Saiyuki : Requiem
Synopsis
The Sanzo party-after rescuing a girl from a demon-are invited to stay at her master’s shrine, the House of Dougan. However the invitation turns out to be less friendly than anticipated and they find themselves desperate to escape from a trap!
Review
Saiyuki: Requiem is a very well animated story filled with action, suspence and horror. For those familiar with the characters from the series, this movie will feel like another-albeit extended-episode. For those unfamiliar with the series, the characters will mean little and the story will suffer because of it. Sadly, without the series, this movie is nothing more than a random series of events with no particular meaning. With the expection of the bad guy whose past is described in detail through the use of flashbacks, the characters are almost entirely undeveloped as almost all of the dialogue assumes that the viewer is already completely aware of the characters lives, relationships and personalities. There is little reason to care about what happens to this group of people. Honestly even to those who have seen the series, the story is just too confusing and random to be taken seriously.
What saves this movie from the bargain bin is its well animated and exciting action scenes which spice things up frequently throughout. The fights are easy to follow and fun, and action fans will enjoy them.
The Breakdown
As a standalone product it leaves a lot to be desired, but if looked at as another episode of the series I have no doubt that it can be enjoyed.