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Since the first chapters debuted as a direct-to-video release in 1990, this sprawling sword-and-sorcery epic has delighted fantasy fans with its ancient prophecies, lost kingdoms, enchanted swords, dragons, and wizards. The tangled story line borrows heavily from The Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars films, and numerous other fantasy works. Six mismatched characters find themselves thrown together to protect the land of Lodoss from imminent destruction: Parn is the impetuous young warrior with heroic potential who typifies the genre; in place of the usual spunky girl, there's Deedlit, an elf with magical powers. They're joined by Etoh, a young priest and healer; Ghim, a dwarf-warrior with a heavy heart; Slayn, a wizard in training; and the rascally thief Woodchuck. Their allies include the dashing lord of a desert realm, a mercenary and her Berserker companion, and a benevolent, Arthurian king. They're pitted against an array of villains that includes human warriors, an evil sorcerer, dragons, kobolds, zombies, and Karla, the mysterious "Gray Witch" [sic]. An elegant art nouveau sensibility runs through the designs of Lodoss War, especially the extravagant armor of the warriors. But the film lacks a coherent plot, probably the result of producing so much animation in a short time with multiple directors. Characters are forever dropping in and out of the story: the initial villain, the evil emperor Beld, is replaced by his henchman, Ashram, who is superseded by the dark sorcerer, Wagnard. The last three episodes build to a titanic climax that leaves a lot of plot points unresolved. Hard-core fantasy fans will love Lodoss War; but other viewers are likely to tire of its drawn-out and needlessly complicated story. Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and up; considerable violence and an extremely complicated plot. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (122)

You'll Never Need Another Fantasy Anime...
Can you imagine an anime series that parallels your favorite RPG? I've been watching anime for over 15 years or so, and I've seen tons of anime, but this series still keeps me coming back to my roots. I first caught a glimpse of it on Sci-Fi Channel's "Saturday Anime," back in 96-97. I taped the first episode, after that I was hooked. I bought the VHS tapes and later bought the DVD collection when it was released. Everything about this series is epic. All classes(warrior, monk, mage, orc, elf, priestess, sorceress, berserker, + more) of the dark and light battle are caught amidst in the tide of war. The series rests on a timid warrior(Parn), struggling to discern the unseeing dark forces approaching the island of Lodoss. If you enjoyed other series like Berserk and Heroic Legend of Arislan then check this series out. I put down an arm and a leg in the past for the VHS tapes, now fortunately they carry the 13 OAV episodes on these two DVDs.

Swords, Dragons, and Magic...Oh My
One word to define Lodoss War is...stereotypical. I know a lot of Otaku will probably kill me for this, but it's just a "GOOD" anime. Nothing spectacular, but a worthwile viewing effort. Of course, that's if you could sit through and watch all 13 episodes in one sitting. It seems to be one of the few animes where more isn't always better. I loved the characters to begin with, but the storyline seems too epic for it's own good. You sort of get lost with all the different directions the characters zig zag to. Granted, it's supposed to be a "Quest Series", it ends up being a stereotypical one. Don't get me wrong, it's as good as the rest and one of my favorites in it's genre, but let me just point out the flaws since most everybody hypes this series up so much. So I'll give it a 3...er...4 because the good definetly outweighs the bad (and I'm afraid of the consequences of giving it a bad score). Just set your expectations a little lower than what you had before you watch this series (or from what you heard) and you'll find it to be a wild sword and sorcery ride. My final verdict...A great anime for what it's worth and should be in your "watch before you judge" list.

one of the best animes i seen
this is one of the best animes i've seen in awhile besides evangelion. i got it for cheaper at some store at an outlet mall in indiana. its all the edisopdes though

Love it!
Best anime I've seen yet. I'm a big fan of fantasy, and this was simply awesome. My one complaint, and it's minor, is that the animations for the ancient dragons was less than stellar. But it's a great story, with well-developed characters. All I can say is this: Get it.

The BEST
This is the BEST Fantasy Anime EVER made! This series is my favorite. I love the characters and it seems like an Rpg type Anime, yes it takes things from LOTR and other fantasy stories but it still maintains it's own uniqueness. I find the idea of how Lodoss was created is very well done and the characters seem to be very real. This show has a HUGE fan base but isn't the reason to check it out, the reason to check it out is because its GREAT fantasy! You won't be dissapointed! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

I like this series just as much as NGE.
This series is vastly less well-known than Neon Genesis Evangelion even in Japan partly because it was broadcast after midnight. The release of the theater version last spring did not make much of a splash, either.
In my opinion NGE is ultimately a story of a family disguised as sci-fi anime, and RahXephone seems to cover a similar terrain as the story centers around Ayato Kamina's identity crisis and his search for his true self. As in NGE, the primary characters here feel somewhat alienated against each other and struggle hard to get their true feelings across. It is in this respect that the Jupiter barrier is to this series what the AT field is to NGE as they both represent the mental barriers that the characters harbor deep inside themselves. However, befitting their adolescent mentality, Ayato's and Haruka's yearning for each other seems more sugarcoated and thus less urgent than Shinji Ikari's yearning for love and recognition.
All the references to ancient mythology and music are ultimately peripheral to the main argument of this series. And I must admit that I could not get all the characters' names right until the very end of the series. That said, I am glad that I have seen the series and like this one no less than Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The tuning of the world
With the war between Mu and the Human's about to conclude, the time for the tuning of the world is at hand. Ayato now must face what the attaining of Yolteotl truly means as well as deal with the death and destruction it will deal to those around him.

Volume seven of Rahxephon ends with its final three episodes. The great thing about this anime series that's lacking in others is that ends magnificently. Just about everything you want to know is explained in this volume and that's what makes not only this volume great but also the series. This is truly a great anime series and one that should not be missed.

The world infused with sound = a lot of noise.
Wow! I finally watched it! The seventh DVD of RahXephon has sat on my entertainment center for 2 months while I tried to find the ability to overcome the prediction of silliness and boredom that would rush over me watching the final 3 episodes. Now I can truely say this series is absolutely ridiculous and laughable. Perhaps the one moment in the series I actually busrt out laughing at the story was when the world was caught in the moment of apotheosis granted by Babhem....and it turned into an EGG! haha AND THEN YOU HEAR A CRACKING NOISE! Oh god, precious.

Overall, the series gets one star. The one star is for the five star art and animation, but everything else was truely attrocious (aside from the DVD authoring and packaging by ADV Films who did a great job with voices and over all product detail). This series would have been incredible if it had good writing and storytelling, but from the basic premise down to storyboarding, the whole Japanese crew was abominable, then everyone following the boards was pretty incredible. Typical to every other DVD in the RahXephon series, it mirrors Evangelion on some level and creates a kind of post-modern malais of images and sequences ripped from other anime/movies while trying to create its own identity with useless red herrings or obscure imagery. Everyone was someone's mom/son/sister/father it seemed, and when the characters were done with their usefulness, they died for no real reason then that the writer thought a death would create more meaning then interaction during their part of the play. None of the dialogue really made any sense, and none of the plot really had any meaning either. Like the odd dreams and hallucinations that littered the series AND these final episodes, this story was basically a potpourri of random information the writer grabbed from around him while trying to get a chunky paycheck. Sad. The night before watching RahXephon 7 I saw CAGLIOSTRO and GIANT ROBO where every line of dialogue and every action meant something, and the storytelling through the film/boarding was precise and rousing. Comparatively, this series was absolutely the anti-masterpiece, but hopefully anime will resurrect out of skillless stories and filmwork to continue the genius it was paving in the early and mid-ninties with shows like ROBO, GOLDEN BOY, EVANGELION (kind of), TYLER, FLCL (a bit beyond the ninties), COWBOY BEBOP, YUA OVAs, NINJA SCROLL and others that had strong scripting and precise visuals to blue print the animation through to final film.

Even in the end, with the last scenes, the writer basically says, 'Hey! It was all written as if it was a story in the mind of a 16 year old! Don't hold me responsible! HAHAHAHA!!!' And following his lead, I'll leave you with touch of RahXephon by pulling an obtuse piece of dialogue from the show and displaying it for all of you to boggle over, and come to the conclusion that this review was great because you didn't understand it...

'Hey those stairs are dangerous!'

Encore!
For those of you who've seen the whole of Evangelion and have vowed to do terrible things to Hideaki Anno should you ever meet him, watch Rah-Xephon and see the series Eva should have been.

It does cover almost exactly the same ground as Eva, but with enough differences and more importantly enough coherency that your not left saying what the... after the final episode. Easily as good as the series that so clearly inspired it.

Crescendo, wraps the series perfectly, answering just enough questions to prevent the outcry that greeted Evangelion, but leaving enough unanswered to avoid critisism that the show was dumbed down.

Oh Yes! Finally!
I've been waiting for this since I finished Aria. And then it was backordered and...well anyway finally got it, watched it, and oh was it good. COnfusing. Unlike Eva, since eva just didn't really explain things, RahXephon is just plain confusing! Which is why i love it. So yeah, it's over and was exciting. Can't wait for the US release of the movie, that'll rock! ... Read more

Description

The Sanzo Party heads further into the thick of the demon plague terrorizing the Earth, and dangers threaten them every step of the way. And no matter how far west they go, the group's past is always one step behind! The ruthless fortune teller Chin Yisou seeks to avenge the slaughter of a thousand of his brethren by destroying Hakkai.Then, it's dangerous to trust anyone on this journey - a lesson Goku learns the hard way when he is tricked into eating a forbidden fruit. In the third episode of the volume, Gojyo's love of the ladies could lead to his doom when he agrees to help a young girl find her kidnapped parents. Finally, every member has something they would like to forget. A fact they must confront as the party must hole up to wait out a storm.Contains 4 complete episodes! ... 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

Description

One girl washes up on shore – naked, scared, and alone.The other uses psychic weapons to make a blood-soaked break from captivity.One is named Nyu.The other is Lucy.The two couldn’t be more different – if only they didn’t have to share the same body! When star-crossed students Kohta and Yuka rescue Nyu on the beach, they’re blissfully unaware that she’s a diclonius, a mutant bred to replace humanity. To make matters worse: she’s escaped from captivity, leaving a trail of dead in her path and the world’s most lethal hunters on her tail. As the rooms in Kohta’s rented house fill with runaways and diclonius – danger mounts outside.But, what’s more dangerous?The monsters beating down the door or the demons within? ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Disturbing and exploitive - but......
This is one of those animes you pick up because of all the "shockingly violent" hype that this series is being labeled as.Make no mistake about it:It does not shy away from nudity or gore at any expense.Although this might be a turn off to some viewers, there is an absorbing story that goes along with "Elfen Lied".It will easily get you hooked.

A couple of main problems that nobody else seems to have noted:

It seems to be an original piece of work - but its quite a no brainer that it borrowed *heavily* from the lighthearted fan favorite anime "Chobits".Any hardcore anime fan will see that.

Also - heavily sexual inuendos are present throughout, be it when the main male character takes hold of a female's breast - and she gets orgasmic pleasure out of it, showing a naked female draped in blood while chained to a wall, and female urination on a hardwood floor...not to mention showing 2 women bathing together.Some of these scenes might have something to do with the storyline - but I have a feeling most of them are just for exploitive purposes.

What is most shocking is the "TVMA" rating this was given.First off-this is something that would never be shown on television without severe editing.I would give this nothing less than a 17+ rating.

If it sounds like I'm bashing "Elfen Lied", I'm really not.The story will grab your attention and tug at your emotional strings at any given moment - and the character development is a definate plus.I'm just hoping the story continues at a level where it will outshine some of the shlock that is present on the screen.

To sum up the first volume of "Elfen Lied": So far, so good...but beware of the TVMA rating.

Beautifully dark, sit down, watch, be shocked, or love it
This a great but short series. The first episode will either turn you away, and/or make you come back for more, the rampant death can be pure shock value. The violence is gory, but clean in that vector hands always seem to cut like a laser. Just imagine if a lightsaber could exist, but didn't instantly cauterize the wound. No one is spared, women and children. Topics like pedophilia, incest, Thats a warning to those curious.

Storywise, you wonder which characters will survive sometimes, and at others, you'll be laughing because you didn't expect a situational joke. The first episode, is a grabber. If you want to introduce this series to squeamish people like me, then, introduce them to the 2nd episode first. You can go back and show the 1st episode as memory, and filler information.

On the note of quality, the animation seemed to have a good budget, or at least good directing. Stills of backgrounds are reused in rain, and music to set the mood, and saved money for what really counts: character movement, battles, etc.
The Latin intro is beautiful, because you don't normally hear a dead language in music, unless you do follow it. The outro song, just doesn't seem to fit, it feels too upbeat, making it feel cynical. The diclonius characters make you think of catgirls in previous anime, but does its job in the purpose of distinguishing who's who.

The fact that you have a diclonius, who regresses back to a child-like state in-and-out reminds you of other anime in general. It feels done before, but the only catch is, it's not the main character. It's because the main cast interact better and isn't (completely) centered on Kouta. If the character had black-and-white personality, throw in a dark past and voila, you have something memorable. You have a blood-thirsty mercenenary, murderous Lucy, innocent Nyu. A bright sunny day, or a dark rainy night. Its simplified, with these sharp contrasts, until you remember their darkened origins. These contrasts and situations all seem to exist just to test Yuka and Kouta's relationship.

For entertainment value, this was well presented. Without the budget, the allowance of nudity and violence, I don't think this would've stood out. At times, I do agree, that random characters were added just to add fuel for melodrama.

One of the best, and most provocotive Anime's created!
To begin, Elfen Lied is not an anime for the faint of heart. The levels of violence and gore found in this 13-episode series far exceed anything I've come across so far. However, at the same time, this is not an anime which one should simply disregard as another ploy to pull in fans and cash by showcasing lots and lots of killing.

Instead, this is an anime with a surprisingly deep and interesting story. Because it is so original in its plot, it is very difficult to predict. The fact that the producers still managed to incorporate a modest amount of comedic relief into the entire mix really made this series quite unique.

As for characters, overall they are fairly well developed. While it would have been nice to see a bit more time devoted to character development, I can't say that I'm disappointed since it is mainly the side characters which have somewhat 2-D personalities ( although all still do come off as likeable ).

Moving on to music, all I can really say is "wow." This is one series with a truly amazing soundtrack. Now, I'm aware that most people today aren't overly fond of classical, but Elfen Lied puts it to good use and managed to raise the hairs along the back of my neck on more then one occasion.

And finally animation. Good is the best word for it. Its obviously not up to par with certain series out there such as Macross Zero, but relatively speaking, at least in my opinion, I thought that the animation would still let it come in among the top 10 percent.

So, to conclude, if you still haven't gotten the picture (^_^), Elfen Lied is most definitely an anime worth your time. While very violent, the story and brilliant soundtrack more then make up for any queasiness one might feel. So unless you truly believe that you will be unable to handle something violent, I highly encourage everyone to give this series a chance.

Perfection at its Peak
Elfen Lied is without a doubt, one of the best anime to come out in 2004.The animation is top-notch.Character development is unparalleled.Each individual is distinctly unique and has well-established history, goals and morals.The soundtrack never fails to set the mood and the intro as well as the credits are impressive as well.However, what tops off this masterpiece is how the story keeps you on the edge of your seat down to the last second of episode 13.There is never a dull moment and the plot keeps rolling strongly without ever slowing down.

The basic premise for driving the plot is a race of highly-evolved, psychic humans called diclonius.The distinctive feature of these people are two, small, bony growths protruding from above the ears (the nature of the word "diclonius" comes from a dinosaur, which possessed two horns, hence, the "di" prefix).Their hidden power is the manipulation of matter with invisible arms.

The story starts off in a remote, island research facility where the most powerful diclonus, Lucy is being held captive.Mysteriously loosened from her bonds, she fights her way out of the building and succeeds in killing most of the security force (with extremely bloody results).Because the scientists experimenting with her race don't consider her to be a human, she is not clothed during this rampage.Unscathed, Lucy is nearing escape when she is not quite successful in deflecting a headshot from a .50 caliber rifle.

Senseless, lost and naked she wanders to a beach quite a distance away.It turns out that the wound from the bullet has activated a second personality within Lucy, which is devoid of anger and full of innocence."Nyu," is the name of her alter ego.She is noticed a short time later by two cousins, Kouta and Yuka.While Yuka attempts to find this strange girl some clothes, Kouta is having terrible flashbacks from his childhood.Memories of a girl he once knew; possessing horns on her head.

While the plot does not escape from a weak male lead, which has been overused in the anime genre, there are more than enough strong points to make up for this.The most revolutionary part of Elfen Lied is the way it uses what would normally be called questionable or offensive material and then makes the characters and storyline stronger (as opposed to making the viewer look away or sickened).I've seen other anime, which can simply be described as soft-porn and devoid of story.Others promote random violence, once again, without any story to back it up.Elfen Lied does well where these have failed.

The major opponents of Elfen Lied cannot see or understand Lynn Okamoto's (the author) vision from beneath the gore and skin.Such people are too superficial to look deeper into her creation and appreciate the underlying gems, which all great stories possess.

I must also admit that this anime is not for the faint of heart.The blood and nudity makes for a strong R type rating, so children should be kept away.However, I'll stress again that these aspects of the plot do not detract, but instead add to the storyline.If you can handle these crucial moments, then this anime is definitely for anyone who wants to be touched by a story I can simply describe as spectacular.

The dynamic personality struggle between Lucy and Nyu is something which I will never forget.Her disposition constantly transforms from a temperamental psychopath to a cute and loveable child at just the right time to make you love her just barely more than you hate her.It is such perfection which makes me wish I could give Elfen Lied ten of five stars.

Overrated, all hype, does not deliver...except in gore fest
I acknowledge that tastes and preferences vary with different people and people can enjoy anything that they happen to find enjoyable. But it is too clear in my mind that those who rave about this rather pointless title like it for the sheer shock and gore factor. They will call it deep and outstanding yet unable to substantiate the claim. They will concoct and articulate reasons to justify praise, however baseless they will be, without considering its most critical flaws: a desparately contrived premise and plot, and nonsensical character relationships and development. When it comes down to it, this Love Hina dramedy that is Elfen Lied is devoid of any substance and merits way below and far too short of the hype that it is given.

Elfen Lied gives us yet another male lead character who reinforces the pathetic excuse that he is for a man who after learning the terrifying truth does the most insensible thing, as if the concept of outrage and the vindication of justice had been completely foreign to him! And are we supposed to like Lucy just because she on occasion is a ridiculously idiotic moron that babbles "nyu" and exposes skin? She's a loathesome piece of genetic debris that was not dealt with in any satisfactory manner. While Nana and "Papa" do arouse quite a bit of sympathy for what they suffer, the characterizations of everyone else evoke only frustration or abomination. Tell me how is it that a homeless girl, whose backstory sheds no light as to what purpose her being homeless serves in the story, does not become a jaded cynic by dining on her pet dog's food? And were we to become more accepting of the loser male lead character by pairing him up with another such weak-willed and equally inconsequential counterpart as his love interest? Was contrasting the diclonius Lucy with a mercenary psychopath supposed to make me understand and empathize with her plight? What nonsense! The title fails in all attempts to accurately portray the human condition, much less comment on it all while futilely trying to entertain.

So we have the race of beings called diclonius that is the superior and replacement of the homosapien race, on the basis that they possess powerfully lethal vector arms. However, that they apparently lack a very keen intellect explains why at least two of them are too easily influenced and controlled by manifestations of paternal love and that their basic instinct is to tear everything asunder. And few as they were, would they hope to successfully eradicate homosapiens to become the dominant race by confronting one another in mortal combat at the bidding of their would-be enemies? The machination behind the contradictory devices was faulty at best, deceitfully calculative at worst.

Say that the story is even somewhat plausible, the poor conception of the characters, their make-up, background, and most notably the artificiality of their interaction unforgivably undermine the entire effort. To those who maintain their misguided affection for this title, obtusely confusing superfluous violence for aesthetics, contriving a mixture of cliches for originality, and contradictions and plot holes for depth, have you not ever seen before a superior combination of gratuitous violence and sex 20 years ago with Golgo 13: The Professional?

If macabre, dark tragedies and disturbing studies of the decadent human condition is what inspires you, then try seeing Neon Genesis Evangelion first. Then watch Grave of the Fireflies, Gantz, Alien Nine, Berserk, and Narutaru, all of which employ and depict violence more stylishly yet purposefully to make a point about the inescapable and ever present human suffering, of which the human is the sole cause.

Elfen Lied is exemplary of an utter failure to convey its message. By wantonly resorting to ecchi slapstick, fanservice, forced relationships and entirely misaligned emotions, Elfen Lied laboriously succeeds at simply becoming a harem anime masquerading as Faces of Death and Mary Shelley's famous literature. It merely feeds the basest of senses to dupe unwitting viewers much in the same way that televised human atrocities and porn do. A masterpiece? Please don't take the word so lightly. One of the best animes ever? Hah! I jest at the silly notion and declare that the deduction that forms such sentiment is unsubstantiated rubbish. What a rip off! ADV should have used Elfen Lied resources to continue releasing the second half of both Kaleido Star and Super Gals first. GAAAAH! I've been waiting for these two forever! ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Art Overcomes the Commonplace
Escaflowne: The Movie is an example of how individual producers and performers can overcome the limitations of a genre. The story, which varies greatly from that of the television series, actually features a degree of originality. Scenes involving the over-sized "robot" battle suits are kept to a bare minimum, thereby making what is seen of them much more effective. The voice work by the Japanese performers is among the best you will find in anime. The English track, as usual, hurts the film badly, as the rhythms of English simply do not fit with the rhythms of the film, particularly in this case.

There are visual moments in Escaflowne which also transcend the limitations of anime. It is true that the story is marred by the visual inclusion of the "cute" and decidedly comic-book minor characters that so often keep anime in the realm of children's films. And too much of it is rather static. But there are also scenes of great visual beauty and innovative technique. Somewhere inside the people who made this film is another Princess Mononoke.

Perhaps the best aspect of this film is its score: a full, richly-toned orchestral suite. The inclusion in this three-disc boxed set of a CD containing the score is a definite plus. The score of Escaflowne is, bar none, the best done for an anime film...and deserving of far more attention than it is likely to get.

The second disc is "exras"...some interviews with the three principal Japanese voice actors (fun but not very interesting, really); some moments with the producer, the composer, and the director (who seems almost unable to speak when he is around other people); and lots of details about design and planning and production that will be of enormous interest to anime devotees but are quite boring to everyone else.

In brief: Escaflowne is a superior anime with a brilliant score, and this boxed set of three discs is a good value.

My thoughts on this movie
This movie is one of the best and i think its really original and the opening reminds me of the video at the beginning of onimusha 3 and i believe that this movie is way better than the series because the series is somewhat kiddish and really obsolete in the way that its a 26 epsiode children series and you basically get an overview of the entire series in just one movie which i think is a + and if you're a die hard fan of escaflowne you will apperciate this movie for what it is and i believe it some of the best anime out there and still isnt as korny as gundam is and i believe that gundam was derived by this series/movie either if you want you should buy one of the two the box set of the series or the movie i dont recommend the box set because no one want to spend 3 days just watching an entire series and then watching the movie and find out its same as the series only shorter but the storyline is almost the same the way that hitomi is taken from the mystic moon and sure some parts of the movie are a blur but it you ever get a chance to watch it you will learn to apperciate escaflowne for what it really is "THE BEST OF THE BEST"

Not A Classic But Very Pleasant
* I picked up ESCAFLOWNE THE MOVIE (ETM) on a gamble, knowing nothing
about it ahead of time. I was expected from what I saw of it that it
was a fairly straightforward fantasy piece, and as it turned out, that
was precisely what it was.

ETM is the story of Hitomi, a discouraged and depressed Japanese
high-school student, who seems to be drifting somewhere near the
end of her rope when she runs into a mysterious stranger, who transports
her to the world of Gaea. There she finds herself involved in a war
between a gang of fighters, including the hotheaded young warrior
Lord Van, and a fairly traditional Evil Empire, led by the brutal
Lord Folken, who has a death wish literally as big as an entire planet.

Hitomi finds that she is actually the "Wing Goddess", who is linked
spiritually to the ultra-powerful "Escaflowne" battle armor -- think
a mecha based on mystical and not mechanical principles. In a series
of adventures with Lord Van, she must use her relationship with the
Escaflowne to guide the future of Gaea.

The story premise is straightfoward fantasy-novel stuff; the whole
"disaffected adolescent who is really a messiah or wotnot in an
alternate world" comes across as a bit comical, considering the way
it panders to the egotism of the reader or viewer, often disaffected
adolescents who wished there was more to their lives. However,
although the plot of ETM is somewhat by-the-numbers, it still snaps
along nicely and the movie never drags or insults the viewer's
intelligence. The characterizations come across as a bit sketchy,
but ETM covers a lot of ground in a short time and it would be hard
to do much more under the circumstances.

All that in itself would not amount to much of a recommendation for
ETM. However, although I was expecting something very run-of-the-mill
from this movie, from the outset I had to think: "This is very
nicely done!" The production values are very conscientious, with pretty
artwork, particularly of landscapes and skyscapes, backed up by a
sparkling soundtrack; beginning with Indian raga music, progressing
through various musical styles (including a techno-disco number) and
ending with what sounds perfectly like a country-pop romantic tune
-- sung in Japanese.

I definitely found ESCAFLOWNE THE MOVIE to be time well and pleasantly
spent. It's not actually topknotch -- the character designs tend to
come across as a little wooden and stereotypical, and it's somewhat
more gory and violent than makes sense, though I didn't have much of a
problem myself with the bloodshed. I doubt that anybody who doesn't
like fantasy will much care for it, and I couldn't claim it was a
really memorable film -- but it sure is pretty! I might try picking
up the anime series, which I understand has roughly the same
characters but a completely rearranged plot.

although not as good as the series, still an awesome movie!
This movie is just simply amazing! No matter how many times I watch it, the opening fight scene with Van still leaves me breathless. But this movie can get just a tad bit confusing if you haven't seen the series, for example: Why Van has wings. So I would recommend watching the series first and then the movie. Any how, any Esca fan should own this movie. It really is a must see! ^_____^

Opinions Shall Vary
okay, i need to get this across because this is probably the main factor on why some people say it's great and why some people say it just wasn't. The series, the vision of escaflowne, was in fact intended to be a shoujo (aimed at girls) anime. Me, being a guy, saw the vision of escaflowne and still loved it, along with a huge population of guy anime fans. Therefore, escaflowne: the movie was created and was intended to be more of a shounen (aimed at guys) anime. The outcome was great. I enjoyed this more than the vision of escalfowne for five main reasons: (1) Hitomi is literally depressed, and not perky and annoying as she is in the series. (2) There is no love triangle, or square, or whatever the hell you want to call that thing with van, hitomi, marlerna, allen, and merryl. (3) You get to see characters such as van and allen acually use those swords you always see them carrying around. (4) During fights you see blood used not as good as Samurai X but more accurate than the series. (5) The way the armors, such as escaflowne, are used is different from most mecha (giant robot) animes in the sense it acually draws the users blood. Although, the vision of escaflowne does have one element over the movie: the characters in series (if you don't count hitomi) have much more depth, my favorite character Fulken's personality is ruined in the movie but it is only an hour so they don't have time to put depth into too many characters. Well i just wanted to clear that up, so whether you're a guy or a girl i hope i helped in your decision. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

The best DVD yet!
This is the best set of episodes put together since Volume 17. If your a fan of InuYasha then you should get this DVD.

REAL episodes are...
I did a LOT of research. Found out from the actual distributor that the episodes on this DVD are:

Ep. 55 Stone Flower and Shippo's First Love

Ep. 56 Temptress in the Mist

Ep. 57 Fateful Night in Togenkyo, part 1

Everone else is a little confused. No wonder! The don't list the episodes in the description OR on the box front anymore. Hope this helps.

^_^X
I loved this dvd! Starts off with Fateful Night In Togenkyo, Part 1, Fateful Night In Togenkyo, Part 2, then Beautiful Sister Apprentices. In the first episode Inuyasha goes after a sage (called the peach man in the manga, its really out of order!)and turns into a human! Then in the second episode it finishes with that part (hehe, no spoilers...). Then in the third episode Sango meets two girls at the demon exterminator village and they ask her to teach her the demon-slaying arts. enjoy!!

An Amendment From my last Review!!!
Sorry about my last review, I seem to have screwed the episodes up! But I'll try not to do it again!

Inu Yasha Vs. Ryuukotsusei
This was the first REAL anime I ever saw (I don't count Pokemon as an anime though My Neighbor Totoro is a good start for young otaku) and I loved it. I began the series around episode 17 but I've seen every single one up to around episode 60 now.

This DVD contains the dramatic battle between Inu Yasha, our demonic long-haired hero, and Ryuukotsusei, a demon who killed Inu Yasha's own father! Inu Yasha had to kill Ryuukotsusei to surpass his own father to make his fang equal to his own father's, making Tetsusaiga lighter (if you didn't watch episodes 43 to 52, don't even try to comprehend this).
But thanks to Nuraku, the real jerk who I'd like to call something a little more adult if I could on this site, a "battle" which would have just included Inu Yasha jabbing Ryuukotsusei's heart out, it turns into a full-fledged fight for Inu Yasha's life. The tension rises as at the end of the first Ryuukotsusei episode, Inu Yasha turns into his FULL DEMON FORM! (something I was eternally creeped out by, see episode 51-52 for reason why!)
The next episode is Inu Yasha overcoming his demon form and regrasping Tetsusaiga and learning the only technique that can kill Ryuukotsusei, the Bakuryuuha (or Backlash Wave if you like that crappy English translation). He kicks Ryuukotsusei's scaley hide and can use the Kizu no Kaze (or Wind Scar you stupid dubbers!)whenever he pleases (no more demon winds to collide, just a giant blast of energy).
In the next episode, Shippo (who I throughly hate), finds his first love and screws it up entirely (I don't pretend to be strong in front of a girl just so she likes me!).
The next episode is about a beautiful dead princess who's spirit is still sucking the youth from men who stray across her path. Naturally Miroku (the funniest of all of them) is inclined to seduce her. But he ends up releasing her from the curse and admitting he likes Sango. But once again, a character screws up a relationship! (...) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's about time
Ever since I saw how badly butchered Macross was when it was turned into Robotech, I've wanted to know what the other cartoons were originally like.
Needless to say, both Macross and GenesisClimber Mospeada were far better without the constant and irritating Narrorator voice-over. I'm expecting this to be the same. Maybe the plot and story will actually make sense? Maybe the voice actors will actually have talent?

This probablly is more of a niche market than a mainstream item, but I expect it will be worth while. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

the best fight scenes i have ever seen.
this is my all time favorite Kung-Fu flick.
i have seen over 200 Kung-Fu flicks...im not into the flying around with wires and cutting walls in half with 1 punch flicks.

but what i do like is the old school hardcore/hard working flicks...

(drunken master 1,shaolin vs wu-tang,prodigal son,snake and crane arts of shaolin etc etc..)

this movie,IMO if you want to see one of the best fight scenes ever created is for you.

the part where Jack Long meets the guy who was so determined to have him assasinated and Jack Long shows up bare fisted,but yet his rival has a whole weapon rack that he uses against him....Jack Long uses each weapon against him until there is no others.

this is my favorite fight scene. i dont think any movie will ever match it,the pure skill and precision ( on the original version) is just amazing...no string,no flying just pur hardcore fight seens.

the only other movie that i can honestly compare it with is the end fight seen in drunken master 1.

this is a must have for any collector.

the basic story is Jack Long has to go fight all the 7 masters of the regions to show to his secret rival that he does deserve the title as the grandmaster...each fight just shows how bad ass he is but he was never that popular as an actor,but my favorit with jackie chan being the second.

my favorite movie of all time.

Not as Good as Other Kung Fu
I saw a clip of this and then decided to buy it. I was wrong, the story is O.K. but most of it is pretty lame. The other "masters" are far to nice. Stick with Sonny Chiba or Bruce Lee for real kung fu.

the way old-school should be on DVD.
First off, the print of this dvd is great for an old-school kung-fu flick. The picture is crisp yet still has that old school feel and it has the orignal dubbed track, not some new dubbed garbage you find on most of the remastered fung-fu DVD's. Also has orignal dialogue for fans who don't like the cheesy dubbed voices.

The movie itself is a little over rated as being one of the best ever of the genre, but it is still highly entertaining. Predictable plot and bad hair-wigs galore...but most watch these flicks for the almost super-human fight scenes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This long, involving anime series should provide a wonderful stepping stone for youngsters being weaned from Pokémon. Based partially on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water begins as Jean, a young French boy who builds airplanes, teams with his uncle to enter a flying competition at the 1899 World's Fair in Paris. It's there that the preteen Jean meets and immediately falls for the exotic Nadia, who leads an unhappy life as a circus performer. Jean turns protector when Nadia is chased by a trio of bumbling villains who are after the mysterious "blue water" in Nadia's necklace. Their pursuit leads to the open sea, where Jean and Nadia board an American battleship searching for a vengeful sea monster, ultimately revealed as Captain Nemo's submarine, Nautilus. This first series from Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) has some of the charm and rich detail of the films of Hayao Miyazaki (who "conceived" the story) but features cardboard villains that could be distant cousins of Pokémon's Team Rocket. Nadia, Secret of Blue Water stepped into the limelight in 2001, 11 years after its original production, thanks to myriad similarities to Disney's ambitious animated feature Atlantis: The Lost Empire, including period setting, design, characters, story, and a mystical blue necklace. This set delivers the first half of the series--39 episodes spanning 16 hours--which is far too long, as the story runs out of stream in the final third. Two CD soundtracks are also included. (Rated 12 and older for violence, but suitable for ages 7 to teens) --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best episodes of NADIA in a conveniently priced pacakge!
Combining elements of Jules Verne's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA with Hayao Miyazaki's CASTLE IN THE SKY, this 39-part TV Anime series (which had originally been conceived, interestingly, by the man himself but produced by GAINAX) has proven to be a popular favorite with millions of fans since its initial 1990-1991 broadcast in Japan. In particular, Nadia, one of the most interesting (and occasionally annoying) characters ever to be realized, has shown up on the Japanese Animage polls as favorite Anime heroine, dethroning Miyazaki's NAUSICAA. Despite having an impressive fan base, NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER has had little exposure to U.S. audiences, but ADV Films has recently released the entire TV show (plus the infamous, ill-fated theatrical version) to introduce this charming, involving, and sometimes traumatic fan favorite to budding Anime fans.

What makes NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER so much fun are the characters that propel this action-adventure set in 1889 Europe. First off, I absolutely ADORE the main character, an endearing 14-year-old aspiring aviator named Jean; he displays an incredible depth of bravery, confidence, and brains -- he handles EVERYTHING by using his intelligence. He's also consistently sweet, honest, loyal, and compassionate -- probably the sort of Best Friend or Love Interest ANYONE would ever want to have. He treats everybody with kindness and respect, and, as such, everyone likes him, too. Actually, the primary reason why the show keeps us interested is BECAUSE of Jean.

Nadia herself, by contrast, is, as stated above, not always the most likable character in the show. She is the sort of girl who has her own share of problems and really has a lot of growing up to do. While Nadia is capable of showing goodness to her friends and finds herself falling in love with Jean, she does not know how to express herself to him. Nor does she know how to talk about her problems; she often reduces herself to fits of anger and frustration which, of course, damage her relationships (thankfully Jean is loving and patient enough to forgive her). Nadia has never had any experiences trusting anybody other than animals, and, as such, is socially inept. She's also, at times, frustratingly stubborn and impossible to reason with -- particularly when it comes to her rather shrewd opinions about eating meat, killing, and/or especially grown-ups. However, she DOES do a lot of things which show that she cares deeply about Jean throughout the show, and it is endearing to watch her self-centered, distrusting, suspicious, strong-willed nature slowly change as a result of her love for the boy.

The rest of the characters are richly created and developed. There's Marie, a cheerful and happy little girl who shares some of the best moments with Nadia's pet lion cub, King, as well as a howlingly funny trio of bandits who at first are enemies but later prove to be true friends -- loud-mouthed Grandis Granva and her "boys", vain, arrogant Sanson and mechanical nerd Hanson. Where NADIA feels like 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA is that it employs the submarine, Nautilus, (and yes, the captain's name is Nemo) as a character. This Nemo is portrayed not as a cold-blooded killer, but a benevolent figure fighting for peace in the world who, too, suffers from his own set of mistakes. He is aided by his Bridge Crew and overprotective (not to mention easily jealous) First Officer, Electra. What's most unusual, though, is the series' chief bad guy, Gargoyle, a misanthropic doppleganger who desires world conquest. He hides his face behind a mask (ala Darth Vader), covers his head in a tall hood, and wears a red suit and tie. Manipulative, sarcastic, and very deadly, he threatens to kill anybody he pleases, and taps into other people's weaknesses in order to make them do his bidding. This mixture of his calm, soothing voice and inner malice makes Gargoyle all the more terrifying a villain, even when he displays surprisingly casual manners.

Yet for all its likability, NADIA does not always stay afloat. It gets off to a great start and for a while, rides high on a plateau of adventure and imaginative animation, but things get completely out of hand in the second half and do not return to its initial roots wherein lies its appeal until the last five episodes. Fortunately, the first five DVDs out of ten feature the fantastic first eight episodes and the slightly slow-going but nevertheless entertaining Nautilus episodes (Episodes 9-22). My one complaint is that the last disc on the set ends at an unsatisfying cliffhanger, leaving one anxious for more (and the Nautilus arc concludes on the Second Collection which then, sadly, delves into stupidities).

Also included are the first two soundtrack CDs from the TV series. Major kudos to ADV Films for putting together this convenient collector's set at a nice price.

I should also mention that while serious hardcore fans would rather watch the series in Japanese, the English dub made by ADV Films' Austin-based Monster Island studios is not bad for what it is. Three gifted young children, 14-year old Meg Bauman (Nadia), 12-year-old Nathan Parsons (Jean), and 11-year old Margaret Cassidy (Marie) all produce fantastic chemistry with the more experienced adult members of the cast. Granted, the dub is not perfect -- the French accents do take some getting used to -- but on the whole, this is a commendable English track, and one to which I do not mind listening.

The DVDs themselves have great visual transfers and the audio on both Japanese and English tracks are well mixed, but the extras are a bit lacking; the later DVDs have more meat in the form of the voice actor/actresses interviews. Presented here are the creditless opening and ending sequences and some character profiles, which aren't bad, but they don't feel like enough.

Still, this is a great collector's box for longtime fans and newcomers to the series, as well as a solid purchase. Just be warned, though, the second collection isn't as good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As he did in Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal (Director's Cut), director Kazuhiro Furuhashi has re-edited episodes of the Samurai X OVA into a seamless feature. Shinta, the child who grew up to become the assassin Battousai the Manslayer and the wanderer Kenshin Himura, returns to being just Shinta in the arms of his beloved second wife Kaoru. The story takes place 1893, long after Kenshin's bloody deeds during the civil wars that led to the Meiji Restoration--and the previous OVAs that culminated in the death of Kenshin's first wife, Tomoe. Despite his efforts at expiation, Kenshin's soul is burdened with many deaths and can find no peace in this world. Furuhashi has added new still images and repeated some shots to achieve a more deliberate narrative pace. Kenshin's tragedy concludes amid the falling cherry blossoms that symbolize the evanescent life of a samurai. Darker in tone than the popular Rurouni Kenshin broadcast series, Trust & Betrayal is a moving and skillfully told elegy. (Rated 17 and older: violence, alcohol use, mature themes) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (99)

Simply beautiful
I'm a long time Kenshin fan so I was really worried that I would hate this OVA because I had heard that he dies at the end. Even though he did die, it was not the horribly depressing tearjerker that I expected it to be.

It's the story of Kaoru, who is also sick, reminiscing on her life with Kenshin. The artwork is the best that I have ever seen in an anime film. There are several flashbacks to things that took place in the series. They also do a flashback to the incident with Enishi. I thought that this was a great scene, beautifully drawn and good dialog. Enishi was a much better villain than Shishio because he wasn't completely bad, he had a deep hurt and sadness in his soul over the death of his sister and it helped to humanize him. He wasn't just a blood-thirsty monster like Shishio.

There are also some really nice scenes between Kenshin and Kaoru where you really get to see them express their feelings for each other. Unlike the series, where you were constantly waiting to see some spark of love or romantic attraction, something beyond just friendship. Finally you see them share some really sweet and tender moments.

This film was not only beautifully animated but also done with great respect to the story line and characters. The great thing about the Kenshin series is that it (for the most part) was very realistic compared to the typical anime. With the exception of parts of the last season, there were never any monsters or science fiction elements. It was about real life and in real life people eventually die. I think that Kenshin's death was fitting for his character. He did not die in a sword battle like a warrior, because in his heart he wasn't a warrior. He was a gentle caring man that died peacefully in the arms of the woman he loved, the woman that loved him more than she loved her own life. I can't think of a better way to pass from this life to the next. I did shed a tear at the end of this film, not out of sadness but happiness that Kenshin's atonement was finally over and his soul was finally at peace. It's truly a remarkable piece of anime that every Kenshin fan must see and even a non-fan could enjoy.

****Also, be sure to watch through the credits of part 2. Afterwards there is a really sweet and uplifting epilogue that you don't want to miss!

Bittersweet & sad ending to a wonderful series....
'Reflection' is a fitting title to the last chapter of the life of our favorite wandering swordsman, Kenshin Himura.

Ruroni Kenshin is my FAVORITE anime/manga of all and while this OVA is one of the saddest movie I've seen, anime or live-action, I feel it's an appropriate ending to the series.

Gorgeously animated, it's identical in style and spirit to the first OVAs Trust & Betrayal. While the first OVAs had dark and somber colors, 'Reflection' is full of bright and vivid colors that's mesmerizing to watch.

Unlike the TV show & first OVAs, this story (goes beyond the manga) is told from Kaoru's point of view, from when she first meets Kenshin to their life together 15-18 years later. You get to see Yahiko, Sano, Megumi, even Hiko once again and meet Kenji, Kenshin & Kaoru's son (the manga only shows him as a toddler).

You will see reenactments of familiar battles in the TV show, but the animation here is far superior, the battle in the moonlight with Jinei and the Jinchuu battle with Enishi are just AWESOME!

The instrumental sountrack is haunting and beautiful, composed by Taku Iwasaki who also did Trust & Betrayal.

Buy this if you are true Kenshin fan and have an open heart and mind.

Please Don't Support This Movie
Ok, I know that not everyone is going to agree with me but here it goes. I don't beleive that many true fans of Kenshin will like this movie. I know that I was truely disappointed. Not only was the story line not well written but the ending totally ruined it for me. I am not opposed to sad endings but it just didn't seen appropriate for this character. I know that some have arged that the ending is realistic and in real life everyone dies but remember this is not true life. This is a cartoon. Besides not everything in real life has a sad ending. Anyways I thing that they should have stuck more along the lines of the magna, which is the show the true development of the story. I know others may say that the the TV series and first OVA may have differed from the magna too but it was only slight, nothing that completely changed the original story, at least not from what I have read so far. I haven't read all the volumes yet but I have read the summaries and plan on buying more of the magna, which show the true end, with Kenshin finally living in peace with his family. We can just imagine the rest if we so choose. THis movie completely alters and important element of the story, which Nobuhrio Watsuki, the creator of Kenshin felt was important, a happy ending. I think they made this movie just to make people stoping asking for more Kenshin by killing him off. Personally, I see this movie more as an animated form of fanfaction that Watsuki, doesn't even support. Why does movie creators always have to ruin the stories of our favorite heros? I hope that Watsuki, pushes for someone to animated the Jinchuu Arc to give the conclusion to the Kenshin story that true fans support. I watched this movie a few times and hated more everytime. They didn't even keep in line with the personalities of the characters. However, I do feel the animation style was nice. I highly recomend that people not buy this film or at least take it with a grain of salt. However I highly recomend that instead you purchase the first OVA Trust and Betrayal and the TV series, they are excellent. Even though much of the last season is not based on the magna, it the episodes I have seen are quite enteraining. More importantly, unlike reflection they don't hurt or butcher the original story. Also I'd like to mention that I strongly advise you not to show any of the OVAs to the younger fans of the Kenshin series. There is much more graphic gore (1st OVA) and sexual scenes, although not in any real detail or anything you can really see but it strongly implies things that parents probably will not want to be explaining to younger audiences. All in all, I'd like to forget ever watching this movie and tell others to just stick with the other movies, TV episodes, and magna to the series. You will end up much mopre satisfied with the story.

an uncharacteristic end of Rurouni Kenshin story
The anime about Kenshin's redemption and his final rest is
outlined in this story; beautifully told. While my first reaction
upon seeing the portrayal of Kaoru as a devoted wife waiting for
Kenshin in Tokyo annoyed me (after all, she is a swordswoman
herself, so why did she not accompany him?), the explanation
the voice actors give in the extras for this DVD explain that as
a period piece this act of Kaoru is faithful to the ideal of
a good wife of that era. However, I agree with another reviewer
that the message that Shinta (Kenshin) could obtain peace only
at death is contrary to the message of the RK manga and the
TV series. Also, from a Buddhist point of view this is a depressing story as even in death, the kind and gentle Kenshin
did not achieve peace and release from karma from the point of
this story. One consolation is that, as one of the voice actors
explained, this is only one possible ending to the RK storyline!
Worth buying if you keep this in mind; the animation is spectacular!

Why did it have to end?
This, the animated ending of Rurouni Kenshin, affected me for days. It is beautiful and extremely tragic. The animation is done not in the style of the series, but of the first OAVs, which seemed fitting to me because of the serious tone of the storyline. I could really feel all of Kenshin and Kaoru's emotions in this DVD, not to mention Kenji's anger. It does a nice job of summarizing the Jinchuu Arc, which was *VERY UNFORTUNATELY* never animated outside of the manga. That is my only complaint. It would have been so wonderful to have that story animated fully instead of being squeezed into this DVD. It is too short. Overall, however, if you love Rurouni Kenshin it is only fitting to watch it through to the end. If you love a tear-jerker, I strongly recommend this one. ... Read more

Description

Daisuke Niwa is not a normal junior high student. However, for the next 6 days he gets to act like one! Daisuke and his classmates head to the seaside for a week of fun andstudying. While there, Daisuke finally realizes his true feelings and gives his heart to ayoung lady. Which girl is it? Yet paradise can’t last forever and it couldn’t get any worseback at home. He was cast in his school play but as a girl! His maid and pet are goingbonkers! And then there’s Mio…Be sure to catch this romantic and touching volume of DNAngel. It doesn’t get any better than this…until the next volume. ... Read more

Description

Demons and devils beware, the sexiest slayer to ever swing a soul -sword is back!Yohko Mano has just learned that she comes from a long line of professional devil hunters.And before she learns how to use her powers, her 16th birthday will turn into a domonic bloodbath and a grueling trial by hellfire! ... Read more

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The original Getter Robo (1974) aired in the U.S. as Starvengers,part of Force Five (1980). A number of sequels were produced over theyears, including the 1998 Change Getter Robo, which A.D. Vision isreleasing as Getter Robo Armageddon. The series purports to pick upwhere the original left off, after the death of Professor Saotome, theinventor of the Getter Robots, and the conviction of heroic pilot Ryoma forhis murder. The artists try to recapture the look of the original series, butmany characters are so ugly, they don't look human. Although they weredefeated years earlier in the Moon Wars, the Invaders, nasty aliens thatconsist largely of eyes and fangs, are attacking humanity, and only the GetterRobots can defeat them. The story is notoriously difficult to follow: thecharacters are underdeveloped, are difficult to distinguish, and have theunnerving habit of returning from the dead. Director Ukata Sato complicatesmatters by cutting to seemingly unrelated actions at a breakneck pace. Thedubbed dialogue, which the actors tend to scream out, often fails to meshwith the subtitles. In one episode, Ryoma says, "No, he wouldn't make such abeast!" but the subtitle reads, "I don't know what he's planning to do withthat thing." Fans of Nadesico may have trouble watching this sci-fiepic with a straight face, as it was clearly one of the inspirations for themecha spoof Gekiganger 3. (Rated 15 and older: grotesque imagery, oftengraphic violence, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (5)

getTERRIFIC
A must-have DVD for robot anime fans. Great opening theme song too. And don't expect it to be a direct continuation from the Getta Robo & Getta Robo G TV series. It's sort of an alternate darker side of the Getta Robo universe so don't let it confuse you. But if you've never seen the TV series, it's a good idea to know a little background history about the main characters. It is assumed that you know who the characters are so there wasn't enough character development in this 13-episode OVA.

70's Mecha Lives on!
Back in the 1970's, Go Nagai made a couple of giant robot series including Getter Robo and Getter Robo G. Then, in the 1990's, he went back to all his original series from the 70's and turned them into warped anime with cursing, nudity and plenty of violents. Getter Robo Armageddon is no exception.

The story takes off right after the Moon Wars (which was originally a CD drama). The three original Getter pilots have all disolved, but a new group of Invaders come back to Earth and now it's up to Ryoma, Hayato and Musashi to combat them, while at the same time fighting their mentor, Dr. Saotome. The easiest way to describe the story is just wierd and violent. Most of the stuff in these 13 episodes don't make any sense at all, but, frankly, it doesn't have to. 70's mecha shows didn't have to make a lot of sense and they did fine. Getter Robo Armageddon trully understands what 70's giant robot shows were all about before Gundam rolled along.

The animation is smooth and very vivid and the soundtrack is done perfectly featuring some nice guitar. Action-wise, you should be pretty impressed with Getter Robo. There is always atleast two kick-butt fights an episodes. In fact, the last episode is nothing but action. The best part about all this is that it never gets boring. It's always insane and intense no matter how many times you watch it.

ADV took great care into bringing this series to the US. There are a lot of good extras on the discs including textless openings and closings, LD covers and inserts, production sketches and interviews with the dub cast. It looks like the guys at ADV had a lot of fun working on it. And when the fans are having fun and the guys who work on it are having fun, you've got a perfect title.

So should you buy it? If your a mecha fan, yes. If you like tons of action, yes. However, if you want a well told story with lots of character development, look somewhere else. This ain't no Gundam. Overall, Getter Robo is the mecha fan's ultimate anime. Especially to those who were big fans of the original 1970's series.

Fight. Flashback. Exposition. Repeat.
If there's one thing that must be said about Getter Robo, it's that this show moves. If not for the fact that you can hear the audio, you'd think you were watching on fast forward. Fight, flashback, fight in flashback, fight now, rush to save someone, fight, non-sensical explanation, fight. That's about how this show goes.

But is it bad? Not really. It's quite retro, with the robots and character designs straight out of the 70s. It's clearly the sequel to an older series from that era, and the source of some of its incoherence is the expectation that the viewer has seen that show (I haven't and would have been scratching my head if the show left enough time to ponder over things).

There is one issue I had: the English dub is probably the worst ADV dub I've heard in a while. The characters yell all the time, and more than a few have particularly annoying voices. It all eventually blends into the show, so as to become almost (but not quite) unnoticeable--if you were rushing around this much, you'd probably yell all the time, too. Despite its problems, the dub's not really the reason for my 3 star rating.

Ultimately, the lack of coherence is what prevents this from being a great, or even particularly good, show. Getter Robo does achieve its obvious goal: action. It doesn't do *anything* else at all--it doesn't even try. If all that hasn't scared you off, the version I'm reviewing, the Power Pack, contains all 4 DVDs at a hefty discount, so Getter Robo is a good value if you appreciate pure, inexplicable action.

GO GETTER !!!
Before purchasing this power pack I was a Getter Robo virgin, I had never seen an episode. I had only seen the ADV preview, and read the reviews found on Amazon. I was willing and able, it was time for some Getter action!

Day 1: My Power Pack arrived in the mail and I watched the first episode, I was confused and felt like I was missing a huge plotline.

Day 2: Episode 2 was exciting and I liked the animation, but I still felt lost in plot details missing from the previous series.

Day 3: All notions of loss of plot went out of the window, as I watched the remaining 11 episodes back-to-back. Plot lines began to be explained. They began yelling "GO GETTER TOMMAHAWK!" and other weapons of their choice. The excitement levels grew. By the final disc of 3 episodes I was yelling "GO GETTER RAY!" with them.

It is not the most menatlly demanding anime, but is very visually intense. I was very impressed by my Getter Robo experience, and would recommend this to mecha fans. Be warned there is a lot of violence, although of the monster/fantasy variety, lots of chopping up, exploding heads etc.. It has a suggested rating of 15+ so be careful of young kids watching this. For those who crave action which never lets up this is for you!

Physics? We don't need no stinking physics......
OK, first of all, this movie is really only for fans of giant robots, and definitely NOT FOR CHILDREN. This is not Gundam Wing!! The cast isn't really all that well developed, and apparently leans heavily on you knowing them from the original series.

However, if you liked the old "Force Five" cartoons as a kid, then this will be right up your alley. The action is incredible, and the new Shin Getters are soooooo phat. The story is really hard to follow, but I get the impression that it's not because of the dub. The visual style may freak you out a bit at first as it has a definite retro feel, but I found myself loving it by the end of the series. The interviews with the voice actors are a nice touch as well.

In short, just sit back, and enjoy the chaos! ... Read more