D.Gray-man Season One Anime Review

D.Gray-man Season One
Di Gureiman
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
650 mins. - 26 episodes
$29.98 (2012) S.A.V.E.
$69.98 (2010)
$59.98 (2010) Blu-Ray Parts 1-2/ea.
$59.98 (2009) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400069284
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Osamu Nabeshima
Studio - TMS Entertainment

Synopsis: A plague is sweeping the land in the form of Akuma released by the devilish Millennium Earl.  He wishes for the downfall of mankind and uses his power to create Akuma by tricking mourners into bringing back the souls of their loved ones.  The loved one's soul is placed by the Earl into an infernal vessel and their first act is to slaughter the one who brought them back.  The Akuma then wears the person's visage for the rest of its existence and terrorizes humans in the name of the Earl.

The Millennium Earl gleefully works toward humanity's end

A special organization called the Black Order exists to stop the Millennium Earl and his Akuma.  Its ranks include powerful operatives called Exorcists who hunt and kill Akuma.  Allen Walker is a young Exorcist who was trained by General Cross of the Black Order.  Allen is cursed and has a red marking on his face.  His left arm is deformed and actually an anti-Akuma weapon which can change shape while battling Akuma. He typically turns it into a massive claw, but can also make it a rapid-fire energy weapon.  His left eye can detect Akuma and has keen analysis powers.

Allen Walker's left eye and left arm have cursed powers

Joining the Black Order after General Cross disappears, Allen meets and works with other Exorcists.  First he is attacked by an Exorcist named Yu Kanda who falsely thinks Allen is part-Akuma.  Then Allen meets the lovely Lenalee Lee and her over-protective brother Komui.  Later he is joined by Lavi, an Exorcist who is training to become a Bookman, or recorder of hidden secrets.  All of the Exorcists and members of the Black Order share a common bond to oppose the Millennium Earl at all costs.

Allen's left eye can see past Akuma illusions to see the
tormented souls they truly are

Another group joins the conflict in the form of the Noah Clan. They are a mysterious clan said to be direct descendants of Noah and possessing incredible power.  A Noah has been present at every significant event in human history.  They appear to side with the Millennium Earl, but their true purpose is unknown.  What is Allen Walker's significance to the Millennium Earl?  Can the Black Order possibly prevail against the Earl with the Noah Clan by his side?

From left - the Millennium Earl Allen Walker, and General Cross

The Black Order is sworn to protect a substance called Innocence which acts against the Millennium Earl's Akuma.  Each Exorcist possesses a piece of Innocence which gives them incredible powers, but Innocence is not consistent and behaves differently with each person.  Can Allen Walker uncover the secret of Innocence and his own cursed power in time to stop the Millennium Earl?  What new allies and enemies will he make?

Yu Kanda is relentless in battle

Pros: Compelling origin for Allen Walker (similarly tragic to that of Edward and Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist), some cool character designs (particularly the Black Order uniforms), an interesting cast of characters with a steampunk theme (emphasis on the 'punk' in the case of Count Krory), lots of action split with some humor and horror, cool opening theme song "Innocent Sorrow" by Abingdon Boys School (they did the first opening theme song "Howling" for Darker Than Black)

Lenalee's Innocence activates allowing her to soar and strike from the air

Cons: Millennium Earl looked too silly for a main villain and not scary at all, a bit too much comedy and goofiness for my taste, seemed like a knockoff of Fullmetal Alchemist, I thought the stage one Akuma using machine guns was out of place and excessive, felt like the battles dragged on for too many episodes (what is this, Bleach? - i.e. notoriously long and drawn out battles), Timcanpy - the silly little flying thing always hanging around on Allen's shoulder

The wicked Road Kamelot of the Noah Clan

Mike Tells It Straight: D.Gray-man is based on the original manga series by Katsura Hoshino and is her primary work which has gained wild popularity.  The actual anime series is 103 episodes long and this first season is 26 episodes (roughly one quarter) of the full series.  We're introduced to Allen Walker, the tragic yet courageous Exorcist, and his wide supporting cast.  I found him to be an excellent protagonist with a truly horrific origin - very similar to how Edward and Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist have a tragic origin.

Lavi mocks Yu's ponytail - it's too easy I tell ya!

In fact this show is criticized to be a clone of Fullmetal Alchemist and I definitely see the similarities.  Victorian, steampunk era with magic (in this case Innocence and the Earl's power instead of alchemy), disfigured and tragic main character, slapstick comedy to contrast the moments of horror, multiple-episode storylines, and smart uniforms.  Despite the initial similarities the series found its own voice as the story progressed and I stopped feeling like it was a clone of FA.  Hoshino did a great job adding a wide cast of well-designed characters.

Allen and Lavi investigate rumors of a vampire!

The mystery of the Millennium Earl, Noah Clan, Allen Walker, and Innocence just gets started in this first season.  Each story arc added a new character to the cast with a comedy episode in between to lighten things up a bit.  It was kinda formulaic and the story arcs/battles dragged on for too many episodes.  The viewer is strung along with little snippets of information in each episode, but nothing truly substantial.

Allen's left arm transforms into a massive claw to destroy Akuma!

I found this show to be relatively good, but not quite as good as Fullmetal Alchemist.  It was missing the level of intrigue in the plot and the villains seemed silly.  The Millennium Earl's design looked more bumbling than sinister to me.  I really liked Allen Walker, Lenalee Lee, and some of the other Exorcists as characters.  Since this first season was more of an introduction to the characters I'll check out the second season to find out how the plot progresses.  I really hope things get a little more serious and the Millennium Earl is not quite so goofy.

From top left to top right - Alrystar Krory III, Miranda Lotto, Lavi,
Allen Walker, Yu Kanda, Lenalee Lee, and Komui Lee

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Kimera Anime Review

Kimera
ADV Films
Movie - 48 mins. - 1 disc
$19.98 (2007) w/Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma
$19.98 (2002)
ISBN 702727026829
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kazu Yokota
Studio - TOHO

Synopsis: A strange craft crash lands on Earth and a lone hunter finds the crash site.  The craft appears to be empty and a fearsome creature attacks the man sucking out his life essence.  Two men, Osamu and Jay, are cereal salesmen and returning to their corporate headquarters when they come across what appears to be the site of an accident.  An Air Force security detail has cordoned off the area when they are attacked by an unknown hostile force.  Osamu stumbles into a transport and sees a figure inside a containment pod.  The figure awakens and Osamu is drawn in by its powerful sexual aura.  He falls instantly in love, but this creature is not ordinary.  Its appearance is androgynous and otherworldly.

A lone hunter in the forest is the first to find a crashed spacecraft

Jay manages to get Osamu away from the creature just in time to escape the carnage at the crash scene.  They return to headquarters, but Osamu is obsessed with the creature.  Their employer is a huge corporate conglomerate (cereal is just one of the many brands they produce) and it seems the company is somehow involved in the disturbance.  They learn the creature is named Kimera (pronounced kee-meh-raw) and the last hope of a dying, vampiric race to repopulate its planet.

Osamu stumbles upon a strange figure in a containment capsule

Osamu doesn't care, he's in love with the creature and wants to protect it at all costs.  Two powerful vampires appear to battle it out and claim Kimera for their own - Ginzu is a disfigured, tentacled monster and Kianu (not that Keanu) is a noble warrior.  Osamu is caught in the middle, but can Kimera truly be a threat to the human race?

Osamu is enthralled by the androgynous creature

Pros: Decent animation quality (for a mid-90s production), alternate take on vampires (as aliens), a few good action scenes, awkwardly funny at times (totally unintentional), one decent soundtrack song (based on  a classical piece)

Kianu vows to free Kimera and out of the clutches of Ginzu

Cons: Seriously bad dub, bit confusing since Kimera is androgynous, alien space vampires, creepy sex scene where two random dudes try to fool around with Kimera

This handsome devil is Ginzu

Mike Tells It Straight: Kimera is a messy attempt at a science fiction vampire story mixed with a heaping dose of androgynous erotica.  The dub script and acting are some of the worst you'll find in a domestically released anime.  Not to say the story isn't equally bad.  Osamu and Jay are cereal salesman who get caught up in a plot which threatens human life on Earth.  Seriously?  It was far-fetched even for anime.

Personnel at the corporation keep turning up like this

The anime is based on a manga by a well known artist (Kazuma Kodaka) who specializes in yaoi - male-on-male romance stories.  Kimera was supposed to originally be male, but was portrayed as being female in the American dub version.  A key fact hidden from Western viewers to avoid any potential censorship.  The story was too short and underdeveloped for it to make much of a difference in my opinion.

Kimera is one horny creature

I'll say Kimera is noteworthy for being a yaoi anime from the '90s, but its American release is badly sterilized (kind of like the alien vampires).  It's left being a cliche science fiction vampire movie with some erotica thrown in.  Many other yaoi titles have been released since and this short feature is better left forgotten in the dollar bins.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Blood The Last Vampire Anime Review

Blood The Last Vampire
Manga Entertainment
Movie - 50 mins. 1 disc
$19.97 (2009) Blu-Ray
$19.97 (2007)
$29.95 (2001)
$19.98 (2001)
ISBN 660200407827
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Hiroyuki Kitakubo
Studio - Production I.G

Synopsis: The year is 1966 during the eve of the Vietnam war.  In Japan, a girl who looks like a teenager works for a clandestine government agency and hunts creatures called Chiropterans.  Her name is Saya and she is the last vampire.  The creatures she hunts appear to be human, but can transform into truly horrifying monsters who subsist on human blood.  The chief field agent in charge of handling Saya is David and his partner is the less experienced Louis.  David knows how dangerous the Chiropterans can be and that Saya is their only real hope against them.  She uses an incredibly sharp and well-crafted katana sword, but the modern versions are poor quality and old swords are hard to find.

A mysterious death sparks Saya's involvement

A strange death occurs on a military base and David plants Saya as a student at the base's school.  She is tasked to sniff out the Chiropterans and finish them off.  The base is having a Halloween party to ease tensions from the current political climate and the recent death.  Saya meets the school nurse who immediately senses something decidedly wrong.  What are these monsters called Chiropterans and can Saya defeat them again?  David knows if they overcome Saya then there is no stopping the deadly creatures.

The deadliest school girl you'll ever meet

Pros: Great visuals and especially the early use of CG (computer graphics) in anime, good story with a unique take on vampires, Saya is totally badass, very cool action sequences, nice suspense moments, some extras, it was filmed in both Japanese and English language

The only way to kill a Chiropteran is to make it lose a massive amount
of blood with a single strike

Cons: Short running time, CG elements are dated, plot is very simple, no character development, more questions than answers, pretty pictures with little depth, not a lot of replay value

Now these are some suspicious looking students

Mike Tells It Straight: Blood The Last Vampire is a tease.  It gives us an intriguing character in Saya and the hints of a dark, unknown world filled with monsters, but then abruptly ends leaving a bevy of unanswered questions.  What are Chiropterans?  Why is Saya the last vampire?  Why does she work for a clandestine government agency?  Blood was highly touted as the next phase of animation through exclusive use of digital technology and computers in its creation.  It delivers a visually striking story, but the plot is notoriously thin with no character development and a highly unsatisfying ending.

"Damn cheap blade!"

The director and studio continued the story of Saya after Blood in a series of light novels and video games.  Many viewers who enjoyed the short film were disappointed to have no direct anime sequel.  Despite its short length and shallow plot/characters it delivers a unique take on vampires and inspiring visuals.  It's a good horror story crossed with a heavy dose of spy noir.  Saya is a complete badass.

Stalked by a Chiropteran

In 2005 a 50-episode television series called Blood+ was released which retells the whole story of Saya and the Chiropterans from the consolidated works.  Being a television series the violence, language, and nudity were completely toned down.  In 2009 a live-action version of Blood was released with overall poor reviews.  More recently in 2011 a 12-episode reimagining of Saya was released called Blood-C which was written by Clamp (Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, X/1999) and produced by Production I.G.  A blu-ray version has been released which beefs up the visuals, but it's still a short film and probably not worth upgrading (unless you love it).

Up close and personal with a Chiropteran

Blood was incredibly popular when it came out and essential anime viewing for many years.  This explains the long television series follow up to satisfy the large demand from the disappointingly short film.  The film probably felt shorter than it actually was in comparison to some other works due to the minimal amount of information offered.  I believe every anime fan should watch it once (and it's pretty cheap nowadays), but it's probably not necessary to own it.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Black Blood Brothers Anime Review

Black Blood Brothers
Funimation
Complete Collection - 3 discs
300 mins. - 12 episodes
$19.98 (2011) S.A.V.E.
$24.98 (2011) S.A.V.E. Blu-Ray
$39.98 (2010)
$44.98 (2010) Blu-Ray
$49.98 (2008)
$29.98 (2008) Vol. 1-3/ea.
$39.98 (2008) Vol. 1 Starter Set
ISBN 704400059070
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Hiroaki Yoshikawa
Studio - Group TAC/Studio Live

Synopsis: Ten years ago Hong Kong became a battleground for vampires and the ensuing carnage announced their presence to the world.  Before then they lived in the shadows and worked hard to keep their existence a secret from only a handful of humans.  The vampire society is divided by bloodlines with each possessing differing abilities and weaknesses.  Strengths include telekinesis, pyrokinesis, energy manipulation, and a myriad of others.  Weaknesses include allergies to silver, sunlight, and moving water (not all bloodlines share the same weaknesses).  Vampires can glamour humans and other vampires through eye contact although the effect depends on the willpower of their subject.  They gain strength and power as they age and the Old Bloods are particularly formidable (compared to New Bloods).  Source Bloods are the most powerful vampires and said to be the source of all others.

The threat of the Kowloon Children makes the vampires and humans join forces

One bloodline stands apart and threatens all the others - the Kowloon Children who follow the Kowloon King.  This bloodline is relatively new (only a few hundred years old) and has the ability to infect anyone bitten (as opposed to only turning those who drink the blood of a vampire) and turn them into Kowloon Children.  Humans are turned after being fed upon and even other vampires will become Kowloon if bitten.  The Kowloon are known to be frenzied and violent.  Facing a threat this great both vampires and humans worked together to bring about the downfall of the Kowloon King in Hong Kong ten years ago.

Kowloon Children are torn apart by Jiro during the Kowloon Shock

The night of the Kowloon Shock saw a massive amount of human lives lost and turned to Kowloon Children.  Jiro Mochizuki is a relatively young vampire (only one hundred years old), but has the equivalent power of an Old Blood.  He massacred and managed to defeat almost all of the Kowloon alongside allies including humans and other vampires from different bloodlines.  The public believes all of the vampires died on this night and the site of the battle was set up as a Special Zone to keep them a secret.  Now vampires are called Black Bloods and humans are Red Bloods.  The Kowloon are not completely eradicated and their threat still exists.

Jiro, Kotaro and Mimiko spend time getting to know each other

Jiro and his little brother Kotaro are the only ones in their bloodline.  They have powerful abilities and Jiro is taking Kotaro to the Special Zone so he can experience the human world.  Little do they know the Special Zone is a powder keg waiting to explode from the tensions between humans and vampires.  Add a resurgence of Kowloon Children and the fuse is lit!  Jiro earned the name Silver Blade during the Kowloon Shock and has vowed to destroy the Kowloon due to losing someone special to him.

Jiro has incredible powers including telekinesis, but
aparently not fashion sense with that goody hat

He and Kotaro run afoul of the Suppression Team which is tasked with keeping vampires from endangering humans and destroying any illegal vampire immigrants before they can reach the Special Zone.  They are human and take their jobs seriously, often reveling in the slaughter of vampires.  They are employed by the Order Coffin Company which also uses compromisers to negotiate disputes between humans and vampires in order to avoid violence.  Mimiko Katsuragi is a compromiser who becomes responsible for Jiro and Kotaro when they attempt to enter the Special Zone.

Jiro drinks Mimiko's blood - did she give it willingly?

Jiro and Kotaro meet with these vampires in the Zone:

• Sei - an Old Blood with incredible powers.  He was there during the Kowloon Shock and erected a force field to contain the Kowloon Children within Hong Kong.  His current form is that of a young boy and he maintains a force field around the Special Zone preventing any Kowloon Children from entering (without an invitation).  He respects Jiro and likes Kotaro
• Zelman - an Old Blood with immense pyrokinetic powers.  His personality is very fickle and he doesn't hold strictly to traditions.  He considers Jiro and Kotaro to be amusing when other vampires shun them
• Cain - an Old Blood with magical and animorphic abilities.  He can transform into a strong wolf form (almost like a werewolf), but vehemently dislikes Jiro due to his age
• Cassa - a Kowloon Child and powerful Old Blood.  Jiro and she used to be friends, but she betrayed him for the Kowloon bloodline.  She expertly fights with a chain and sword.  Her return to the Special Zone is considered catastrophic due to her power and the potential of an outbreak of Kowloon Children

Cassa battles Jiro during the Kowloon Shock

What is Cassa's plan and will the Kowloon rise again?  Jiro must protect Kotaro at all costs as tensions rise within the Special Zone.  What secret does Jiro harbor about the bloodline he shares with Kotaro?  

Kotaro is separated from Jiro and runs into
Zelman - is he friend or foe?

Pros: Interesting take on vampires with different bloodlines having different capabilities, ending theme song is good

Yafuri is one of the Kowloon Children with special skillz

Cons: Opening theme song is terrible, Jiro's hat is kinda lame - he jumps around a lot and it would totally fall off, Kotaro is immature and annoying, Alice Eve was surprisingly immature for a Source Blood, not enough explanations at the end, the plot jumps around without giving a full backstory at times

Kotaro is one annoyingly cheerful little bugger

Mike Tells It Straight: Black Blood Brothers is a somewhat unique take on vampires and I liked the concept of each bloodline having different attributes.  The crisis of the Kowloon (pronounced Koo-lan) Children was a good backdrop for the series.  I felt like this was another show based on extensive source material (in this case a series of light novels) which attempted to cram too much into a meager 12 episodes.  The complicated backstory of the characters and inconsistent presentation of information left me scratching my head a few times.

"This blade is made of silver and they call me the Silver Blade!"

Despite problems with story pacing I felt the characters were fairly interesting.  Character designs and the various vampires with their powers were pretty neat.  I wish they could have spent more time on each, but the short length of the series didn't allow for it.  My only gripe on characters are Jiro's goofy 'witch hat' and Kotaro's annoyingly innocent cheerfulness.  The ending wasn't very strong and I got the feeling the creators of the series were hoping/planning to do another 12 episodes to tie up the loose ends.  I hope they get their chance because I would love to see the vampires really battle it out.  Overall a decent series a few good parts, but only slightly above average.

TO BUY and Recommendations:
  

Dance in the Vampire Bund Anime Review

Dance in the Vampire Bund
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
300 min. - 12 episodes
$64.98 (2011) DVD/Blu-Ray
$69.98 (2011) Blu-Ray
ISBN: 704400013034
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Akiyuki Shinbo
Studio - Shaft

Synopsis: Vampires are real and Mina Tepes is their queen!  She reveals the existence of the vampire race on live television in spectacularly dramatic fashion.  Don't let her tween looks fool you - she's calculating and ruthless, but has a soft spot for third-year high school student Akira Kusaragi.  One year ago he had an accident and lost his memory including a childhood promise given to Mina to always stay by her side. 


That's highly inappropriate



Now she's turned his life upside down and nothing will ever be the same!  Despite being many centuries old Mina still acts like an impetuous child at times.  She has a lofty goal to establish 'The Bund' on a small island off Japan - a sanctuary for vampires and especially 'fangless' vampires (those choosing to remove their fangs and attempt to live normal human lives).  Her position as queen of the vampires is highly political and she must deal with vampire terrorist groups, 'true blood' aristocratic vampire nobles, and human politicians trying to block establishment of 'The Bund'.

Akira must regain his memory in order to save Mina and along the way discovers an affinity which startles him greatly.  She wrecks his school life, wears inappropriate clothing, and gets jealous of his girl friend Yuki.  All the while a dense political scheme grinds in the background with an explosive finish.

Pros: Great animation, good opening/ending theme songs & visuals, some fan-service, very brief nudity, good mix of modern with old vampire lore, relationship of Mina and Akira is touching and well-played, nice action scenes, unedited as far as I can tell

That's even more inappropriate

Cons: Differs from the original manga version (which is ten times racier), Mina's body is that of a barely pubescent girl and it's a little pervy to watch her, high school girl shows inappropriate feelings for young boy neighbor, first episode is actually pretty awful (it gets better in episode 2), pricey



Mike Tells It Straight: This show is one of the best vampire-themed anime you'll find.  It feels vibrant and hip, but naughty as well.  There is plenty of action and good characterization - the story progresses and secrets are revealed.  Great visual animation style and production values.  Although I've never heard of the anime studio Shaft it's pretty good.    I would rank this up there with Blood+ (another highly popular, but much longer vampire anime), but prefer the Bund because the characters have actual personalities. 



Lolicon - get it?



Why is this anime not for everyone?  "Lolicon" - the Japanese version of the "Lolita complex" where underage girls are portrayed in sexually suggestive poses, clothing or situations.  Mina's character is many centuries old, but inhabits the body of a child - a thinly-veiled excuse for lolicon and potentially offensive to viewers.  Reminds me of the character Claudia in Interview with the Vampire (portrayed by Kirsten Dunst in the movie). 

 

I thought Mina's sexual ambiguity was a risk that paid off for the producers.  Vampires are portrayed as dangerous and sexy - what better way to push the envelope than having a lolicon queen of the vampires?  It gave the love shared between her and Akira a poignant quality.  Overall much better than I expected, not for the squeamish, and absolutely not for the kiddies. 

TO BUY and Recommendations: