Animesou.com

Synopsis:
Redline is about the biggest and most deadly racing tournament in the universe. Only held once every five years, everyone wants to stake their claim to fame, including JP, a reckless dare-devil driver oblivious to speed limits with his ultra-customized car – all the while, organized crime and militaristic governments want to leverage the race to their own ends. Amongst the other elite rival drivers in the tournament, JP falls for the alluring Sonoshee – but will she prove his undoing, or can a high speed romance survive a mass destruction race?

Review:
In a world where wheels on cars are a thing of the past and hover cars are the present, there are still those people who cannot let go of the past. And in Redline you will see why there is still an undying support for these vehicles. The movie begins with a race called the Yellowline. It is a pre-qualifier race for the main event known as the Redline. Our protagonist, JP is a racer who believes winning with pure skills and not by how many weapons he can use to destroy the chances of the opposition is the true definition of how a race should be. With that state of mind, it is the reason why he has no “weapons” in his car, other than his crazy nitrous boost. When JP was about to cross the victory line, an “accident” happens and he loses the race.

While it was disappointing to the viewers and the crowd in the show, it certainly was not disappointing for the mob boss who has arranged for this set up. You see, JP and his life-long friend Frisbee are known for fixing up races just to boost the bottom line for the mob. The return for fixing races is having the financial back up to build the car to race with in the first place. JP had no idea that Frisbee had implanted an explosive device in the racecar and did not suspect anything from his friend Frisebee.

Lady Luck comes to JP’s side, as he is recovering at the hospital from the injuries suffered at the Yellowline, with news that several participants had withdrew from the Redline race after learning that the event will take place at the dangerous Roboworld; a planet where the government’s race opposition is strong and lethal force was said to be enforced at the day of the race. When JP was selected as a replacement he jumped on the chance.

The plot of Redline is focused. While there is a love interest with JP and Sonoshee, it really never takes over the screen. The story moves from race, to getting ready for the race, to some character development and tie ups, to the final race. It moves from point A to point B smoothly and I must credit Takeshi Koike for his directing, his directorial debut at that!

It is even more astonishing to learn that Redline took seven years to complete and used a hundred thousand hand drawings to create. Madhouse did an extraordinary job in bringing the animation to life. The racing was captivating and the music was gripping. When I heard the speakers thump I felt I was in the race. The character designs and their vehicle designs were unique. And for some reason it felt a little like that old Playstation game, Twisted Metal or if you do not like Twisted Metal, we could go with a Nintendo game like Mario Kart. You know… where the goal is to interfere or destroy your opponents with all sorts of tools, as much as it is to win the race itself.

The Breakdown:
Look if you are here expecting a serious racing anime with full characters and plot developments you might want to check out something like Capeta or Initial D. If you just want to see a show that is about pure racing and mayhem, Redline is truly a delight. Its combination of fast paced racing with interesting characters and a simple yet engaging story makes this show an absolute must watch.

Synopsis:
The year is 2034, and the face of terrorism has changed. No longer restricted to the limits of the physical world, the war on terror has exploded onto the net. In an attempt to confront this new threat, an elite counter terrorism and anti-crime unit was formed: Public Security Section 9. Two years have since passed when the team’s commander: Major Motoko Kusanagi, resigned from her post. After a rash of mysterious suicides Section 9 is forced to confront the “Puppeteer,” a dangerous hacker with unsurpassed skills. As their investigation of this terrorist threat takes them deeper into the bowels of a potential government conspiracy, Section 9 once again crosses paths with the Major, but is her sudden reappearance more than a coincidence, or is she somehow connected to the “Puppeteer”?

Review:
In this third release of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society, we are not dealing with a film where it is a compilation of scenes from the television series. This is a new story and a continuation of where Stand Alone Complex left off. After the incident of “Individual Eleven,” Major resigned from Section 9 to do stand alone investigations on her own. Upon her net dives, she stumbles upon the case that Section 9 is just starting to get into; the suicides of people and a lead with the name “Puppeteer.” The whole situation began with one aspect, suicides, but balloons to bring in other concepts, such as, abducted children, and the aging population. Director Kenji Kamiyama brought the current social issue in Japan and mixed it within the Ghost in the Shell world.

While the population is in decline due to low birth rates and the aging population goes up with not enough able bodies to replace their place in the working populace. So what is the solution to this problem? According to the show, one way to solve this problem is to take a look at the death total of children. What if those children did not have to die? So as suggested, the government will devise a plan where they will take in these children who are on the brink of dying; kids that receive abuse etc. And put these kids in position where they will at least contribute to society, instead of just dying somewhere if they were left where they were. This sounds like something that will work, but is it ethical? Is it really that simple? Of course not, when it comes to Ghost in the Shell, someone always has to take it to another extreme. Otherwise, there would not be a show.

So what I thought about this show as I was watching it. Obviously, this time around the feature is in 1080p and not 1080i. I will not get into “p” or “i” but just know that “p” is better. And also, Nissan was brought into the mix. They meshed in flawlessly, because if I had not recognized the Nissan and Infiniti logos on the cars, I would have thought they were normal Ghost in the Shell world vehicles. I have to bring this into light as well. When you are watching an anime, you must pay full attention to everything on screen, or else you will miss the tiniest of hints that the film crew puts in. What do I mean? Well, for one, when Section 9’s Infiniti Kuraza pulls up, the license plate reads “3923.” If you pronounce it in Japanese it reads, “San Kyu Ni San,” which really means, “Thank you, Nissan.” Well that was the Nissan plug, but back to the story. When Motoko goes back to her pad after the scene where she retrieves the ampoules, as she gets out of the elevator, a man gets in. For a short moment you get to see that person’s face. And as you could expect, that person will make a strong appearance later on.

In Solid State Society, there was not an evil villain that the viewers can hate. Actually, the Puppeteer does not make many physical appearances. He hacks from a far and lets the people that he hacked do his dirty work. So throughout the show, there is a feeling of there is a threat out there, but where? In this feature, there was a lot of story development and action scenes were short and to the point. I have to say this again, but watching this one, I had to pay a hundred percent attention or else I would have been lost. And honestly, I might not have even comprehended the whole show on the first go around. Now that I have seen all three of these releases, I will say that Solid State Society was not as entertaining as the others. While I enjoyed my time with it, there was not anything where I got overly excited about. Do not get me wrong. This film was good, but I think the standard has been set so high by the previous Ghost in the Shell shows that Solid State Society just could not climb over.

The Breakdown:
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society features a social issue that has been around in Japan for a while now. It attempts to take that angle and put a twist to it to make it work within the Ghost in the Shell world. While the overall product was good, there was just too much dialogue and not enough action as you would expect from a Ghost in the Shell series. At least in the end, there seems to be some “closure” between Batou and Motoko’s relationship. That was a plus!

Synopsis:
The year is 2030 and six years have passed since the end of World War IV. Influxes of refugees are allowed into Japan to fill the labor gaps of the growing economy. Terrorist cells identifying themselves as the Individual Eleven have begun a series of ultranationalist attacks targeting refugee camps, foreign consulates and even the Prime Minister. A charismatic new leader rises amongst the refugee’s resistance movement, a former member of the Individual Eleven. Simultaneously a top member of the Cabinet Intelligence Agency contacts Section 9 with shocking revelations and unknown ambitions regarding the current state of affairs. When the refugee resistance procures a nuclear bomb can Major Motoko Kusanagi and Public Security Section 9 diffuse the situation and help avoid a catastrophic civil war? Can they uncover the mastermind orchestrating the situation? Who is the mysterious resistance leader and what link does he hold to the Major’s past?

Review:
In this release of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd GIG: Individual Eleven, the story revolves around a mysterious resistance leader Hideo Kuze and the villain Kazundo Gohda. The history behind Kuze is deep. He was a part of an elite infantry unit of the SDF in the Peninsula War. While his group was setting up for a preemptive strike on the People’s Army, they stumble upon a camp that was not in the intelligence report that they were briefed with. Seeing how these soldiers of the People’s Army turned into a band of bandits. Kuze’s group mobilized and fought the group of bandits, saving the villagers in the process. The news of this was never revealed and members of Kuze’s unit suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. While a cameraman was questioning a wasted soldier, Kuze traded his rifle for a camera and walked off by himself. The scene was very symbolic. In a sense, he told people that he did not want to fight and if others feel they can perform better, here is the rifle. Maybe I am thinking too much into it and Kuze only wanted the camera so he can go off to his solitary life watching refugees’ daily life routines. But the great thing about Ghost in the Shell is that certain aspects of the plot are up to the viewers to decipher. And this point is proved even more during the conversation between Major and Kuze’s trapped scene.

As for the story behind Gohda, who has to be one of the ugliest villains ever created in anime. He is the head of the Cabinet Intelligence Agency and the mastermind behind the whole Individual Eleven event. His entrance into the show was fitting and he did prove his point during his introduction to Chief Daisuke Aramaki, where he states that people remember his name once he corrects them and also by seeing his disfigured face. This is a certain fact, because the viewer will vividly recollect Gohda throughout the show. As I watched “Individual Eleven,” I often thought what part did Gohda played in this event or that event. You can see that he had a lot of knowledge of the whole situation, and that part of his character was displayed during the initial encounter with him and Major Kusanagi. During the helicopter incident where a pilot had heart failure and his helicopter went rogue, Gohda exuded a sense of confidence that the situation was not going to go out of hand and Section 9 was going to take care of it rather easily.

As the plot progressed, a romantic relationship seems to develop as well, with Motoko and Kuze, after Motoko’s brain dive into Kuze. They had a relationship earlier in their childhood. Where does Batou stand in all this? Motoko gives a small reference to Batou when Kuze questions whether Motoko has anyone who she can share her deepest thoughts with. Her reply, “I suppose.” Quite what you expect from the Major and after the scene you see Batou digging her out of rubble and at the same time screamed out what he did in “The Laughing Man,” “MOTOKO!” Those were some powerful scenes and puts the whole film into perspective.

“Individual Eleven” has a faster pace than the previous release, “The Laughing Man.” There are a lot more action scenes that describe the story, than there are dialogues that explain it. Director Kenji Kamiyama wanted a quicker pace for the film. This resulted in a pace that was gripping and held me as a viewer on the edge of my seat. By using this strategy, the show becomes a bit of a mystery and is up for the viewer’s interpretation of certain events. Depending on a viewer’s emotions certain scenes appear differently. If you were someone who liked the character of Gohda you would not like what happens to him in the end. If you were fed up with his crap, you would feel that he deserved what he got. It is things like that, that make Ghost in the Shell such a unique piece of anime. While there is a lot of information that is shown, the viewers have to take an active part in making sense of it all and stay tuned. This release was fun. Once again, it was an amazing experience to have seen this in high definition. With pictures so crisp and smooth and the audio so clear, I was fully immersed in what was in front of me on the screen.

The Breakdown:
I have to thank the folks at Anchor Bay Entertainment, Manga Entertainment and Bandai Entertainment for making the Blu-Ray release possible. This installment of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd GIG: Individual Eleven was tremendously entertaining and thought provoking. It is action packed and viewers are in for a very good time.

Synopsis:
The year is 2030 and six years have passed since a criminal known only as “The Laughing Man” swept through top medical nanotechnology firms committing acts of cyber terrorism, kidnapping, extortion, and corporate espionage leaving no known suspects. New information is revealed to Japan’s top homeland security force, drawing Major Kusanagi and Section 9 into the hunt for a suspect capable of hacking the eyes of every operative, obscuring all details of his appearance and leaving behind a trail of copycats and hacked cyborg citizens. Who is The Laughing Man? What are his motives? And how do you catch a criminal that you cannot see? Join the beautiful cyborg Motoko Kusanagi in a world of high technology and deadly conspiracies as she searches for the answers to these questions and more!

Review:
Let me be honest with you, and this might even sound ridiculous. I have not completed watching the television series of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex… so the story of “The Laughing Man” is completely foreign to me. I can understand from a stand point that for those who have seen the series that this special release is nothing more than an OVA that summarizes the happenings of the series with the potential of some re-edited scenes to make the short animation work. In a sense, not having previous experience may play to my advantage, as I have nothing to compare this story to, therefore my views are strictly directed toward what I have in my hands and what I just saw in 1080i HD (I will discuss the Blu-Ray edition later).

Moving right along, the run time of this piece is 160 minutes. But it felt so much longer. I commend director Kamiyama for that effect, after watching the extras on the Stand Alone Complex Archive I found out that he was visioning this special release through different eyes; the eyes of people who have seen the television series and those who have not. Utilizing those points of view, he was able to direct the story in a way where I felt I did not miss a thing from not having seen “The Laughing Man” from the series. From the beginning to the end, the plot flowed fluidly. The dots were connected flawlessly and the viewer is put in the position to enjoy the excitement that is about to unfold on the screen.

The story revolves around an incident that happened six years ago in the world of Ghost in the Shell. “The Laughing Man,” a criminal that has become a cult icon in a way, is back at it again. For those who have seen him, only recognize the happy face icon with a cap pointing to the side. That is because he is able to hack into the sights of people. But what is the true story behind “The Laughing Man?” With a slew number of copycats, the real motive of his actions diluted and skewed, the original “Laughing Man” is out to prove that he is not really about what the news out there portray him to be. The uniqueness from this release was that what you learn from the start is not what turns out to be later on. The viewer is put through a series of scenarios and has to think about them. And just when you thought you got the gist of the show, a twist is thrown at you in various ways to knock you off, forcing you to readjust. This constant mind play is fun and entertaining. And while the action was superb, I believe the way the plot was told was where the bread and butter were. It was truly an amazing experience.

This special release is one out of three. And if this is an indication of what to expect from the others, I must say, I am very thrilled. Maybe I am late in watching these releases, as they have been out on DVD for a while now. But while I feel sorry for myself that I have not exposed myself to these great stories, I am in no means feeling any sorrow for letting myself feast on the Blu-Ray editions of these releases. Watching anime on Blu-Ray is something else. While DVD is still very competitive in video quality, the high definition of 1080 resolution blows anything else away. Especially for a series like Ghost in the Shell, where the viewers are expecting explosions, guns, mechas, Tachikomas, computer hacking effects and futuristic themes. Everything was crisp and clean. I have no complaints in the animation department.

The Breakdown:
It has been a while since the stories of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex were told. For those who have missed it, now is your time to discover the excitement that surround this work of art. Produced by Production I.G ,directed by Kenji Kamiyama and with music by Yoko Kanno, comes the tale of “The Laughing Man” available now on Blu-Ray.

Synopsis
In a world where sorcery and science co-exist, the power of magic comes with a price: humans who do not take proper precautions are transformed into horrific demons. Those who destroy these demons and run the highest risk of all are tactical sorcerists known as ‘Strait Jackets.’ But when terrorists unleash a plague of demonic carnage, the Sorcery Management Bureau must enlist unlicensed assassin Leiot Steinberg to stop the slaughter. Even if this rogue killer and a mysterious young girl can end the outbreak, will he be able to face their own dark secrets? Monsters, murder and redemption collide in this explosive anime written by Ichiro Sakaki (Scraped Princess) and based on his popular novel.

Review
In the recent years of anime, humans mutating into monsters and wrecking havoc, while a stopper comes in and saves the day has been quite a common theme. Strait Jacket is of the same theme, but it possesses something more. Maybe it is because of its small cast of characters, or its short story. There is something about this anime that just attracts a viewer to the screen for the amount of time it runs. The whole time I was watching this show, I was anticipating something big was going to happen. And when it does happen, it comes with a bang.

We begin Strait Jacket with Nerin Simmons, an inspector of the Sorcery Management Bureau. When she gets put into the situation of hiring an unlicensed tactical sorcerist or risking more lives to a monster on the loose, she chose the better option of the two. From there, we are introduced to Leiot Steinberg and Cappeltetta. Leiot Steinberg is a well known unlicensed tactical sorcerist who gets the job done, but at the expense of destroying things in the process as he breaks the rules that a licensed tactical sorcerist will abide by. Now if we did not have a bad ass protagonist for Strait Jacket, the anime will just not work. This show is dark. A main character without a messed up past will hinder its’ development. The story revolves around the mystery and history behind the relationship that Cappel and Leiot have. It is from there that makes the story interesting. While I was watching, I wanted to learn more. But since we are dealing with an OAV, the time spent expanding on certain things are limited. We only learn a small part of how they got together and why she is with him. Although that is not a negative it would have been nice to know more. But by getting to the point, the show is focused. The viewers are not left there hanging around waiting for something exciting to occur.

Strait Jacket is filled with action. For those of you who like big guns, this is it. Every shot fired is like a blast. The destructive power behind it can level buildings and whatever gets in its way. Another aspect that is great about this OAV is that it is bloody and a bit gory at times. People die in ways that make you say, ‘Ouch.’ The animation is good; it is not something I have never seen before. Therefore there was not much of a wow factor. The character designs were a nice touch. I liked how Cappel’s eyes glow red. It just gives out a creepy feeling when that happens. The OAV did not consist of a large set of characters, which kept the story tied within a small circle and everyone in the circle somehow related to each other one way or another. The story, while albeit was short, it was satisfying. The plot flowed well, there was not any confusion. I knew what was going on throughout, which is a plus in anyone’s book.

Breakdown
Overall I enjoyed this OAV and would recommend it to those who like an action anime, without all the commitments of watching episodes after episodes of fluff just to arrive at a mediocre ending. Strait Jacket is a show that has a bit of everything. Emotions of all sorts, continuous action, guns, blood, gore, animation that satisfies the viewers, audio that puts you into the feel of the show and a story that leads to a great closing. It was definitely a nice experience that I would like to share with fans who like this kind of show.

Synopsis
Picking up precisely where The Prophecy ends, the new Karas, Otoha, seeks vengeance against the Yakuza that murdered his buddy and almost killed him. Meanwhile the old Karas, Eko, unleashes his wrath and contempt for the final epic battle to save the city and protect the will of the people as Prophecy becomes Revelation!

Review
It has been more than a year since ‘The Prophecy’ was revealed. To be honest, I nearly have forgotten what Karas was mainly about. ‘The Revelation’ also does not help in trying to recover the viewer’s memories of the previous events that took place in the show. When I was watching the first few minutes of the show, I was sitting there trying to grasp anything I can that I faintly remember. I was even pondering if I might have skipped something, maybe another volume before ‘The Revelation.’ Of course, I could not have and within due time things began to make sense again and I was enjoying this piece more than the first.

As we begin this volume, Otoha has lost his Karas powers as Yurine is captured by Eko, and Nue is hurt from a previous battle. What this volume provides is the real background story of both Otoha and Nue. We are revealed why they are the way that they are. Otoha was a part of the Yakuza, not knowing the feeling of pain, he was the perfect killer. I believe the creators did a nice job in showing how Otoha is deep down. We are not given a super hero that is perfect and flawless. Karas is/was human, before he is Karas, he makes mistakes just like other humans and to bring that side of him into light really connects the viewers with the character. As for Nue, he was a supporter of Eko, until both his brother and him realized that with Eko’s vision, both humans and demons will be annihilated. In the lose-lose situation they both rebel with his brother ended up being captured by Eko.

Eko was the city’s Karas for years, protecting humans, why has he turned into what he has? I never understood that aspect until this volume revealed that his sudden obsession for annihilation is due to the greed of humans. Eko grew tired of protecting a city that never learned. And in order for Eko to create a new city, he has to start from zero.

Karas: The Revelation is on a whole new level from Karas: The Prophecy. I was truly astonished from beginning to the end by its lovely visuals; action sequences that push boundaries I never thought were possible and the overall experience the show delivers is just sweet. This piece manages to put you in a hole, making the viewer think to themselves, ‘How is Otoha going to get out of this one?’ and what are the creators going to do to maximize the entertaining factor of the ending? I will not say that I have never been so synced up with an anime before, but in ‘The Revelation’ the acoustics, the animation, and the flow of the show is simply overwhelming. As I was watching this anime, I could not get enough of the action. It was consistent, and was definitely a fun experience to be had.

The Breakdown
Certainly, Manga Entertainment has made us wait for the continuation of Karas, now that it is here, I have to say, I was not disappointed with the results. The show is balanced, the sounds are effective and forces you to pay attention to what is going on in the scenes. The music score is amazing as it was in the first volume. And as I have stated previously, the animation is superb, with the varying use of chase scenes and head to head battle scenes. What this volume has that the first did not have is the meat of the Karas story. If you were one of those viewers that did not really comprehend the things that were going on in ‘The Prophecy,’ you will see the light with ‘The Revelation.’ And if you knew where everything was from the start, you will definitely love how the show plays out in the end. I applaud Manga Entertainment for bringing such a great show to the States and while it took a long time, the finished product is what really matters.

Synopsis
Meet supernatural sleuth and writer Kantaro Ichinomiya. Kantaro spends his days traveling the Japanese countryside, fighting demons and writing about his adventures in hopes of finding the resting place of the mysterious Demon-Eating Goblin. During a trip to the countryside, Kantaro finds himself face-to-face with the creature he’s been searching for since childhood. Will Haruka the Demon-Eating Goblin join Kantaro’s band of supernatural adventurers? Can Haruka peacefully coexist with fox demon Yoko, heiress Suzu Edogawa, Sugino the White Goblin and his wife Muuchan? Will Kantaro be able to solve feudal Japan’s growing demon problem AND finish his book by his editor’s deadline? Find out in Volume One of Tactics!

Review
I knew from the moment I pressed play that there was something familiar with this anime. Of course, I thought about just about everything that I have seen that has left a mark on me and it came to me that Tactics is very similar to Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok. From the way the characters look to the opening and closing themes. The similarities are visually there. So if you are a fan of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok then you should enjoy Tactics as they flow alike (and the reason for the similarities was the results from Studio DEEN). We are still searching ‘mysteries,’ and the only major difference is that the time setting has a huge gap. But enough with the Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok comparisons as Tactics has its own unique aspects as well. For one, it manages to hold its own when it comes to characters that have a growing effect on you.

Kantaro Ichinomiya was a unique child growing up; he had the ability to see things other kids could not. Because of his ability he was almost an outcast. He tried to tell people that his ghoul friends existed, but nobody believed him. One day, as he and his spirit friends were playing and talking, the name Demon-Eating Goblin was brought up. It was said that the Demon-Eating Goblin was the most powerful of all, with that said, Kantaro was intrigued and from that day on has followed his path to find his Haruka.

As stated earlier, the characters have a growing effect on you. In the beginning, Kantaro’s character has a habit of making you assume that he is one of those silent type, keep everything to himself kind of characters, but as it turns out, he is actually quite the conversation starter. Yoko, the fox is the usual nagging, but cute ‘friend’ of Kantaro and the rest of the characters are unique in their own way, hence it makes this piece of anime that much better. I really liked the blend of personalities as it works very well when mixed up together. You pretty much get a little bit of here, and a little bit of there, never too much, and never to little. So it is quite hard to find yourself hating on anybody in the show, due to the fact that it is so balanced.

Since we are speaking about characters, then we might as well go into how great the designs are for this show. The lovely animation and details really bring out the life of Tactics. It is like one of the episodes that is featured in volume one where the mannequin comes to life, the characters come to life as the animation is one of the best I have seen so far. But please do keep in mind that animation is not all Tactics has to offer, in the acoustics department, the show slaps you with a few nice beats, and if both the animation and sound does not get to you (usually its not enough for the average fan :P) then the plot will definitely open your eyes and drag you into the world of Tactics.

The Breakdown
What is great about Tactics is that it is a joy to watch. It is a show that is balanced on all fronts and as a result of this balance the interest for the show never seems to fade away. If you are a fan of Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok and could not get enough of that show, then Tactics can pretty much fill your need for more.

Synopsis
The worlds of humans and demons have overlapped since time immemorial, and a young woman named Yurine and her servant, the Karas, have long maintained order and balance between the worlds. But humans have finally lost their fears of the denizens of darkness.

Disgusted by human arrogance, the Karas turns his back on the laws he helped uphold for so long, taking the name Eko and leading a group of mechanized demons in an attack against the human race.

Meanwhile, a detective named Kure who works at the police division in charge of demon-related incidents opens a case involving a series of bizarre murders that look like the work of a water demon. Elsewhere, the demon Nue, who came to town to fight Eko, spots a water demon disguised as a famous warrior… and then Yuri shows up with another Karas.

This new guardian of the city is determined to stop Eko’s evil ambitions, but he has a fierce fight ahead of him.

Review
After reading the package that I have received along with watching the DVD sampler, I can say that what I have seen so far from Karas is too good, way too freaken good. The blending of 2D and 3D animation is amazing. The action makes it even sweeter as it is quick and hard hitting. This show has some sort of magic to it that attracts the viewer. I was mesmerized by the details and the way the show flows so seamlessly together (animation-wise) at times. But I am sure you have heard enough about the animation and how good it is. Let us go into what Karas is really about.

We commence with an exciting chase scene that will get anybody’s heart racing. During the sequence, there are some things that one could pick up about the show, such as, characters that will have a significant role later on, the transforming ability of Karas, and the sometimes confusing flow of the feature. Why would I say that it is confusing? Well, Karas feels like it just pieces together scenes one after another, whether they connect or not, it is up to whether you have the ability to think fast and connect it yourself. I actually watched the first twenty some odd minutes of the show three times to finally realize why this part happened and why that part occurred. Maybe it is because it is only six episodes long and things might have to be skipped over to fit all there is to fit. It certainly does not make it fun to feel like you are always catching up and just when you do make sense of what is happening, the show blazes away again. It is a marathon, so stay strong people!

Okay, what is Karas about? The story goes something like this. The previous Karas dies in battle fighting Eko (the ex-Karas). With Eko and his crew of blood consuming mechanical demon monsters running around Tokyo, a new Karas has to arise, and that leads us to, Otoha. There is not much detail about how or why he was chosen, but his side job is a demon doctor and of course, his main job is to be the protector of Tokyo, the Karas (it translates into crow, by the way). Anyways that is pretty much how the show starts out. It builds up from there. We follow Nue (a mechanical demon), who left Eko’s Mikura group in order to follow his own path. What that path is, is still to be determined, but he does help Karas. But then we also follow other characters of the show as well; Kure, Sagisaka and even Hinaru (the girl who seems to be everywhere). When you go further, other characters will appear, such as, a female Karas and a Yurine twin. But just when things begin to reach a high point and get extremely exciting, the first DVD ends :(.

The music score of Karas drags you into the show. The main theme is beautifully composed and is sweet to the ears. Every time it came on, I could not resist from sitting up straight and direct all my attention to the show. The dub was not bad either, having three big names in the project: Jay Hernandez, Matthew Lillard, and Piper Perabo (Because of this, you know Manga Entertainment was serious about this release). The voices of the characters were pretty sweet. I liked how Karas sounded in both English dialogue and Japanese dialogue. Of course, I am more on the subtitles side though :).

The Breakdown
Certainly, Karas has the looks and sounds of a killer hit, that is something we cannot deny. From the get-go you get your monies worth of action, animation and audio. Although, the way the plot flowed, has gotten me a little skeptical about whether some of the audience would like it. As I have stated above. At times, the anime, would seems like scenes are just being pieced together without any sort of transition or development. But other than that complaint, from the time you play the feature initially to the time the run time has fully elapsed. In the end, when the smoke clears, Karas is entertaining. Manga Entertainment deserves a lot of props for delivering this top notch OAV to the fans of the States. You must see it to realize what I am talking about!

Synopsis
Feudal Japan - A time of danger, intrigue and deception. Jubei Kibagami is a masterless samurai who travels the land alone, hiring his services for any amount of money he can get. His fearsome abilities have served him well, but a hideous plot to overthrow the current government threatens to end his wandering ways and possibly his life. When a small village succumbs to a possible plague, a team of ninjas are sent to investigate, and realize that all is not as it seems. Ambushed, they are wiped out by a fearsome man-monster with incredible powers, leaving only one alive - Kagero, a beautiful female ninja, whose very touch can bring instant death. Jubei saves her from a fate worse than death, and unwittingly becomes drawn into the web of treachery. He is soon faced with his greatest challenge, an enemy for whom death holds no fear, with the power to destroy Jubei’s world.

Review
Ninja Scroll is an anime classic in the sense that brainless live-action movies like The Rock are classics. The story is simple and straightforward and the backstory doesn’t make much sense, but so long as the blood is pumping and the next action sequence isn’t far off, we are glued to the screen. Ninja Scroll should seem familiar to some; it was directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who has a very distinctive flair (he was also responsible for Wicked City, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and the “Program” short from The Animatrix). If you’ve seen any of these, you know Kawajiri can direct incredibly riveting action sequences, and Ninja Scroll is no exception. The action is fluid and always on-screen, and we are never confused as to what’s going on. This is helped by the animation, which looks very good for its age and clearly had a big budget so everything could be animated.

While the action is sweet and the animation nice to look at, the same can’t be said of the characters. They are archetypes through and through, and never break their cliched personalities. This means no surprises and no twists. Fortunately, Jubei is an easy-going, laid-back samurai, and is instantly likeable and fun to watch. The Eight Devils of Kimon, the main villains of the film, are easy to hate, and are clearly made to look evil and despicable, but nothing more. The most interesting character (which isn’t saying much) is the old goverment spy Dakuan, whose motives are unknown and whose character gets the most dialogue. There’s also Kagero, the beautiful female ninja. Her main purpose is to be the sex object; who is raped by two different villains in the show and is mainly there to show off some gratuitous nudity.

But, that’s what Ninja Scroll is all about. This was THE film that defined the cliched anime action genre (at least in the US, from what I understand Ninja Scroll went unnoticed in Japan for the most part). It has all the gratuitous sex and nudity, excellent action and battle scenes, throwaway plot, and pointless blood and gore that make this genre what it is today. It inspired a million imitators, but this is still the best. I think if you’re a heterosexual male with a strong stomach, that you should definitely give this a try. Its badass and tough and manly and bloody and everything else that plays to that carnal male instinct.

The Breakdown
Give the film a shot. You’ll probably enjoy it, but the movie certainly doesn’t have any artistic merits beyond the action sequences. The film just last year received the deluxe treatment from Manga Entertainment, who put out a 10th Anniversary Edition DVD of the film commemorating its original US release. I recommend renting that, if not outright buying it. You’ll have a lot of fun.

Synopsis
On her first visit to one of the refugee areas, the Prime Minister receives a bouquet of flowers with a death threat in it. Section 9 is called in to provide round-the-clock security for her as they work to catch the would-be assassin. As they do their legwork, more and more links to the mysterious ‘Individual Eleven’ are uncovered.

Meanwhile, Togusa is trying to unravel the reason for a man’s suspicious death, and it leads him into the bowels of Tokyo and a government cover-up. Then, Section 9 is ordered to transport some dangerous plutonium out of one of the refugee districts, and the creepy Gohda is once again given command of the operation.

When it’s all over, the Major and the rest of Section 9 try to figure out exactly how all of these things are linked together. These strange happenings can’t all be coincidence.

Review
Eureka. Finally, I have figured out the way Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG flows. Every episode that is available is a building block to create one whole gigantic bang. No wonder I felt strange when watching this show right after every episode’s end. In volume two, the show continues right where if left off in volume one… boring. But slowly, it gathers itself up as the plot is revealed right before your eyes… or part of it. The unique thing was how during the dialogues, the characters would cite various events that had happened earlier, which as a result, led me to my overall understanding of Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG and refreshes the viewers’ minds of earlier events, that would otherwise be forgotten.

I was pretty down on volume one of this series as it was pretty disappointing. But volume two was an improvement over it. It was more action and less blabbering. Kind of like let the action do the talking instead of the characters being stationary and conversing on the issues at hand. In this volume, it surrounds a grouped called the ‘Individual Eleven.’ As a member of the group carries out an assassination attempt on the prime minister, Section 9 is put in charge of her safety. As that episode comes to an end, we begin with another episode that just kind of continues going on with the overall story, but taking on another mission, which will act as a stepping stone to bring the viewers closer to the true message that 2nd Gig is trying to deliver.

By the time I was done with this volume, I thought it was an enjoyable volume. It was not out of the world by any stretch of the imagination, but it was adequate in a sense that it brings what it has to, to the table and manages to stay interesting and intriguing throughout.

The Breakdown
I wonder why Gohda does not fix his face up :). Anyways, this was a good volume, but my expectations are a bit higher for a title like Ghost in the Shell :/. Maybe it is just me? Hmm…