Samurai Champloo

How do you follow up an instant classic? Within a few short years after its creation, Cowboy Bebop has been heralded as one of the best anime series ever created. With its creative backdrop, its world-weary but friendly characters, and jaw-dropping animation when considering that it was meant for television and not the big screen, it has already found its spot in the lexicon amongst Gundam, Macross, Urusei Yatsura, and Captain Harlock, despite far fewer episodes and incarnations than those impressive titles. But what to do next?

After tackling a couple sections of The Animatrix, director Shinichiro Watanabe went from his tale of intergalactic bounty hunters to one set in the last days of the samurai -- though in what amounts to an alternate history that includes hip-hop references and characters as likely to wear shorts as kimonos. Samurai Champloo is a raging mass of bloody swords, off-the-hook humor, and anachronistic goodness, and for the most part, it is great fun. The central problem is that, whereas Cowboy Bebop was effortlessly cool, Samurai Champloo is a little too self-aware in its desire to be hip. Ultimately, it makes Samurai Champloo a little less than its predecessor, but still quite a worthy show.

Mugen and Jin plan to kill each other. Mugen's a berserker with a foul mouth and a vicious temper who can take down virtually any contender with his speed and insane moves. Jin, on the other hand, is a soft talker who'd prefer to stay out of trouble but can wipe out legions with his unparalleled sword technique. But before their duel can occur, they find themselves in the debt of a teenager named Fuu. A little ditzy and a lot spunky, Fuu is determined to track down a samurai who smells of sunflowers. It sounds like an impossible task, but the unlikely trio hits the road on a journey that will take them circuitously throughout the island nation to find Fuu's mystery man.

On the surface, Samurai Champloo shouldn't be all that impressive. It is, in essence, a "road trip" anime. However, there are many elements that will surprise even jaded anime fans. For one, though the artistic stylings don't have quite the color palate allowed by Bebop, it is still gorgeous. Some episodes look stunning. The music isn't Yoko Kanno, but it is a good symphony of the old and new. I know that a few folks have complained about the rap songs and stylings that permeate the show, but in my opinion, they give it a feel unlike anything else on the market. (And for Adult Swim broadcasts, the most profane utterings of Mugen are not simply bleeped but "scratched" out, which not only pleases my sensibilities but is hysterical in its own right and perfectly within the show's character.)

Now I do have to admit that there are bits of the show that don't quite work, so I'll get them out of the way up front. First, the comedy element of the show is often absurdist, and it's a little too over-the-top. For example, though the concept of "taggers" in 19th century Japan is amusing, it's not all that funny in practice, and having a whole episode about two gangs who put artwork on all sorts of Edo-period buildings is too much. There are a couple of episodes like this where the idea is funny, but not enough to sustain for 22 or so minutes.

Second, the language here is rough. Now this isn't exactly a negative per se; for this show, with its setting and atmosphere, the English dub is actually very appropriate. In fact, overall the English dub is spectacular. After comparing it with the original, I would strongly encourage everyone to forget that this was ever in the Japanese language. But the level of Mugen's profanity, while not out of line for his character, is high throughout the show, and though I'm not ordinarily too sensitive, I appreciated Adult Swim's afore-mentioned "scratches." Admittedly, this dub is still cleaner (and far more apropos) than those on Gantz or Samurai Gun. But it's still big enough to mention.

One offshoot that is reflected within the profanity and comedy is the fact that the show tries just a little too hard. Everything from the hip-hop to the impressive battle scenes is meant to wow the viewer. But there's a fine line where cool is no longer cool, and occasionally Samurai Champloo treads on it. It's a difficult concept to explain, but by way of analogy, it's like the post-punk kid who wears awesome clothes and cares nothing for the attention of the popular kids...but secretly wants to be liked just a little bit by the in crowd. Take that for what you will.

Now that I've got those minor bits out of the way, let me just say that I really loved a great deal of Samurai Champloo. This oddball triangle of three misfits works amazingly well, far better than I expected when the show started. Oddly enough, for characters who appear a bit daft or cold, I grew really attached to them over the course of the show's run. For all the comedy, the show does especially well with the serious plotlines that often weave throughout the episodes, and the heart of the program lies in the personal growth that occurs ever so slightly as the proceedings unfold. They aren't drastically different people by the end of the journey, but they have learned much about themselves in the process.

When the mix of elements works, which is a lot of the time, Samurai Champloo just rocks. Some episodes are a joy to watch from start to finish. The show is willing to explore many areas (such as the persecution of Christians in Japan throughout the 19th century) in unique ways, even if they aren't dead-on historically. And the best stories wind up locked in your memory. One in particular involving a blind musician who's more than she seems is pretty incredible. What's more, though the show is episodic in nature, there a quite a few two-part pieces, and there are some narrative elements that tie the show together in its last fourth. It snuck up on me...by the time the show was over, though not everything worked along the way, I was truly sorry to see it end.

For its minor problems, my grade goes down just slightly, but Samurai Champloo is a fun, fast-paced, beautifully animated trip of a series. If you're willing to set aside the issues the show undeniably has and remember that this isn't the second coming of Spike, Jet, Edward, and Faye, it's a very good ride indeed.

Rurouni Kenshin OVAs

Buzz is a big thing in anime. If a show has good buzz, it can go far, even if the series isn't all that great. Many shows have style in truckloads that impresses the masses, but they wind up being short on substance in the long run. When I saw the opening episodes of the Rurouni Kenshin television series, I really wondered what the hubbub was. There's no doubt that the show is entertaining, but it didn't strike me as anything classic. However, once I saw these OVAs, my eyes were opened--indeed, the OVA series that gives the back-story of Battousai the Manslayer is every bit as interesting, intelligent, and action-packed as everything I'd heard.

The OVA series (which is being marketed in the US as Samurai X) goes into detail about Kenshin's past life, many years before he became the firmly heroic but gentle character of the television series. Left as an orphan to die, he nevertheless survives and becomes the perfect assassin; cold, calculating, methodical, Kenshin is a killing machine that leaves no adversary standing. However, he is caught in the middle of political nightmare that forces him to flee with the mysterious Tomoe, the woman who could be his salvation...or his downfall. As Kenshin reflects on the carnage he has inflicted, he starts to question who he is and why he fights. But once one is a part of the circle of violence, it's hard to get back out.

As a caveat, you really should see at least the beginning of the Rurouni Kenshin television series to get a background on the characters involved--the story is much more moving if you do. Beyond that, though, I strongly recommend the four episode series. It's violent and action-packed, but not overdone, with a strong romantic side and a taste for moral conflict. The humor that makes the TV show uneven is gone from here, and it is most certainly an improvement. The animation is clean and fluid, the story tight, and the pacing excellent. It's also only two DVDs, which means that the plotline is easy to get into without much of an investment. The only bad thing about the show is the completely asinine renaming of the show for American audiences--whoever came up with Samurai X should wind up on the receiving end of the Battousai's blade.

What's really impressive about the OVA series is that it has reawakened my interest in the television show. I'm now finally interested in seeing where the writers are going to take Kenshin and his companions. If you like action-oriented shows or martial arts, you will truly enjoy the OVA series; even if it's not your style, it's worth giving a chance. I was really taken aback by the quality of this show, and have to admit that it's the best two hours I've spent on anime in a while.

Afro Samurai

Samuel L. Jackson is the definition of cool. Or is he? With Pulp Fiction over a decade gone, he still has plenty of mojo working for him, but not all of his decisions have been great. Snakes on a Plane, the internet phenomenon and box-office mediocrity, made it look like Jackson might have jumped the proverbial shark. Black Snake Moan, due out soon, looks for all the world like an exploitation film out of the '70s. It could be cool, but who knows? Lending his voice or his credibility to a show doesn't automatically spell success or quality. Nevertheless, it's his larger than life persona that fuels the advertising for Afro Samurai, an American/Japanese co-production backed by Spike TV. The question is, does this festival of gory revenge need his tie-in?

In a apocalyptic retro-future world that combines ancient Japanese styles with cell phones and cyber technology, a gruesome war is on. Numbered headbands denote the hierarchy of the land's greatest combatants, and only the man who bears the #2 headband can challenge the #1 to a deadly duel. Legend has it that becoming the #1 can lead to unimaginable power. The warrior with the #2 headband, then, is in constant danger from those who aspire to greatness by killing him off and swiping the band so they can challenge the world's toughest living warrior.

Afro is only a young boy when his sword-wielding father, the #1, is beheaded in a duel with a lisping gunslinger. Afro, goaded by the gunman to confront him once he's ready to duel a god, leaves the scene with only a sword and his father's noggin. The story unfolds as the much older Afro, now the #2, seeks to return to the mountain where his father's killer waits for the inevitable confrontation. Accompanied only by a shadowy motormouth who comments on every situation, Afro finds himself up against a bevy of killers that range from simple clods to a robotic carbon copy of himself. Afro's biggest threats, however, will come from his past, and his youth is explored in flashbacks as his former friends become his darkest enemies.

One thing is certain: Spike TV got its money's worth. Afro Samurai is animated to be a spectacle, and that it is. Although its artistic style is a little dated -- intentionally, I believe -- you couldn't ask it to look any better. Every slashed neck and severed limb (didn't I mention this was gory?) is rendered with care. As far as the English voice acting, it's uniformly impressive. Jackson only has a few lines as Afro, seeing that he's the strong and very silent type, but he switches up his voice nicely to play Afro's wacked-out conscience of a friend. It's not a stretch, and Jackson is here to sell DVDs, but he does fine. While the show is not aimed at a high-minded audience, the dialogue flows far better than most anime adaptations (probably because this was intended for an English audience in the first place). Most genre fans will want to see the work on display here, even if they don't care for the other elements.

The program itself is about as simple as you can get -- it's a revenge story even less complex than Kill Bill (though perhaps even gorier). Is this a criticism? Not exactly. The characters themselves are the story, and the backstory of Afro becomes a compelling tragedy. For a man who says little, Afro makes a striking protagonist...much like Kenshiro and Vampire Hunter D before him. It's clear to me that the creators of Afro Samurai weren't looking to modern anime for inspiration; instead, there's clear homage to '80s source material like Ninja Scroll and Fist of the North Star. Those films were hardly plot-oriented; they were all about gory action splayed large on the screen. Afro Samurai is a show for 20-and-30-somethings who grew up watching Streamline tapes over and over again, not sophisticated fans of anime who grew up having every show on Japanese television just a mouse click away. I admit that I found Afro Samurai had some of the best raw action I've seen in an anime for a long time, and I thought it was enjoyable...with a few caveats.

There are two problems with Afro Samurai. First is the sheer amount of extreme violence on display. Watching the five episodes within a day or so, as I did, becomes exhausting as the carnage continues on and on. In fact, the action almost becomes dull by the end. There's so much destruction on display that by the time the final confrontation came, I was ready just to get to the end already. Related to this is the second issue: its brutal hopelessness. There are a never-ending stream of cruel competitors for Afro to fight with leering grins and stark-mad eyes, and that's just the start of it. Afro's past is tragic, and the decisions he makes lead to stark, sad outcomes. And though it might be spoiling something to say it, the ending is not really an ending at all. There is no end to the cycle of viciousness. While I thought the show was well-made and entertaining to watch, I felt perhaps a tiny bit less of a person by the ending. It displays all too realistically the truth that revenge might seem sweet in the short term but leads to a never-ending circle of death. In fact, the resolution to the show really dampened my enthusiasm for the whole.

My recommendation of Afro Samurai is based on the skill and care put into the presentation. Much of it is incredibly impressive. If you love samurai action and slash-and-hack features, then you will adore this show. If you're a Samuel L. Jackson fan, you might get a kick out of his work as the lead character. But if you're easily disturbed or disquieted, it's one to avoid. It's a dark story with an unhappy ending where the ends, bleak and harsh and cruel as they are, justify the means.

Afro Samurai -- extreme and gratuitous graphic violence, language, brief sexuality -- B

Four Anime Among Top-10 Japanese Movies

Four anime features (and one live-action adaptation of a manga) were among the top 10 in the Japanese Motion Picture's Society's list of the top grossing Japanese-language films released in 2006. Studio Ghibli's Tales From Earthsea was the number one Japanese-language motion picture, fourth in the overall Japanese box office ranking.

According to figures released by the Japanese Motion Picture Society, Tales From Earthsea was the most popular Japanese film of 2006, with a box-office gross of 7.65 billion yen (~US$65 million).

Other anime that reached the top ten were Detective Conan: The Private Eyes' Requiem (at number 10: 3.03 billion yen/$26 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur (3.28 billion yen/US$28 million, at number 8), and Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (3.40 billion/US$29 million, number 7). The second live-action Death Note movie placed fifth, at 5.20 billion yen/US$44 million.

Although it led the Japanese films, Tales From Earthsea was not the top grossing movie at the Japanese box office. Overall, Earthsea was 2006's fourth most popular film, behind three foreign movies; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and The Da Vinci Code.

For comparison, in 2005, the top-ranking movie overall was Howl's Moving Castle, at 19.6 billion yen. The next film on the list, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, grossed 11.5 billion (US$98 million). And, although Howl's Moving Castle was released in November of 2004, it also took the number one spot in 2004, with 20 billion yen (US$170 million)

Fullmetal Alchemist

There are just a handful of times when an animated television series lives up to what the medium can do. Cowboy Bebop did it. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex did it. Macross did it. And though there are more, suffice it to say that another title should be added to these ranks: Fullmetal Alchemist. In its 51 episodes, we get humor, drama, horror, and pathos packaged together in a lovely combination that, while not for children despite its look, is among the best anime series ever created.

Edward and Alphonse Elric aren't exactly your typical brothers. The older Ed, a short fellow who's constantly picked on for his height, is missing an arm and a leg; the younger Al appears for all the world to be a suit of armor. On top of their odd appearance, they are alchemists par excellence. In their world, the law of equivalent exchange rules, and alchemists can use the materials around them to manipulate their environment. There's only one rule to alchemy: the dead cannot be brought back to life.

In a desperate attempt to break that rule, the brothers lost body and limbs to the void, and they are determined to get them back. How? They seek the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary gem that can supposedly get around the truth of equivalent exchange and could restore their original forms. But to find the stone, they will have to become a part of the military establishment...something that Edward takes as a necessary evil. As they take on strange homunculi and other alchemists determined to have the stone for themselves, they will discover the dark secrets of alchemy that will forever alter their lives and the lives of those they love.

Fullmetal Alchemist is a tasty package from start to finish. Though it is not as gorgeous, perhaps, as the very cream of the televised crop of anime, it always looks perfect for what it is supposed to be. Because the character designs are not hyper-realistic and the humor often exaggerates those designs, expecting it to look like Ghost in the Shell misses the point. The opening songs are loud and boisterous rock tunes that set the show's tone; I can't say the closing songs ever impressed me, but I'm not a fan of girly J-Pop. Though the score is not a standout, it effectively underscores the proceedings.

But what makes Fullmetal Alchemist a dramatic powerhouse is its ability to run the gambit of emotions in a single episode. There are often a few goofy moments in each segment, but they never feel out of place. When the time is right, though, the story can turn serious in an instant. The fact that Fullmetal Alchemist can pull off hysterical comedy and tragic pathos in a half-hour is astounding. Although it's often funny, this is not a program for children. Despite the cheerful tone, this sucker has dark, dark themes throughout, and it has some graphic violence that, when used for effect, hits like a prizefighter. Though the kids will have to wait for it, the concepts discussed are deeply moral and ethical, which makes the show even more powerful. Not only does Fullmetal Alchemist raise personal questions - for example, what lengths you would go to in order that a loved one might return from the dead - but it covers topics ranging from familial loyalty and military principles to religion, racism, and genocide. The humorous bits actually work to make the philosophical underpinnings palatable: I came in for a good story, laughed often, and got a lot more besides.

Fullmetal Alchemist starts out deceptively simple. At first, it appears that the audience is in for a simple journeyman show. However, over the course of the two seasons, the complexity of the whole becomes apparent. There are few chance meetings in this world; indeed, characters who show up in early episodes as part of episodic adventures often reappear in the concluding third of the series. At first, this seems confusing as characters the audience met twenty episodes back suddenly return; however, it adds a huge dimension of rewatchability as the pieces fit into place upon review. The layered nuances of Fullmetal Alchemist make it a joy to watch.

But you know what I like best about the show? The interplay between Edward and Al. The dub is absolutely superb, even better than the Japanese track, and through it I genuinely felt for these two throughout the show. In casting 12-year-old Aaron Dismuke for the role of Al, the crew made a brilliant choice. He brings the perfect feel of someone on the cusp of adolescence to the role, and he's utterly believable as a boy trapped in a suit of armor wanting just to be a happy youngster again. Meanwhile, veteran Vic Mignogna as Ed captures the fire of the determined yet hardened young man who has seen too much for his years. Although the original animation goes a long way to establishing the relationship between the two brothers, the English voice actors take it up a notch. And when things slow down a little after episode 26, which is the start of the second season of episodes, it's these two that kept me interested.

I also have to admit that the ending of the show is amazing. Over the course of three busy days, I watched the last 14 episodes, it was just that good. Although there is that little blip I mentioned that wasn't quite as engaging, the last section is rock solid. The only problem I would mention, and it's minor, is that the show does not end with episode 51. Although some plot threads are complete, the show finishes on what I can only call an interlude cliffhanger - no one is in real danger, but there are HUGE things to be resolved. The Fullmetal Alchemist movie, due out in the fall of 2006 in the U.S., will hopefully conclude things well. (Although it's available now illegally via Bit Torrent sources, I am showing restraint and willpower and waiting for FUNimation to get this film out...NOW.)

There's little else I can say about Fullmetal Alchemist other than wow. Though it is a cliché to say, it is an instant classic you will not regret adding to your collection if you appreciate great storytelling, compelling characters, and rich ethical discussion put together in an entertaining package.

Miyori no Mori Anime Announced

According to publishing company Akita Shoten, the Hideji Oda manga Miyori no Mori (Miyori's Forest) will be made into a TV anime series. The series follows Miyori, a girl who daydreams of escaping her tough everyday life. When Miyori enters the woods, she experiences many mysterious phenomena, including the discovery that the woods are also home to spirits and ghosts.

Yamamoto Nizo is slated to not only direct the series, but also work on storyboards and art direction. Miyori no Mori will be the first series directed by Yamamoto, who has previously worked as art director on a number of famous anime films. His credits as art director include Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies and Toki wo Kakeru Shojo.

The sequel to the Miyori no Mori manga is still running in the monthly Akita Shoten manga magazine Mystery Bonita.

'Death Note' a must see

I hate television. What I mean to say is that I hate pretty much every syndicated television series'. Sure, they might start off fine, even interesting and original. But after a while, you can feel the writers straining to drag the episodes out…to make more and more seasons out of their once original, cool premise.

But everything runs out of steam sooner and later…there's only so much you can do with a series. And if there's anything I hate more than syndicated T.V. series' (when they're stretched beyond capacity), are anime series'.

Nowhere else will you find more "filler episodes" than in an anime. Remember a show called "Dragon Ball Z?" We'd be teased with the promise of some awesome, colossal battle. But then, there would be an episode for traveling to this battle, an episode for the talk before the fight, and then an episode dedicated to what another character is doing before this fight and so on and so forth. So literally, an entire hour would pass (you'll notice this more when you watch the episodes back-to-back) before anything happens. Stretch upon stretch upon stretch and I'm sick of it.

That is, until I finally gave into the pleas of my younger brother, and watched the first two episodes of an anime he wouldn't shut up about. It's a little gem called "Death Note," and if you haven't been watching it, then you truly suck. If you didn't know about it, then it's ok, but if you're reading this, there is NO excuse for missing one of the greatest series of all time, animated or not.

Unlike almost every other show in existence, "Death Note's" first episode isn't the most intriguing or the best of the series either. It actually gets deeper, more complex, and, basically, betters as the season progresses.

What's the series about? Well, an idealistic valedictorian student, Yagami Light, (corny Anime name, I know, but they poke fun at themselves for it) finds this notebook outside. Now, it's not any ordinary book, but one from an alternate realm. A book used by "Death Gods". If a person's name is written in this book, then they die. It's that simple. There's a bunch of rules stated in inner sleeve of the notebook, like, you need to have the person's correct name and you must be thinking of their face when you write it. You can also specify how the person will die, if you don't, they will die of a heart attack 40 seconds after writing their name and picturing their face in your mind. So essentially, you can kill anyone by knowing their name and face.

All these rules are laid out in the first episode, but it's after this initial corniness, where the real thrill of the series comes in. Yagami, being an Idealistic youth, wants to create a Utopia with this "Death Note," thinking he can attain this by killing all of the world's criminals. So he gets to writing in his notebook and begins murdering top-wanted killers, rapists, pedophiles, etc. This catches the attention of police everywhere, especially the interest of a secret detective known as "L". The hook is, no one has seen L's face or knows his real name. So there we find the dilemma for Yagami, can he create his Utopia and kill L before L finds out his identity? Will he find out who L is without drawing suspicion to himself?

The series is full of twists and ironic gut-punches, like the fact Yagami's father is the head of the investigative unit put in charge to catch this killer. There are tons of these types of goodies in the series, but I don't want to ruin them for you.

So now you probably want to know where you can watch this, right? Well, here's the thing…it's pretty difficult to come by, but I have the hook up. First off, forget YouTube. It's a strain on your eyes to see the text in such tiny and grainy screens. You can find it on there, but the episodes are all broken up into sections, and most of them aren't subbed in English. That's right you do have to read, so put that college education to use! You can try Guba.com for the episodes (just search free videos) and they have up to episode 16 subbed. Your best bet though, is this link http://fourzerofour.us/?p=downloads&s=death. They come out with new episodes by every Thursday morning the latest, beautifully subbed. The good thing about the link I provided is that you can download the whole episode and watch it as large as you like, in whatever format. Guba streams the episodes, and the screen is bigger than youtube's. It also offers you the option of downloading it to your computer, your IPOD, or your PSP, pretty cool, yeah?

But probably the best thing about this show, "Death Note," is that it has an actual ending in sight. The creators aren't planning on filling it up with useless garbage just for the sake of extending the series. Hopefully it'll follow in the same temporal vein of other great series, such as Gungrave and Berserk (two other amazing anime)

So do yourself a favor and watch Death Note…if you're not hooked by the time you get to the third episode, something's wrong with you.

WARNING: This show also has a live action version…it's horrible, it's terrible, it's ridiculous and it sucks. Do not watch the live action one…you will contemplate suicide because of it.