Kingbeast's Lair

-== What is it? ==-

Darker Than Black (DTB) is an adventure drama anime from FUNimation that in some ways reminds me of the Heroes TV show. It was released in April 2007. Tensai Okamura directed, created, and wrote DTB. Tensai Okamura has worked on many well known anime classics including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Ghost In The Shell.

DTB tells the story of a group of operatives who work for a secret organization known as the Syndicate. The main character is a Contractor with electric powers who is known as Hei. Contractors are super powered beings who appeared ten years ago when a strange territory known as Hell’s Gate materialized in Tokyo. These super powered beings are known as Contractors because they must “pay” for their power with some type of anomaly or strange behavior. For example, Hei eats a LOT. 😛 The other members of Hei’s Syndicate team include the following:

• Yin – A quiet Goth looking Doll who can observe people through water. (Dolls are clairvoyants who came to be with the emergence of Hell’s Gate.)
• Huang – A gruff supervisor for the team. His role in the story is that of a liaison with the Syndicate. Huang is a normal human (i.e. he is not a Contractor or a Doll).
• Mao – A Contractor who has the ability to replace his sentience in animals. He is currently stuck in the form of a black cat. Mao is practical and brings an “everyman” view to the story…okay…maybe “everycat”. 😉

The other important character in the story is the Section Chief Kirihara who is assigned to Contractor related cases.

There is some nudity at the very end of the series but it is not graphic or sexual in nature. There is a good deal of violence in DTB but it is not excessively gratuitous. This is one of the few times that I think the RightStuff.com rating of “17+” is too high. I really think this one should be around “14+”.

I purchased the standard edition version of the DVD boxed set. The version I have includes only minor extras in the form of director/actor commentaries and cast auditions. There are 26 episodes in the run.

-== What I Like ==-

The main characters in DTB are extremely cool. I really enjoyed Section Chief Kirihara. She ended up playing off of several characters in a really enjoyable fashion. I thought the fact that one of her subordinates develops a crush on her is also very well done and quite humorous at times. One my favorite episodes included a good deal of screen time for the Section Chief.

As you can tell from some of the initial text the DTB setting is really intricate. There are Contractors, Dolls, various agencies, this strange Hell’s Gate thing, etc. One interesting bit of background relates to how the stars are linked to individual Contractors. When Hell’s Gate appeared the stars changed! After some research scientists realized that every star is uniquely identified with a single Contractor. If a Contractor dies their star fades away. If a Contractor appears then a new star appears. Several times Section Chief Kirihara visits a friend of hers at a local observatory where this is this strange Gandhi type figure who can interpret the stars and what they mean.

There are a couple of episodes that I wanted to mention for being really great or different. In general the series progresses in sets of two episode stories. This works really well for the most part and produces some very strong two episode arcs.

• Ep 1 And 2 – The Fallen Star Of A Contract – The first two episodes really come off nicely. Often I have issues with the first few episodes of longer series but not here. These eps are cool, sexy, fast, and smart.
• Ep 9 And 10 – The White Dress, Stained With The Girl’s Dreams And Blood – I really enjoyed these episodes which focus on Section Chief Kirihara and a friend of hers, Alice, who happens to be the daughter of a well known mob boss. There is tension, humor, drama, and some GREAT fight scenes. Very nice.
• Ep 21 Through 25 – At this point the series kicks into gear for a final sprint to the finale.

The animation style in DTB is nice but it can feel a bit simplistic at times. The animation was done by studio Bones who did the notable anime Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

Even though several of the two episode arcs are very strong I found the overall feel of DTB to be a bit TOO episodic in nature. At times I felt like yelling at the TV to get back to the main thread.

Unfortunately I think the storytelling in DTB could use some improvement. In my opinion it took at least 10 episodes to really get its feet. Even after what I thought was a FANTASTIC first two episodes the series did not carry it forward until quite some time. I was also not found of the strange ending. The ending really felt like a “cop out” to me. 🙁

-== Summary ==-

DTB is a sexy, fast, and smart anime series with super powered Contractors that are very cool. If you want super powered spy action that reminds one of Heroes look to this series.

Recently FUNimation created a classic pack for DTB. Thus the series is priced at a much lower price point. Nice. You can get a copy at RightStuf.com at this URL for $37.49. Amazon has it for $35.99 at this URL.

I give it 7 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Batman: Under The Red Hood (B:UTRH) is a direct to DVD action adventure movie from DC Universe that was released in 2010. The director is Brandon Vietti and two notable producers include Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett. Voice talent is provided by several well known actors…Bruce Greenwood (Thirteen Days) plays Batman, Jensen Ackles plays Red Hood, John DiMaggio plays the Joker, and Neil Patrick Harris plays Nightwing.

B:UTRH retells the well known comic stories “A Death In The Family” and “Under The Hood”. The movie starts with flashbacks of Jason Todd’s death per “A Death In The Family”. I really consider this the story of the Batman’s greatest loss. From here B:UTRH moves forward to the current day where the focus is on a new figure known only as the Red Hood. The Red Hood is vying for control of the drug trade in Gotham. This puts the Red Hood into direct conflict with Batman and a local gangster known as the Black Mask.

B:UTRH has a good amount of violence but it is not gory. There is a lot of darkness but very little to no adult themes. There is no nudity. The movie is rated “13+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating is accurate.

I am reviewing the Two-Disc Special Edition widescreen version of the DVD which I received as a gift. The main movie is 75 minutes long.

-== What I Like ==-

The story in B:UTRH is well done and for the most part sticks to the source stories. This is a good thing as these stories are iconic in many ways. There is one action scene with some hired thugs that feels a bit arbitrary. Based on the name of the movie you can imagine there is a big reveal at the end of the movie and it does not disappoint. The ending of B:UTRH is very strong.

The animation has a nice square jawed feel. Sometimes the shadows in the story seem a bit harsh but overall the animation is above average.

Extras on main B:UTRH disc include sneak peaks for several other movies and a Jonah Hex short. I think the 12 minute Jonah Hex short is EXTRAORDINARY! It was written by western author Joe Landsdale and includes Thomas Lee as Jonah Hex and Linda Hamilton as Madame Lorraine. The story in the Jonah Hex short is just great. It has a brutal ending had me begging for more and I am not even remotely a Jonah Hex fan. The voice acting by Linda Hamilton is particularly good. If I was to rate the short alone I would give it 10 out of 10 paws! 😀

Extras on the second disc are also pretty nice. There is a feature called Robin: The Story Of Dick Grayson, a piece on Robin’s evolution over the years, and two Batman: The Animated Series episodes that feature Robin. Overall these add a lot of value to the Two-Disc Special Edition.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

The voice acting in B:UTRH is fine but not perfect. The problems I had with the voice acting are hard to describe. In places it feels emotionally off and in others it comes off a bit stilted. It feels like the voice direction could be improved.

Another big problem with the movie is the Black Mask character. The Black Mask comes across like a bad filler character. It seems like the writer could have picked a Gotham gangster with a bit more back story or one that is a bit more interesting. Also the simply fact that he is called Black Mask is kinda lame. There is the Red Hood and the Black Mask…what about the Green Cowl? 😛

-== Summary ==-

Overall I thought the Two-Disc Special Edition version of B:UTRH was a fun Batman romp. Don’t expect fantastic animation or perfect voice acting and you won’t be disappointed. Definitely consider purchasing a version that includes the Jonah Hex short. 😉 I give B:UTRH 6 out of 10 paws for the movie alone and 8 out of 10 paws with extras.

B:UTRH is $18.74 at RightStuf at this URL. Amazon has the movie at this URL for $14.99. Those are really great prices for the content. 🙂

I give it 8 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Le Chevalier D’Eon (LCDE) is a drama period piece set in the middle of the 18th century. LCDE is a 24 episode television show that originally aired from August 2006 through February 2007. It was directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and was originally produced by Production I.G. The title has been acquired by FUNimation.

The main protagonists in LCDE are agents of the King Of France Louis XV. The main thrust of the story is the search by D’Eon de Beaumont for the killer of his sister Lia. While searching for his sister’s killer D’Eon encounters revolutionaries, zombies, and evil magicians known as “Poets”.

There is very little nudity and only light sexual references. Several of the sword fights have some bloodshed but it is not too extreme. The movie is rated “14+” at RightStuf.com and I think that rating is accurate.

I purchased the original boxed set version of the DVDs. There are 6 DVDs as part of the set. There are 24 episodes making up roughly 600 minutes of content.

-== What I Like ==-

The four main characters in LCDE are all very strong. They have fantastic motivations and each gets several dramatic spotlights over the course of the series. D’Eon de Beaumont’s search for his sister Lia takes a lot of screen time. One really cool thing that happens during the course of the series is that Lia takes over D’Eon’s body in moments of stress or combat. The animators show when Lia is in control by softening D’Eon’s features and having his hair come untied. Even though having a story with an effeminate lead may seem strange it actually comes off pretty nicely. In one scene D’Eon even uses this to disguise himself as Lia! Durand is the second of the four main leads. Durand appears to be Lia’s former lover and firmly believes in her loyalty to the King during the course of the story. The aged fencing master, Teillagory, is the third main character. He holds the days of the old knights in reverence. We learn a lot about Teillagory over the course of LCDE. The final main character is one of the Queen’s young attendants Robin. Robin matures a lot emotionally during the series and the others can always be sure that his pistol will be at the ready.

I loved the fact that real historical figures were used as the basis for most of the important characters in LCDE. Some historical characters that came to life in the series include Louis XV, Queen Marie, Maquise de Pompadour, Queen Mary Charlotte, King George III, etc. Even D’Eon is based on Chevalier d’Eon a cross dressing historical figure. These ties to real figures makes the characters feel deep and real.

Over the course of the 24 episode run the group is led through several story arcs. The first story arc in LCDE that really caught my attention occurred in episodes 7 through 12. During this time the group travels to Russia in an effort to find Lia’s killer and recover a set of Royal Psalms. While away they meet with Empress Elizaveta (based on Empress Elizabeth). On her death the crazy Pyotr (based on Peter III) becomes the emperor until he is quickly overthrown by Ekaterina who is based on Catherine II (aka Catherine The Great). This story arc is very strong, full of fantastic political maneuvering, and full of surprises. Episode 13 of LCDE is the start of a trip that takes our group to England on the trail of Lia’s killer,Maximilien de Robespierre, and the Royal Psalms. During episode 19 the first of the main characters falls. It is a really powerful episode in the run. Episode 21 and 22 of LCDE have the trio returning to France where things really start to heat up. The last thread is very emotional and closes out the series. The ending of LCDE is very strong.

The art style of LCDE is superb. The detail in the characters and their emotions is very well done. The costuming is very authentic and really adds to the story. The period architecture shown in the backgrounds is beautiful. It is blatantly obvious that artists did a lot of research on the period and it really shows. The art is the best thing about LCDE.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

My biggest problem with LCDE is the very slow start and the erratic pacing throughout the series. It is not until episode 7 that things really start to get interesting. During the 24 episode run they really needed to add more tension so the watcher is on the edge of their seat.

The minor story arc climaxes during the series also feel cut short. Even though I really enjoyed the trip to Russia the climax of that series felt truncated. I think the entire thing wrapped up in literally 2 minutes of screen time. I would have like to see it play out a bit more. The final episodes of LCDE do not have this issue.

-== Summary ==-

LCDE is a great period piece with an engaging ending and superlative artistry. I could look at the backgrounds and costumes all day long. If you watch LCDE stick it out to the end. The strong finale changed my rating on this product from a 7 to an 8. 😉

You can get a copy of the S.A.V.E. edition on RightStuf.com at this URL for $22.49. Amazon has the set for $26.99 at this URL.

I give it 8 out of 10 paws.