Kingbeast's Lair

-== What is it? ==-

Samurai Jack Season 2 collects episodes XIV through XXVI of the iconic animated series. In case you have been living under a rock, Samurai Jack is an animated series about a Japanese samurai who travels to various places where a demonic entity known as Aku holds power. This series of episodes initially aired from March 1, 2002 to October 11, 2002. These were produced by the Genndy Tartakovsky. Samurai Jack was a landmark series for Genndy that won four Emmy Awards. Phil LaMarr does the voice acting for Jack and Mako does the voice acting for Aku.

There is essentially no nudity in the series and very little sexual references at all. There is violence but it is directed primarily at robots, monsters, and serious bad guys. Samurai Jack is not rated at RightStuf.com but I would probably give it a “13+”.

I purchased the standard edition version of the Samurai Jack Season 2 DVD boxed set. Each episode of the series is 22 minutes in length. There are a few extras in the package that will be discussed below.

-== What I Like ==-

The stories in Samurai Jack are really what makes it an iconic show. Some stories have tons of action and other are more serene. Either way they are heartfelt and often full of surprises.

Season 2 contains some of the most memorable episodes of the run. Here is a list of the episodes the I would individually rate at 9 or 10 out of 10 paws!

• XIV – Jack meets a race of creatures who can jump really great. After the creatures teaches Jack how to jump he teaches them how to defend themselves.
• XVII – In this episode the Scotsman enlists the aid of Samurai Jack to rescue his wife. This might be my all time favorite episode of Samurai Jack. It is so funny that often I have to stop the DVD player to guffaw. One of the extras in the boxed set involves the episode producer pitching the episode with the team. It is hilariously funny and well worth watching. A wonderful extra.
• XVIII – Jack encounters a village killed by mysterious robots. The entire event is an elaborate trap for the samurai. Lots of great plot twists involving Extor, a scientist.
• XIX – Jack enters a village that reminds him of his hometown. There is a joyous childhood romp through a wheat field that is followed up by a scene where Jack watches a warrior at a bridge that inspires him to be a samurai. The warrior on the bridge is a direct reference to Lone Wolf And Cub. It ends with Jack receiving words of wisdom.
• XX – In this episode Jack meets three monks climbing a mountain who tell him about a great reward at the summit. After a difficult ascent Jack is rewarded with renewed faith. A wonderful tale.
• XXII – Fierce lion warrior hunters are approached by Aku to hunt Jack. This episode is filled with tons of great cat and mouse action. The lions are expertly voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
• XXV – Jack comes across Spartans defending a mountain pass ala 300. Awesome fight scene with Jack against the King.
• XXVI – Frantic episode of Jack against a gang of bikers after hurting his feet. Silly but really well done.

Unlike many of the products I review this DVD boxed set has some wonderful extras. There is an episode pitch for XVII (see above for details), as well as a commentary on XXV, and a very funny bio of Genndy. The bio really surprised my with the humor and details. Well worth watching.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

Even though Season 2 has some of the best episodes in the entire run it does have a couple of losers. Episode XV has three smaller vignettes with a two-headed snakes and fairies. The story with the two-headed snake is not new and quite a let down. The other episode that I did not particularly like is XXIV. This episode is a tribute to Alice In Wonderland. It goes so far to have Jack lose his clothes and end up with an outfit that resembles Alice’s. Unlike episode XXVI this one is silly in a not so good way.

-== Summary ==-

Samurai Jack Season 2 captures arguably the best season of an award winning series then throws in some stellar extras. Avid Jack fans should pick up this set. People who have not seen Samurai Jack should rush over to Amazon and buy it for only $8. My gosh that is low. This is a fantastic show that should not be missed.

You can get it on Amazon.com at this URL for a PARLTRY $7.97!!! Jeez loueez!

I give the collection 9 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Black Panther is a animated series from Marvel Animation in partnership with BET. The series retells a story originally presented in the graphic novel Who Is The Black Panther but adds in the presence of Ororo Monroe (aka Storm) as a love interest. This graphic novel was penned by Reginald Hudlin and drawn by John Romita Jr. The animated series was released in DVD format in October 2011. Black Panther initially aired in Australia in January 2010. It was directed by Mark Brooks. Reginald Hudlin was a producer at BET and oversaw the entire production of the series.

There is no nudity in the Black Panther series but there is some violence. Bloodshed is well controlled and for the most part takes place off camera. The series is not rated but if I were to add a rating myself it would be “PG-13″.

I purchased the standard edition version of the DVD. There are a total of 6 episodes that are each 22 minutes long.

-== What I Like ==-

The story in the Black Panther series is not that thrilling but it moves at a good pace and each episode has a nice cliffhanger ending. It starts with T’Challa (the current day Panther) taking over for the previous ruler during a rite of combat. During this period side characters are introduced. The story continues to detail an attack by a rival nation that is being subtly backed by the fearful Americans. There are some good moments like a flashback where Captain America meets an earlier incarnation of the Panther but overall the story arc is just not that engaging. Also there are times in the Black Panther series where the story feels “preachy”. Another drawback is that the series only ran for 6 episodes. Don’t expect a lot of story depth in a run that small.

By far the best thing about the Black Panther series is the voice acting. I need to rattle off some of the cast so you realize how jam packed this thing is with talent. Djimon Hounsou plays T’Challa, Kerry Washington plays Princess Shuri, Alfre Woodard plays Dondi Reese and the Queen Mother, and Jill Scott plays Storm. This strong cast puts on a stellar performance. Their talent really makes it worth watching. (As a side note, if you have not seen Jill Scott in The First Ladies Detective Agency go out and find a copy so you can check it out. It is a touching and thoughtful mystery series.)

Normally the music in an animated series does not get my attention but in Black Panther it is very nicely done. It was composed by Stephen James Taylor. The opening song is catchy and exciting. During the series the music is really used to good effect. In the extras there is also an extended music video that is very cool. (One interesting side note is that Taylor made up his own language for Wakandan that he used in the music. The language was based on a modern day Bantu dialect with alterations by Taylor.)

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The artwork of the animated series really tries to mimic that of John Romita Jr’s printed panels. If you are like me your first reaction is likely to be, “John Romita Jr ROCKS! That is awesome news!” The problem is that in trying to replicate the John Romita Jr style the animators went with a rigid animation approach. It almost reminded of the REALLY old Marvel series where the characters didn’t really animate but were instead comprised of static cells that floated across the screen. (The current term for products like this is “motion comic”.) The result is that the characters in the Black Panther series move in a stiff fashion that was distracting for me. Some of the scenes looked fine but many of the scene showing the Panther move across the scene looked clumsy. The Panther is cat grace at its best…not rigid and clumsy.

Besides the music video mentioned earlier the extras include a trailer and a short look at the Black Panther series by Reginald Hudlin. The short video is light and fun but overall the extras are limited.

-== Summary ==-

Most people who know me know that I am a HUGE Black Panther fan. I even got a wrist watch made with Black Panther on the face! As you can imagine I had a lot of expectations for this series. Unfortunately many of my high expectations were not met. The story is fine, the voice talent is exceptional, and the music is great but it does not make up for the animation style. Another saving grace that I have not yet mentioned is the price. You can get copies on Amazon for a paltry $8.49. If you are into superheroes or the Black Panther specifically and you can accept that this is more of a motion comic and less of animated series I recommend it.

You can get a copy of the Black Panther from Amazon at this URL for the low cost of $8.49.

I give it 7 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Gankutsuou is an anime series that retells the classic Alexandre Dumas story The Count Of Monte Cristo. The series aired in Japan from October 2004 to March 2005. It is directed by Mahiro Maeda of Blue Submarine No. 6 fame and animated by studio Gonzo (Basilisk, Samurai 7, Desert Punk, etc). It is currently being published by FUNimation.

There is some brief nudity in the series but it is not gratuitous. Gankutsuou also has some bloodletting but it is not excessive. The thing the movie has a lot of is adult themes and subject matter. Gankutsuou is rated “17+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating could be a bit high. I might go as low as “15+”.

The boxed set I purchased is known as the “Complete Set”. (The one I purchased is shown in the image attached to this blog post.) Gankutsuou is comprised of 24 episodes that total roughly 600 minutes of content.

-== What I Like ==-

The story of Gankutsuou is very close to the classic story of the Count Of Monte Cristo. There are a few very important differences. First the series is told from the perspective of Albert (i.e. the son of Fernand) NOT the Count’s. This is an interesting choice as Albert is not a serious character in the novel. In this story he is the focal point and his friends, most of which are created for the anime series, add a lot of depth. The second major change is that the series is catapulted into the future (i.e. to 5053). In this version of the future there are colonies on the various planets and the wars are interstellar in nature but politics are still hot and heavy in Paris. In essence moving the timeline forward does not affect the main plot points to any large degree. The final change in Gankutsuou is that it does not start with the story of the Count. It starts when Albert meets the Count with his friend Franz. The background of the count is told in flashbacks and clues that are uncovered during the course of the series. I think this change really gave the writers of the series a chance to shine. I thought this change made the story incredibly fun to watch especially if the viewer is not familiar with the Count Of Monte Cristo story. As you might guess from my description I was fascinated with the story in Gankutsuou. It captures the best bits from the Count Of Monte Cristo then adds it own flair. First rate storytelling.

The various characters in Gankutsuou are just wonderful. They are intricate, have their own motivations, and add so much to the story. Some of my favorites include the Count, Albert, Mercedes (Albert’s mother), Haydee (the Count’s harp player), Eugine (Albert’s eventual love interest), Valentine (Prosecutor Villefort’s daughter), Franz (Albert’s closest friend), and Peppo (mysterious employee of Fernand’s and new friend of Albert’s).

The English voice acting in the series is very nicely performed. I particularly liked the actor who portrayed the Count, Jamieson Price. His booming voice really hit home in several scenes. Johnny Yong Bosch of Mighty Morphin Power Ranger fame also did a great job as the main character Albert.

The main thing that most animation fans will notice when they first see shots of Gankutsuou is the art style. The art style in the series is VERY different. For the costume textures and some background elements the animators replaced the color with detailed patterns that have a static feel but add a lot of life to the characters. I’m betting that most folks either hate this artistic approach or love it. Personally I think it is utterly breathtaking. Every time one of the characters, especially the women characters, came out in a new outfit I literally gasped. Another interesting choice with the artwork is that even though the setting for Gankutsuou is in the future they left the 19th century fashions and artistic style. This produced fantastic period dresses with a modern appeal and cool vehicles like the Count’s mechanical carriage.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

As I mentioned earlier in the review the way Gankutsuou retells the story of the Count Of Monte Cristo is masterfully done. Saying that it is VERY intricate and can get quite tricky. You have to pay attention to remember how all of the characters relate and who has slept with whom.

Probably my main gripe with Gankutsuou is with these large robotic suits of armor that nobles use for dueling. These suits of armor were generated with CGI and did not mesh well with the fantastic art style of the rest of the series. More importantly they just obscured emotion from the viewer. You couldn’t see when characters were cringing unless they decided to do a cutaway shot. I did not like any of these scenes because it pulled me out of the narrative.

-== Summary ==-

If you want to watch a beautiful anime full of court intrigue and mysterious nobles then Gankutsuou is for you. Even if you don’t buy the series hunt up some video so you can check out the art style. Fantastic stuff.

You can pickup the S.A.V.E. pack at RightStuf.com for $22.49 at this URL. For the exact same price Amazon has it at this URL.

I give it 8 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Batman Year One animates the brilliant story from Batman issues #404 through #407. These issues were written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli so the Batman Year One team at Warner Brothers Animation has a tough act to follow. The movie was directed by Sam Lui and Lauren Montgomery. It was produced by DC animation gurus Bruce Timm and Sam Register. Andrea Romano takes on the voice direction. Voice talents include Benjamin McKenzie (Batman), Bryan Cranston (James Gordon), Eliza Dushku (Catwoman), and Katee Sackhoff (Detective Essen). Batman Year One was released in October 2011 by Warner Brothers Animation.

Unlike a lot of other Batman stories Batman Year One is predominately a story about James Gordon. The story tell how Gordon rises in the corrupt Gotham police force to the position of Commissioner. Along the way Gordon has to deal with all kinds of trials and tribulations like police corruption, trouble in his personal life, crime bosses, and the emergence of the Batman.

There is some explicit violence in the movie and some adult subject matter but there are no sex scenes. Probably the most adult scene is in the Catwoman showcase (i.e. one of the extras). The movie is rated “PG-13″ and I think that rating is accurate.

I purchased the standard edition version of the DVD. The version I have has some extras but not too many (see below for details). The main movie is 64 minutes long.

-== What I Like ==-

The animated form of Batman Year One closely follows the story presented in the Batman comics. This is probably the strongest aspect of the movie. The story races along at a breakneck pace using location, date, and time references to separate the scenes and speed up the storytelling. The effect is similar to that used by Tom Clancy in his techno-thriller novels. Although the pace of the story is lightning fast is does not lose the viewer but instead chains them to their seat for fear of missing something cool that might be coming along next.

The voice talents in Batman Year One are for the most part very well done. Bryan Cranston does a wonderful job with Gordon as does Katee Sackoff as Detective Essen. Eliza Dusku does a great job portraying the tough as nails Selina Kyle that is present in the main movie. Probably my only disappointment was with Benjamin McKenzie as Batman. At critical times his voice was not scary enough. When Benjamin as Batman utters those critical one liners they sometimes came off as monotone or droll…not frightening.

The Catwoman short that is on the DVD is a fun romp. It tells a solo story featuring Selina Kyle. The story involves Catwoman getting sucked into an international smuggling ring run by a thug named Rough Cut. The story is short but sweet and the animation is wonderful. The action is crisp, smooth, and very well done. Probably my only complaint is with Eliza Dushku. In the main movie Catwoman comes across as being very tough with the seduction nature played down. Eliza’s raspy tone really sounds perfect for “tough as nails Selena Kyle”. In the Showcase piece Catwoman has a very seductive scene in a strip club. For this scene Eliza’s raspy tone distracted me instead of enticed me.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The animation in the main Batman Year One movie was the same as that found in the Catwoman short. It is clear and really shows off the action well. The problem is that it is not David Mazzucchelli’s Batman Year One. David brought a grittiness to the artwork. He also brought a sort of unsteadiness in the lines that really makes the entire book feel tense. It matches the story perfectly. The stunning artwork of Mazzucchelli’s Batman masterpiece is not here.

The extras on the single disc edition are poor. They include the Catwoman Showcase, and extended previews for Justice League: Doom, All-Star Superman, and Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. The Catwoman piece is great but the rest of the extras are just extended commercials. I would have loved to have a piece on making Batman Year One and an audio track from the producers. There is a two disc edition available and after doing some research it looks like it might have been a better package as they extended the extras quite a bit.

-== Summary ==-

There are really a lot of things to like about Batman Year One. The story is wonderful and the voice acting is pretty great. If you have not read the source material then the movie will likely come off a lot stronger. I still think Batman Year One is a pretty great product even if you have read the Batman comics. In fact this might be one of the best Batman animated movies…it is certainly one of the best animated features I have seen this year.

You can picks a copy of the single disc edition at Amazon at this URL for $13.99. RightStuf.com also carries the product at this URL.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Samurai 7 is the animated retelling of the famous Akira Kurosawa movie Seven Samurai. Unlike Seven Samurai this series is not a period piece. Samurai 7 projects the action into a high-tech post apocalyptic setting. The series first aired in 2004. It was directed by Toshifumi Takizawa who also directed Crusher Joe and Dirty Pair. Gonzo was the production house.

There is a lot of action but there is not a lot of gratuitous bloodletting. There is only one scene that has some skin showing but it is very tame. The movie is rated “13+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating is accurate.

I purchased the standard edition Viridian Collection version of the DVD boxed set. The series contains 26 episodes that amount to roughly 700 minutes.

-== What I Like ==-

Them main characters in Samurai 7 are extremely strong. They include a veteran of a recent war, a boy out to prove himself, a powerful klutz, a gunslinger, the farm girl who hires them, etc. EVERY significant character in Samurai 7 was one that I wanted to see grow and change over the story arc. When some of them die it is gut wrenching.

The story pacing in Samurai 7 is perfect. The first few episodes provides a very strong start. Once started the plot includes action scenes interspersed with nice breaks for story development. I really appreciate the fact that every episode has some type of cool action scene. These actions scenes mixed with drama really ratchet up the tension as Samurai 7 progresses through the series. To top it off, the ending does not disappoint. The climax of Samurai 7 is full of action and drama. This series is a masterpiece of storytelling excellence.

The animation style in Samurai 7 is crisp and light. During most of the episodes I thought it was appropriate and well executed. Once or twice I would have liked to see a bit more shadow and contrast but overall the animation was fantastic.

Here are some comments about some of the Samurai 7 episodes.

• Episode 7 – I was quite confused by this episode. For some reason the art syle becomes “loose” in this episode only. It is very strange. I am not sure if this was intentional or not but either way I did not care for the change in animation style.
• Episode 8 – This episode included a powerful scene where one of the side characters, Rikichi, breaks down in front of the samurai.
• Episodes 13 and 14 – In these episode the attacks on the village begin. Some of the most wonderful action sequences in Samurai 7 are in these episodes.
• Episode 16 – One main cast dies in this episode. His loss really ratchets up the tension of the series.
• Episode 17 and 18 – These two episodes are actually a bit of a let down. They include mostly flashbacks and I think they are tot really needed.
• Episode 19 – A big political power grab happens in this episode of Samurai 7.
• Episode 23 – Fantastic scene with Kanbei (aka the vet). One of the coolest scenes in the run.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

Episodes 7, 17, and 18 in the series are not that strong. If problems with these episodes were cleaned up (see my comments above) the series would really be flawless.

The Viridian Collection of Samurai 7 contains no extras that are even worth mentioning. This is really a disappointment as after watching the show I had a lot of questions about the creation of the characters. I would have loved to see some of the main character designs explored in the extra features.

-== Summary ==-

Samurai 7 is a tension filled action movie with crisp animation and a drop dead wonderful story. I strongly recommend this anime series to anyone who loves action movies or series of any kind.

You can get Samurai 7 at RightStuf.com for $21.99 at this URL. Amazon.com has it at this URL for $26.49.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.