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 Title: xxxHolic | views:3 |   From the "Most Read Reviews" Section of animevision.co.uk
This content ©2003-2008 Bryan Morton. Images are copyright of their respective rights holders.
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. http://www.animevision.co.uk/
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 xxxHolic sees Dimensional Witch Yuko gets a second UK outing after her cameo role in Tsubasa - but this time around she's in a starring role, and a whole lot less mysterious because of it. This time around, Watanuki Kimihiro is the one in need of her help, and accepting that help is about to lead him into a very strange life indeed...
I first encountered Yuko while watching Tsubasa, another series based on a CLAMP manga that in some ways ties in quite closely with xxxHolic. In that series, she's a mystery - someone who appears every now and then to help Syaoran in his quest, but who never hangs around long enough for you to get a feel for what she's like, other than having a vaguely ominous air about her. xxxHolic plays with the flipside of that tale, and lets you see what Yuko's up to the rest of the time - and in doing that, introduces you to a fun-loving, mischievous woman who enjoys helping people who need her help (often without even realising), but also makes sure that she collects appropriate payment. Watanuki is one of her unwitting clients, although in his case he at least knew what he needed help with - drawn into Yuko's shop almost against his will, like all her customers, to meet with her and make payment. For him, that's a part-time job doing her household chores - but as the series progresses, Yuko sees potential in him and begins testing his paranormal powers, to see if he's capable of carrying out her work.
You see, the problems Yuko deals with aren't your ordinary, everyday problems - they deal more with matters of the mind, the conscience and the spirit, areas that only those with particular talents are able to work with. That Watanuki can see spirits is one indicator that he has the required skills, but there's more than that needed and over the course of the 12 episodes in this set he's assigned a number of tasks by Yuko that test what he's capable of, and in doing so introduces Watanuki to a world he had only vaguely been aware existed.
The show has a very small core cast - other than Watanuki and Yuko, there are Yuko's live in assistants Maru and Moro (a pair of fun-loving twins), potential love-interest Himawari Kunogi, and classmate Doumeki, who may or may not be the object of Himawari's affections and who has his own spiritual talents. That's pretty much it - most episodes also have the helpee-of-the-week, but nothing more. That gives quite an intimate feeling to the series and also means that there's plenty of time available to explore the lead characters and give you a good look at what makes them tick. Perhaps surprisingly, it's the relationship between Watanuki and Doumeki that gets explored the most - the little triangle between them and Himawari makes Watanuki positively burn with jealousy, a feeling that he fully takes out on Doumeki. If it weren't for that one issue, he'd be a perfectly likeable character, but his refusal to deal with Doumeki unless it's absolutely necessary is a major flaw, and one that even becomes a plot point towards the end of this set.
For the most part, though, the series is very straightforward: a person to help, Watanuki and Yuko discovering what their issue(s) are, and a resolution - sometimes successful, sometimes not. The stories are interesting and intriguing, but also paced quite slowly, with them almost feeling like a slice-of-life tale, just with a bit more of the unusual about them. That pacing works against watching too many episodes in one sitting - this is a series you'll want to take an episode at a time - but there's still plenty here to like.
xxxHolic makes for a surprisingly decent series. The characters are great, if a little under-developed in places, and most of the episodes pique the curiosity just enough to pull you along even where it's not entirely clear where they're going. Put it all together, and it's a compelling package that's easily worth a look.
For full episode summaries and screenshots, check to following pages of this review.
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| Review submitted: 2008/12/26
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| Category: Anime Reviews
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| Title: Naruto Unleashed: Season Four #2 | views:2 | From the "Most Read Reviews" Section of animevision.co.uk
This content ©2003-2008 Bryan Morton. Images are copyright of their respective rights holders.
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. http://www.animevision.co.uk/
Page 1 of 4
 Naruto returns for its 8th outing, with two arcs separated by a short comic interlude. First, Tsunade's faced with some unenviable choices where it comes to dealing with Orochimaru and the offer to become the 5th Hokage; while later Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura have another mission to undertake...
The Tsunade arc continues from last volume, and carries on with the possible future Hokage thinking hard about Orochimaru's offer. There are events in her past that make her want to accept it - any possibility of bringing back to life the two people who meant the most to her is going to have a huge appeal, and that's what she's faced with here - but countering that is the knowledge that healing Orochimaru could well unleash an evil that would lead to much greater death and destruction in the future. On the one hand, it's an interesting dilemma - on the other hand, it takes her an awfully long time to work it out. After that the arc descends into a typically over-long Naruto battle, with the three sannin all summoning their giant avatars and letting the creatures duke it out. I quite enjoy ninja-on-ninja fighting, when it's kept short and sharp - but I've got very little time for snakes, slugs and toads that are several stories high. Bah. On the upside, I do like Tsunade - she's got a wicked sense of humour about her that makes her great fun to watch at times, and she also fills something of an eyecandy role. Just don't ask about her real age.
Mid-volume, there are a few episodes around the return of the gang to the Leaf Village - this is pure comic filler, and it's a good break from the usual material. There's some serious stuff in there, too - Konohamaru coming to terms with the death of his grandfather & struggling to accept that a replacement has been appointed so soon, and Lee having to make some tough decisions over his future direction in life after Tsunade tells him that the only chance he has of ever fighting again lies in a very risky operation. All short stories, all to the point, and all relevant to the larger setup of the series - probably the most enjoyable part of the release.
Finally, we move onto a new arc for the final three episodes of the set, which sees Naruto and his team accept a new mission, to be carried out for Jirochi from the Land of Tea (who we've seen before). Each year, the leadership of Jirochi's village is decided by a race between representatives of the Wasabi clan (that's Jirochi's clan) and the evil Wagarashi clan. The Wagarashi have been runing the village for a few years now, having decided that all's fair in the race while Jirochi's clan have tried to play fair - and kept losing as a result. This year's race is now upon the village, and Jirochi's still planning to play fair - but he's taking the precaution of calling in some help from the Leaf Village. Interestingly, the runner for the Wasabi clan is one Idate Morino, whose older brother is himself a Leaf Village ninja - and who Idate thought was dead. There's an interesting backstory around Idate and his family history, while the race format provides a few fighting setups that are a little more interesting than the usual fight scenes. They're also short and to-the-point, which is always a good thing.
Every new volume of Naruto is like a box of chocolates - you never know what, precisely, you're gonna get. </forrestgump> Yes, there'll be fights and comedy, but sometimes it's done in ways that are hugely entertaining, sometimes in ways that aren't. This volume edges more onto the enjoyable side. For Naruto fans it's going to be a gimme anyway - but even if you're not, there's enough here to keep you entertained. Worth a look.
For episode summaries and screenshots, check the next few pages of the review.
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| Review submitted: 2008/12/26
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| Category: Anime Reviews
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| Title: Death Note: Another Note | views:2 | From the "Most Read Reviews" Section of animevision.co.uk
This content ©2003-2008 Bryan Morton. Images are copyright of their respective rights holders.
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. http://www.animevision.co.uk/
 Set before the events outlined in the manga series, Death Note: Another Note focuses on one of the early investigations of the detective known only as 'L'. Although if that title gives you hope that another Death Note is on the scene, you can put that hope to one side right now...
There's a serial killer on the loose in Los Angeles and the local authorities need help fast. For some reason the killer has been leaving a string of maddeningly arcane clues at each crime scene. Each of these clues, it seems, is an indecipherable roadmap to the next murder. Onto the scene comes L, the mysterious super-sleuth. Despite his peculiar working habits - he's never shown his face in public, for example - he's the most decorated detective in the world and has never tackled a case he hasn't been able to crack. But this time he needs help. Enlisting the services of an FBI agent named Naomi Misora, L starts snooping around the City of Angels. It soon becomes apparent that the killing spree is a psychotic riddle designed specifically to engage L in a battle of wits. Stuck in the middle between killer and investigator, it's up to Naomi to navigate both the dead bodies and the egos to solve the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases...
Okay. No Death Note (despite the name), no shinigami, but plenty of the same investigative cat-and-mouse that typified the duel between L and Light. The link to the original manga and anime is provided by L - naturally - and Naomi Misora, the FBI agent who very nearly beat Light at his own game during the early part of the original series. If you remember the scenes in the anime where L or Light used to painstakingly explaing the logic of their latest tactic, you'll have the general idea of how this plays out, but I have to say that that sort of exposition works a whole lot better in this format than it ever did animated.
On top of all the plot detail, there's plenty of description of scenese and characters that almost makes you feel as though you're there - that will mostly be down to the original Japanese writing, but it has to be said that good translation will also play a part there - a poor translation could well have ruined the tone of the book, but fortunately that hasn't happened.
It's not all good, though - some frankly unbelievable alliterative names (Beyond Birthday, Quarter Queen, Believe Bridesmaid, Backyard Bottomslash, Blackberry Brown, Bluesharp Babysplit...) stand out and really just don't feel right - while the alliteration is required by the story, you really can't see anyone actually using those names in the real world. Then, for all the intricate details of the investigation that point you in a particular direction as to how the search for the killer is playing out, there's a plot "twist" towards the end of the book that jerks you in an entirely different direction. "Misdirection" is probably a better word for it, though, as the book sets about deliberately leading you down the wrong path. I don't know about you, but to me, that's cheating. For a "whodunit" like this to be "fair", it needs to present the evidence fairly and in such a way that you can figure out the killer on your own, and I don't think this book would allow you to do that.
That's not to say I don't enjoy it, though - I did. The writing is atmospheric enough to make the plot's shenanigans just about forgiveable, and the physical quality of the book itself is impressive - it feels right in the hand and should stand up well to waer & tear. It also doesn't require knowledge of the manga or anime - there are a few references to characters that you'd miss, but the main story itself stands on its own. I'm not as much a book reader as I used to be, through circumstance rather than choice, but Death Note: Another Note has earned its place on my shelf. Well worth reading.
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| Review submitted: 2008/12/26
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| Category: Anime Reviews
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| Title: Shakugan no Shana #3 | views:3 | From the "Most Read Reviews" Section of animevision.co.uk
This content ©2003-2008 Bryan Morton. Images are copyright of their respective rights holders.
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. http://www.animevision.co.uk/
 A look at the episode titles for this volume should give you a pretty good idea of what this volume's all about. The poor Crimson Denizens barely get a look-in, while Shana and Yuji deal with issues of a more hormonal nature...
9 - Poolside of Love and Desire
When Yuji's classmate Ike gets a set of free passes to a new waterpark, it's a golden opportunity for a break from training - and for Yuji to ogle beautiful young girls in swimsuits. Shana's not impressed at his skipping out on practice, given his poor skills - but she can't deny that she finds the idea of playing in water appealing, either. First, though, there are swimsits to buy. Once there, there are prizes on offer in the Cavalry Battle, but when Yuji is paired with Kazumi, Shana's competitive streak comes to the fore...
10 - Entangled Feelings
Fun's over, and it's back to training for Yuji - although he's spending so much time thinking about how good Shana looked in a swimsuit that it quickly becomes a painful lesson. A few chance words from Yuji's mom, though, gets Shana to thinking about how she feels about Yuji. When Yuji's roped in to help Kazumi in the library after class, Shana's reaction shows that she's developing a strong jealous streak, leading to an ill-tempered row - meaning that when a new Rinne appears, Shana's left to fight it on her own. Meanwhile, there's more trouble on the horizon when Denizens Tiriel and Sorath arrive in town...
11 - Yuji, Shana and Kisses
Shana's own fighting skills are improving rapidly, thanks to the effort she's putting in with Yuji. They've been spending ever more time together, but when a late-night drama introduces Shana to the ideas of kissing and romance, it soon leads to some awkward questions for Yuji's mom to answer. It also leads to Alastor starting to worry about the emotional state of his Flame Haze. Meanwhile, the twins are working their way through the city, consuming the life force of huge numbers of people. Sorath is looking for something - but what?
12 - Flowers Bloom in the Cradle
Kazumi's worries over Yuji - whether he has feelings for her or for Shana - have been keeping her awake at night, enough so that she decides to take the dog for a late night walk. As chance would have it, her route brings her right to the place where Yuji and Shana are out enjoying the view of the stars, which really doesn't help her mood. Next day, she tells Ike what she saw, and he decides it's time Yuji was tackled about it - but for all she feels for Yuji, that's not what Kazumi wants right now. Instead, she has some questions to ask Shana - questions that Shana doesn't like the answers to herself. Later, the twins make contact with Shana - she has something they want, and they're not taking 'no' for an answer...
Swimsuits, kissing, and romance – weren't these two meant to be dealing with the Crimson Denizen threat? The problem is the amount of time that Shana and Yuji are spending together, and Shana's general cluelessness about anything other than her Flame Haze duties – she's never had to worry about how to interact with people, or with how to interpret her feelings. Now, not only does she have her own feelings for Yuji to deal with, she also has to deal with competition, in the form of Kazumi, whose own feelings for Yuji are getting to the point where she's ready to fight for him. In the midst of all this, Denizen twins Sorath and Tiriel arrive in the city, with taking control of Shana's sword their main aim.
First up, there's disappointingly little of Margery in this volume. She's still smarting from having been thoroughly beaten by Shana when they last met, and has descended into what's almost depression as a result – when she does meet Shana now, she essentially ignores her; when she meets the twins, she's quick to dismiss them as someone else's problem, despite being instantly aware of just how powerful they are. She's far from being the loud-mouthed, heavy-drinking woman we originally met, and I can't help but want to see her back to her usual self. It doesn't happen in these episodes, sadly.
Speaking of the twins - Sorath and Tiriel are supremely creepy. Despite being apparently brother and sister, there's barely a scene featuring them where they're not pictured kissing passionately (we're talking full tongue action here), and their attitude towards others shows that they're powerful, and they know it. The kissing is passed off as the way they pass power between each other (Sorath kills to gain the power of souls and passes it on to Tiriel), but that doesn't make the skin crawl any less when you see it. I love creepy characters, though, and these two are up there with the creepiest of them, and great fun to watch because of it. They don't get any significant action until the disc's final episode, when their search for Shana's sword finally brings them face-to-face with the Flame Haze, but their scattered appearances throughout the disc are all enjoyable.
The main focus of the disc, though, is on romantic entaglements. Kazumi loves Yuji; Shana may love Yuji, although she's unfamiliar with the emotion and is having to get help from Yuji's mom in working out what she's feeling; and Yuji is stuck in the middle, with both girls beginning to show clear signs of jealousy and looking set on a collision course that could turn out to be messy. With both Shana and Kazumi being adorable in their own way (Shana for her innocent cluelessness, Kazumi for general cuteness and determination), it's a love battle where I don't want to pick a side or see either girl outright lose, but it's an issue that's quickly coming to a head.
Plenty happening, then – although if you're looking for action from the volume, you might be disappointed. It's only during the final episode, when Shana confronts the twins, that there's any real fighting – other that that, it's more down-to-earth stuff dealing with the interactions between the characters. It's no less enjoyable than the fighting, just different.
This is another good volume of Shakugan no Shana – as well as moving forwards with the Crimson Denizens, there's plenty of time devoted to allowing the characters to develop both their personalities and rivalries, and it's a mix that works really well. The disc is enjoyable throughout and ends with a neat little cliffhanger that leaves you wanting to see what happens next – what more could you want..?
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| Review submitted: 2008/12/26
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| Category: Anime Reviews
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| Title: Hellsing Ultimate #1/#2 | views:2 | From the "Most Read Reviews" Section of animevision.co.uk
This content ©2003-2008 Bryan Morton. Images are copyright of their respective rights holders.
This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence. http://www.animevision.co.uk/
 While it started with a bang, the Hellsing TV series ended with more of a whimper. It's a good thing, then, that Hellsing Ultimate has come along, promising to take one of the most promising vampire-based stories of recent years and do it right. Do these first two episodes live up to that promise..?
Episode 1
A vampire and his ghouls have taken over a rural English town - with the local police and military completely unable to cope, Sir Integra Hellsing arrives on the scene to deal with the problem. She's the head of the secretive Hellsing Foundation, an organisation dedicated to defeating the vampire scourge and allowing the UK's citizens to live in peace. In this case, the vampire concerned seems to be a particularly powerful one, and so Integra unleashes her secret weapon - the vampire Arucard, a dracul of incredible power who has somehow been bonded into the service of the Hellsing family. The only survivor of the police operation is officer Victoria Seras, but she's not really going to be considered a survivor for long. Meanwhile, the activities of Hellsing's Protestant Knights draws the attention of the Catholic Church, and they're not happy...
Episode 2
As powerful as he may be, there have been times in Alucard's existence ("life" is hardly the right word) when things simply haven't gone his way, and memories of that kind have a way of weighing on the mind. While he's pondering the past, the Hellsing Organisation has uncovered evidence that the recent vampire outbreaks haven't been random: each vampire killed has had a number of devices implanted in them, recording their action and combat experiences and reporting them back to some unknown central point. Someone is clearly controlling the attacks, and is also using them to gather information about Hellsing's forces - but for what grand reason? Victoria, meanwhile, is discovering the downsides of being a vampire, including (but not limited to) having to sleep in a coffin and drink blood. She's got enough humanty left that such things really don't appeal to her, but her new master is determined that she should embrace her new life as best she can. Of course, with the bad comes the good: her new heavy-calibre anti-Midian weapon. With Hellsing's HQ about to come under heavy attack, she'll be getting to use it soon enough...
I loved the Hellsing TV series while it was still following the manga - and then, around episode 10 or so, the series caught up with the manga and had to resort to creating its own material. It was all downhill from there. Now we're a few years down the line & the manga has (just) reached its conclusion, that shouldn't be a problem anymore, and so we get the series done as it perhaps should have been. It certainly doesn't do any harm that a lavish budget has been given to the OVA, and the results of that are right up front where they should be, on the screen.
Each disc in this set contains one episode, each around the 50-minute mark in length, which moves along at a good, quick pace, with enough action crammed in to easily fill 3 or 4 "normal" episodes - after the initial scenes with Arucard's first appearance and Seras' death and subsequent resurrection as a vampire (Seras has an interesting history with vampires covered here that I don't remember being touched on in the TV series), the story moves on to a second vampire attack (allowing Seras to get into the vampire-killing groove and show off her new gun), the appearance of Father Anderson (a bad-ass priest and Alurcard's would-be nemesis) and, in the second episode, an all-out attack on the Hellsing HQ by the forces of darkness. You certainly can't complain that there's not enough going on.
It's not all deathly serious, either. There are some comedy Seras moments that are great fun to watch, and she fills the female fanservice role just as well as she always did. There's fanservice of another type here, too, if you're a gun fan, as the weaponry used in the series is lovingly detailed to an almost worrying extent.
If there's a failing, it's that there's not really much in the way of real story. The focus of these episodes is firmly on the action, in all its blood-soaked, demonic, weapon-packed glory. That makes it great to watch when your mind is switched off, but if you're looking for something with a little more depth or a detailed plot, you're not going to find it here. There's a pointer dropped at the end of episode two that something may be coming down the line, plotwise, but for this release it's case of simply sitting back and enjoying the mayhem.
Hellsing Ultimate is definitely an experience to watch, and if high levels of gore and action are on your list of priorities then this should keep you thoroughly entertained, although that all comes at the expense of plot - for these episodes that's kept to a minimum. The asking price is higher than we're used to seeing these days (at the revised point of £14.99 for an episode, you're getting about half the running time you'd usually get for that price), but overall this release is thoroughly worth it.
Why are we reviewing two volumes in one go? Manga had originally solicited them as a single "bundle" release, but after the review had been written, this was changed for licensing reasons. So rather than rewrite the review, it's just being posted as-is.
Video clips for this release: Clip 1 | Clip 2 | Clip 3 | Clip 4 | Clip 5 | Clip 6
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| Review submitted: 2008/12/26
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