Rss

  • youtube

Archives for : Funimation Entertainment

.hack//sign (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : February 17, 2015
1

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: .hack//sign Complete Collection

Director: Koichi Mashimo

Studio: Bee Train

U.S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 24th, 2015

Format: DVd/ 26 episodes + 2 OVAs / 700 minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, Drama

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: C

Synopsis:

Tsukasa awakens inside The World, an immense online RPG filled with monsters, magic, and mayhem. When he discovers he’s unable to log out of this mysterious game, he joins forces with a colorful group of characters and begins a desperate quest to find his way back to real life. But, before he begins to find his way out he finds that this new world is what he has been looking for and not sure if he wants to leave.

Will he discover that his helpers are really there for him or is it the mysterious voice that leads him to his solitude that has his best interest in mind?

Commentary:

It is great that Funimation wants to remind us all that the concept of being trapped in a game is not a new one and that it is always, almost always fun to see how things have changed. In the case of .hack//sign I now think it should have been left in the archives to be a whispered reminder of days long past. I know that 2002-2003 may not seem that long ago, but in may ways it is a long time ago. Much of the animation styling and voice acting (dubs) still had a long way to go and most series played off the success that Cowboy Bebop and Trigun saw just a few years earlier.

.hack//sign fails to understand that there is more to the story than the plot and in the development of the characters it leaves all too much to the imagination of the viewer. After watching the first 12 episodes it became clear to me that Tsukasa was a character that I didn’t care about and the others that wanted to help him just failed to give a clear reason why they wanted to get involved. Add this to the flat english voice acting made it very hard for me to go on to the next episode.

The one aspect to this series that made me move forward was the fact the basic story was interesting enough to make want more. With the new series that take on this basic plot like Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, I really wanted to understand what the much beloved great uncle (.hack) had to offer. It interesting how this concept has taken on new meaning and at the same time holds on  to some of the limited concepts that we brought forth by the true archetype, Tron. For .hack//sign this new world has its own ideas much the same as master program did and the use of regular characters play right into the wheelhouse that was Tron himself. I just think that the sad depressed boy thing that the Japanese seem to fixate on is just a little too much this time.

Overall Grade: C

.hack//sign is a great reminder of what anime was doing at the turn of the century and how time does make a difference. .hack//sign is fun to watch just a some sort of nostalgic trip down memory lane, but if you are looking for something to something to get hooked on please do not look in this direction.

If you want to complete a collection that covers the trapped in a video game world that you will need to get this and the other .hack anime because they are an important part of the genre that can’t be overlooked.

 

A Certain Magical Index, A the Movie: Miracle of Endymion (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 2, 2015
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Certain Magical Index, A the Movie: Miracle of EndymionTitle: A Certain Magical Index,  the Movie: Miracle of Endymion

Director: Hiroshi Nishikiori

Written By: Kazuma Kamachi, Hiroyuki Yoshino

Studio: J. C. Staff

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 17th, 2014

Format: Blu-ray / DVD / Feature Film / 90 Minutes

Genre: Harem, Supernatural, Action, Fantasy

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Synopsis:

Welcome to Academy City, a futuristic metropolis populated with super-powered students. As the brightest intellectual minds in the city work to complete the world’s first space elevator – a towering spire capable of taking citizens into the heavens – perpetually unlucky Kamijo and nun-in-training Index befriend a talented street musician named Arisa. When the beautiful singer lands a big break, her miraculous voice attracts unwanted attention, making the songstress a target for magicians and scholars alike. As the battle between sorcery and science blasts into space, Kamijo, Index, and their allies in Academy City are rocketed to a psychedelic stadium thousands of feet above Japan in a desperate attempt to keep Arisa – and the rest of the world – safe.

Commentary:

Well, I am not going to stand up and cheer for this film. I found it to be a little pandering to the audience and simply put I am somewhat disappointed that it did not wrap up the series. It is just a plan old filler that can be taken or fleet for what it is. Of course it can’t just stand on its own as a story because you must understand all of the back story or you will be lost. I didn’t see anything out of the film that helped make any of the characters better. There was no revelation that makes a difference to the series and in the end everything goes back to the way it was. There aren’t even any new characters to add to the pantheon of players in the series.

As a film is was entertaining for what it is. As a fan of the series I understood what was going on and knew most of the characters. It felt like one of the many Bleach or Naruto films where they run off to save the girl and in the end nothing really happened, well almost nothing happened. I guess the focus of the movie was to sell a music CD, but the music is not that interesting or even good.

Overall Grade: B-

I really wish that there was something positive to say about A Certain Magical Index,  the Movie: Miracle of Endymion, but in reality I just found it flat. The writing made Kamijo even more preachy then usual and very much the dunce who just happens to be there. I also found his final speech to be lacking any convincing arguments it just comes down to the reality of remembering the past that makes the difference.

So, if you are a fan of the series you just might find it entertaining, but if you are not familiar with the series don’t waist your time.

Fairy Tail part 14 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 14, 2014
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fairy Tail part 14Title: Fairy Tail 14

Director: Shinji Ishihara

Studio: A-1 Pictures, Satelight

Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

American Release Date: Dec. 2nd, 2014

Genre: Supernatural, Adventure, Comedy

Format: DVD/Blu-ray Combo, 275 minutes, 11 episodes

Age Rating: 14+

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

The Grand Magic Games is a yearly competition that pits guild against guild in a weeklong battle for the honor of being called the most powerful wizards in the Fiore Kingdom. Fairy Tail may have come in last place for the past seven tournaments, but now that all their strongest members are back in action – and leveled-up – they’re determined to take the number one spot and rebuild their reputation!

Winning the games won’t be easy, though, as Natsu and his selected teammates are forced to navigate enchanted labyrinths, battle wizard saints, and go head-to-head with a host of familiar faces. But with more than one guild targeting Fairy Tail before the competition even begins, the guildmates will be lucky if they even make it out of the opening ceremonies alive.

Commentary:

Fairy Tail is back with a new arc and it seems as though placing them in a situation where they consistently have to battle to prove themselves is more entertaining that other struggles they had to go through. I feel like there is a very heavy hand pushing the difference that 7 years makes. Funny thing about 7 years it isn’t even a quarter of a generation but, based on the level of wizard power you would think they were frozen for 100 years. The friction plays well, but it also comes across a little odd and at times rather awkward.

There is one other thing about this set and the plot line of this arc that saddened me was the return to making a certain individual the focus of attention by the antagonist. I have become tired of seeing similar plot devices from Fairy Tail and it points to a place that tells me that the writer is getting burned out. Now I’m not saying that the action and comedy fails me, but instead it is the way these stories begin to look very similar and basically the same plot woven into a different settings.

Overall Grade: B

Fairy Tail is a solid series with plenty of great characters. This plot is a little tiring and somewhat lacking in creativity and frustrating from time to time. I did enjoy these 11 episodes and am looking forward to the rect of the story. Of course I really want to know what is behind the door. I know it is not unusual for shonen series to follow a somewhat typical progression, but Fairy Tail had made some great strides and recreating the fantasy fighting world and it is very possible that it will again get back on the path of giving us something more entertaining than a magic games and a dark guild after a certain celestial wizard in order to get to a power they should not wield.

Ok, Funimation bring on part 15.

Cowboy Bebop (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 11, 2014
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,

Cowboy BebopTitle: Cowboy Bebop

Director: Shinichiro Watanabe

Written by: Keiko Nobumoto

Music By: Yoko Kanno

Studio: Sunrise

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

Re-release Date: Dec. 9th, 2014

Format: DVD or Blu-ray / 26 episodes

Genre: Space Western, Sci Fi, Noir

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: A

Synopsis: 

The Bebop crew is just trying to make a buck. This motley lot of intergalactic loners teams up to track down fugitives and turn them in for cold hard cash. Spike is a hero whose cool facade hides a dark and deadly past. The pilot Jet is a bruiser of a brute who can’t wait to collect the next bounty. Faye Valentine is a femme fatale prone to breaking hearts and separating fools from their money. Along for the ride are the brilliant-but-weird hacker Ed and a super-genius Welsh Corgi named Ein. On their own, any one of them would be likely to get lost in the sprawl of space, but together, they’re the most entertaining gang of bounty hunters in the year 2071.

Commentary:

Well, the wait is over. Funimation stepped up and took over the U. S. licensee for this iconic series. Of course it was just a matter of time and it really was never gone, because it is an annual mainstay for Toonami. I can honestly say that I am glad to see it get a renewed interest and opportunity to be discovered by a new group of soon to be fans.

The story itself feels like a very episodic series but in the end it all ties up together and makes even more sense. Trigun is much the same way and is also born the same year. 1998 was a very special year and most studios were very busy. To think that the same studio that gave us Gundam we also got one of the most complicated spec westerns ever made is some what puzzling, but wonderful no matter how you look at it.

Cowboy Bebop provides some of the richest and complex characters that turn into a very special show that no matter how old it gets it will continue to stand out for what it is. The animation isn’t all that special, for 1998 it was very good, but it is not about the animation it is all about the writing.

Overall Grade: A

Ok, it is clear that I believe that Cowboy Bebop is one of the top anime ever made, but there are still some things about it I may never get over. I think that the attention to the main characters was so important that some of the secondary characters were left drifting in the wind. Im not saying that they needed to change much, I just believe that they could have woven a few side stories into the main plot that could have given us a better understanding of the rest of this wild world they lived in. I also felt like they took some things for ganged and expected the fan base to give them a pass on some of the total denial of physics and how life in space was viewed even in 1998. Some things just say take us serious and other things said “hey, we really don’t care if it is believable”.

Cowboy Bebop is a lot of things, but the one thing that makes it really stands out as a great anime is that it set the bar very high for well written and acted anime to come. There is a reason we don’t see a lot of space westerns anymore, and the high standard that Cowboy Bebop and some of the other anime made in the late 1990’s set for the future.

If for some reason you haven’t seen this series, I can only say that you need to spend some time and give it a try. I believe you will walk away from it with a better understanding of how a great series should be made and also how music can play a big role in the overall feel of a story. Also, if you like Cowboy Bebop you really need to see Kids on the Slope, you will be pleased in what you discover.

Thanks Funimation for keeping this iconic series alive and well!

One Piece Season Six Voyage Two (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 7, 2014
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , ,

One Piece Season Six Voyage TwoTitle: One Piece Season Six Voyage Two

Director: Hiroaki Miyamoto

Original Creator: Eiichiro Oda

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Dates: Nov. 18th, 2014

Format: DVD / 12 Episodes / 300 minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Action,  Adventure, Shonen

Age Rating: TV14

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Luffy’s impulsive attack on Gecko Moria ends up costing the rubber-man something he can’t live without – his shadow! When Zoro and Sanji find themselves in the same boat, the three fierce fighters must find a way to recapture what was lost, or face the possibility of death by sunlight. Luckily, their skeleton friend, Brook, knows the trick to defeating Moria’s zombie army, and he’ll gladly share the secret in exchange for a little help defeating a sinister zombie samurai!

Meanwhile, Nami is kidnapped by an undead scoundrel who wants to make her his wife, and Usopp must rely on his natural state of negativity if he hopes to survive his encounter with a gothic Lolita and her ghostly minions. Hair-raising thrills are the story of the hour as the Straw Hats attempt to escape Thriller Bark with their shadows – and souls – intact!

Commentary:

Hey everyone here’s Brook! For a series as long as One Piece there is rarely introductions of recurring characters and this one little grouping provides maybe the best thing that has happened in the series in a long time and that is Brook. He is a funny strange character that provides even more humor to this silly show.

As with the rest of the One Piece series I can’t say that this is a standout or anything special. The story feels like an endless string of filler arcs that really don’t go anywhere. The humor is still the main focus of the series and with the introduction of Brook there is a brief improvement of the quality of comedic relief, but all in all it is a silly series that just keeps going.

Overall Grade: B

One Piece is one of the longest running series and it has a simple formula and sticks to it. The artistry of the series doesn’t stand out. The depth of the subject matter doesn’t even exists. The warmth and loving personas of the characters has never developed. There really isn’t much that this iconic series has to offer other than it is just silly. So, if looking at Season 6 voyage 2 I have to say that it does a decent job of providing humor and even a little stranger and sillier than usual. My only real question is how long can it go? Personally I would like to see it go the way of Dragon Ball Z and just focus on the movies because I find them much more entertaining.

Toriko Collection 2 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 3, 2014
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , ,

Toriko Collection 2Title: Toriko Collection 2

Director: Akifumi Zako

Writer: Isao Murayama

Studio: Toei Animation

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

Release Date: Nov. 4th, 2014

Format: DVD / 24 Episodes / 600 Minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Absurdity, Comedy

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Toriko, Komatsu, and a host of hopeful heroes bundle up and begin the treacherous trek into the chilling confines of Ice Hell! The prize that awaits them, Century Soup, is among the rarest of gourmet treasures – and the most divine delicacy ever to grace a bowl and spoon. Toriko and his super-chef sidekick are determined to slurp up the sweet rewards of their adventure, but something evil stands in their way: Tommyrod, a Gourmet Corps henchman with insects on the inside!

Should they survive this bugged-out battle for the ages, their next target will be the elusive Ozone Grass. Flying Sea Lions and Air Gorillas plague their journey, and in order to savor the sweet taste of success, our heroes will have to take their teamwork to the next level – forever cementing their status as lifelong partners in the pursuit of culinary bliss!

Commentary:

The insanity that is Toriko continues in this second collection and things only get weirder. This is the saving graces for the show because other than that it is just another typical shonen that just moves from one battle to the next. Of course the strange world and that fact that they fight over rare food makes the show not only special but funny too. There are plenty of series that live and die on their humor like Fairy Tail and One Piece, but Toriko makes the humor so bizarre that it does’t have to make you laugh to make it entertaining.

Toriko also take on a style of violence that leaves the opponents alive at the end and only allow for some to people to die. It also takes on death in a very reverent way that also makes a point that you only kill it if you plan on eating it. There is very little waist to life. Many other series have a much more cavalier view of life and the meaning of battle. I really do like that approach and must tip my hat to the series for the respect it show even in the face of utter absurdity.

Overall Grade: B

Toriko collection 2 takes us in a new direction and introduces some very powerful foes. It also does a great job of setting up the series for the underlying plot line. The one area that it doesn’t stand up is in some of the early battle over the Century Soup. I felt like there was just too much back and forth and in the end it was something very unexpected that brought on the final solution. I guess that the downplaying of Toriko’s power is a very typical way of depicting these types of arcs, but after having so many other series set this pattern in place it almost felt like a let down. In fairness Toriko is a Shonen series that follows the standard stereotype for one of these series so I guess this development is to be expected.

All in all, collection 2 is fun and does provide for some great entertainment. Now just bring on the rest.

A Certain Magical Index Season One (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 23, 2014
1

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,

A Certain Magical Index Season OneTitle: A Certain Magical Index Season One

Director: Hiroshi Nishikiori

Writer: Masanao Akahoshi

Studio: J. C. Staff

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: Nov. 18th

Format: DVD/ Blu-ray / 600 Minutes / 24 Episodes

Genre: Fantasy, Harem, Action, Supernatural

Age Rating: TV 14

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Kamijo is a student in Academy City, where people use science to develop supernatural abilities. The guy’s got a lot of heart – luckily for a young nun named Index. She’s on the run from a sorcery society that covets the astonishing 103,000 volumes of magical knowledge stored in her memory.

When Index stumbles into Kamijo’s life, she finds a faithful friend and protector, and while Kamijo’s easily the weakest kid in Academy City, he’s got something else going for him: the Imagine Breaker, an unexplainable power stored in his right hand that negates the powers of others. With scientists and sorcerers attacking from all sides, the Imagine Breaker will definitely come in handy – but it’s Kamijo’s loyalty to Index that will be his greatest weapon in the fight to keep her safe.

Commentary:

A Certain Magical Index is one of those Harem series that falls under a odd anti-harem frame of mind. Of course Kamijo does have his uncanny ability to collect girls, but he still stands out as less of a womans man than most male protagonist in most harem series.

The aspect of this series that stands out for me is the way that they setup the basic plot line. There is also the development of the characters. In most cases they allow the main characters to have some light or comedic aspects but as the series moves through its paces each of them become much darker and richer. In the first season the doors to the complexity of the series open and platy of questions ask left unanswered.

The animation is rather typical and not what makes the series stand out and in many ways it is average at best. The essence is the writing, which not only create several rememberable characters but also gives us a story that is strange, funny and filled with a deeply interesting sub plot that may be darker most of us may expect.

 

Overall Grade: B+

A Certain Magical Index season one if 24 episodes of real fun. There is a large and broad cast that is giving more and more as the series develops. It is easy to see why there was the off shoot series A Certain Scientific Railgun. A Certain Magical Index does have some rather typical harem aspects, but it seems to care more about the supernatural slant. I like Kamijo as a simple character who knows something deep about himself, but there is something very special about him that I am very interested to find out.

Come on Season 2, I’m ready. Thanks Funimation for taking season one and making it affordable.

High School DxD New: The Complete Second Season (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 20, 2014
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

High School DxD New: The Complete Second Seasonreview provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: High School DxD New: The Complete Second Season

Director: Tetsuya Yanagisawa

Studio: TNK

Author: Takao Yoshioka

U.S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U.S. Release Date: November 11, 2014

Format and Length: DVD/Blu-Ray Combo / 12 Episodes / 321 Minutes

Genre: Action, Comedy, Demonic, Ecchi, Romance, Harem, Shounen

Industry Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: High School DxD or Rosario + Vampire

Synopsis:

Issei Hyoko and the rest of the Occult Research Club are back, only this season Issei has more power than ever before. The Excalibur swords and Michael the Archangel join Issei and the rest of the gang in battling against the deadliest of foes yet and only time will tell if the Occult Research Club will continue to thrive or if new leadership is needed to usher in a new magical era. Will Issei be able to survive these battles or will everything crash down around him? You will have to watch High School DxD New: The Complete Second Season and find out for yourself.

Commentary:

*Fair warning to those who are wanting to watch this series but are still on the fence about it…there is a large amount of fan service / ecchi scenes. However, High School DxD New: The Complete Second Season can actually pull off this amount of fan service and still have a decent plot line to be considered a good anime.* Also, why is it always an Occult Research Club?

High School DxD New: The Complete Second Season picks up soon after the end of the first season with hardly any change. This season focuses on the conflicts and interactions between the devils, angels, and fallen angels. I felt the plot was more interesting than the first season and the comedy undertones continue to reappear frequently. I did not notice the fan service as much as the first season because the story line kept my attention. This season was split up into two arcs, the Excalibur of the Moonlit Schoolyard and the Vampire of the Empty Classroom. I felt that the first arc, the Excalibur of the Moonlit Schoolyard, to be the conclusion to the first season and it was quite dark. The second arc, the Vampire of the Empty Classroom, really leaves the story line open to a third season and also includes the required beach episode that is needed in harem animes. I thought this arc went a little bit out there with all the mecha-like fighting that took place.

We finally see the character development that was missing in the first season and we also get to meet a few new characters. We learn how the characters were turned into devils and how their lives were prior to that. The new characters add to the story and created some interesting subplots. Plus they really added to the shenanigans between the girls and Issei. And yes, Issei is still obsessed with creating his harem, very much obsessed. Of course, it is slightly annoying for every female character to randomly fall in love with the main character for little to no reason but he is unable to act for whatever silly reason he comes up with.

The art work was average and they really focused on drawing the female characters. However, that is to be expected in this genre. They did a great job animating the fight scenes though. The voice actors brought the characters to life with their very real and refreshing emotions. The music was okay. By the end of the series I did find myself humming along with the opening and closing songs.

Extras:

High School DxD New: The Complete Second Season includes Yoko Hikasa’s Voice Acting School, clean opening and closing animations, promotional videos, Funimation Entertainment trailers, commercials, New Material from Ichiei Ishibumi! Fantasy Full-blast Gentleman’s Disc Club Promos and Not Seen on TV! Deleted Scenes as special features. This release is available with both English and Japanese with English Subtitles as language options.

Overall Grade: B-

High School DxD New: The Complete Second Season is a good anime for the genre it is. Just take the above warning to heart and give it a shot.

Hellsing Ultimate Volume Three (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : November 3, 2014
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hellsing Ultimate 3review provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Hellsing Ultimate Volume Three

Director: Kenichi Suzuki and Yasuhiro Matsumura

Studio: Graphinica

Author: Hideyuki Kurata

U.S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U.S. Release Date: October 28, 2014

Format and Length: DVD/Blu-ray Combo / Two Episodes / 112 Minutes

Genre: Action,  Vampire, Supernatural, Military

Industry Age Rating: 17 and up

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: Hellsing: The Complete TV Series

The Bird of the Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame.

Synopsis:

The bloodbath to end all bloodbaths reaches its harrowing end. Alucard awakens with his thirst for vengeance stronger than ever before. He is the bloodthirsty monster who will unleash every heinous trick in his deadly repertoire while baring his sharp fangs at an army of snarling Nazi werewolves. As Alucard absorbs every drop of blood in sight, everyone involved will begin to realize that the ultimate slaughter might be too much to handle for even the deadliest of demonic slayers.

Commentary:

Finally after almost two years, we are able to reach the conclusion of the wonderful and amazing Hellsing Ultimate series! And what a bloody gore-fest it is. Alucard and Seras Victoria are in for the fight of their undead lives and who knows if both will survive the final battle. Episode Nine picks right up from where episode eight left off and it just goes on from there. The music is still the same gothic music for the opening and closing animations but they also added in some awesome German music that really sets the mood for the Nazi scenes. Seras Victoria really shows her vampire side in these two episodes and also seems to have grown as a character. Sir Integra Hellsing really proves that she knows what she is doing as she is also going around killing vampires and defending herself. I guess you could say that her father made to right choice by choosing her to run the family business. Alucard, of course, is kicking butt and taking names as he always does. The animation was well done and the English voice acting was superb as usual for this series. There is not much more I can say without giving away spoilers.

Extras:

Hellsing Ultimate: Volume Three includes episode interview sessions, episode commentary, R.I.P. In Memoriam, U.S. Trailer, and Funimation Entertainment trailers as special features. A quick warning though, the R.I.P. In Memoriam contains many spoilers so do not watch it until after you have watched the entire series. This series was released with both English and Japanese with English subtitles as language options. I recommend the English language option as Crispin Freeman makes an awesome Alucard.

Overall Grade: A-

Hellsing Ultimate volume 3 is a very gory and bloody anime series. But, it is also a well-done series about vampires and shows how true vampires act.

Hellsing Ultimate Volume 1

Posted by :Patches On : November 3, 2014
0

Category: Reviews

Tags:, , , , , , ,

Hellsing Ultimate 1review provided by Katie and Andrew

Title: Hellsing Ultimate Volume 1

Director: Tomokazu Tokoro

U.S. Distributor: Funimation

U.S. Release Date: October 30, 2012

Format and Length: DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack / 180 Minutes

Genre: Action

Age Rating: 17 and up

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Similar Series or Titles: Devil May Cry, Hellsing

Can a secret organization save a country’s citizens from creatures of the night?

Synopsis:

Hellsing Ultimate shows how vampires should act. They are shown to be monsters but at the same time shows how two vampires kill other vampires in order to save us humans from them. Alucard (Dracula spelled backwards) is one of the main characters in this anime. He really is an anti-hero even though he saves humans from vampires. But he is pretty awesome and can pull himself back together after a gun battle and kick butt. Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, or Sir Integra, is the current leader of the Hellsing Organization. She controls her own personal army to fight against the undead and Alucard is her best vampire exterminator. Seras Victoria, or Police Girl, is Alucard’s new vampire assistant. But she does not like to drink blood so she makes for a very interesting vampire.

The Hellsing Organization is based out of Great Britain. Of course, being a vampire story, the Vatican makes an appearance with their vampire killing sect named Iscariot. The Iscariot’s number one vampire killer is Alexander Anderson. Now Anderson, Alucard, and Police Girl must work together to save the Empire from a satanic Nazi major who is making a ghoul army to fight against the Hellsing Organization and the Iscariot. Are Anderson and Alucard going to be able to put aside their differences and fight on the same side or is Police Girl going to have to break up fights? We shall see when Part Two of Hellsing Ultimate comes out.

Commentary:

I really did enjoy watching Hellsing Ultimate. I loved the music that was at the end of every episode as it was slightly gothic and really fit well with the vampire theme. The music at the beginning of the episodes was also interesting.

The character development was okay. I really wish that they would have expanded the background of Alucard and Sir Integra but I guess they are in the Hellsing tv series. I believe that Alucard has to be the most awesome vampire I have ever heard of. He can survive a gun fight and pull himself back together and still kill the other vampire! Sir Integra took over the family business from her uncle and has to prove to the British government that she can handle to vampire situations. The one character that I really liked was Seras Victoria. She really is the comic relief in this anime; plus she gets to shoot the really big guns so that is awesome.

There were some things that I did not understand throughout Hellsing Ultimate such as ghouls and virgins only being able to be turned into vampires. Ghouls are what happens after a vampire feeds on a human unless they are a virgin and then they are able to be turned into a vampire. That is what happened to Seras Victoria. Personally I believe that Alucard changed Seras because he was lonely and wanted someone to care about him.

The only thing that I did not care for was the animation. At times it was really rough and choppy. But then again it added to the mystery of the vampire story. My husband said that the animation reminded him of Trigun.

This anime is available in the Blu-ray Combo Pack and that includes 3 DVDs and 2 Blu-ray disks. All episodes are on the first Blu-ray disk and the extras are on the second. I believe that there are two episodes per DVD and then the final disk is the extras.

Extras:
Episode Commentary, Interviews with English Voice Director and Cast, Anime Expo 2007 English Cast Panel, Geneon Booth: Featuring Hellsing Mansion, Promotional Videos, Japanese TV Commercials, Karaoke of Major’s Speech, and Trailers. Wow that is a lot of extras!

Overall Grade: A-

Hellsing Ultimate is a very gory and bloody anime. Sometimes it goes over the top but the storyline makes up for it. If there had been a little more character development I would have given an A.