first CH Christmas Episode or a little Girl can read Ryos Thoughts or Ryo lost his Macho power and Ryo save Tokyo from a Terrorists ant their leader KAORI MAKIMURA or Kaori saw her real Sister and the 3 Parts CH.2 end episodes between Ryo and his preceding partner Marry that to Japan come to kill Ryo and save the live to her friend !!!!!!!

And now wait for City Hunter.3 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

City Hunter.2 Let the Action begins
City Hunter.2 is 1000% of Ryo,Kaori,Saeko,Reika,Falcon,Mikki,Kasumi !!!!
In CH.2 you will see Ryo goes Womanswrestling or Ryo has Toothaches or Saeko becomes as hostage or Kaori loses her Memories or for the first Time Ryo loves a Man or Kaori experiences that her Brother to do with drugs and a little Girl was injure on a Bankrobbery and Saeko wants revenge for her and and and !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

City Hunter.2 5 Stars ??? NO at least 10 Stars !!!!!!!! ... Read more

Description

Japan's classic monster movie is back again!Not only does he carry a two-hundred foot house on his back, but he also has the weight of the world on his shoulders.Gamera - a giant, flying, fire-breathing turle, friend to children everywhere, and protector of Earth - is now available in a collectible hard shell. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Series
Steel Angel Kurumi is an awesome series. I bought the set here because I couldn't find it in stores. I should have just waited as it was $38.99 at Best Buy when I actually saw it there. That ticked me off.

One of the Best Anime's in existance!!!!!!!!
If you choose any anime to get someone interested in anime it has to be this one it hase everything Action, story, beautiful art work, comedy, sexy Characters, and a true sence of what japan really looked like in those times. An anime to fall in love with over and over.

angel madness
steel angel kurumi is based in the 1900's with its beautiful art of the japanese culture and the wonderful animation i give it a 5/5 *'s. The series is based on so called steel angels which are beings for the purpose of military use only. when fate brings them together young mystic, makihito incounters the first of the steel angels with the mark II heart and has life takes its course she is awakened by one simple kiss. nakihito is no longer known as nakihito to kurumi he is know as 'master'.

Starring the voice of
kelli cousins- as kurumi
monica rial- as saki
hillary hagg- as karinka
and
claudia black- as...well you'll just have to watch the series now wont you!!!T_T

An Enjoyable Romp and an Excellent Value
"Steel Angel Kurumi" is not for everyone; I often have questioned myself as to why I like it. But I do...it's a guilty pleasure.

Set in the 1910's, the story revolves around a "steel angel" robot/weapon named Kurumi with the personality of an innocent, scatterbrained, clingy young girl, who is activated/brought to life by the kiss of a young boy mystic. The adventures that follow...the relationships that develop, the introduction of Kurumi's "sisters" (steel angels sent to destroy her), and the gradual revelation of Kurumi's incredibly distructive powers...draw the viewer to the inevitable nearly catistrophic climax.

Now ADV has issued has issued this "Complete Collection", containing the original 4-disc, 24 episode first series, the single disc 4 episode encore OVA, and the 2-disc, 12 episode second series, with a plethora of extras. However, if you already own any of the original DVD releases, you'll find that this collection is just a re-issue of the currently available DVDs. All of the information here has already been issued.[...]

The first 4 DVDs contain the original "Steel Angel Kurumi". It's an unusual series; cute and sappy as much as it is action filled, sweet and innocent as well as loaded with sexual overtones. The charaters are well drawn and the animation is top notch. The storyline drags a bit, but develops well, as do the characters. Some great stuff here. It's campy, but highly enjoyable.

The extras on the first 4 discs are exceptional; interviews with the English dub cast, translator's notes (which helps clarify a great deal), background information relating to the setting and time frame in which the series is set, and more. ADV makes a great effort to help in the enjoyment of the series, and the material presented is quite interesting.

The good quality continues with the single disc encore OVA. The 4 episodes are well done and add to the original series. The extras are plentiful here as well, including a running commentary with some of the English actors.

It's the last 2 discs that drop the ball a bit. The second series in general is basically a re-hash of the first, and a not real good one at that. A few decent ideas are launched (a modern setting, the mystic that awakens Kurumi this time is a young girl, which boosts the already palpable lesbian overtones), but some of the ideas are just plain bad. The delicate balance of comedy, camp, action and character development that existed in the first series is totally upended in the second. It can still be fun, but pales by comparison. Plus the extras on the DVDs are minimal at best.

Still, at this price, it's better to get the whole package for the price of buying 2 seperate DVDs, and it is definitely worth it for the first series alone. A great value and a fun anime. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The two-part OVAPuni Puni Poemyretains the tone but not the plot of the 2000 series Excel Saga. The only returning character is Nabeshin, thecaricature of director Shinichi Watanabe. Poemi Watanabe has two missions: to become a voice actress and to save the Earth. When evil aliens who have tether balls dangling from their crotches kill her parents, she moves in with the nutty Aasu sisters, who command useless superpowers. As in Excel Saga, there are some funny parodies: an old fish becomes the bejeweled sword Poemi uses when she transforms into her super-guise of Puni Puni Poemi, and adoring Futaba Aasu spoofs Tomoyo in Cardcaptor Sakura. Unfortunately everything is pitched at a breakneck pace, with the actors hysterically screaming their lines over "fan service" nudie shots. The results are more exhausting than amusing. (Rated 17 and older: nudity, violence, gross humor, profanity) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Mind Numbing injection of insanity...
Ye all be warned, this is not your run-of-the-mill anime. Right from the opening prologue, it's firing off spoof after spoof until your mind is fried, and that's just before making it through the opening credits. It is essential that you have a somewhat clear base background knowledge of general anime, all six disks of Excel Saga, and a strong stomach at times. It spoofs anything and everything it can get its hands on for the segments, and dumps it all into you so fast you have to watch it over just to catch it. Inside jokes abound for Excel fans. Graphics are well done, and are what an anime SHOULD be... Music is reused Excel Saga BGMS, and the plot... What plot? Exactly. Just imagine this as the ENTIRE 26 episode season of EXCEL SAGA, compressed and distilled into an hour of insanity, and injected directly into your brain. If you can get past these prerequisits, and can handle downright VULGER humor, then you're ready to take on this madcap satire. And if you can handle it, you should be laughing yourself sick. If your mind isn't numb after this, check yourself into a psychiatrist.
"If this anime doesn't offend you somehow, we haven't done our job." -From the back of the box...

An Anime for the Boys
I had just finished watching "Puni Puni Poemy" and I was definitely suprised at some of the things that they did. I loved the "Excel Saga" series and I thought that this two episode OAV would be just as fun, but it ended up to be another sex anime for boys. Although some parts I really did enjoy, but it was too much sex oriented. I am not saying that this would be a complete waste of time. Just that it is a fan service for the boys.

God bless ADV films.
This is the best anime I've seen since Excel Saga. In fact, it practically is Excel Saga. Poemy is basically just a younger Excel, voiced by the mighty Cynthia Martinez of Slayers fame. A lot of the same humor, attitude, and bit players as Excel Saga are here as well (not to mention a character that not only closely resembles Hyatt, but has the same voice). This is not a bad thing. I've been dying for another fix that only Shinichi Watanabe (aka Nabeshin) could provide. I enjoy the fact that Poemy refers to herself not only in the third person, but as her Japanese voice-actresse's name because, as Nabeshin so delicately puts it: "The bitch can't stay in character." She also refers to her father, Nabeshin, as "the director" and cheers her repeated transformation scenes because "We can reuse the art!". THAT, my friends, is anime satire! I also enjoyed Poemy's bad temper and penchant for destruction. However, if you are offended by pre-teen lesbianism, rape, S&M, graphic guttings of talking fish (don't ask), lots of cursing, or characters that never talk about anything besides their own breasts than maybe you'd better pass on this one. This anime is, as Lord Illpilazzo would say, "base and vulgar" even beyond it's predecessor. I'd only recommend this to fans of Excel Saga simply because so many of the in-jokes revolve around premises that were established in that legendary series. Newcomers to Watanabe/Nabeshin's insane (and often inane) humor will probably be confused by the rapid-fire style of self-satire that he employs. In other words, go check out Excel Saga (all of it) and then come back and I think you will be pleased with this follow-up. If you loved Excel Saga, and especially if you thought it didn't go far enough, I promise you will not be dissappointed with Puni Puni Poemy.

Somewhere in the middle of outrageous and hillarious 4.5
I purchased this title for the simple fact that it got an excellent review in Newtype magazine, and also after viewing the ADV trailer. Being a major fan of comedy anime I thought I'd give it a try once I saw it at the store. I must say that it wasn't what I expected, I had never come across an anime like this(I'm a just-converted anime fan), but it was pretty damn good. Great money spent on a good title--plus I got a free patch yay!! It was definetly funnier the second time around; the first time I viewed it it was zooming by so fast it was hard to keep up, you have to pay close attention as Poemi aka Kobayashi talks really fast. The only thing that I found irritating was the cheesy opening, I mean come on guys! You have to see it to believe it. Overall there was a small piece of everything in this title: from sailor moon to mecha mockery, and a talking dead fish! It IS entertainig and I recomend it to all fans who enjoy comedy anime!

Not funny "ha-ha"
...because if you laugh out loud at this, you'll miss about 10 gags.

First off, I gotta say I love most of Excel Saga. That show cracks me up. But while I see how this would be the sequel, I do believe I got through this entire DVD without laughing. None of the jokes exactly instigated hysterics for me, although they were definitely funny - and after I stopped watching, when I thought everything over, I did laugh quite a bit. But the fact that I was able to not laugh at anything while it was happening probably does say something about the quality of the humor on this DVD, although I think it's an interesting piece anyway, and definitely something I'll keep in my collection.

The animation is very smooth and pretty, and seems like it has a higher budget than Excel Saga did; I guess because it's an OVA. (Speaking of, each episode on here was like $50 in Japan when it came out, so I wouldn't complain about paying $30 for both if I were you.) I think it's really commendable that so much effort was put into this goofy little thing that serves no purpose other than to be wacky and mock stuff. In my opinion, that makes it a little more mature.

It is possible to offend me, I suppose -- or at least for me to see that something would be offensive to most others, and I'm sorry to say this DVD failed to draw anything like that into my radar. Am I supposed to have something against lesbianism? Oh goodness, two naked girls rolling around on top of each other. How... awful? Sorry, not gettin' it. I thought the boob gags were pretty good. Parts of this DVD do border on, how you say, "pornography", but *mild* pornography, not anything explicit. They even censor out parts of the drawings! So no one who wasn't offended by Excel Saga will be offended by this. I think Hellsing is a lot dirtier, which may just be because it takes itself more seriously.

I also don't think this DVD really "broke the weirdness barrier", because when it was over, I wasn't confused at all. In fact, I felt like it was something I could have written. It's nothing like FLCL (which only the more obsessed fans claim "makes perfect sense"), where I don't get a single thing going on at points. I never felt lost in this lack of storyline, I was just able to immediately accept that there wasn't one. Big deal? Eh.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get through the English dub of this for more than five minutes. I have nothing against dubs, but I really can't understand a lot of what the actors are saying in here because it is, as everyone else has said, so fast. I suppose I'm much better at reading than I am at hearing, because I had no troubles with the subtitles, even when they were shooting by. So, it's just about preference, I guess. Wish I could review the dub, though.

On one more completely unrelated note: a lot of the score in here was lifted directly from Excel Saga, but there are two whole new theme songs that I enjoyed immensely. I can't wait to pick up the soundtrack for this!

So, all in all, this wouldn't be in my top 10, but I liked it a lot. Check it out if you've got nothing else to buy. ... Read more

Description

It's disaster for Kenshin when he runs into Jine,a Manslayer from the Revolution. Jine has always wanted a chance to fight the Battousai, but Kenshin's refusal to kill makes the victory too easy. Determined to bring back the Manslayer he had always heard about, Jine uses Kaoru to re-awaken the murderous anger hidden inside Kenshin! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Rurouni Kenshin - Great Series
This is Volume 2 of the Rurouni Kenshin Series. This DVD is one of my favorites ( then again, all of them are my favorites ) because of the fighting sequences and introduction of new, main, characters to this series. In addition to the great stories and artwork, we have a glimpse at the relationship between Kaoru and Kenshin. Plus, the music selection is great. I think the pieces they have really suits the mood of the scene. The DVD contains 4 Episodes: Episode 5 is a continuation of Zansa, fighter-for-hire, Story Arc in which his past is made known to Kenshin. Episode 6-7 is the Kurogasa Story Arc in which Kenshin must come to terms with his past as a manslayer. Episode 8 is the beginning of the Oniwabanshu Story Arc.

A foreshadowing Volume
This DVD has episodes which meanings cannot be fully understood until seeing more of the Kenshin saga. The battle between Sonosuke and Kenshin is very entertaining and critical to the story as this will not be the last time that they fight. The episodes regarding Jinah and the battle in the moonlight show how Kenshin is battleing with his inner Batosai and how what he does will effect Kaoru. It forshadows the romance that will brew between the two of them, especially the "Protect the one you love" title. Kaoru is the main person bringing him back to who he is and not the murderer inside himself. This is an excellent DVD that will keep you at the edge of your seat with its fighting and romantic atmosphere. When first watching Kenshin on cartoon network this is the show that got me hooked and began a long binge on Rurouni Kenshin. I highly recommend it!

For Friends
Kenshin Himura, once known as The Battosai (manslayer), was a killer in service of the Japanese rebellion against the Shogunate. In that most turbulent of times Kenshin made a name for himself as the single most deadly swordsman of the era. Now Kenshin has turned his back on that, refusing to kill again, and, armed with a reverse-bladed sword, seeks to defend those who are oppressed or threatened.

The inner tragedy and betrayal that motivates Sanosuke Sagara (Zanza) are told for the time. We quickly come to understand that the rakish, violent swordsman has a great deal of genuine worth. Kenshin uses both his ability to fight and his ability to reach past barriers to find this value and turn the bitter warrior into a friend.

The next tale is the counter-story to Sanosuke's. This time another killer in the Imperial cause has let the joy of killing and bloodshed overwhelm him. Jinei has lost his humanity, and goes about killing politicians and public figures. When Jinei discovers the presence of Kenshin he issues his challenge, one that endangers Kaoru and threatens to turn Kenshin back into the killer he once was.

In the final episode, a cliffhanger, we meet the beautiful Megumi. Sought by the city's Yakuza, Megumi literally catapults herself into Kenshin's arms. Hardly an innocent herself, Megumi maneuvers Kenshin and his friends into a deadly confrontation with the Oniwaban, a group of ninja and esoteric killers. With spectacular results.

For all the violence that is a part of this series, they touch a deep chord. Kenshin's fierce determination to never kill again is matched by the close bond he forms with his friends. We see a man at peace with the arduous process of remaking himself, with little of the false pride that marks many of his fellow swordsmen. This combination of strong characters, a good story, and excellent graphic work makes this a must series.

"It looks like I have made another weird friend..."
Of course since Himura Kenshin is staying with Karou Kamiya at her dojo, the title of "Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering Samurai" is rather ironic. Volume 2, "Battle in the Moonlight," continues the creation of the core group for the popular anime series and sets the tone for things becoming much more serious. In Episode 5, "The Reverse-blade Sword vs. The Zambatou," Kenshin and Sanosuke Sagara have their big dual. The episode title refers to their respective swords, a non-killing blade and the largest sword in Japan (a.k.a. "the horse killer"). We finally learn why Sanosuke hates the Imperialists and he ends up becoming the fourth member of the group. Episode 6 "The Appearance of Kurogas" and Episode 7 "Deathmatch Under the Moon" offers a two-part confrontation between Kenshin and a shadowy samurai who is able to cloud the minds of his opponent. Kurogas's goal is to enrage Kenshin so that he fights like the mankiller he once was and towards that goal he kidnaps Karou, who had been trying to get Kenshin to notice what is right under his nose.

Episode 8, "A New Battle," is the opening chapter of a larger storyline, introducing Megumi Takani. Descended from a long line of doctors she is now involved in an opium ring and seeks the protection of Kenshin. We also meet Aoshi Shinomori, the former master spy and assassin, who is now the chief enforcer for the opium ring. This ups the ante for "Rurouni Kenshin" in a couple of ways, not only because the subject matter is more serious, but also because Megumi seems intent on coming between Kenshin and Karou. What makes this rather interesting is that the "cutesy" anime sequences, usually provoked by any notion of romance between our hero and young Karou, are really starting to seem out of place. The strengths of this anime is that it is intent on developing a series of characters with some depth involved in stories set against the historical period of the Meiji Restoration. Young viewers are being brought up to the next level of anime story telling and the more serious the subject matter becomes in these episodes the less appropriate we find the kiddie stuff to be. Still, the ambitious nature of "Rurouni Kenshin" is clear at this point, which makes it a notch above most of its competitors.

In terms of the Extras this time around the Liner Notes continue our education on Japanese language and culture as to the meaning of "sessha," who the Shougital were, what constitutes a Battojutsu, and the correct usage of ore; however, be aware that these vocabulary terms are not in alphabetical order and that the writing is pretty small. The character provided on Volume 2 are of Megumi Takani and Aoshi Shinomori, as our little group continues to expand. There are even some faux "Outtakes" which show that these extras are limited by fan friendly.

Rurouni Kenshin video
The video was as great and perfect as the ones on tv! The english dialogue was perfect, the color, everything was perfect to me!! ... Read more

Reviews (23)

PRINCESS BLADE IS NOT KING!
Tough this movie was pretty good, alongside such awesome epics such as HERO,(with Jet Li), Azumi, and Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon, this movie paled by comparison.

But in and of itself, it is much better then a lot of the more cheesier Asian films being pumped out. The action sequences were very dynamic and exciting to watch, and the set and tone of the futuristic Samurai was different. And different is good!

But the storyline was lacking, and sometimes plodded along way too slow for this American. But overall, I can see what people see and like in this film. But the storyline could have been so much stronger and better. A good basic idea, with good action, but seemingly nothing else.

If you want to see a much faster-paced movie, with bigger budget and better acted, and awesome action sequences - then MUSA, THE WARRIOR is the best!

Fresh take on martial arts movies
I bought Princess Blade as a blind buy, and overall I really liked it. I think what really made it feel original to me was the way they showed the futuristic setting. There weren't a lot of dumb costumes or cheesy touches to overemphasize the fact that the characters are in "the future". There was one amazing shot of a super high-speed train speeding by the construction of a huge Orwellian statue of some kind of "supreme leader", and there were a couple of radio broadcasts giving us similar hints of a dystopian future setting, but it was all very subtle. Also, I liked the fact that although it was a futuristic setting, most of the fight scenes took place out in the forest. The action choreography (almost completely consisting of swordfights) is quite well done and not as fantastical as a lot of 90's Hong Kong wire-fu movies---there's very little use of wires or undercranking. The story, casting and acting are quite good, although the film suffers somewhat from an obviously limited budget. Also, although there is some blood, the movie is not excessively gory. Unfortunately, the ADV DVD picture quality is not very good for such a recent movie---it's non-anamorphic, and there are some compression artifacts evident.

Overall though, I thought the swordfight scenes were very good, the performances and story were touching, and the setting was unique and subtle. A very enjoyable, fresh and stylized take on martial arts movies.

Wasted potential thy name is Princess Blade.
This modern remake of The Lady Snowblade is very thin. If you want an entertaining movie with quirky characters, lot's of jokes and a deep enthrauling storyline...well look at Versus or Samurai Fiction because I had been looking forward to PB for a while now and it really dissapointed. The movie has some amazing action set pieces for ten minutes in the begining and for ten minutes at the end. The action is thin and so are the characters, the love story was to weak for me and I'm a guy! I really wish it was better because it really could have been. I truly believe the japanese have the leg over the hong kong film industry in there ability to appease American audiences. But still, there are much more entertaining alternatives to this film. Now if you still want to see this despite my warnings, the film is not entirely without it's merits. It is beautifully shot, if not a little drab and depressing, and the action and the acting when it's put to work it works.

Boring beyond belief
Boredom...boredom..boredom. Some Japanese movies move to slow and are filled with nonsensical dialogue. This is one of those movies. The brief swordplay is interesting, yet the movie itself just couldn't keep my attention.

SO CLOSE, AND YET SO FAR........
This film could have been so much more than it was. A fantasy film in which a future Japanese police state utilizes assassins who use swords, despite having 21st century technology. The patriarch of the assassins is scary looking, the heroine is very sexy in that school-girl innocent look that Japanese men love (what is it with Japanese men and their desire for very young girls in sailor-suit school uniforms?-a dread of comparison?), and it does have a tangible combination of visual texture and depth. But the actions scenes, despite Donnie Yen's guiding hand, are silly looking and bad to the point of laughable. Granted, he didn't have much to work with, and the actors involved didn't look as bad as spindly and stiff Keanu Reeves or Fat Larry Fishburne in the Matrix franchise, but there was just very little there to hold your attention. Try it if you're bored, but otherwise, you could do better in this genre, with something like Equilibrium with Christian Bale; better acting, better fights, and better directing. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Ready for Season Two?
Ah Saiyuki Season 2!

Three new characters show up. The war prince Homura (voice acted by none less than Jason Douglas, he also was the English voice of Lord Illpilatzo from Excel Saga, he always gets casted for the world conqueror bit doesn't he?), and his two minions Zenon and Shien descend to start a rebellion against the heavens. Now it looks like there is a three way race to get Scriptures now...

This Disk features FOUR new adventures for the Sanzo party and their enemies.

Episode 27: Basic Introduction of Homura and his minions... Homura calls the Sanzo party by their past life names, destroys literally truckloads of Demons with but a thought, and Sanzo's gun has no effect on Homura.
Most notable seen: Sanzo's introduction about the "If you meet the Buddha kill the Buddha"

Episode 28: Homura starts to gather demon followers, he apparently can turn demons into "gods". The Merciful Goddess refuses to do anything to stop Homura, says that watching Homura will keep her from being bored for awhile. Apparently Homura is the half human son of the Jade Emperor... the gods will do nothing to stop him as they have grown lazy and fat. Sanzo's party has to share a single room and draws cards to see who gets the bed while the others sleep on the floor. The episode ends with an attack on Houtou Castle to get the Seiten Scripture. Most notable scenes: The first meeting of Sanzo (of God Sanzo) and Son Goku. Goku and Gojyo fight over the bed and the innkeeper walks in and sees them in a rather embarrassing situation.

Episode 29: Homura and gang assault Houtou Castle. Homura single handedly bests both Dokugakuji and Kougaiji. Dr. Ni (that crazy scientist with the stuffed bunny) just hands over the Seiten Scripture to Homura in hopes that he will leave Lady Koushu and the rest with their lives. Sonzo gets a rude awaking from the merciful Goddess, who reminds him of the Teachings of his Master. The "if you meet the Buddha kill the Buddha" which has been said at least 3 times in the series now... Zenon kills a demon who killed his human wife. Basically this episode was to show that these new characters are in fact a force to be reckoned with.
Most Notable scene: Sanzo tries to shoot the Merciful Goddess... and fails."

Episode 30: Homura sends his latest Assassin to kill the Sanzo party to get the Scripture that Sanzo carries. This demon makes a village into a ghost town, his "Perfect Paradise". He calls himself the Undertaker, and puts the entire Sanzo party through all kinds of physiological torture. Basically Puts a plate of food in front of a hungry Goku to only make it disappear a second later. Deprives Gojyo of women and alcohol . Burns Hakuryu to get Hakki upset, and gently just pisses Sanzo off with the whole ordeal of things going on. They basically best him and go on their merry way. Most notable scene, Gojyo practically begs Sanzo for a smoke, and Sanzo reminds him that he said "You said my smokes tasted like Crap."

Basically this DVD has the basic ADV basics, a new opening theme and animation, new closing theme and animation, but no longer gives you any previews of upcoming episodes.

Like all the other volumes of Saiyuki they give a wonderful Culture references from the "Journey to the West" and other Japanese jokes you hear while listing to the Japanese audio. Also this series is best kept in context with the Japanese audio as the English seems to completely warp it at times... all in all a good DVD for Saiyuki fans. And also the fact that you can't go wrong with Zenon, how cool is a god with an AK?

The Remaking of a Myth
Saiyuki is a retelling in modern garb (if a dragon/jeep and beer can toting demons can be considered modern) of an old Chinese legendary tale - Journey to the West, originally set down in the 16th Century. Faced with the loss of a manuscript of great magical significance Sanzo, a priest , is dispatched along with three companions. As told here his companions are three demons - Goku the Monkey King, Gojyo the water sprite, and Hakkai a human turned demon when he slaughtered a thousand demons in revenge.

The four reel from one hair-raising adventure to another as they head for the final confrontation. Arguing, brawling and womanizing in between the heroics. As I've noted elsewhere this is an essentially masculine story, with women playing what is so far a very secondary role. This is a different spin than usual for this kind of anime, and it is surprisingly successful.

In these episodes each of the demons faces their own personal demons - Hakkai's grief over the loss of his beautiful wife, Goku's need for someone he can trust, and Gojyo's surprising soft spot. Sanzo is the wise man and healer in this group of stories, although sometimes his advice is every bit as harsh as the problem it solves.

Dialog is what really makes this series work. Not that there is anything to slight in the story or the artwork, but the snappy give and take of this modern gang-on-a-mission is what carries the day. In addition, the episodes refuse to become yet another tale of finding and destroying evil in the goriest fashion possible. Instead, they demonstrate instead a surprising amount of literary merit.

saiyuki is excellent!
saiyuki is a great action show. A tiny bit of humor now and then is a great show by me.

Once More Into The Fray (Again)
Seems like everyone has the names of Sanzo and his party of pilgrim/adventurers inscribed on their weapons of choice. Carrying ascripture around in this alternate Chinese world is risky business. The priest, Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai don't need any help to get into trouble though, but they are getting much more than they ever bargained for.

It seems that the god Homura's decision to rebel and gather the scriptures for himself has attracted some followers. First Souto, head of a group of crack divine shock troops gets the assignment to take Sanzo down. A little later, Homura and his own sidekicks, Zenon and Shien show up to demonstrate that Sanzo and Goku are completely outclassed in this contest. As usual, the monk pulls through, but not without serious damage.

While all this is going on there are two visits from season one - first a pair of twins in the service of Gyokumen Koushu show up with utter destruction on their mind - and then the idiot impersonators show up again for a short sojourn into the more violent forms of comedy. Somehow, our heroes keep up their attitude and return to each conflict determined to survive.

Production quality seems to have improved an order of magnitude since the last season. In the previous DVD I wasn't sure whether to believe it or not, but with this second one it is clear that the show has iimproved, both in art and writing. In the middle of all the action, the group finds time to develop as characters, and both animation and color have increased in intensity.

This series is a bit past the point where one can pick it up mainstream. This isn't a bad thing from a watcher's point of view, but be prepared for a sudden urge to empty your wallet for the series.

Saiyuki is more than you could expect
To basically start this off I'll start with the obvious, well Genjomaden Saiyuki is one of the most comical, entertaining, and certainly up with the best. I personally love this anime. There's a lot of DVDs and as far as I do I beleive that there are 18 DVDs total. Of course only up to 9 came come out and we all eagerly awaiting March 30th aren't we? Well at least I am. Saiyuki is about Demons and Humans living in Shangrila (let me know if I spelled it wrong; I'm not in the mood to look it up)together and I know this 7th DVD, well the Demons get all uncontrolable and attack humans while these gods come along and such, the god of war. Well the Sanzo gang consists of Son Goku (Demon), Genjo Sanzo of course, Sha Goyjo (Half water Demon), and last but never least Cho Hakkai (He killed 100 Demons which turned him into one). Basically that concludes my ranting... if any of you actsually read this, thank you!^^ Any questions e-mail: warrior.killua@verizon.net,
Arigato!
-Killua ... Read more

Reviews (78)

You must not miss out on this
Iria Zeiram...I first heard of it when I was watching Grappler Baki and I saw a little preview for it during the Manga Video promotional music video. It just looked mediocre. I didnt care, it didnt really catch my attention that much. Then I saw it was on the lineup for an upcomming Sci Fi Saturday Anime (god I miss those...) and being as supportive as I am to anime on TV, I watched it and I was hooked. I had to see it all. I couldn't wait until next week when they aired part two. My friend later on picked up all three VHS volumes and lent them to me. I finally saw them all unedited together and I must say, it's really impressive. Besides the gratuitous action and the sexy female main character, Iria Zeiram takes a simplistic plot and milks it for everything it is worth and then some. The characters are all well developed, the story continuity has good flow, the mechanical concepts are just plain wicked, the soundtrack is out of this world and the animation quality is top notch. It's the definition of a perfect anime. A few weeks later I purchased the DVD and I was ecstatic. One of my single most favorite anime series all on one DVD for the price of a single VHS volume. I have to tell you, it was one really awesome deal and you shouldnt miss out on it. Fans of Final Fantasy will especially like it because of it's setting and it's blend of technology and a fantasy world. If you havent seen Iria and can afford this DVD, dont think twice about purchasing it because it's truely worth it, especially since this DVD is such a great deal and the picture and sound quality are excellent.

One Of The Defining Anime - Art & Entertainment
At some time in the future a young woman named Iria and her brother Glen, both bounty hunters, join in an contract to rescue the passengers from the crash of a space transport. This mission takes a turn for the worse when the rescue team find themselves face to face with an indestructible killer - Zeiram. The result is disastrous; one team member killed, and Iria is forced to leave her brother behind to fight the monster. For the rest of the episodes Iria dedicates herself to solving the mystery of the Zeiram and saving her brother.

Several things set this 1995 OVA series apart from female (or male, for that matter) heroic anime. While the primary plot isn't entirely original the characters are notable and are allowed to develop well-crafted personalities. Iria is young, intelligent, and fiercely capable - a completely independent woman. Fujikuro is more than a little crooked, but, despite his antics, loyal to Iria. Bob - a bounty hunter turned into a computer ghost. And Kei, who is a younger reflection of Iria. All of these characters and others leave lasting impressions as the result of the find scripting and conceptual work of Keita Amemiya.

The artwork remains outstanding even by today's standards. The series is based on an original live action film, but animation can go where file can only follow at great cost. Character design (Masakazu Katsura) and set design (Amemiya, et. al.) combine to provide a fresh looking universe that combines traditional Japanese and Chinese elements with fantasy visions that rival Yoshitaka Amano, peopled with contraptions that Da Vinci would have envied.

The set includes an additional DVD with graphics and interviews with Amemiya, Katsura and several of the voice actors. If you are lucky enough to find the limited edition you will also get a metal container for the set. This is another of those 'must see' that both stretch the boundaries of anime and provide great entertainment as well.

recommended
perfect 10.

aliens, monsters, weapons, a young bounty hunter girl, and the song is cool.

The one that started it all...
To tell you the truth, this was not only the very first anime I owned, it was also the first one I saw. The story, the action, the characters and designs, all gloriously original. Anime about bounty hunters are nothing new, but Iria : The Zeiram Animation brought its own original twist to the sub genre. It is somewhat disappointing to only have six episodes, but once you own a few OVA's, it's more than enough. I bought the VHS back before DVD's were even around. The only reason that I hesitate to give it five stars is the English language track. It is littered with odd sounding phrases and seems to be poorly translated altogether. The voice acting is excellent, but marred by the odd translation. All in all, I highly suggest purchasing it. It is great for anyone starting a collection or just building upon their existing one.

It IS good.
The only problem with Iria is that I want another one. It's quite good, and I have to mention that it's a good title for women who like anime but who get weary of the 3-4 female archetypes so common in anime.

Here at last we have a strong female lead who has depth of character! More than almost any other female protagonist you're going to ever come across in anime... Add in good art, a solid story, great action and you're in good shape!

So where are the sequels! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice To See
I have to say that this series is one of the best I have ever seen. It's funny, it has pretty girls, it has guns and ammo. It's all over a good show in my eyes. No magic or anything like that so it's a lot more real. Not the best for young children, but very good for teens and adults. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After destroying the spidery Ninth Angel, Shinji is shocked to receive a word of praise from his emotionally remote father. An extended flashback reveals how Misato's ineffectual father rescued her from the destruction caused by the Second Impact; Ritsuko confides to Misato that she never got along with her mother, the creator of the all-powerful trio of computers known as the Magi. Ten years after the release of Evangelion in America, the engineers at AD Vision remastered the audio tracks in5.1 surround sound for the "Platinum" edition. Although some spectacular explosions occur in the battles with the Ninth and Tenth Angels, the remix is often most effective in quiet moments. When Misato steps out into the rain, the sound of the falling water envelopes the room. Shinji, Rei and Asuka are caught away from the base during a power outage and have to travel through ventilation ducts to NERV headquarters: the listener can follow their progress through metal tubes. As the extras, which include a discussion of the changes in sound technology, are the only new footage, the "Platinum" discs are really for viewers who've installed a 5.1 system, but who don't already have Anno's watershed series. (Rated 15 and older: violence, minor profanity, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (18)

THIS IS THE BEST ANIME I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Gravitation is the best anime I have ever seen. It is a shounen ai (boy's love) anime, meaning gay people are in it, but even people who do not like gay men can still love the show.
It is about a boy named Shuichi Shindou, his band Bad Luck, and the famous writer Eiri Yuki, and the troubles Shuichi goes through with rival bands (ASK, and half way through the series, Nittle Grasper), Yuki himself, and any other thing that may stand in Shuichi's way to happiness.
The characters are amazing and loveable, and are well developed. The animation is the best anime animation I have ever seen in my life, and the music is even better. Daisuke Asakura produces and writes all the music, MADS (Mad Soldiers), do all the music except two songs (done by either K.ITO + D.K or my favorite band of all time, Iceman). The people who sing/ play the music are professional and are really bands in Japan, which I find really cool.
The anime doesn't follow the manga perfectly, and skips a lot of things the manga had. And even though this is disapointing, the anime is still WONDERFUL, and the best anime I have ever seen in my life.

Four reasons
Based on the manga from Maki Murakami, this series was only available in fansub (japanese dialect with captions) up until now. One of the most popular shonen-ai (boy love) series of its time, and it's easy to see why.

First of all, the art. It's simply beautiful. The characters' expressions and movements are masterfully portrayed while still remaining true to Murakami's original style.

Secondly, the storyline. Shuichi Shindo wants to be a rock star. With the help of his best friend and guitarist, Hiroshi Nakano, he is able to put together his own band, Bad Luck. One day, while walking in the park, he happens to come across a foreign-looking man who criticizes him bluntly about his poor skills as a lyrics writer. This bothers Shuichi for a long time, and finally he is able to meet this man again. Soon, Shu begins to learn more about him, including his name and profession. He also discovers that he has become obsessed with this man in a way that he cannot understand. He thinks it is love. Could it be Gravitation?

Third, the voices. In a lot of cases with anime, the english version isn't quite as good compared to the japanese voices. It would be easy to make that same claim with this series-- after all, the japanese version had voices from well-proven actors such as Tomokazu Seki (Shuichi Shindo in Gravi, Kamui Shirou in X), Kappei Yamaguchi (Ryuichi Sakuma in Gravi, Subaru Sumeragi in Tokyo Babylon), and Koyasu Takehito (Sakano in Gravi, Hotohori in Fushigi Yugi). However, I think that the english actors did an awesome job on the characters here.

Last of all, the music. This aspect, perhaps, is by far the best part of the whole series. If you have listened to the Gravitation TV soundtrack (also found here at Amazon) or the Shuichi Shindo Vocal Collection (try Anime Castle), then you will know what I mean. When I first heard that this series was about a boy trying to become a rock star, I envisioned music that was hurriedly made, with repeated rhythms and melodies. Wrong. Each song in Gravitation is unique, and the beginning and ending themes (Super Drive and Glaring Dream-- they're included in the TV soundtrack) are the best anime beginning and ending themes that I've ever heard.

Gravitation: My first BL series, and forever my favorite.
I can't tell you how much I love Gravitation.

I had never understood yaoi. Why did so many girls seem to like it so much? What was the big deal with it? Then, one day, I thought, "Well, I've heard great things about Gravitation, and I know it's one of those kinds..." So, I downloaded the first episode. Later that night, the episode was done. So, I plugged my headphones into the computer's speakers, and watched it.

I was shocked... Amazed... And quite giddy. I couldn't stop grinning for an hour. I finally understood. "These guys are impossibly CUTE as a couple."

Later that night, I watched the episode again. I went on to download all of them, plus the OVAs, almost every single song. (I'm missing a few, and regretting downloading so many, because now there's not much left when I buy the CDs.) Bought a deck of Gravitation playing cards at a convention, along with the only Gravitation poster they had! (I was luck-y!) And currently am anticipating the release of the seventh volume of the manga.

Now I'm a crazy yaoi fan, and have Gravitation to thank for it. (Note: This is in NO way a bad thing!)

I absolutely cannot wait to buy this, and I absolutely will NOT buy it without the box. (I'm broke for a while, and have promised myself lots of manga and David Bowie CDs, as well as the Labrynth DVD before anything else.)

You, reading this review! Buy this!

Finally! With *real* subtitles!
As many people have already attested to the plot and general quality of the series, I'm just going to give an overview of my thoughts on the series as someone familiar with Gravitation's 3 various incarnations:

Gravitation is a series many fans are already familiar with, and has had quite a following in Japan for the last few years. The story is very simple and its success depends entirely on the character development-- after all, how many times can the "chasing your dream and finding love on the way" plot-line work on its *own* merits?

Thankfully, every character contributes strongly to the entirety of the 13 episode series. With a hot J-pop soundtrack, generally well-done animation (more so at the end of the series than the beginning), and a talented vocal cast, such a character-based drama is well-deserving of its success, though some would accuse it of being *too* character driven and not plotted enough (bah!-- certain genres suit certain themes and devices... a romance drama such as Gravitation requires more emphasis on the "soap opera" character elements than might the sci-fi/fantasy/action pieces that most American anime fans are familiar with... in Japan, the character drama tends to be more popular).

Gravitation has been available online in many places for quite some time, but the way I first saw the series was through buying the Hong-Kong version DVD import on e-bay. ^_^; Even then-- with bad subtitles-- the series was quite moving and constantly engaging.

Gravitation is a sweet romance story that occasionally gets a little bit sexual (kissing, snuggling, implied sex-scenes... lots of above-the-waist shots of naked men-- shocking, I know). The manga (of which I have the first 10 volumes in Japanese) is slightly more sexual (er... more aggressively so, shall we say) and has a plot that continues on much longer than the series.

As well, there is a 2 episode OVA (Original Video Animation) that is *much* more sexual than either the series or the manga, follows a parallel version of the series' events, and has even better production values. If you're interested, you might try looking up the OVA online... "back in the day" it wasn't too hard to find. As well, there have been radio dramas done of Gravitation, but that's more a Japanese fad than anything people in the U.S. would likely be interested in.

If anything, Gravitation provides an interesting look into how the Japanese character drama works, and, in that light, it succeeds beautifully.

This show is unbelievable!!!
ok dang where I start? Anyway this show is everything. The characters, love, music, etc. everything is simply everything! I have seen so many anime shows and movies...........Last Exile, Witch Hunter Robin, Now and Then Here and There, Berserk, Texnolyze, Grave of the Fireflies, Spirted Away, Tokyo Godfathers, Millennium Actress, etc.

and I have to say this show is the most fabulous making you feel great bout yourself! I feel like I wanna get my man now. Please go out and get this it's great! It even comes with a back stage pass with a necklace! I can't wait for the othe 3 dvd's to come out! I love this show! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Very Good
This is a very good series. I just picked this up in at fye and wasnt disaponeted. Theres not bad dubbing in this series eather. This has very good animation and a ok storyline but its kinda of weak but cool. You get the choice of Japanese and english lang. eps 24-26.

Simply The Best
I would consider this a must have for any serious anime fan. The storytelling rivals, and actually surpasses, most other anime I've seen. The soundtrack is outstanding and character and plot development, combined with the other elements, is handled with an expert touch. This volume confronts some of the deeper issues only hinted at earlier in the series. Here we learn some of the deepest secrets of the past of Kirika, Mirielle, Chloe and Altena. I will never forget the words of Mirielle's mother to a young Kirika, just starting on her path of death: "It is true that sometimes love can kill. But hate can never save you..."

Definitely in my top 3 of all time; may not be for everyone if you like mindless explosions from beginning to end, but everyone else should love this one.

SpellBinding at the End.
I really liked this series. The underling story line develops an unstoppable momentum as we move from chapter to chapter. By "Then End of the Matter" the viewer can hardly wait to get his hands on the next DVD to learn who will survive to become the "True Noir."

What I especially liked was the lethality of the players, unlike alot of Sci Fi, great rivers of firepower are not on display. Instead each shot fired is potentially lethal, and the tension in the movies of Sergio Leone is recaptured. Also like Sergio, extreme close-up's on the character's eyes, and facial features are often used to build the tension. The artists come through beautifully in terms of rendering what must have been a challenging vision on the part of the director.

I'm in my 40's myself, and have no problem recommending this series to an adult audience. The story telling is that good, far beyond the level of most "Prime Time" offerings in the states.

The True Noir
"Noir, it is the name of an ancient fate, two maidens who govern death, the peace of the newly-born, their black hands protect."

Noir was one of the greatest anime series I have ever seen. The animation is wonderful and is used to really illustrate the mood and scene. The show is also one of the most depressing series I have ever seen. The end has some hints of a happy end but it is just overshadowed by all the has happened in the seires. The end poses the question, " If love can kill, can not hatred save?" This question is the main focal point of the end of the series. The series may end with the vision of a brighter tomarrow, but it is easily looked over by all the prior events. All in all the series is very depressing, but so are the end to a lot of the shows that I watch. The end, as well as the entire series, may be depressing, but it is just an excellent show and is one of my personal favorites.

The Sin Within The Sin
When a series is progressing predictably, one of the things a director must struggle with is finding new ways to bring about a satisfactory conclusion. We have known all along that a strong inner conflict was developing between the three 'saplings of the Soldats - Kirika, Mirielle, and Chloe. Nor is it any surprise that it would come to a head violently. Yet withing this thematic architecture there is quite a lot of room for plot manipulations and character development, and director Kouichi Mashimo seizes the opportunity to leave not stone unturned.

Kirika has returned to the spiritual home of the Soldats, coupled with Chloe for the final rituals that will refine them into Noir, the deadly assassin sisterhood of the Soldats, Cloaked as if they were nuns, Altena and her consorts prepare the final tests. The goal in hand is the return of the Soldats to their original character as truthseekers who follow the deadliest path. Altena's opponents are the new Soldats, who prefer the status quo of ruling a vast financial empire. The conflicts are inevitable, and all revolve about the three women.

Almost as an afterthought Mirielle, who was left behind at the end of the last DVD, reappears. But this is no afterthought, but the completion of the circle. Only two can survive the tests, the other must die as a sacrifice. Will it be Kirika, who has come to be repelled by what she has done. Or Chloe, who suddenly shows a surprisingly delicate human side, couched in the frame of the deadliest of killers. Or perhaps the victim will be Mirielle, abandoned by the Soldats, left behind by Kirika, and fiercely loyal to her truest friend.

The theme for these last episodes is 'if love can kill then hate can save,' a question which receives many answers. Even at the end, we are left to answer this for ourselves. The series reaches a point where an exquisitely open-ended conclusion is possible and the last dialog leaves the viewer wondering, with Kirika, "What are we going to do now?" And the only answer is "Go back to Paris and have a hot cup of tea.' ... Read more