By Akihisa Ikeda
Viz, 192 pp.
Rating: Older Teen (16+)

Remember Rick Moranis in Gravedale High? From my rather vague recollections of Saturday morning cartoons growing up, I remember it being about a lone human in an all-monster high school. When I first looked at the cover to Rosario + Vampire, which, thanks to the magic of the Internet, you can see above and to the right, I groaned. A cover featuring a ridiculously short schoolgirl skirt hiked up far beyond the line of decency on a young woman of sexually superior proportions makes every warning siren in my head sound off all at once. The back cover doesn’t help any, with even more fanboy-bait imagery and a synopses that made me hope that Rick Moranis was the hapless lone human.

And, you know what? I was surprised. Not because Rosario + Vampire is good; it isn’t, by any stretch of the imagination. I was surprised because Rosario is not unforgivably horrible as I had anticipated. Yes, sexy vampire-girl Moka and nerdy-but-courageous-around-vampire-girl Tsukune aren’t the most likable characters I’ve ever met, and the whole premise of a secret high school for monsters, vampires, werewolves, and other mythological beasties to learn how to live alongside humans whilst somehow never being discovered by said humans is, at best, sketchy. But most of the comic did not grate at my nerves, and some of it even made me smile. Moka’s cute affection for Tsukune (and, by extension, Tsukune’s supposedly tasty blood) is actually amusing, as is the student body’s reaction to seeing the two together. Tsukune’s interactions with Moka’s “other” self–accessed when the vampire’s rosario, a cross-shaped pendant, is removed–are suitably tense. Characterization isn’t particularly deep but it’s still present, and both Moka and Tsukune show signs of believable growth, albeit small ones.

That said, Rosario + Vampire still falls into many of the same traps that others of its ilk do. The fanservice is blatant and wholly unnecessary (though I’d argue that fanservice is never necessary except when being parodied); I’ll trade all the panty shots in the world for three panels of thoughtful storytelling. The misunderstandings that arise between the two leads often should have been diffused before they ever got out of hand; even the most understandable one (involving a vampire’s weakness to water) could have been resolved with three simple words (“water hurts me”) followed by four simple words (“sorry, I didn’t know”). And, for a comic about youngsters with powers that occasionally do battle with other superpowered types, none of the villains have proven themselves memorable or likeable. All of the Bad Guys™ have questionable motives, and none have proven a match for Moka’s powerful dark side.

Rosario + Vampire isn’t as shallow as its cover and synopsis leads you to believe, but it does come close. Formulaic and wholly unoriginal, Rosario + Vampire doesn’t satisfy my ravenous narrative appetite. But don’t let that stop you from giving it at least a glance-through. You can do worse.

Volume one of Rosario + Vampire will be available on June 10th.

Distributed by Paramount Pictures
126 minutes

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins set a very high bar for modern superhero films, one other would-be giants have struggled to leap over. With its attention to detail, faithfulness to the spirit of the comics, and well-implemented deviations that add to the mythos of the character, Batman Begins is monstrously impressive. Here’s the good news: Iron Man has that same vibe.

Tony Stark is the wealthy CEO of Stark Industries, a world leader in technological advancement, mostly for the purpose of weapons production. A flirtatious playboy and charismatic smooth-talker on top of a remarkable intellect and an amazing command of engineering, Stark is arrogance personified, uncaring of the pain he helps inflict, and on top of the world. But his world comes crashing down when, whilst in Afghanistan demoing a new killer missile, he is captured by terrorists who demand that he build a missile for them. During the ordeal, he is critically wounded. Yinsen, a doctor and fellow hostage, saves Tony’s life, and the two resolve to escape by building a suit of metal armor. They succeed, though the price is high, and Tony develops a new outlook on life, one that drives him to build even better armor in the hopes of righting the wrongs he has committed developing weapons.

What makes Iron Man so good is its rich characters, especially Tony Stark. I’m not sure what sort of preparation Robert Downey Jr. undertook for the role, but the man IS Tony Stark, and he handles the transition from better-than-everyone to humbled-with-newfound-purpose with great expertise. Marvel comic fans will have little to complain about: everything that makes Tony Stark who he is translates to the movie beautifully; his flirtatiousness, his inner turmoil, his wit… It’s all here. Gwyneth Paltrow also shines as Pepper Potts, meshing nicely with Tony’s charm. Ms. Potts is an admirable character, holding herself above the kind of woman that Tony usually involved himself with, yet convincingly worried about the man she has grown to care about. Tony and Pepper have a nicely complicated relationship that is a breath of fresh air compared to the quintessential romantic pairing forced down my throat by other superhero flicks.

Director Jon Favreau added two important elements that flesh out the film: humor and political commentary. The movie makes very liberal use of the former, but this isn’t over-the-top Michael Bay “humor.” That is to say, it is oftentimes subtle, genuinely funny, and makes the characters all the more endearing. Interspersed with the film’s more serious moments, the excellent application of humor ensures that not just comic book fans come away pleased; even movie-goers with absolutely zero former knowledge of Iron Man will very likely enjoy the film. Strong political undertones abound, and Iron Man doesn’t shy away from showing that there are good and bad people everywhere in the world, from all walks of life. It ends up being more profound than, say, The Kingdom, which engaged in too much American hero worship instead of asking the hard questions of why America makes war in the first place. The existence of good and bad in places you may not expect one or the other to exist is the film’s central theme, and though there is an ultimate villain for Tony to overcome, this a character-versus-self story at its core.

Favreau clearly didn’t want to rush the film into its action scenes without taking care to develop characters, and thank whatever deity you believe in for that. Make no mistake, however: when action hits, it both intense and thoughtful, brought to life with glorious special effects. Augmenting the visuals is a very fitting musical score, kicking in to high gear when the armor is donned. It’s very high energy music in action scenes, and more reserved throughout, which is perfect.

That’s the good news. Here’s the bad: a sequel is a painful two years away. But if Jon Favreau remains the director, I doubt I’ll have anything to worry about. Iron Man is an exceptional piece of work. Would I call it the best superhero movie ever? … Maybe. Don’t miss it, no matter what walk of life you hail from. And I cannot stress this enough: stay after the credits start rolling!

Story by Terry Brooks, Illustrations by Edwin David
Del Rey, 208 pp.
Rating: Teen

The Shannara canon comprises a long-ongoing series of fantasy fiction novels written by Terry Brooks. The story is set far in Earth’s future, where man’s technology has majorly messed up the planet, resulting in dwarves, gnomes, and a whole bunch of fantasy races, creatures, and trappings. And elves, who supposedly have always been around, but just didn’t interfere.

Dark Wraith of Shannara is Brooks’s latest work, and a first in the series: a graphic novel, written by Brooks and illustrated by Edwin David. It takes place after the events of the Wishsong story arc, and sees protagonist Jair, a young man with the power to create illusions, sabotaging the efforts of some humanoid lizard folk who are attempting to summon a long sealed druid castle. Which, I guess, is Very Bad™. Anyhow, Jair’s power, called the Wishsong, is starting to do some disturbing things, like turning the young man into other people for real, instead of just creating an illusion. His sister makes him promise not to use the power again, for fear of losing his identity. But when two friends, Kimber and Cogline, are abducted by the lizard people, Jair finds his options more and more limited, and the temptation to use the Wishsong grows.

My understanding, from the material that came with my review copy of the book, is that Dark Wraith of Shannara is supposed to be a starting point for new readers to get into the Shannaraseries. That suits me fine: I did some research to prep for the book, but for the most part I’m a Shannara newbie. I’m the perfect test subject for this experiment, and experiment that, unfortunately, was not very well thought out. Dark Wraith uses characters already established in a prior Shannara story arc, and the story pretty much builds upon said prior arc. Reading Dark Wraith is like watching Return of the Jedi without having first seen A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Who is that guy frozen in “carbonite?” Why is that woman kissing him? Who’s the dude with Zero’s beam saber? Brooks would have done better by either a) going with new characters that aren’t so heavily connected to established canonical events in past novels, or, preferably, b) telling the story in such a way that it isn’t using its “prequels” as a crutch.

That said, Brooks is really an amazing writer, with a remarkable command of the English language. The dialog comes across as natural given the context, and does a superb job of guiding the reader through the story and immersing said reader in this fantasy universe. It is really a shame that I had to do Google searches in order to catch up to where the book starts. Otherwise, I’m sure I would have been able to better appreciate the story and the characters. Speaking of characters, only protagonist Jair is characterized in any meaningful way. It is clear that whatever his past adventures were, he is still quite conflicted, and it is easy to see why he would want to become anybody other than who he is. Everybody else is one-dimensional at best, though none of the characters grated at my nerves.

Edwin David’s artwork is neither over the top nor underwhelming. It is modest, clean artwork, sometimes guilty of looking amateurish, but more than passable. Which makes me wonder how devoted fans of Shannara will deal with Dark Wraith interpreting characters and environments for them. I can already hear the anguished moans of angry nerds upset that they no longer have the privilege of interpreting Brooks’s words as they see fit, as if somehow the impact and outcome of the story would change in any significant way if they pictured Jair’s sister an inch shorter than the graphic novel does. Rest assured that the artwork fits the story well enough.

All in all, Dark Wraith of Shannara was an entertaining story about characters I really don’t know anything about, and didn’t end up learning too much about. I’m sure I would have enjoyed the book better had I known what the hell was going on. I’m also that had it done a better job of familiarizing me with these characters, I might just have been interested in learning more about the Shannara books. As an introduction to the world of Shannara for new readers, Dark Wraith fails. I can’t really compare it to other Shannara stories but, by its own merits, Dark Wraith is a decent piece of work, though one that is better suited for long-time fans of the series.

The Dark Wraith of Shannara is available now.

Published by Del Rey
272 pages

Heroes isn’t the best TV show I’ve ever seen, but it certainly is the most entertaining television series I’ve watched in a long time. I’m a semi-casual fan of American comics, and everything about Heroes screams “live-action comic,” from the storytelling methods (such as each episode’s climax being saved until the very end) to the often corny comic dialog. I’m only eleven episodes into season one, and have no intention of watching the second season until it comes out on DVD, but so far I am enjoying Heroes immensely. And given its popularity, it would seem as if I am not alone. Naturally, popularity breeds greed, and it was only inevitable that a novel based on the show would inevitably turn up. I mean, come on, there’s a novel adaptation of The Rundown, so when I got a copy of Heroes: Saving Charlie to review, I really wasn’t all that surprised. And, fortunately, I was far enough into the TV Heroes to prevent having anything terribly important spoiled by the book.

Saving Charlie is written by author Aury Wallington, a novelist and television writer that I am entirely unfamiliar with. With Saving Charlie, Wallington has crafted a short side story that meshes very well with its source subject matter. The novel takes place when Hiro, the time-travelling Japanese office worker with dreams of fulfilling a superheroic destiny, and his buddy Ando stop at the Burnt Toast Diner on their way to “save the cheerleader,” and therefore “save the world.” Long story, one that Saving Charlie sums up quite nicely several times throughout, so I’ll spare you the details. Long story short, Hiro meets another person with mysterious powers at this diner, a cute redhead waitress named Charlie. When Charlie is murdered in the exact same fashion Hiro has witnessed before, he resolves to travel to the day prior and prevent Charlie from coming in to work. But Hiro hasn’t yet perfected time-travelling, and instead catapults himself six months into the past. Rather than try to correct the error and risk messing up time more than he already has, Hiro waits it out, getting to know Charlie better in the mean time.

Heroes: Saving Charlie, which is written in the third person entirely from Hiro’s perspective, is ultimately a love story both lighthearted and angsty, especially as Hiro comes closer and closer to realizing that he might not be able to save Charlie. But there are other subplots, such as the all-too-relatable anguish Hiro endures as he thinks back to his father, an especially strict man who values hard work and is consistently disappointed by his son’s actions. This subplot eventually crosses paths with the main story. The end result is predictable. About a third of the way into the book I made a mental bet on how the rest of the novel would go, and sure enough, I was pretty much dead on. Not that I minded finishing the book, mind you; it was a fine read that kept me reasonably entertained from front to back. But Saving Charlie does nothing outstanding or original. It is simply an extension of the Heroes franchise. And that’s just fine; it doesn’t pretend to be anything more than that. It’s a relatively short novel that meshes with the TV show very well.

Heroes: Saving Charlie isn’t a bad read in the slightest, but nothing about the book is terribly spectacular or unexpected. It is an entertaining side story for die hard Heroes fans, but that’s about it. Other than some interesting insights into Hiro’s character, the novel is notably unspectacular, though not badly written. Pick it up if you really like Heroes, especially if you like Hiro himself.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, really; it’s the best I can do to compress the premise of the story into a few simple sentences. But there’s far more to this story than just a smart, somewhat immature kid finding a magical killing book. In fact, if you haven’t been watching since the beginning, you probably will be completely lost. Actually, let me rephrase that: you WILL be completely lost, period. Death Note is not the sort of show that you can just jump into, which is a bad thing in this day and age of waning attention spans and increasingly one-shot storytelling. However, in Death Note’s defense, it probably would not have worked any other way.

Death Note has been a series defined by thoughtful interaction and well-written, if not sometimes corny, dialog. Action is rare, making way for drama and mystery, as Light Yagami and his pursuer L seek to stop one another, without even knowing who the other truly is. One would think that having the two meet face-to-face would ruin some of the suspense, but that is not the case at all. The excellent “cold war” between the two characters only intensifies as Light finds himself in an unlikely position; a member of the task force created for the sole purpose of stopping Kira. Plans within plans aplenty as the uncertain but crafty L attempts to force Light to reveal his hand. Death Note also stands as a great example of a story where the antagonists are actually the heroes of the story while the protagonist is the villain.

Speaking of the protagonist, Brad Swaile is one hell of a voice actor. He manages to encapsulate everything about Light, this clearly disturbed and disturbing character, from the veil of faux sincerity he puts up in front of his father, L, and other investigators, to his very chilling megalomaniacal cackle whenever he renews his murderous resolve. VIZ Media’s voice actors are pretty good overall, but Brad’s interpretation of Light stands out. And while we’re on the topic of presentation, that’s something Death Note does very well, from a delightfully mythical introduction filled with religious imagery and engaging music, to the general ambiance of the environments, to the facial expressions of the main players, Light and L. I wouldn’t call the animation the best quality stuff I’ve seen on television, but it is very well done nonetheless.

Death Note still has some hurdles to overcome, though. With the character L, it is as if the writers created a character that is “too smart” for them. I won’t go into specifics, but some careful listening and application of critical thinking will make apparent the holes in L’s supposedly superhuman logic, holes that simply, given L’s character, should not be there. Another questionable element is the introduction of another character with a Death Note. This “second Kira” may have been inevitable given the underlying supernatural element present in the show, but it feels like an attempt to inject depth into a plot that should, by all rights, have enough depth of its own merits. And why is it that we see very little of Kira’s impact outside of Japan, anyway? Governments the world over are sending agents to Japan to stop Kira… yet there are no glimpses into how the world outside of Japan has changed due to Light’s influence. It’s a puzzling omission, one that I would have preferred to see included over a “second Kira.”

Death Note remains an enticing series, though I truly hope it doesn’t become weighed down by its own complexity. That would be a real shame. However, it remains a solid show. I just hope it stays that way for its remainder.

Volume three of Death Note is available now.

Distributed by Warner Premiere
75 minutes

Based on Darwyn Cooke’s award-winning graphic novel, Justice League: The New Frontier is a story of DC’s most iconic heroes set amidst the uncertainty and paranoia of the Cold War. The general public has become fearful of superheroes, and the American government is delving into secretive activities to gain control over perceived subversive elements. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and other heroes who once formed up the Justice Society have disbanded, each trying to do good in their own way. Meanwhile, a shape-shifting extraterrestrial visitor, brought here by mistake, attempts to understand and help humanity, while an idealistic, yet disheartened, test pilot by the name of Hal Jordon pursues his goal of seeing the stars. Behind the scenes, an ancient sentience, overwrought with anger at the savagery and destructiveness of a now nuclear-armed human race, plans the unthinkable, aiming to wipe humanity from existence.

Justice League: The New Frontier is a fascinating look at superheroes in the Cold War era. Much like in the acclaimed Cadmus storyline arc in Justice League Unlimited, DC’s finest are no longer the objects of unquestionable adoration and unwavering trust, and must adapt to being looked at with suspicion. Though hinted at during the opening credits, we don’t actually see this shift in public attitude. Instead, these events are inferred via the points of view of the various heroes. Masterful storytelling ensures that you won’t be lost; from Superman’s tireless idealism to Wonder Woman’s clear cynicism, you can see that these heroes know that the populace is headed in a worrisome direction. The uncertainty convincingly affects superheroes as well, and even causes some, like the Flash, to consider retirement. The story is not limited to just superheroes, though. Normal human beings are working to make things better too, from somewhat misguided government agents like Faraday to a certain test pilot whose destiny is already well known by DC fans.

There’s a lot of characters to focus on, including, but not limited to, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Hal Jordon, and Martian Manhunter. The latter two get most of the screen time, their stories being the film’s focus. Forced to kill in self-defense in the closing days of the Vietnam War–the only life he had ever taken–Hal balances a positive attitude with muted melancholy. When given the chance to become more than a mere man, Hal is wary, and attempts to face the threat to the world as a pilot, not a superhero. Martian Manhunter shares a similar past, having accidentally given the man who accidentally brought him to Earth a heart attack. The shape-shifting alien, under the identity of detective John Jones, fights crime, partly as a way to atone. The guilt drives both characters to action when the ancient entity known only as The Center marches forward in its apocalyptic campaign. Speaking of which, The Center’s disdain for humanity is, unfortunately, rather accurate, and it’s easy to see how it can reasonably judge human beings as savage, destructive, and worthy of annihilation.

Sadly, it seems as though the very talented Bruce Timm and his entourage did not learn from Superman: Doomsday. Justice League: The New Frontier has a very short running time of just seventy-five minutes, and the abridged characterization present in the movie’s second half is proof that more time was sorely needed. The first half of the movie is expertly paced, but the last half felt rushed. A less concerning but equally disappointing consequence of the short running time are the quick cameos of characters like Robin, Green Arrow, and Aquaman, all of which left me wanting more. Truly, all of this film’s problems can be traced back to that curious seventy-five minute running time, which is a shame, because, barring that, New Frontier would have damn well been near-perfect.

Regardless of any limits on money or time, though, the production values here are simply astonishing. The animation is crisp and fluid, and the vintage character designs smack of brilliant color and magnificent nostalgia. Yes, kids, Superman’s emblem used to have a black background, and Batman’s costume reeked of blue; get used to it. The musical score isn’t quite as superhero-y as most superhero movies (animated or otherwise), but the orchestral music is nonetheless suitably epic, string-heavy, and very pleasing. The voice acting is perfect; not a single voice is poorly done or out of place. Notable are both Miguel Ferrer’s very convincing, thoughtful Martian Manhunter and the unmistakable Keith David’s deep and powerful voice as The Center.

Justice League: The New Frontier is an exquisite animated film that explores very relevant issues but is marred by a puzzling time limit. Still, it shows the timelessness of these iconic heroes, these characters whose stories and relationships are easily applicable to just about any time period.

Distributed by Paramount Pictures
84 minutes

By now, you’ve probably heard something aboutCloverfield. Whether it was the original trailer that made the insufferable, shudder-inducing experience known as Transformers seem slightly less torturous, the movie proper that opened last Friday, or simple word-of-mouth from somebody who went to see it, you know about Cloverfield somehow. So here’s the buck-o-five on the movie: it’s a horror/thriller that has been described as “Godzilla meets The Blair Witch Project.” It also happens to be the best film of its genre I’ve seen… ever, and quite possibly the most satisfying thing I’ve seen in a movie theater since 2006’s Children of Men. And I don’t even like horror movies.

So here’s the deal: Rob’s moving to Japan to tackle a new career. Or a promotion. I forget. It doesn’t really matter. Point is, Rob’s leaving, and his friends throw him a going-away party. Jason, Rob’s brother, wants to capture the sentiments of Rob’s closest friends on film, a task that he rather quickly places somewhat-dimwitted (and appropriately named) Hud in charge of. During the party, Rob’s once-flame Beth shows up with another guy. Things don’t turn out so well, Beth leaves early, and the atmosphere grows tense. That’s when a tremor rocks the apartment building. The gang sees a news report about a possible attack on Manhattan, they go to the roof to see what’s happening, and a distant explosion sends flaming rubble their way. One thing leads to another, and it is soon apparent that some sort of mammoth creature is, along with giant parasites that fell off its back, ripping the city to shreds. Rob learns, over his cell phone, that Beth is in trouble, and he resolves to go deeper into the crumbling city to save her.

J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot could have gone the Spielberg route, flowering up every character to ridiculous proportions and answering every little question about what the monster was, why it was so aggressive, where it came from, and so on ad infinitum. And if you’re one of those people who goes to movies only to see glorified flashing light shows, getting things spelled out for you word-for-word, ala Minority Report or War of the Worlds, is probably your cup of tea. But if you’re the sort who doesn’t like to have his intelligence repeatedly insulted, you’ve likely gained an appreciation for films that don’t give you all of the answers and leave you with something to ponder. Cloverfield is just that. You will not discover the monster’s origin. You will not see Rob Hawkins defeat the beast. You’ll have questions during the movie, and a good number of them will not be answered.

That is not to say that Cloverfield is an interpretive movie. Far from it; it is almost purely escapist. And that suits its unpretentious nature just fine. Characters are not spewing out lines for English professors to create case studies out of. The characters are real people reeking of genuine normalcy, caught up in a situation so much larger than them that they are easily overwhelmed. That, and because of how it is filmed, is why Cloverfield evokes feelings of empathetic horror, a claim that far too few so-called “horror” movies can accurately make.

You may think that eighty-four minutes is not enough time for a modern movie of this magnitude, but it ends up being just right. Some movies are guilty of being too short, others too long, but my inner Goldilocks was rather pleased. It is quite clear from the get-go that Cloverfield is a single story, and it doesn’t need eleventy billion plotlines and POVs to get the job done. The movie’s length is perfect, and its ending is utter cinematic brilliance; simple, yet magnificently profound.

If you go looking for Cloverfield’s cinematic score on CD, I doubt you’ll find it, because other than some modest music well into the closing credits, there is no musical score. I love music, don’t get me wrong, but Cloverfield doesn’t need it, and in fact its absence adds further to the film’s realism.

No movie is perfect, of course. There are a few minor plot irregularities present, not the least of which is the camera’s rather amazing durability. That durability on occasion extends to a couple of characters, as they survive what should otherwise have been rather lethal ordeals. I have heard complaints of headaches and motion sickness from moviegoers, and admittedly Cloverfield does suffer bouts of “shaky cam” (though I managed to follow along just fine). But those are minor nitpicks at best, and don’t heavily detract from what is otherwise an exceptional movie.

I don’t know what 2008 has in store for me as far as review titles go, but all are going to be hard-pressed to overcome Cloverfield. It’s an awesome movie in almost every way possible, expertly paced and masterfully executed. Do not miss out.

Best Anime of 2007: Carlos’ Picks

MUSHI-SHI, Vols. 1-3 (FUNimation)
Breaking the mold of season-long/series-long continual plot lines, each episode of Mushi-Shi is a story in and of itself, having very little to do with other episodes other than sharing a common supporting character and theme. And each is meticulously crafted and highly entertaining.

What makes Mushi-Shi great is the clever way in which it casts a fantastical veil over very real and very believable familial strife. Every episode deals with family, whether blood or adopted, loving or spiteful. The creatures called mushi that fascinate and haunt the world of Mushi-Shi are representative of the fear of the unknown that families face, and how it can prompt great love or great sadness. You never know whether or not there’s a happy ending in store for any particular episode.

Mushi-Shi stands tall above the rest of the pickings this year, with vibrant visuals and sound, enticing storytelling, and expert voice work. The first four volumes of Mushi-Shi are out now, with the rest due in 2008.

Click here to read Carlos’ review of volume one; click here to read his review of volumes two and three.

DEATH NOTE, Vols. 1-2 (Viz)
I’ll be reviewing the first two volumes of Death Note soon, but even only four episodes in, it shows great promise, enough to warrant mention in a best of 2007 article. The idea of giving a thoughtful, intellectual youth a means to kill anybody he knows while remaining anonymous could have easily been mishandled, but wasn’t; Light, the show’s protagonist who obtains this power, is convincingly megalomaniacal, yet his actions and mindset are believable. That the scripting is ridiculously well-written and the English voice work very high quality only adds to the allure.

Best Anime of 2007: Erin’s Picks

GREAT TV BOX SERIES
Genshiken (Media Blasters, $39.95): Genshiken is amazing! This set is much cheaper than how I bought it… Genshiken is the story of a college anime club, and it works as a useful introduction to doujinshi and the world of Japanese fandom.

Kodocha, Vols. 1-6 (FUNimation, $79.98): Kodocha is hilarious, sweet, hyper, and suitable for kids 12 and up. The first six volumes are the best! Kodocha is a frenetic comedy about a child actor settling the war of the sexes at school and cheering up her depressed would-be boyfriend.

Haré+Guu (FUNimation, $99.98): You could be the hero of your anime club by screening Hare+Guu. Guaranteed! It’s just your typical jungle comedy story about a girl with a hyperdimensional stomach…

Paradise Kiss (Geneon, $59.98): I loved the ParaKiss anime more than the manga, with it’s angsty high-school senior year fashionistas and punks… Yukari is commandeered by some freaks at the local fashion trade school to model a dress in their school show.

Fighting Spirit (Geneon, $79.98): This is a great show, even if you don’t like boxing, or sports. It’s much more affordable nowadays… Ippo is a nice guy helping out with his family fishing business before he decided to turn into a pro boxer.

SUITABLE FOR MOST AUDIENCES
Princess Tutu (ADV, $49.98): Princess Tutu is a hard sell based on the title, but it’s a word-of-mouth hit. Trust me, you’ll want to see this. It might be a little too dark in the end for very young children. Ahiru is a ducked turned human who is trying to restore a prince’s heart. Will the creepy narrator pulling the strings ruin her story?

Kamichu! Complete Collection (Geneon, $79.98): Kamichu has nothing objectionable in it – it’s just good, sweet, and well animated. Previously it was too expensive to collect, but now you can watch it with your younger cousins. Junior high student Yurie suddenly discovers that she’s a Shinto goddess. She can see the tiny animistic gods in everyday life, and she gets involved in everyday adventures with her new powers.

BEST FILMS
The Wings of Honneamise (Bandai Visual USA, $79.99): ANN cleverly quipped in their gift guide: “The only thing larger than my beard is my laserdisc collection!” But seriously, everyone needs to see/own this movie.

Paprika (Columbia Pictures, $26.96): I love Satoshi Kon and Paprika is my new favorite film of his. (Click here for Erin’s review.)

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society (Manga Entertainment, $24.98): Solid State Society was solid entertainment, even if you haven’t seen all of the TV series, it’s still great.

Tekkon Kinkreet (Sony Pictures, $26.95): I reviewed this for issue two of Otaku USA, before I’d read the manga. Now that I’ve read the manga, I respect the movie a lot more. It’s fun, and Studio 4C is really starting to be awesome. Soon you’ll have to own all their movies…

To read more of Erin’s anime picks, click here.

Worst Anime of 2007: Carlos’ Pick

THE THIRD: THE GIRL WITH THE BLUE EYE, Vol. 1 (Right Stuf)
I honestly wish I could’ve picked Gackt: The Greatest Filmograpy for the honor of being named 2007’s worst, but, sadly, it isn’t anime. Honestly, I struggled to think of an anime I saw in 2007 that was bad enough to be named the year’s worst, but I couldn’t. See, most of the time, when I watch anime on my own, I avoid particularly cringe-worthy series; once I see the telltale signs of a dud, I stop watching. And the ones I’ve had to review that were released this year have not been so bad as to name worst of the year (not even the Naruto ones, imagine that!)

And then I remembered the first volume of The Third: The Girl With the Blue Eye. It’s the story of a little girl samurai who looks very much like Street Fighter character Sakura Kasugano, and her adventures in an alternate future with giant insects. Or something like that. Think of the manga Junk Force, but somehow even more contrived and less entertaining. Definitely the worst of 2007. Though, to be fair, it’s entirely possible that future volumes improved.

Worst Anime of 2007: Erin’s Pick

NARUTO THE MOVIE: NINJA CLASH IN THE LAND OF SNOW (Viz)
Amazingly disappointing, you can just skip this non-continuity story that works hard to artificially force Naruto and his friends into a movie totally unrelated to Konoha. I really love Naruto, but this movie stinks.

Distributed by FUNimation

Mushi, beings said to be life’s purest form, continue to haunt the beautiful forest-world of Mushi-Shi in the latest two volumes of this impossibly pretty anime series. And that, my friends, is a very good thing indeed.

The mandate has not changed at all since volume one. Ginko the vagrant Mushi Master continues his travels, helping everyday folks out with Mushi-related problems. As before, he seeks to impart knowledge, to ensure that human beings understand and coexist with the Mushi. And, again, his journey uncovers profound joy and deep sorrow, as he delves into the lives of the families affected by the Mushi. Misplaced loyalty, unconditional love, ghosts of the past; in the people he meets and attempts to help–and not always successfully–Ginko sees the best and worst sides of humanity.

Mushi-Shi is a series of individual short stories, each the focus of one episode. There is no overarching storyline, no build-up to some huge revelation, none of that. As with volume one, the order of most of the episodes in volumes two and three doesn’t really matter; so disconnected is each episode from the last that it’s difficult to tell just how much time passes between each story, or even if we’re seeing events in chronological order at all.

One episode does break the norm somewhat by presenting a flashback to Ginko’s more youthful days, and what precipitated his vagabond lifestyle. Interestingly, this is the only episode of the series thus far to actually feature Ginko as the protagonist, instead of simply a major character alongside someone else’s main. Though almost every episode is well-crafted, the flashback episode is especially enjoyable.

Mushi-Shi is an ironic anime. Through both Ginko and the Mushi, the show’s titular elements, we are shown the real subject of the series: families. It’s a clever method of storytelling: ultimately, the Mushi represents the unknown that we frail humans are so very afraid of, and Ginko’s wisdom is not always enough to fend off that fear or even prove it unfounded. The Mushi and the man who studies them are almost red herrings, a test to see if you, the viewer, can see what is really being told here. Every story is about family in some way, and, as most of you know, families are often the cause of much of life’s happiness and strife. It’s brilliant.

The only blemish in this otherwise masterfully written, animated, and scored cartoon is the occasional dip in animation quality present in some of the recent episodes. It is a very slight dip, but noticeable to the observant eye. But it is not enough to really matter. As I said in my review of volume one, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if more money went into a single episode of Mushi-Shi than into the majority of most other series you can think of. A slight decline in quality here and there does little to damage what is easily one of the most visually enticing animated series I have seen in the last five years.

Mushi-Shi is, and will likely remain, a very impressive series. Take some time out of your busy days to dedicate to this remarkable and genuinely emotional show. Unless you don’t give a lick about real storytelling, you shan’t regret it, I guarantee.

By David Kalat
Vertical, Inc., 320 pp.

I’m not a horror buff. Maybe it’s because I don’t scare too easily at the movies, or maybe it’s because the idea of undying mythological creatures and ridiculously competent psychopaths don’t mesh well with my hyper-logical world view. I get far more tense with carefully crafted plot developments that have huge ramifications for the characters involved, like when Lex Luthor took control of the Watchtower’s laser cannon in Justice League Unlimited and fired at a city, or when Sousuke Sagara seemingly leaves Kaname Chidori in Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid. That stuff makes my skin tingle and gets my blood flowing. So-called “horror” does not.

J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge, and Beyond, written by David Kalat, delves into the world of horror movies, and the impact that Ring, in its many forms and via its many knockoffs, had on the genre. And while it hasn’t made a horror buff out of me, it did offer a very provocative look into the successes and failings of horror movies the world over, and why movies like Ring and Tomie succeeded in reviving a genre grown stagnant and predictable.

David Kalat’s writing style is easy to follow and well-paced. With very little knowledge of or interest in horror films, I initially thought this was going to be a difficult read. I needn’t have worried; J-Horror ensured that I was brought up to speed, explaining the motivations and “isms” of horror movies in a manner easily understood. Yet the book never comes off as condescending. Nor does it exhibit a pro-Japanese bias. Kalat doesn’t pander to fanboys here; he looks at the phenomenon of Japanese-style horror movies in an objective light.

Interestingly, perhaps inevitably, given the common elements often found in good film, Kalat touches upon quite a few issues that not only apply to horror movies, but also to just about any narrative work. When discussing the subtlety of The Ring compared to more gory horror flicks, Kalat–maybe inadvertently, maybe not–reminds you of the importance of subtlety and grace, and that the best way to illicit emotion in storytelling is not with over-the-top violence or melodrama, but with more intimate settings and engaging characters.

J-Horror isn’t perfect. The editors chose to use endnotes, rather than the more reader-friendly footnotes, relegating citations to the end of every chapter. Yet magazine-style “asides” litter the book, sometimes taking up more than one page. I would have rather seen the sidebars saved until chapter’s end or incorporated into the “regular” text. Another problem with J-Horror is that The Ring is the most fascinating topic presented. While The Grudge, Scary True Stories, and other titles still lend to the book’s appeal, it is really The Ring that steals the show.

But those are all minor gripes at best. I had a great time reading J-Horror. The greatest compliment I can give it is that despite presenting subject matter I have no real interest in, it managed to educate and captivate me. Highly recommended.

Distributed by VIZ Pictures
65 minutes (12 music videos)

After a hard day’s work, one crisp autumn afternoon, I walked to my car parked about a block away. Suddenly, from behind a lamppost far too thin for any normal human being to hide behind, a posse of ninjas appears, swarming me. I try to fight back using my trademark girlish shrieks and wild arm flailing, but to no avail. Using secret ninjutsu techniques that they likely learned from that wacky Naruto show, they teleported me to some undisclosed location.

I found myself tied to a chair, facing a television. Hooked up to it was a DVD player, its tray closing. I shuddered. What manner of vile imagery were these devious ninjas going to impart? It began: Gackt, it’s called, and it appeared to be about a Japanese band. Okay, fine; so far so good. If all they were going to show me was a bunch of Japanese music videos, how terrible could it be?

The first song, “My Story,” didn’t start off too badly. The video depicts an Advent Children cosplayer (I think; it might have been a really mannish woman) lamenting over the fact that he misses his old girlfriend. Not the greatest song I’ve ever heard, but certainly not the worst. Until just before the end, that is, when the main singer dude starts to convey his supposed desperation… by gesturing in a manner so overly melodramatic that Julia Roberts would shake her head in shame. I asked my ninja captors if there was something wrong with the man: clearly he was having an epileptic seizure. The ninjas laughed. Devious buggers.

The second video, “Everything for You,” was more of the same. This time, the Cloud-wannabe is singing about an unhappy girl that he wants to love. Or something to that effect. More spastic “dancing” ensued: really, this was just a different version of the first song. I suddenly realize the exquisitely terrifying reality of my plight. These ninjas, clearly hired by my mortal nemesis Anti-Carlos, are clearly trying to break my spirit through psychological torture. Their tool: Gackt: The Greatest Filmography 1999-2006 BLUE. (There’s also a RED version, apparently. Like Pokemon.)

Moving on to “Luna Hymn,” a computer-rendered piece of animation that would have been more at home in a first season episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, we find–wait for it–a broken man singing about some lost love. Big surprise! Sadly, the guy’s mechanical arm is used only to convey more emo-angst; if he had, say, killed a man with it, I could have at least answered that primal urge to bear witness to cartoon violence.

The videos continued, and each time, I desperately hoped that it would not be a song about tragic love. But then, the first or second subtitle would shatter that hope. Confound it all! Does this “Gackt” fellow/lady/genderless being not know any other type of song? Perhaps he’s/she’s/it’s a victim of fate, being typecast because of some past performance some bigwig producer saw money-making potential in. Maybe I’m just not getting it. Is there a cultural barrier at work, and is this noise that dares to call itself music infinitely more appreciable in the land of the rising sun? The questions could only preoccupy my mind for so long before more of Gackt invaded my brain. I thought I wouldn’t survive.

The videos’ settings ranged from predictable to outright absurd. One took place in New York City, and featured people of many different backgrounds holding up peace signs… yet the song is no less about “wanting to see you again” than every other one on the disc. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with showing the population’s wishes for a peaceful world, but the scenario and the song itself are wildly mismatched. Another video involved vampires and some of the most poorly choreographed swordfights I’d ever seen. It was so absurd that I was almost able to tune out the lyrics and subtitles. Almost.

Mercifully, there were a couple of times where I didn’t want to rip out my eyes and ears. “Because You Are Expecting Me” was a nice little tune, with guitars and strings contrasting nicely. It also really showcased Mr. Gackt’s very nice voice; it’s really too bad he doesn’t practice subtlety more often. “Because You Are Expecting Me” is shot in a Tokyo studio amidst a quiet audience, which was, at the very least, a nice change of pace from the vampires. “Last Song -Unplugged-” features some very pleasing piano work. The lyrics aren’t terribly impressive, but I could listen to that mesmerizing piano all day.

Eventually, it all ended, the pain finally over. The evil ninjas then, somewhat uncharacteristically, drove me home in a red Pontiac Sunfire, booting me out and speeding off. And that’s my story. But worry not, dear readers. Anti-Carlos is getting a very special present for his trouble: I’ve hired my own army of psycho-ninjas, and they will force him to listen to every song that Linkin Park has ever made. Or poison his tequila. Whatever’s funnier.

Distributed by VIZ Media

Volume six of Bleach is now available on DVD, and the ongoing saga of Ichigo the substitute Soul Reaper continues. Quite a bit has happened since the first disc: Ichigo confronts his own inner demons, both figuratively and literally, more than once; Rukia grows to love the human world, and fears what forces may be after her for giving her powers to Ichigo; Chad and Orihime discover within themselves the means to fight Hollows; and Ichigo gains a new friend and rival in Uryu Ishida, the last of the Quincy tribe that uses spiritual power to combat supernatural threats.

Recent developments find our heroes on a journey in another world. We learn that Rukia has been declared a criminal by the Soul Society, and that Soul Reapers have been sent to apprehend her. Ichigo and Uryu attempt to intervene, but are taken down by the more experienced Soul Reapers and left for dead. They survive and, along with Chad and Orihime, resolve to grow stronger and invade the Soul Society to rescue their friend.

But there’s a problem: Ichigo seems to have lost the Soul Reaper powers that Rukia granted, and his own abnormally high reserves of spirit energy appear to have diminished. He learns from the spiritual merchant Hat n’ Clogs that Ichigo possessed the powers of a Soul Reaper all along, which is probably why, when he took over Rukia’s, it fit him like the proverbial glove. Putting his life on the line, testing the limits of his body and mind, Ichigo undergoes Hat n’ Clogs brutal training to unlock that power and become a Soul Reaper once again.

He succeeds. No longer a substitute, no longer working with borrowed power, he becomes a fully-fledged Soul Reaper in his own right. Soon after, accompanied by Uryu, Orihime, and Chad, Ichigo crosses into the Soul Society. What awaits him are new allies, massively powerful foes, and Rukia…

Those of you who read my review of volume one know that I was expecting to be disappointed by Bleach, only to end up being pleasantly surprised. And many of the same things I said about the first volume still apply today. Bleach’s premise is still rather hokey, but its likable characters work well within that premise without being shackled to it. Its visuals remain very stylish and sleek, the English voice work is superb (an amusing aside: Uryu is both voiced by the same guy who did Digimon’s Ken and happens to look like an adult version of that character, which tickles me to no end), and it succeeds in entertaining me (no easy task, rest assured).

Initially in this follow-up review, I wanted to give Bleach a slightly higher score. Specifically, I wanted to up my score from an A minus to a straight A. But then I thought about the show a little more. It isn’t perfect, not by a long shot, despite being far better than other similar, long-ongoing, combat-centric anime series like Naruto or the classic Dragon Ball Z.

Volumes five and six of Bleach exhibit some of the failings those other shows carry with them; a tendency to drag on uninteresting situations to the point of annoyance, while failing to get to the heart of the story or explore more enticing character interactions in a timely matter. An example is when protagonist Ichigo learns from Orihime that she and Chad now command spiritual powers; the conversation with Orihime happens off-screen, instead of showing it and giving us some insight into the platonic relationship these two important characters are developing. Similarly, take Ichigo’s never-ending battle with the Soul Society’s chatty gatekeeper; what should have been wrapped up in about two minutes instead ate up most of that episode.

It’s a damn shame that Bleach seems to want to gloss over the fact that these four comrades (Ichigo and his party), who barely know each other but share the desire to save their common friend Rukia, are developing a very dynamic relationship. In addition, it’s very clear that Ichigo has complex feelings towards Rukia, but he barely shows it, even in his private moments. Yes, Ichigo is a touch anti-social and the kind of person who rarely wears his emotions on his sleeve, but he’s grown enough to know full well that he just might have feelings for this girl. It’s a damn shame we never see him expressing it in more than just vague hints. Prior volumes, before Rukia’s capture, do a decent job of exploring what he thinks of her. Now that Ichigo has some time away from her for the first time since the first episode, I be seeing more into his feelings and confusion regarding Rukia.

Thankfully, at least Rukia is given time to develop in her isolation. Some praise both for the storytelling and visuals; her expression, tired and defeated, speaks volumes of how far she has fallen, and how much she misses Ichigo without needing to say anything. When she learns that he has entered the Soul Society to save her, her widening eyes and newfound, though cautious, optimism speaks volumes more than any words possibly could. It’s visually poetic, mentally captivating, and all-in-all just plain moving.

Considering Bleach’s pros and cons further, I think an A minus remains the appropriate score. There’s enough wrong with the show to deny raising its score higher than that, but plenty of good to rule out lowering it.

I expect good things from Bleach in the future. And while I’m aware that I’m about, oh, I don’t know, some one hundred or so episodes behind where Bleach currently is in Japan, I’m hoping that as more and more gets translated, Bleach fixes up some of its more glaring downfalls, while maintaining and improving upon its strengths. Until then, I remain hopeful that I’ll continue to enjoy the show… and that it won’t fall victim to its flaws.

PCS would like to thank Viz for providing a review copy of volume six. The first six Bleach DVDs are available now.

Dr. Strange: Sorcerer Supreme

Distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment
95 minutes

The Marvel Animated Features, an ongoing set of direct-to-TV and DVD animated movies, have ranged in quality from “just okay” to “monstrously bad.” Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2 were good enough, combining decent animation and passable stories; both movies were neither perfect nor terrible. The Invincible Iron Man, however, was so horrible that I honestly wonder how it could have possibly been given the green light.

But I love superhero stories. Despite not being a comic collector, I love following and reading about superheroes, their past and present story arcs, and their rogue galleries. So despite the average-at-best showing of its three predecessors, I picked up Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme. Thankfully, it wasn’t “monstrously bad.” It settles with being “just okay” with the addition of “could’ve easily been much better.”

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Superman: Doomsday

Distributed by Warner Premiere
74 minutes

It’s been a while since Bruce Timm and fellows ended the long-ongoing and fan-adored “DC animated universe,” a cohesive timeline that started in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series, ended an amazing fourteen years later with the series finale of Justice League Unlimited, and spanned almost a dozen separate TV series and movies.

Superman: Doomsday, along with two other direct-to-DVD animated movies Timm and co. are currently working on (Justice League: New Frontier and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract), is not a part of that canon. Which, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. But, still, why do I feel like this movie could have been so much better had it been a sequel to Justice League Unlimited (which conveniently had a loose end concerning the character Doomsday), instead of a retelling of the classic Death and Return of Superman comic arc?

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COMICS FOR MANGA LOVERS INDEX
Comics for Manga Lovers: August 2007 (The Red Star)
Comics for Manga Lovers: May 2007 (Essex County: Tales from the Farm, Korgi)
Comics for Manga Lovers: January 2007 (Mouse Guard, The Killer, Okko, Robotika)
Comics for Manga Lovers: November 2006 (Daughters of the Dragon, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall)

Distributed by Warner Premiere
74 minutes

It’s been a while since Bruce Timm and fellows ended the long-ongoing and fan-adored “DC animated universe,” a cohesive timeline that started in 1992 with Batman: The Animated Series, ended an amazing fourteen years later with the series finale of Justice League Unlimited, and spanned almost a dozen separate TV series and movies.

Superman: Doomsday, along with two other direct-to-DVD animated movies Timm and co. are currently working on (Justice League: New Frontier and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract), is not a part of that canon. Which, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. But, still, why do I feel like this movie could have been so much better had it been a sequel to Justice League Unlimited (which conveniently had a loose end concerning the character Doomsday), instead of a retelling of the classic Death and Return of Superman comic arc?

Synopsis
Clark Kent is off to Afghanistan as a war correspondent, as his alter-ego Superman continues a romantic relationship with longtime flame Lois Lane. Lois isn’t too happy about certain aspects of the relationship, though, including Superman’s reluctance to reveal his secret identity, an identity Lois hints at already knowing.

Meanwhile, billionaire mogul and supervillain Lex Luthor is at it again. This time, searching for a means to make even more money, presumably to continue the quest for more power and eventually kill his nemesis Superman, Lexcorp crews happen upon an ancient alien vessel. An ancient, and damaged, alien vessel, meant to forever imprison an otherworldly horror: Doomsday, a weapon that knows killing… and nothing else.

The fractured tomb can no longer hold Doomsday, who escapes and violently murders the Lexcorp workers as Lex, from the safety of his Metropolis office, watches. Before long, Doomsday makes his way to the surface, prompting a killing spree that leads all the way to Metropolis. Superman intervenes, but the monster is more than a match for the Man of Steel.

Superman fights what is likely his greatest foe, and seemingly dies in the process. But is he really dead? And what consequences will his return have on the world and the people closest to him?

Storytelling/Characters
Long story short: the plot is rushed and clumsy, but the characters themselves are done justice.

Short story long: checking in at a meager seventy-four minutes, what Superman: Doomsday really needed was more time.

The lead up to the Doomsday fight, along with the fight itself and its aftermath, was not given enough time to blossom. You don’t really get the sensation that Superman was hopelessly outmatched, nor do you really feel that the fight took so much out of him as to believe that he could have died. Without the Justice League’s presence, or any other superhero for that matter, I feel that the true weight of Superman’s battle with Doomsday and subsequent “death” wasn’t felt. Part of the reason Doomsday seemed so unbeatable in the original comic book storyline was because the guy pretty much ripped the Justice League a new one. Had one or more members of the JLA been present to fight Doomsday before Superman’s arrival, we would have seen, from the sheer ability to take out the league, just how formidable Doomsday truly is, and how Superman was easily outclassed. Maybe Justice League Unlimited spoiled me, but with Superman as the lone existing superhero, Superman: Doomsday just feels… empty.

With no other heroes present at Superman’s funeral, or even a few world leaders, for cripes sake, the whole affair was just so underwhelming. Yes, we all know that Superman isn’t really dead… but that’s not knowledge the people of the movie’s fictional world are privy to. They honestly believe that Superman has met his end. Shouldn’t we be feeling his death, no matter how untrue we know it to be, as more than simply a stepping stone to the second half of the movie?

It’s also possible that the movie’s erratic pacing, abrupt scene transitions, and unneeded plot elements added to my sense of frustration. Seriously, the show jumps from Lois to Superman to Jimmy to Luthor with all the subtle grace of a cartoon elephant running from a mouse. Some transitions are logical, but most are too sudden, breaking up the plot’s flow. Some plot elements, like Jimmy Olsen’s decision to leave the Daily Planet, are so wholly unnecessary that one wonders why they’re taking up valuable screen time needed elsewhere.

Despite the storyline’s rough edges, though, Superman: Doomsday has many high points, the most obvious being its characters. This is Superman you’re seeing: the sometimes insecure, simple-minded, petty man who will not allow evil to reign unchecked. From his arguments with Lois about the need to keep secrets, to his second wind when Doomsday is about to kill a little girl, there’s no mistaking that this character encompasses everything that Superman is all about. Lois Lane is as convincingly motivated and confident in the face of danger as she is heartbroken when Superman is in danger of dying. Lex Luthor’s rather disturbing way of mourning Superman’s apparent demise makes perfect sense given the kingpin’s very skewed set of ideals. Every character is presented very well.

Superman: Doomsday’s dialog is equally impressive. It’s smart, funny, and moving, the sort of mature, intelligently-written stuff that proves, yet again, that superhero stories are far from being kids’ stuff.

Animation/Visuals
Breathtakingly gorgeous, Superman: Doomsday is exceptionally well-animated. The fights between Superman and Doomsday, and later with the movie’s final antagonist, are extremely high quality skirmishes; you truly feel as if you’re watching massively powerful beings fighting to the death in the middle of a vast city. Superman and Lois’s intimate moments are visually convincing; words almost aren’t necessary to convey the emotion. The same can be said about anything Lex Luthor does, from calmly ordering the death of his own workers to his expression when he realizes that Doomsday has done, in a mere evening, what Lex has been unable to do for years.

One gripe: Superman’s face is drawn with about four lines too many. Cheekbone definitions? Stylistic facial structure? I don’t know, but I don’t care; his face just looks stupid with all those damn lines.

Voices/Music
Adam Baldwin is the perfect choice for a modern-day Man of Steel; his voice just drips the essence of Superman with every word. James Marsters’s youthful Lex Luthor will sound unusual to Justice League Unlimited fans, but fits the villain very well. Marsters captures every aspect of Luthor’s dark personality very well.

Overall, the voice work is superb, with one slight exception: Anne Heche as Lois Lane. Sometimes, she nails her lines perfectly, such as during Lois’s tearful breakdown in front of Martha Kent. For the most part, though, her attempts at sounding like a go-getter journalist come off as annoying.

The film’s orchestral score, including a new Superman theme, accompanies every scene perfectly. The movie’s as easy on your ears as it is on your eyes.

Overall
Superman: Doomsday is better than I expected it to be… but not as good as I hoped. However, though starved for time and guilty of clumsily handling its plot, Superman: Doomsday still manages to deliver an entertaining re-envisioning of a classic comic book storyline.

If Justice League: New Frontier exhibits the same downfalls, though, I won’t be quite as forgiving.

Distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment
95 minutes

The Marvel Animated Features, an ongoing set of direct-to-TV and DVD animated movies, have ranged in quality from “just okay” to “monstrously bad.” Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2 were good enough, combining decent animation and passable stories; both movies were neither perfect nor terrible. The Invincible Iron Man, however, was so horrible that I honestly wonder how it could have possibly been given the green light.

But I love superhero stories. Despite not being a comic collector, I love following and reading about superheroes, their past and present story arcs, and their rogue galleries. So despite the average-at-best showing of its three predecessors, I picked up Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme. Thankfully, it wasn’t “monstrously bad.” It settles with being “just okay” with the addition of “could’ve easily been much better.”

Synopsis
A brilliant neurosurgeon more concerned with making his employer money than actually saving lives, and haunted by both supernatural visions and the ghosts of his own past, Dr. Stephen Strange isn’t the jolliest of fellows. After being in a horrific car accident, one that mangles his hands to the point where he can barely operate a door handle, let alone perform surgery, Stephen loses everything searching for a cure.

Deprived of all hope, he is approached by Wong, a mythical man of the east, and told to head to Tibet. Strange takes on the exhaustive journey, and soon comes face to face with a world beyond what he thought possible, one of powers beyond human comprehension. Soon, he will have to unravel a mystery that threatens the Earth itself, and face both an encroaching evil and his own lingering guilt.

Storytelling/Characters
Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme differs from the comic book origins of its titular character somewhat

Comic Strange retained the use of his hands; he just couldn’t perform delicate surgery anymore. The movie’s Dr. Strange, however, has to contend with a far greater loss of function. Seeing the man trying so hard just to unlock his apartment door, and being forced to ask for help, is much more powerful than if he simply lost the ability to be a surgeon and nothing else.

In the comics, Dr. Strange sought out the Ancient One in Tibet for a cure, whereas the animated movie instead shows the Ancient One and his order seeking out Strange. This fits Stephen’s firm beliefs in science over superstition; every method he had pursued had been rooted in modern medicine in some way, and he had never gone as far as to pursue “magic” as a possible remedy.

Another new element that really works is Dr. Strange’s lament over being unable to save his sister, April. His inability to get over her death makes his curt demeanor and descent into despair all the more believable.

Despite these positives, Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme doesn’t remain consistently good throughout. For every moment that the story captures your interest, there is another moment where it utterly fails to. For every smart move the movie makes, it also makes at least one move in a direction that leaves you wondering why.

Take Mordo, for instance. His betrayal just happens out of nowhere. It felt like I was watching Revenge of the Sith all over again: here is this character that I know, based on established lore, is going to be a traitor… and yet, when it finally happens, it makes little sense given his actions prior. Mordo’s unmotivated betrayal could have been handled a lot better.

Actually, much of the film should have been handled a lot better. An hour and a half felt like too little time to finish the story, and while some details are nicely fleshed out, others, such as Strange’s training and his final battle with Dormammu, are unnecessarily rushed, almost as if the creators were bumping their heads on the roof of a budget. Speaking of which…

Animation/Visuals
The animation in The Sorcerer Supreme is a mixed bag at best. Some scenes, whether they be elaborate fights or moments of drama, are animated beautifully. But there are other scenes that look absolutely bargain-basement, the kind of stuff you’d find in bad Saturday morning cartoons or low-budget anime. When at its best, this is a very nice-looking animated film. When at its worst, it’s laughable.

Voices/Music
Fortunately, at least one area of The Sorcerer Supreme remains consistent throughout. Guy Michelmore, who scored the previous three Marvel Animated Features, returns with an orchestral soundtrack befitting the film’s moments of mayhem and melancholy. Though the tunes are your typical superhero fare, Michelmore’s score fits very well.

The voice acting is equally high quality, professional stuff, despite some of the dialogue not being particularly well-written.

Overall
Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme manages to entice and entertain, but it could have done so much more. As an alternate take on Dr. Strange’s origins, it does reasonably well; Dr. Strange fans won’t be disappointed, nor will anybody who enjoyed The Invincible Iron Man or either of the Ultimate Avengers movies. More discerning viewers, though, will find themselves thirsting for more.

Distributed by VIZ Media
95 minutes

As I mentioned in my review of Naruto: The Lost Story, Naruto just isn’t my thing. I feel that too many potentially good things about that franchise are weighed down by its negatives: unfunny humor, repetitive character interactions, and the tendency for the story arcs and fight scenes to overstay their welcomes.

That, combined with the rather lackluster OVA that was The Lost Story, had me feeling just a little hesitant about putting Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow into my DVD player. But after a fairly well-paced hour and a half where I wasn’t bored out of my mind, I must say that this Naruto movie is actually not half bad.

Synopsis
The story begins with our three young ninja heroes, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, watching “The Adventures of Princess Gale,” a movie starring actress Yukie Fujikaze. Not seeming to care that it’s, at best, a B-movie with some rather good special effects, Naruto enjoys it. The character of Princess Gale appeals to Naruto, as both press forward with courageous conviction.

Imagine their surprise when they see Yukie, the leading lady herself, fleeing from unknown pursuers just outside the theater. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura give chase, attempting to route Yukie’s would-be captors and lead the actress to safety. But, as Naruto learns the hard way, Yukie is not nearly as brave and resolved as the woman she plays on the big screen; she and Princess Gale couldn’t be any more different.

What follows, a few misunderstandings later, is a journey to the Land of Snow, a place of perpetual winter. The next Princess Gale movie is to be shot against the backdrops of this cold landscape. But when the fake princess turns out to be more real than expected, Naruto and company find themselves mixed up in a plot of betrayal and revenge, and Yukie must face the destiny she has been running from her entire life.

Storytelling/Characters
It’s funny how interesting a Naruto story can be when it sheds the trappings of its most typical downfalls. This movie doesn’t concern itself with the ongoing and convoluted narratives in the main Naruto-verse, instead telling a story outside of those plotlines that still manages to be relevant to the growth of our orange-clad, spiky-haired hero.

Naruto’s interactions with the self-pitying and distant Yukie are definitely the high points of the movie. It’s interesting to see Naruto’s mind change about actors and acting in general while watching Yukie switch between her normal and Princess Gale personas. It isn’t unlike seeing your favorite movie star being a total ass in public, shattering whatever image of that star you pictured in your mind. But Naruto himself is pushed to his limits, and pressured by Yukie’s assurances that giving up is the only recourse in life. His boundless optimism and stubborn ideals are more heartfelt in this film because of now they contrast with Yukie’s views. Yet, it doesn’t feel as if Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow is Yukie’s story “featuring Naruto.” It is very much Naruto’s story, too; in fact, he’s the main player.

Things aren’t perfect, though. Naruto’s compatriots don’t play a very big role outside of the fight scenes, save for a few Kakashi moments where he recalls his past in the Land of Snow. While Naruto’s interactions with Yukie are welcome, he doesn’t interact with his friends nearly as much, limiting them to simply being Naruto’s companions and nothing more. The villains are your typical power-hungry bad guy types, lacking the necessary charisma to be truly menacing. A few silly lines and situations rearing their ugly heads, along with the film’s need to push its fight scenes, gets in the way of what could have easily been a stronger showing.

Animation/Visuals
While the visuals aren’t anything that will blow you away, they are definitely better than TV-quality. The various ninja powers are flashy and sexy, in some cases using CG to good effect. The world itself is well drawn and comes to life, especially the barrens of the Land of Snow and the dank prisons of the villains’ fortress.

Voices/Music
The dub is more or less the same quality you’ll find in the Naruto TV show and The Lost Story. It’s an okay dub, with English voice actors portraying the abundantly melodramatic characters appropriately enough. Maile Flanagan’s Naruto is well played, which is important given Naruto’s position at center-stage for most of the movie.

The music is easily forgettable; it’s non-intrusive but uninspiring. The tribal drum themes–typical Naruto fare–are curiously absent from most of the movie, popping up only near the very end. Considering said drums are a staple of Naruto, it’s somewhat surprising and a little disappointing; they would’ve spiced up the soundtrack.

Overall
While the movie’s ultimate outcome will surprise absolutely nobody, and while things still move towards a series of inevitable showdowns between Naruto’s group and the villain’s forces, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow carries a bit more polish than your average Naruto story arc.

I don’t see this film converting anybody who isn’t already a fan. I know that I’m still not going to actively seek out all things Naruto because of it. But it does set the bar a bit higher, and I think I’ll be somewhat less hesitant to review the next Naruto movie. That said, if the next movie isn’t at least as good as this one, I’ll be disappointed.

Naruto the Movie is available now on DVD.

Distributed by FUNimation
105 minutes (4 episodes)

I hate writing an unfavorable review for a FUNimation title, because FUNimation is, in my humble opinion, the hands-down best importer of anime this continent has ever had. Top quality English voice acting, impressive packaging, and release schedules that don’t keep audiences waiting for too long are just some of the reasons FUNimation is the best.

So, when you read this review of Samurai 7, don’t take this as a slight towards FUNimation. Rather, read this as my distaste for the re-envisioning of some old thing about seven samurais that Gonzo has created.

Synopsis
Welcome to the sermon of mechas and samurai.

In the beginning, there were mechas. Big mechas. Shiny mechas. The mechas were piloted by those who pilot mechas. And it was good.

The people who pilot the mechas and fly in the big ships of steel fought other people, clashed mecha with mecha, and they fought, and they died, or they won. And it was good.

Then the war ended and the bad people in the mechas that won the war took control, and the evils of capitalism engulfed the land. And it was good.

The samurai, some so mighty that they could cleave the mechas in two with a sword and a big jump and still not look sweaty after doing it felt disenfranchised, and hid in the shadows, or did mercenary work. And it was good.

A small village is overrun yearly by bandits who pilot the mechas and steal the village’s rice, and now the villagers have had enough. They send a young water priestess into the dangerous city, accompanied by some nobody who’s supposed to protect her, who despite himself bringing up the dangers of the city also takes the priestess’s little sister with them for some reason. And it was good.

The trio search for samurai, and the offering they make is only that of rice. And so this is the tale of the people who gathered samurai for a mission with only rice as payment. And it was good.

… No, no. It was NOT good.

Storytelling/Characters
Samurai 7 is the sort of show that takes a rather long time to get started. The first disc feels like a prologue. A very long, tedious, cornball prologue, with plot manipulation galore. Whenever the plot needs something to happen, it happens, no matter how unrealistic it is for that something to happen in the context of whatever it is Kirara or her slowly growing entourage of samurai are doing at the time. Take, for instance, Kirara’s little sister, Komachi. The villager who is the first to suggest making a stand, Rikichi, talks endlessly of how Kirara shouldn’t go to the city, because she’s a woman and it’s dangerous. Yet, when she resolves to go, Rikichi has no problem bringing along little Komachi. Idiocy, or would thinking realistically have been a snag in the producer’s desire to have a little girl as part of the crew? Unfortunately, it’s both.

I would say that the plot is simply a means to an end, a way to get all the unimportant details of the how and why over with and out of sight, but if that were true I would have seen samurai defending the village already. Samurai 7 is frustrating to watch, because instead of getting to the fighting, which, from the few snippets of action I’ve seen in this first volume, is the series’ strong point, it plods along slowly, trying very hard to make you fall in love with characters that are just not interesting. Except the robot samurai. He’s cool.

Working with a contrived plot is bad enough. Add a dash of unconvincing characters and a sprinkle of ridiculousness, and you’re left with a heaping helping of fluff. That Samurai 7 takes four hundred years to get started (it might be longer; for all I know the second volume is more of the same) doesn’t help matters. First impressions are important. Starting by jumping ahead into the more action-oriented part of the show, and then showing abridged flashbacks to bring the audience up to speed, would have been the superior approach.

Animation/Visuals
While Samurai 7 fails in the storytelling department, it shines when it comes to looks. The whole world has a darkish overtone present in every setting, from the simple village to the metal metropolis where the majority of the story so far takes place. Of particular note is the robot samurai, Kikuchiyo, who is animated beautifully; all of his movements are decidedly and convincingly mechanical.

The character design in general is quite good. If only the characters were as interesting as the outfits they don.

Voices/Music
Samurai 7’s dub is perfect; each character’s English portrayal is dead on. Kambei, the leader of the samurai, sounds very much like the wise and clever man that he is. Back to the robot: Kikuchiyo’s voice gets all messed up whenever he is damaged, going from high to low to normal repeatedly. Though a relatively easy effect to achieve with the right software, it just shows the kind of care and attention FUNimation puts into the English language versions of the anime they license.

Overall
But alas, for obvious reasons, it is beyond FUNimation’s power to take bad source material and somehow make it good. Actually, that’s not entirely fair; Samurai 7 might just be really good later down the line. But no story should require its target audience to be bored for hours before giving up the good stuff.

If samurai and robots are what you seek in an anime, look up Afro Samurai, also by Gonzo and FUNimation. It knows how to pace itself, playing to its strengths while minimizing its weaknesses. Samurai 7 does the exact opposite, and that’s a shame.

Distributed by FUNimation
125 minutes (5 episodes)

I had a conversation with a close friend of mine not too long ago about ongoing television series’ approaches to storytelling and characterization. He and I both agreed that an ongoing storyline with continually developing characters is far more enjoyable than a mere collection of one-shots. True, ongoing stories can be confusing to get into for the viewer that jumps in when a series has been running for some time, but in this era of TV box sets, that’s hardly a problem anymore.

However, I couldn’t help but feel that there is merit, in an appropriately designed series, to making each episode its own “island” of sorts. Shortly after that conversation, I heard of Mushi-Shi. Purchasing the first volume and its nice-looking collector’s box, and resisting the urge to read the included information booklet for fear of spoilers, a (different) friend and I dive in. Five episodes later, we’re hooked; Mushi-Shi is on a whole other level.

Synopsis
In an apparently pre-modern world of lush green exists the Mushi, strange creatures that can take many forms and exhibit many different abilities, from subtle to fantastic. They can be very primitive, driven by simple desires to survive. They can be intelligent, capable of assuming humanoid form and pursuing complex goals. Mushi are life in its purest form, life that exists at a baser level than any other.

But Mushi are sometimes problematic and can cause trouble for ordinary folks. That’s where Ginko comes in. A wandering Mushi Master, also called a Mushi-Shi, Ginko resolves Mushi-related matters, spreading understanding, pruning out-of-control Mushi populations, and even coaxing Mushi that have possessed human hosts out into the open. His travels are filled with tales of enlightenment, suffering, and heartbreak.

Storytelling/Characters
Back to the whole ongoing story arc vs. episodic one-shot topic: Mushi-Shi is most definitely the latter, taken to the extreme. So unrelated is each episode to the rest that almost everything about the story changes on a per episode basis. The order of the first four episodes in volume one is virtually irrelevant, and episode five’s brief recap of prior events is the only thing keeping it from being just as interchangeable.

Every individual episode tells its own story, introducing its own characters, taking place in its own settings, and presenting new and interesting conflicts. Other than Ginko, rare is the recurring character, and rarer still is overlap in the messages each story conveys. Though the conflicts are typically either character vs. nature or the character vs. self, there is more than enough variance to keep things fresh. Hitting “next” on your DVD remote presents you with a whole new chronicle that is entertaining on its own and entices you to keep watching.

This approach creates something of an irony about Ginko. Though he’s the main character… he really isn’t. Make no mistake, he’s no witness, and thus far he plays an important role in every episode. But the stories are not about him; they are about the people he meets. His actions and attitudes are a catalyst for plot advancement and character development in others, but Ginko remains static, his past and his motives shrouded in mystery. And that’s just fine with me; the anthology of his travels makes for a very compelling collection of masterfully crafted short stories.

Mushi-Shi is all about one-shots. If that really isn’t your thing, you may not enjoy it. But before dismissing it, be assured that each and every one of these one-shots is extremely high quality in every way.

Animation/Visuals
It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that more money goes into a single episode of Mushi-Shi than into twenty-six episodes of any other anime you care to mention. Which is not to say that money buys success… but it sure does help.

Mushi-Shi is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Despite all the greenery you’ll see, you’ll never tire of the lush forests, nor how the people move through them. The overall world is based on a yester-century Japan, with traditional Japanese-style sliding door houses and one hell of a lot of kimonos, and the whole shebang is drawn and animated with amazing fluidity. The Mushi themselves are imaginatively brought to life, whether they are snail-like parasites, living swamps, or human-like cloaked figures.

Though every character is given much love in the animation department, Ginko is especially well visualized, from his ghostly white hair to his decidedly foreign attire. Despite being a static non-protagonist protagonist, his design just oozes the essence of character.

Voices/Music
FUNimation’s English voice work is top-notch as always. (To be honest, I’m getting sick of typing that. Not that I’d rather see FUNimation’s standards slip, mind you.) Travis Willingham, who gave us a superb interpretation of Fullmetal Alchemist’s Roy Mustang, plays a perfect Ginko, cool and calm, but serious when lives are threatened.

The music is mystifying and pretty, a perfect match for Mushi-Shi’s semi-supernatural themes. Lots of bells and other vibrant percussive instruments litter the soundtrack, with a good amount of controlled strings and piano rounding things out. The tunes are mellow and moody, complex and yet very simple. It’s easily “I’m going to buy the soundtrack” material. A lovely English-language (in both the dub and the sub) opening theme kicks off each episode.

Overall
I think I still prefer overarching plots and long-term storytelling. But a mere ONE episode of Mushi-Shi contains more heartfelt, well-paced narrative work than a good number of entire TV series, animated or otherwise. Don’t miss Mushi-Shi, or you’re doing yourself a great disservice. It gets nothing less than my strongest recommendation and the highest possible rating I can give it.

Volume one of Mushi-Shi is available now, as are the first two volumes of the manga that inspired it. Click here for a review of the manga.

Distributed by VIZ Media
100 minutes (4 episodes)

Welcome, dear reader, to my review of Bleach. I usually start my reviews with some little snippet that relates to what I’m about to review, sometimes equating aspects of it to real life situations or stating how I feel about the franchise in question. With the rest of this review already written, however, I find myself at a loss with how to tie into the show’s synopsis. Do I just leave this preamble out and get down to business? Do I make a Ghostbusters reference, since Bleach is about souls and all that funky stuff? Hell, I even contemplated talking about real bleach and how it weakens fabric over time, hoping to humorously tie it into some analogy relevant to Bleach (the show).

But I’ve got nothing. So… hey. This is Bleach. The show. I like it.

Synopsis
Life isn’t dull for Ichigo Kurosaki, a tough-as-nails fifteen year old high school student whom trouble often finds. Whether it’s being bullied (rather unsuccessfully) about his bright orange hair or entangled in a supernatural plot involving purifying lost souls, Ichigo doesn’t often suffer from boredom.

Let’s elaborate on the “supernatural plot” that our scrapper hero is dealing with. You see, Ichigo possesses a special power, one not normally reserved for normal human beings: he can see ghosts. Specifically, he can see and communicate with the souls of the dearly departed who, for one reason or another, still linger about our mortal coil. And that’s all fine and dandy. But then Ichigo witnesses a girl using a sword to defeat a giant soul-eating creature known as a Hollow.

The girl, Rukia Kuchiki, is a Soul Reaper, a slayer of Hollows and helper of wayward souls. Later, she sneaks into Ichigo’s bedroom, only to discover that unlike any other human being, he can see her quite clearly. After arguing with Ichigo and bringing himup to speed, a Hollow attacks, and Rukia is injured during the fight.

She tries to give a little of her power to Ichigo, so that he can temporarily take up the mantle of Soul Reaper and defeat the creature. She underestimates his power, however, and Rukia unwillingly ends up giving Ichigo almost all of her power, transforming him into an incredibly formidable Soul Reaper, one who almost effortlessly dispatches the Hollow and saves his family.

Left nearly powerless, Rukia commissions Ichigo to do what she will not be able to do again for some time: hunt Hollows and help the souls of the dead pass on.

Storytelling/Characters
Bleach’s story is more than just a little kooky, and with terms like Soul Reaper, Hollow, and Soul Society thrown about, I got the impression that this is another one of those “normal kid gets swept up in a bizarre alternate world” cartoons that is all the rage these days. And that’s what Bleach is, through and through; it carries with it an expectable level of corniness.

What sets it apart, other than a liberal helping of slick visual polish, is a cast of characters so well crafted, animated, and voice acted, that any negative impact the contrived story could have had is pretty much negated. Make no mistake, though; Bleach’s characters aren’t carrying the story on their backs. Rather, they work well within the constraints of their fictional world, meshing with the story but still standing taller than its limits.

I had a difficult time finding reasons to hate these characters, and in the end I found none. Ichigo’s “tough guy with a heart of gold” persona has been done a million times before, but he still manages to win over the viewer with moments of both inspired insight and surprising insecurity. Rukia, less of a foil to Ichigo and more like the other side of the same coin, convinces you through her actions and words that she rightfully deserves the respect she commands. Chad, a towering boy with seemingly superhuman durability, does not leave you doubting that he is a quiet and protective pacifist. Every character is convincing, and all are the sort you want to root for.

Animation/Visuals
Colorful visuals and carefully constructed settings are the backdrop in Bleach, with scenes ranging from bright daytime to murky nighttime to surreal otherworldly dimensions. This is one pretty show, no doubt about it. The animation in Bleach isn’t the smoothest you’ll see in television-level cartoons, but it is some of the most stylish, with very few reused sequences. Gritty combat scenes and everyday-life moments alike are presented elegantly and beautifully.

Voices/Music
Bleach’s dub is top-notch, each voice actor portraying his or her character perfectly. Johnny Yong Bosch once again proves his versatility, giving us an Ichigo that, despite sounding like other characters Bosch voices, encompasses every aspect of Ichigo’s roughness and idealism. Michelle Ruff’s Rukia is appropriately stern and arrogant all at once. Orihime’s bubbliness is presented convincingly by Stephanie Sheh. I could keep on listing each voice actor and how well they perform, but I think you get the picture.

The intro and ending themes are very catchy and extremely well done. The intro is especially noteworthy, with a decidedly urban feel that matches well with the animation. The background music within the episodes themselves, however, is forgettable. It isn’t bad, but it just doesn’t stick.

Overall
I heard good and bad things about Bleach and I wholly expected it to be the sort of show that someone like me tends not to enjoy. Though it isn’t perfect, and occasionally throws out a situation or line that makes me shake my head, it has won me over, and chances are good that it will win you over too. Bleach is highly recommended.

Distributed by VIZ Media
40 minutes

Ah, Naruto. The series about ninjas with powers that, depending on who you ask, is either the best thing since sliced bread or the worst scourge on the face of the Earth. Me, I simply don’t care about it. I’ve seen a few episodes, both in its original Japanese incarnation and in its dubbed form, and it just isn’t my thing.

Despite that, I didn’t walk into this Naruto OAV, The Lost Story as it’s called, under the pretense that it was going to be lackluster. OAVs can often present fresh and interesting takes on established characters and can be products that stand taller than the series that spawned them. Unfortunately, The Lost Story merely plays out like a slightly longer episode of the series, with all the clichés associated with such an OAV present and accounted for.

Synopsis
The story begins with Naruto, his companions and teammates Sasuke and Sakura, and mentor Kakashi escorting the timid leader of The Hidden Waterfall Village, Shibuki, back home. Called away to an important meeting, Kakashi entrusts the remainder of the mission, which has devolved to cleaning soda cans out of a lake, to his students. But we all know that this escort mission isn’t really that simple, right? Of course it isn’t. Before long, word of an attack on the Hidden Waterfall Village reaches our heroes, and a reluctant Shibuki is forced to accept Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura’s help.

The man behind the attack, Suien, was once a resident of the hidden village. Betraying his fellows, he seeks the village’s treasure, a treasure protected by the village’s leader: the Hero’s Water, a fluid that, when drank, increases the imbiber’s chakra tenfold or higher, but shortens the user’s lifespan dramatically.

And so Naruto and his friends do what they can to keep the village and its treasure safe. Will they succeed, and will Shibuki learn the meaning of courage and obligation?

Storytelling/Characters
The storytelling here is a front, merely a vehicle to palm off some supposedly meaningful lessons about real heroism and to provide some background noise for the big “boss” battle that is pretty much bound to happen. I was expecting and hoping for more. Admittedly, though, with only forty minutes to work with, as opposed to the almost infinite time the ongoing anime series can give a storyline arc, it’s difficult to imagine that much more could have been done.

Character development is all but absent, relegated to a few moments of Shibuki struggling with himself as to what is worth doing to protect his people. Naruto spouts off his usual one-dimensional “what it means to be a hero” speeches, Sasuke remains calm and composed even when the odds are against him, and Sakura does her usual flip-flopping between being embarrassed about Naruto one moment and then concerned for his safety the next, along with the whole “Sasuke is so cool” inner monolog that got old the first time we hear her think it.

Oh, right, almost forgot: Naruto accidentally stepping in dog excrement is supposed to be funny, as is every time he stumbles and falls, or says something over-the-top. The Lost Story’s attempts at humor don’t particularly impress.

You’ve seen this story a million times over. You won’t be surprised when Naruto is beat down, only to rise up in the end and defeat the bad guys. You won’t be surprised when Shibuki finds his backbone. You won’t be surprised by anything here. It’s just a by-the-books action series OAV that does little but provide another collectible for Naruto fans.

Art/Visuals
The visual department presents nothing spectacular. It’s typical TV-quality stuff. The fight scenes are animated passably, but that’s it. Reused animations are kept to a minimum, which is a good thing.

Voices/Music
Naruto’s background music has this nifty tribal drum thing going on, and that’s prevalent throughout The Lost Story. It fits the series well, but isn’t otherwise outstanding.

The dub is okay. As in “could be better, but c’mon, this is freaking Naruto.” To elaborate: the story and dialog isn’t any less cornball in Japanese than it is in English (and, yes, I made the switch and took a good listen). The English voice work is tolerable and about as good as it’s going to get considering the subject matter. Maile Flanagan’s childlike Naruto voice has an annoying throat scratch when angry or yelling, but otherwise fits our hothead protagonist just fine. The only voice I would say absolutely does not fit is Kakashi’s; Dave Wittenberg just doesn’t capture the ninja master’s true essence.

An amusing aside: Crispin Freeman, one of the most well known dub voice actors in licensed anime, plays some random villager who has all of two unimportant lines. It’s a little surprising to hear.

Overall
I’m certain Naruto fans will love The Lost Story, just as I’m certain a more scrutinizing anime watcher will be too off-put by its failings. A good jumping point into the series this is not, and stands as an OAV more suited to Naruto fans than to anyone else.