Kingbeast's Lair

-== What is it? ==-

Utawarerumono is the story of a man, Hakuoro, who loses his memory and wants to figure out his past but real life threats keep getting in the way. The main plot threads involve a love interest with the woman who nurses him back to health, his rise to power, and his attempt to figure out his mysterious past.

I purchased the Hybrid bundle of all 26 episodes plus the art box. It is from Funimation.

-== What I Like ==-

Utawarerumono is full of likeable characters who are fun to see kick some serious butt. Some of the minor side characters are actually really intriguing. Karura is a minor cat girl character who wears a large metal collar around her neck and carries a MASSIVE sword. The sword is so large that nobody except for her can even lift it. Often Karura will slam the ground sending enemies flying! Benawi is the general of Hakuoro’s forces and a deft warrior. It is fun to watch him outsmart foes that might seems much more powerful. He uses a polearm type weapon. Touka is from race known to be amazing warriors but they are sworn to oaths and honor. She really throws down in several scenes. One funny thing is that I don’t feel the main characters are as interesting. If anything it should be the other way around. 😉

The main character Hakuoro has a very cool mystery about him. He wakes up with no memory and tries to piece back his life. Later in the series his past literally explodes on the scene and makes him question who and what he is…very nicely done.

The bad guys that Hakuoro meets as he rises through the ranks are particularly funny and the anime art style for these characters reflects. Often the bad guys are comic relief.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

By far my biggest complaint with the series is that it is VERY slow in developing. You need get through first two or three DVDs before the story gets really interesting. This is a huge issue.

Some of the characters are a bit “kiddy”. In one scene three of the really young character get together and play. It almost seems out of place with the rest of the story and themes.

The art style is a bit loose and sometimes it has a juvenile feel. You don’t get the strong animation style like you get in Basilisk. (See my earlier review.) At times it can get the point of being distracting.

-== Summary ==-

Utawarerumono is really a mediocre story with an interesting cast of minor side players. If you want a fantasy romp that is a bit slow to develop the look it up. It runs for only $20 for the Collector’s Edition on RightStuf. Here is a link.

I give it 5 out of 10 paws.

-== What is it? ==-

Two ninja clans pitted against each other in a duel to the death while their respective leaders are trying to end the conflict so that they can get married. Lots of blood. Lots of drama. Think warring ninja clans meet Romeo and Juliet and you got it. I have the collector box edition with all 6 DVDs. (Note that this is not the one shown in the accompanying image.) There are a total of 24 episodes. Each episode is roughly 30 minutes in length.

-== What I Like ==-

Basilisk has a fantastic visual style. The visual style has a stronger sense of realism than some of the lighter anime. I personally really enjoy this more realistic style. One exception might be Oboro’s purple eyes which sometimes show as extremely large but this is done at the proper times and with a purpose. Her eyes are a focus for her ninja power.

Each ninja has a really interesting super secret special ninja power. Some are really off the wall but they are all very fun to watch. It always amazed me how the writers expose each character’s secret power through the ongoing story. It is very well crafted.

The story is not revolutionary or that surprising but it is very well executed. The tension builds and builds as each clan plays out their hand. This all leads to a fantastic climax that is very dramatic. I’ll admit that I actually teared up at the ending.

There was a nice mix of blood and drama. There was not so much of either that you got appalled or bored. In fact the good balance seemed to heighten the overall impact quite well.

I purchased the collectors edition that includes a wooden storage box, a paper scroll, and some ninja cards. The real star here is the wooden storage box which has great artwork and a classic anime feel that aligns well with the series. The cards are nicely printed but not special. The paper scroll is a real let down. It is flimsy and not well executed. I would actually suggest avoiding the collectors edition unless you want the neat wooden storage box.

-== What I Don’t Like ==-

It had been a while since I watched a series with such tough Japanese names. Initially it can be daunting keeping the names and clans straight. After a few episodes it really becomes clearer and there is not an issue. Do be warned that you may have to watch the first couple of episodes then replay them again after you have the names nailed down.

RightStuf give Basilisk and Age Rating of 17+ and I think that rating is accurate. There are a couple of rape scenes in Basilisk that are a bit harsh. The most gratuitous scene is being used to show how really bad Tenzen (i.e. “the big baddie”) can be but I think they go a bit too far.

There is some extravagant gore to the bloodletting and some nudity that seems extraneous but overall it is not that bad. To put it simply…you don’t want to be a mook around these folks if you plan on keeping your body parts.

There are really not a lot of DVD extras worth mentioning at all. There are some round table talks with some of the Japanese voice talent that are translated but they are not too exciting and a bit strange at times.

-== Summary ==-

I found Basilisk from Funimation to be an excellent anime series. It is in my top 5 anime list and possibly in my top 3. You can get a copy of the entire series for $28 from RightStuf.com. Here is the link.

I give it 9 out of 10 paws.