Kingbeast's Lair

-== What is it? ==-

Claymore is a high fantasy anime television series released by FUNimation. It is directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka. Madhouse is the animation company that produced the series. Claymore was release between April 2007 and September 2007.

Claymores are a group of female warriors who roam about the countryside killing Yoma with their massive blades. Yoma are essentially humanoid demons. The series follows Clare, the lowest ranking Claymore. (She is rank 47.) Clare has a dark past that harbors a lot of pain and deep rooted vengeance.

There is some very brief nudity, an extremely light rape scene, and no sex scenes. The series has a good amount of blood but very little gore. The series is rated “17+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating is actually a bit high. I would suggest “15+”.

I purchased the Claymore DVD Complete Series Box Set (Hybrid) version in standard definition. There are a total of 26 episodes which total roughly 620 minutes of content.

-== What I Like ==-

Probably the most compelling aspect of Claymore is the story. There are three important elements that I think are really intriguing. The first is that Claymores are actually half-Yoma/half-human. Thus they are essentially half-monsters who are tracking down full blooded monsters. The second is that the most powerful Yuma are actual Claymores who have succumbed to their Yuma half. These creatures are know as “Awakened Beings”. These two elements let the writers play around a lot with the big question of what it means to be human. You also get several scenes where Claymores are essentially hunting down their own members. The final plot element that I think is intriguing is that the Claymores are run by a secret organization with an agenda of their own. During the whole series their secret agenda is not revealed but the organizations is presented as being very devious if not downright evil.

I particularly enjoyed episode 4 and episode 8. Episode 4 is called “Clare’s Awakening”. It deals with Clare helping out a church that has been getting attacked by a Yuma. The episode has a great plot and great fight scenes. Episode 8 is a flashback episode called “Awakening”. Awakening tells the story of Clare’s “mentor” the infamous rank 1 Claymore known as Teresa.

The art style in the series is very nice. Madhouse produced an anime style similar to Basilisk or Cowboy Bebop in it’s reality. It is an anime art style that I very much enjoy.

Finally I think the end of the series is quite moving. It is a strong ending but leaves some open questions. Very climactic.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

My biggest complaint by far with Claymore deals with character exposition. The characters in the story will often think things that the viewer is already observing on the screen. Essentially the inner dialog is telling someone who is watching the show what they already know. For example, Clare might expose how powerful a Yuma is after he takes down another Claymore. “Um…I think we can see that he is pretty powerful if he ripped apart another Claymore.” It happens frequently in the series not just in combat.

Another issue I had with the series is that at times I felt like some of the fights were over too fast. This is especially true in some of the early episodes when the viewer really wants to see what the Claymores can do.

The series starts off a bit slow but really picks up the pace around episode 4. If you decide to watch the series give it some time to get legs.

-== Summary ==-

I thought Claymore was a thrilling fantasy romp. If you like monster hunting adventures then you should definitely check this one out. The $50 price point is not bad for such a large amount of quality content.

You can get the boxed set at RightStuff at this URL for $48.99. The Blu-ray boxed set can be obtained at Amazon at this URL for $39.99.

I give it 7 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Highlander:The Search For Vengeance is an anime action movie that retells the story from the original live-action Highlander movie but adds some tweaks. It was written by David Abramowitz who has a history of writing stories for the Highlander TV series. Yoshiaki Kawajiri takes the director’s chair. Kawajiri is known for such anime epics as The Animatrix, Vampire Hunter D:Bloodlust, and Ninja Scroll. The movie was initially released in June 2007.

There is some nudity in the movie and one fairly tame sex scene. One of the nude scenes was a bit “forced” but it fit the story. The bloodletting is a bit excessive in one fight scene but in general it is not an issue. I honestly feel that some blood spurting is expected with action anime of this art style. The movie is rated “17+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating is accurate.

The movie is 100 minutes in length. I purchased a copy of the DVD. The English dub is being reviewed. (Typically I only watch the English dubs. )

-== What I Like ==-

Highlander:The Search For Vengeance blends an American story with anime values. The story centers around the main character who is named Colin MacLeod (i.e. not Connor MacLeod). It follows his quest for vengeance through time. This is a story of revenge, love, and most importantly, a rebirth of spirit for Colin MacLeod. The story is fast, harsh, and very smart.

The artwork in the movie is exceptional. It follows a realistic style that will appeal to folks who like the artwork from Basilisk or Cowboy Bebop. Several times I paused the action to examine a vista or a move in a fight scene…speaking of fight scenes…

The first scenes are off the charts cool! In a movie set in the Highlander series you expect sword swinging…well you get it all through time. This is where the anime roots of the Japanese production company are utilized to their fullest effect.

Extras on Highlander:The Search For Vengeance include discussions with the crew and the director. I really enjoyed the discussions with sound and music departments. These groups were either integrated with Japanese and American artists or were overseen by Kawajiri directly. The teams had some interesting stories to relate about how they worked with the famous anime director.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

Even though I raved about the movie having a smart plot it is lean. Don’t expect lots of surprises.

Colin’s adviser/conscious in the animated movie is in the form of a ghostly spirit called Amergen. Amergen can come off quirky in some scenes but I liked the way that he reminded me of Japanese folklore spirits.

-== Summary ==-

I can’t believe my first perfect score will go to a remake but Highlander:The Search For Vengeance is just that good. It is frankly one of the best animated action movies I have seen and a jewel in the Highlander franchise. If you like action anime or Highlander then this is absolutely a must buy. The price point is also very low. Highlander:The Search For Vengeance can be had for peanuts at RightStuf.com. (See the links below for information.) There can be only one…and if you have to pick one this one is a fantastic choice!

You can get it for a measly $7.49 at RightStuf.com at this URL. It can be had at Amazon at this URL for $9.49.

I give it 10 out of 10 paws.

I’ve been on vacation and I know this blog post is a wimp out…but wow…cool…

-== What is it? ==-

Origin:Spirits Of The Past is an anime movie from FUNIMATION that tells the story of two teens from different times who become caught between a deadly forest and a man trying to destroy it.

I purchased the standard edition version of the DVD. There is a “Special Edition” available with additional features that I have not seen. The version I have does not have any extras. The movie is 90 minutes long.

-== What I Like ==-

The story in Origin is not too revolutionary but it is VERY nicely conveyed. The story has a strong environmental message but I did not find it “preachy”. The basic story is simple…man plays with nature, nature slaps man in face, man tries again but this time stops himself. Then ending is full of true love and hope. Who does not like a movie with a happy ending!?!

The environmental, background, and setting design in this movie is outstanding. The settings change from a buried high tech underground city, to a ragamuffin cliff village, to an industrial monster city, to a fantastic multi-railed train. I was literally on the edge of my seat waiting to see the next place they were going to visit. Beautiful stuff.

I liked the fact that the bloodshed and nudity was essentially non-existent as it is not needed in a movie with a story like this to tell. RightStuf has it rated at 13+ which is probably right on the money.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The pacing of the movie is slow at times especially during the middle of the movie. For the younger crowd it might be tough for them to maintain interest at this stage.

The main bad guy in the movie is really weak. His motivations are terrible and there are really not enough reasons given to hate him. In general his was a one of the biggest let downs of the movie.

The animators used CG for the forest effects and I actually thought it came across badly. I SO wanted to like watching the raging forest going off on the puny humans but the CG effects left me cold. I think if they did the entire thing in regular animation the effect would have been stronger.

-== Summary ==-

Origin: Spirits Of The Past is an enjoyable movie with a feel good ending that you can watch with your family or with people who may not be anime buffs. You can purchase the standard edition version of the movie from RightStuf at this URL for $11.24. You can get it at Amazon.com at this URL for $13.49. This movie is well worth the $11.24 price tag.

I give it 7 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

The Hualapai Cycle is a collection of eight intertwined adult horror stories that take place in a fictitious version of the Black Rock Desert. It is written by Jason Walters and is published by BlackWyrm. Before I get into the review I wanted to mention a couple of disclaimers. First off, I am not a huge fiction reader and even less so of horror novels. I was given an advance reading copy by Jason at a local gaming convention. Jason is a friend of mine that I have gamed with in the past. I have also reviewed some of his other RPG works (i.e. Scourges Of The Galaxy by Hero Games which is excellent BTW). I will try to not let my friendship or the fact that I was given a copy of the book bias my review.

The book has a color cover and an entirely black and white interior. The book is 6” x 9” and is 173 pages in length.

-== What I Like ==-

Even though there are technically eight short stories in the novel each story contains at least one smaller narrative inside. While telling one story another character is introduced that impacts that story AND appears later in other stories. The way it is done is quite nice. You really want to see a how a character from one story is used in another. Even though you might think that this would disrupt the flow of a story it does not. One tale flows nicely into the next and characters move and distort as the book progresses. This technique shows a lot of craftsmanship.

The author has a great way of getting inside animal’s heads. This is done with horses, wolves, mutant dogs, and lot of other twisted creatures of the desert. I thought it was very fun.

The book shows how the harsh Black Rock Desert climate breeds survivors. Some of the characters are likable and others are twisted but all of them are tough. It really adds to the horror feel when someone you think is nice turns out to be just as twisted as everyone else.

The book is jam packed full of great lines like these…

“I am convinced that He does not play dice.” But most of the time Iverson was pretty sure that He did play dice. Or at least He did in Nevada.

One story that I particularly like is called Mexican Cowboy. It contains a character aptly name Lupe (think “Loopy” ) who has El Santo and Sid Vicious as guardian angels/devils. What a fantastic story. I also really enjoyed the story Crippled Stray which is about an old Jewish woman waiting to die at the hands of a pack of wolves. It is heartfelt and hard hitting at the same time.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The cover on the advance reading copy is not great. It is dark and hard to see. The title could use outlining to make is stand out. I also think the graphic could be changed to make it more interesting. I don’t want to give away too much but a picture of a desert landscape through a bullet hole in someone’s head might be better.

The title of the book, Hualapai Cycle, is a bit hard to understand until the end. I think it works but it was confusing to me at first.

The last story,Guerrero’s War, comes off as a bit “preachy” in parts. There are a few pages that explain the Bureau Of Land Managements roles in the area that can be taken as a bit of a soapbox. Overall it is not that bad as the information is needed to fully appreciate the story.

-== Summary ==-

In the introduction of Hualapai Cycle Jason explains that the book is a love story to his home and the Black Rock Desert. That is really what this is in a horrific and twisted sort of way. The tales meander to different people, places, and events giving the reader a bitter taste of this desolate place. Even though I know the Black Rock Desert would spit out my sorry ass in around 2 seconds flat after reading Hualapai Cycle I want to visit. In my opinion this is the best work of writing Jason has done to date. I don’t know the price but my rating assumes it is reasonable. You will be able to get from BlackWyrm, the Hero Games store, or Amazon.com soon.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.