Blog Archives

Le Chevalier d’Eon (2006)

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Posted on July 22, 2007 by Deni

Set against the backdrop of pre-Revolution France, Le Chevalier D’Eon, by Production I.G, really is a series that earns the right to superlatives like ‘sweeping’ and ‘gripping’. The period in which it is set – the ambiance of pre-Revolution Eighteenth Century Paris – immediately identifies it as something different, something with aspirations. Of course, period settings in anime are hardly uncommon, and certainly there are plenty of series where style elements have been borrowed from foreign sources (the Grecian … (read more)

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Getbackers (2002)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Getbackers is the coolest boys’ anime for girls you’re ever likely to see.

What? What do you mean how can it be a boy’s anime if it’s for girls? Alright, alright. I mean,

Getbackers is the coolest girls’ anime for boys you’re ever likely to see.

No? Confused? Then let me explain a little by putting the phenomena of deliberate subtext into brief, vague historical context.

A while ago anime producers realised something that probably came as a bit of … (read more)

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Rurouni Kenshin (2002)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Possibly the longest awaited anime series known to Western shores, and has the wait been worth it? Well if the first two DVDs, eight episodes in all, are anything at all to go by, then hell yes! Kenshin is cool!

Based roughly on a real-life, feared swordsman of the Meiji period, Kenshin Himura is the ultimate hero. Deferential and likeable (hell sometimes even cute) one moment, a cold, lethal killer the next. He’s the kind of hero you want to … (read more)

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Samurai X – Reflection (2001)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Reflection is the sequel to the Samurai X / Rurouni Kenshin legacy, and a conclusion that I find myself contemplating with a few mixed feelings. After the brilliance of Trust and Betrayal, and the sheer volume and breadth of the Rurouni Kenshin TV series, it was a hedged bet as to whether Reflection could live up to its predecessors while labouring under such expectations.

Which is where the mixed feelings come in, because while I don’t believe it failed … (read more)

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Samurai X: Vol.1 Trust & Vol.2 Betrayal (1999)

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Posted on January 25, 2006 by Deni

Samurai X, a play on words derived from the pattern that scars the legendary Kenshin Himura’s face, despite its rather pedestrian title is anything but ordinary. This is in fact bloody poetry, and I mean that in a literal sense, rather than a derogatory one. From the very first scenes, and if you are at all familiar with the Rurouni Kenshin TV series of which Samurai X is a prequel, it is clear that this is quality, and deadly … (read more)

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