FLCL Collection

FLCL Collection

Format: Anime DVD
Release: 2nd February, 2009.
Rating: 12
Publisher: MVM Entertainment

9

“It’s FLIctonic KLIpple Waver Syndrome. An adolescent psychological skin-hardening syndrome. A common affliction where children grow horns from trying too hard. Okay, I lied.”

FLCL is set in a simple Japanese town where nothing interesting happens, and nothing remarkable ever occurs. However, it does have a Scientific Laboratory in the shape of an Iron looming over the entire town, the Laboratory lets of a gush of steam once a day at the same time. Aside from this, the inhabitants of the small, unnamed town are bored of the town they live in.

The protagonist, a young boy named Naota is a withdrawn, frustrated junior-high student who has a strong relationship with his older brother’s ex-girlfriend Mamimi who’s not only flirty but somewhat vacant as well. Along with Naota’s friend, the world they inhabit couldn’t be any less interesting. That is until rumours of the Vesper start circulating at school, and Naota falls fowl of this rumour. Haruhara Haruko appears from nowhere on her yellow vesper and literally hits Naota with a bass guitar.

This causes Naota to have an unusual bump to his head; it’s as big and in the shape of a horn. Yet, it will go away when pressure is applied. With this in mind Naota goes to get it checked at the hospital, before he knows it Haruhara is attacking him and she is employed as the family housekeeper. Not forgetting the family robot that escapes from the horn on Naota’s head.

If not strange enough, they are the bits that are easily explained. Defining FLCL is next to impossible, it spits on genres and ignores all staple conventions of anime, takes itself very seriously and not seriously at all. Flicks between being an anime and being a manga and at all points defies logic. By the end of the first episode Naota has grown an robot from his head, fended of his brother’s ex, been attacked by a guitar wielding alien on a vesper and dealt with his zine loving father. Not forgetting his adolescent thoughts and problems.

FLCL is incredibly fast paced, and holds back no punches when it comes to divulging plotlines. However, whilst it moves incredibly fast, it can sometimes feel very slow. In a similar way that Serial Experiments Lain feels very slow per episode, an incredible amount of information is discovered. Unlike Lain, FLCL is a 6 episode series and the slow parts feel slow, but more information is uncovered throughout those periods than during any of the action packed parts of the show. This is due to the very nature of Haruhara Haruko, who reveals no information about herself or her mission, but simply speaks her mind, but actually says very little.

For those who like closure, FLCL is certainly not a show for them. It’s far too punk rock and rebellious to give closure to the lead characters. It doesn’t even reveal much about anything, it just happens and that’s accepted by the characters and he viewers.

One recurrent theme throughout all episodes is the transition that the main cast are going through in their lives. These junior-high schoolers are all adolescent and trying to comprehend and understand new feelings. This isn’t just restricted to discovering sexuality – which is a huge theme; but also in trying to become an adult whilst remaining a child. Characters who fail to understand this will end up becoming more confused by the situation and Haruhara only attempts to further confuse the situation.

Music plays a huge part in FLCL, as it does in many people’s lives. Throughout there are cultural references to Paul McCartney, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Filler, Van Halen, Anna Nichole Smith, Evils, Jimi Hendrix, and plenty of references to Japanese music. Throughout the soundtrack is performed by The Pillows, whose logo appears on the vesper that Haruhara drives. There are also plenty of cultural references to Hamtaro, Tom & Jerry and in the English version of the show MTV.

To understand some of the puns, a basic knowledge of the Japanese language is useful. Throughout the term mouth to mouth is applied for kissing amongst other things, in Japanese the “th” sound doesn’t exist, so it would sound like mouse to mouse. This is used in a few episodes where mouse outfits will be seen.

The translation from the Japanese show has been fairly faithful but some elements have been changed for localisation purposes. This has been widely discussed in the past and for better or worse it’s in this version of the show. Due to the pace of the show, unless a real fan of the Japanese show is watching, this localisation doesn’t detract from the quality at all.

The animation quality is brilliant as well. Considering this show isn’t far from hitting its tenth birthday, the show hasn’t aged much at all. The characters are all well designed, distinct and it’s impossible to confuse the characters on appearance, as they all look so different - even the supporting cast. The backgrounds are well drawn and brilliantly presented and the transition between the town and the mecha robots is smooth and natural. At no point is it obvious that the animation style has entirely changed – which it does. The CG robots look like they are in the same style as the rest of the show, which is unusual these days.

The extras are plentiful, with audio commentary, textless opening and endings, trailers, and interviews just to name a few. It’s well worth the £30 price tag.

» Final Score

9/10

FLCL, otherwise known as Fooly Cooly, evades genre, defies convention and has such little logic that understanding the show is simply intrinsic. It’s an experience that’s next to impossible to describe.

Baldr Force EXE

Baldr Force EXE

Format: Anime DVD
Release: 26th January, 2009.
Rating: 18
Publisher: Manga Entertainment
7

In Norse mythology Baldr is a god associated with light and beauty, who’s death is a great tragedy to Æsir and a harbringer of Ragnarok. The very story of Baldr in mythology is that of grief and death and is argued to be the beginning of the chain of events that will ultimately lead to the destruction of the gods at Ragnarock. When Baldr passes, he will be reborn anew according to Völuspá the seeress. So it’s a fitting title for an anime that has exploding heads just minutes into the first episode.

Baldr Force EXE is set in a futuristic world where the Internet has become so over developed that rather than connecting to the Wired through a computer, it’s directly connected into the brain. This means that people are able to live out fantasy lives in real time, actually feeling and eating whilst in the Wired. However, this connectivity to the Wired means that when things go wrong in the Wired, they go wrong for the body.

Within minutes of watching the opening show the consequences of being in the Wired when things start to falter becomes apparent. A server has been compromised and an unknown virus has wiped out the entire population of the server. A futuristic anti-terrorist squad block the server from access and try to assess the situation. Within minutes the officers are dead, this is due to the virus actually attacking them and their bodies each react in a different way. Some may go into cardiac arrest, some may just shutdown from the inside and others, well, their heads explode sending blood and scattered pieces of skull across the room. Unfortunately, the user has to opt to logout from the Wired, as a forced disconnect will kill the user as well.

Of course, like any cyber-punk anime, the real world is always raining, is gloomy and is just a place people want to be away from. Whereas the Wired is an entirely adaptable place, where people with knowledge can create their own worlds, and where normal people are able to escape the realities of life for a limited period of time per day. Unfortunately the virus that killed the anti-terrorist squad keeps on spreading and rumours of a Wired Ghost scare those in the know.

As the premise for Baldr Force EXE is derived from a Dreamcast game, some of the elements are a little tired now. Fortunately most of this is recovered by the dramatic irony throughout, as the first episode itself is riddled with spoilers for the keen eyed viewer. This foreshadowing is an effective method of drawing the viewer in and creating the tension required to make this show effective. The lead protagonist’s personal quest for revenge against a fallen comrade of an old hacking group is an effective subplot that is entwined with the main plot of the show brilliantly.

Without Souma’s grief of his dead friend the rest of the show would not have been possible, and the climax to the show certainly would have been impossible without the amount of personal sacrifice and grief he has gone through. He’s very much the anti-hero, with just enough attitude and hate to want to see him in danger, but with enough human compassion and backstory to want to find out more about his character and history.

The character design is fairly well done. They are certainly not breathtaking, but neither are they completely average and uninteresting. The characters are all clear and distinct, with some great CG work when the battles are occurring. This is let down by the standard 2D work of when the characters are visiting institutions and are outside of the Wired as the world is dull. Fortunately the fan-service doesn’t last longer than a few seconds and does not detract from the actual quality of the show.

The voice acting is average in both the Japanese and the English soundtracks. No one character stands out as bad, but in contrast no character stands out as great either. This is first noticeable in the Japanese cast, and then in the English cast as well. This would indicate the casting process was spot on to the original. The opening and ending credits are catchy and these are textless as part of the meagre bonus features on the DVD.

The most endearing part of Baldr Force EXE is that it’s fast. This four episode series is lightening fast and this keeps the viewer interested. This show would easily fail if it were a 13 part series as there’s simply not enough life in it to draw it out that far. Fortunately the speed of the show leaves a few questions left to be answered, and that’s what will keep viewers coming back to the show. Especially fans of the game.

» Final Score

7/10
With the conventions of cute girls, mecha, the internet and excessive violence Baldr Force EXE follows every major cliché in the anime world. Fortunately the storyline and the speed of the show make this show stand out from the glut of similar shows in the market.

Bleach: Complete Series 2 Box Set

Bleach: Complete Series 2 Box Set

Format: Anime DVD
Release: 29th December, 2008.
Rating: 15
Publisher: Manga Entertainment
7

Along with Naruto, another Shoen Jump series has gained notoriety for becoming ridiculously popular. As well as being incredibly popular, it’s also one of the longer anime series at the moment. That series is known as Bleach, and it has continued to capture the imaginations of slightly older viewers than Naruto, this has meant that some of the merchandising hasn’t be quite the same as Naruto; however this hasn’t lessened the popularity of the show in the UK.

Bleach has been so popular that there are now two versions floating around the world, the cut version removes some of the violence and the blood from the show, and the uncut version, that as the name suggest, maintains the shows original content. There have been two releases of the first series of Bleach, the cut and uncut version and Manga Entertainment have now released the second uncut series.

The protagonist: Ichigo Kurosaki is not a normal child. He does the normal things that children do, go to school, helps out where he can with his parents; however, Ichigo “can see dead people”. This isn’t something that scares him, as he’s learnt to deal with it. In the first series he spots a girl called Rukia Kuchiki and assumes that she is a ghost. This assumption turns out to be incorrect and Rukia is actually a Soul Reaper - someone who helps people pass onto the other side.

They’re also duty bound to battle against the Hollows, who are spirits that have been unable to pass on and have become monsters that feed on the souls of people. Whilst the pair are talking Rukia is attacked by a Hollow and is badly injured. The Hollow then turns on Ichigo, fortunately Rukia transfers some of her powers to Ichigo to fight the Hollow off; however, this goes wrong and for some reason he takes all of her power. He easily fights off the Hollow but is unable to return Rukia’s powers to her.

A variety of characters appear in the first series and many of them will have their own special abilities like summoning six small spirits that live in hairpins and power channelling. He also encounters enemies such as Ishidia, who unbeknown to the team is actually a Quincy, which is a race of priest who has a deep hatred of Soul Reapers.

The opening to series two shows Rukia being arrested and taken back to the Soul Society, as it’s illegal to give a human Soul Reaper powers. This would be fine, but the sentence for this crime is execution, and although she warns Ichigo not to try and get her, he along with the team try their best at getting her released.

To do this they have to get to the Soul Society, which means crossing dimensions and passing through huge walls and gates that are each protected by various guards. Of course they go for this option and an onslaught of fighting scenes occur keeping Bleach fans happy. There’s not a great deal of filler episodes, although some of the battle scenes are a little on the lengthy side. There are a few episodes that don’t follow the usual formula, and these are a welcome addition as they explain a little more of the story and allow the fight scenes to gather momentum.

Unlike a lot of Manga releases recently this had stereo audio in both the English and the Japanese soundtracks. The voice cast is the standard fare for this sort of show, and it’s of a decent quality in both the English and the Japanese language. The subtitles are also well presented; although signs and Japanese text isn’t translated which may irritate some fans.

The animation quality is pretty solid. The colours are defined and strong and at all times the characters are distinct from the background. There’s not a great deal of effects used, and the background scenes are good but not great. There’s a clean opening and closing as well as a few other extras, which make the DVD, go that bit further.

» Final Score

7

There are more battle scenes than in the first series; however, this series does push the storyline along and is a must for fans of Bleach. With good animation and good extras this is definitely worth a look at.

Sonic Unleahsed

As with all reviews, they do contain spoilers. This review covers the entire plot of Sonic Unleashed - so if you don't want to be entirely spoiled miss the fourth paragraph.

In recent days, Sonic the Hedgehog has fallen on hard times, with almost all 3D iterations of the franchise being met with universal disappointment. There have been some brilliant 2D games, but the home-console versions have always been nothing but lacklustre. The last really solid Sonic game was on the Nintendo Gamecube, with Sonic Adventure Battle 2. Sonic Unleashed takes Sonic in an unfamiliar direction: a solid 3D Sonic title.

Sonic Unleashed opens to the finale of an untold Sonic story, which shows our hero confronting his evil rival, Doctor Eggman and bounding around a fleet of spaceships to attempt to stop him. However, Eggman manages to trap Sonic in a powerful ray and whilst Sonic is in Super Sonic mode Eggman uses the power of the ray to disrupt the Chaos Emeralds. After disrupting said Chaos Emeralds, he then utilises their power to awaken a powerful beast: Dark Gaia from the centre of the Earth, thus splitting the world into a series of plates.

Whilst this happens, Sonic is sent flying down to the planet below, and as a direct result of the interference of Eggman, Sonic’s had some form of mutation that transforms him from his standard Sonic appearance into a Werehog during the night. Once he’s crash landed he bumps into a creature named Chip who has lost his memory, but Sonic and him pair up and start to look for ways to repair the planet.

They meet up with the usual suspects in the way of Amy Rose and Tails to prevent Sonic from changing at night, and in the process repairing the fractured world. Various characters are met along the way and more of the history around the Dark Gaia is unveiled; however, at no point is there a mention of Light Gaia until six of the seven continents are returned to normal. At which point Chip regains his memory and realises he is Light Gaia. The team end up saving the world, and Sonic is cured of his unwanted ability when they go to fight Eggman and the Dark Gaia.

This somewhat typical storyline has very little substance to it, and the fact that Sonic meets a character that ends up aiding him to save the world is incredibly clichéd. However, as with most Sonic games the storyline is little more than fodder to keep players moving onto the next part of the game with some explanation. Long gone are the days where Sonic games could simply just move onto the next zone.

Speaking of which, when playing as Sonic, the zones are short. This is due to the fact that Sonic’s speed has increased dramatically, unfortunately the length of the levels have not been increased to compensate for this. It’s as if the levels are over as they’ve just begun. This unfulfilling experience makes playing as the Werehog even less enjoyable, as they are too long.

In comparison to the Sonic zones, the Werehog zones feel slow and tired. The same basic mechanic of gameplay is used in all of the levels, and running through the towns at night may have their advantages – it’s just they’re not that fun. Trying to make Sonic Zelda simply doesn’t work and the Werehog parts of the game show this unfortunately. With simple tasks that require more backtracking than necessary, the Werehog zones are too long and tedious.

Even if some of the zones are tedious, and the Sonic levels too short, they all look beautiful. Although it’s clear that the opening introduction to the game is not actually in-game footage but CGI scenes, they look easily movie worthy. The actual in-game graphics naturally aren’t as good as the CGI scenes, but at all times the characters are distinct and visible. The character design is pretty much standard Sonic fare: basic but colourful; however, it’s the background scenes that make the game stand out. They’re brilliantly made, with the ocean shimmering very naturally, and the sky, be it day or night, looking almost real.

One of the biggest flaws of Sonic Unleashed in other formats has been rectified on the Wii. Between zones Sonic and the Werehog have to interact with characters in the towns. In other formats this has been done in a similar way to Mario or Zelda titles where there’s a fair sized overworld screen with characters to talk to. Fortunately this isn’t really a problem in Unleashed as the towns are similar to old “point-and-click” adventures where a few basic images discuss elements of the town to the player.

This is beneficial as it speeds up the transition between zones, but feels entirely unnecessary as there’s little point for them existing aside from pushing on the weak storyline. Although we’ve been spared the large overworld there’s still too much fluff that is simply not needed.

Fortunately the controls are intuitive and with either Sonic or the Werehog the Wii Remote is precise. There is some Wii-Waggle, such as climbing up polls or jumping from ledges to ledges, but this is mostly kept to the Werehog zones leaving the Sonic zones unspoiled. The accuracy of the controller is spot-on, keeping additional waggles to the minimum.

Final Verdict - 7/10
Sonic Unleashed is certainly a step forward for the Sonic franchise, with great graphics, intuitive controls, a fairly grabbing premise and great level design. Unfortunately, it’s marred by the concept of the Werehog. Sonic simply need to continue this trend of returning to it’s grass roots and before long we’ll be getting 9 and 10/10 Sonic games again.

Best Games of 2008

By Ian Brown

Before we enter the New Year, with the traditional sound of Big Ben bringing the UK into 2009, it’s time to reflect upon the top games that we’re going to be leaving behind from 2008. This year for UK gaming has been pretty good, with some more unique titles such as Etrian Odyssey and Baroque being licensed as well as the good old fashioned AAA games from Nintendo.

Unfortunately, the latter is so niche that it can’t possibly be included in a list of games to be remember – although I wish I could let myself do that! However, there were plenty of other fantastic games that need to be remembered and replayed in the early parts of 2009, and in no real order those games are:

Etrian Odyssey

Translated by Atlus USA and then released and distributed in the UK by none other that Nintendo UK, Etrian Odyssey is one of those games that you’ll either love or hate. It doesn’t hold your hand at all, and is the epitome of dungeon crawler to the oldest sense. With only a few save points and a lot of backtracking to get further on in the game, it’s made for gamers who have many hours to spend gaming their days away.

See our review of Etrian Odyssey here.

LostWinds

LostWinds came out very early in 2008, or at least it feels like a very long time ago now! With one of the finest uses of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to date on any platform, this WiiWare game entered the gaming realm with much fanfare and press activity.

A short and enjoyable game where you control both the wind and the main character at the same time with the use of both the Wii Remote and the Nunchuck, although it sounds hard it really isn’t. The controls are intuitive and fluid. A must have on the WiiWare.

See our review of LostWinds here.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood

The first Sonic game in a long time not to be made by the internal Sonic Team at SEGA but by BioWare, which alone generated a fair bit of press for our little blue friend. Fortunately the press was all positive and rightly so.

Taking Sonic away from the super speed that we are accustomed to, Sonic became more of an RPG with turn-based battles, a large, interchangeable team and various characters from across the franchise. Sonic Chronicles was met with some criticism from the anti-Sonic factions of the world, but on the whole this was a great game. In fact, one the first few levels have been passed Sonic is a fabulous game.

See our review of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood here.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

After causing a little controversy with the multiple reviews from our US team, Super Smash Bros Brawl came out in the UK – but far too late. Even so, it managed to gather the attention of all core-gamers of the Wii in the UK and sold incredibly well.

Continuing on from previous iterations of the Smash Bros. Franchise, Super Smash Bros. Brawl contains dozens of unseen characters in the past, and for the second time in the same year did the once unforgivable – merged Sonic and Mario in one game.

See our Super Smash Bros. Brawl review here.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village

When Nintendo released Brain Age a few years ago, it was the start of the casual game influx that’s existed on all formats ever since. Professor Layton was an attempt to try and pacify core-gamers whilst maintaining the forward thinking of the casual titles. Fortunately this worked and Professor Layton combines Brain Age type puzzles in a very story rich environment with traditional goals for core-gamers.

Owing to this, it’s been marketed at core-gamers and casual gamers alike and has achieved a fair amount of success – showing a “left of centre” game can be for everyone and be good.

See our review for Professor Layton and the Curious Village here.

Opoona

Created by Koei, Opoona is a RPG that’s aimed a slightly younger audience initially. With its very unique look, addictive storyline and simple gameplay, Opoona was criticised for being “too easy” for older RPG player. Fortunately this is all erroneous as once players actually get into the game, the difficulty does increase and you’ll want to save Opoona’s sister and get them off the planet they crash-landed on.

The only negative side to this game is that it’s not been translated particularly well. However, that does not detract from its brilliant gameplay.

See our review for Opoona here.

Samba De Amigo

Kudos to SEGA for bringing back a title that was much loved on the fan-favourite Dreamcast. A game that’s entire purpose is to shake the Wii Remote and Nunchuck in time to the beat, it’s DDR with your hands. Naturally this means that it’s a lot of work involved, and people have developed exercise programs around a videogame, but that’s not what makes this game great.

The sheer fact of watching other people play this game, and the Latino music is great alone. It’s pure, unadulterated fun at it’s finest.

See our review of Samba de Amigo here.

Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer

Another game from SEGA! Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer is a title that will bemuse many people. It’s a remake of an old classic originally on the SNES, SEGA remade it for the Nintendo DS and hoped that this roguelike would sell well. Rumour has it, that the sequel will not make it to our shores for popularity reasons, so if you like roguelike games, but want something a little more forgiving than Etrian Odyssey give Shiren the Wanderer a try.

See our review of Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer here.

Mario Kart Wii

The latest iteration in Nintendo’s second best selling franchise – Mario. Mario Kart Wii takes all of the good things for Mario Kart Double Dash!! Of the Gamecube, and the best of the online functions of Mario Kart DS and merges them into Mario Kart Wii. With the option of purchasing a plastic accessory to make the Wii Remote a Car Wheel, or just using the classic options, Nintendo has catered to all with this game.

It also introduced something entirely new – motorcycles. You are now able to play with motorcycles instead of karts, and they’re really easy to use. Of course the normal impossible AI remains, but it’s worth buying and playing lots.

See our review of Mario Kart Wii here.

Boom Blox

Made by Stephen Spielberg and distributed by Electronic Arts, Boom Blox had two powerful names to help sell this title to casual gamers, and it turned core-gamers off immediately by being made by EA. This stigma is starting to dissolve now, but not early enough for Boom Blox, which is a fantastic game.

A brainteaser at least, and an addictive game of skills at best Boom Blox requires the player to destroy lots of things. This is done by using the minimum amount of destructive instruments, such as bombs, or removing structural walls, but causing the maximum destruction. The fact that players are given medals encourages them to go back and try and beat their previous score, and this carrot works very well.

It’s always on sale these days, so pick it up immediately.

See our review of Boom Blox here.

Please note all images were created by me.

Naruto The Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel

Naruto The Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel

Format: Anime DVD
Release: 29th December, 2008.
Rating: 12
Publisher: Manga Entertainment

6

The second of the various Naruto films, the franchise is loosing no pace when it comes to pumping out episodes, films and various other merchandise to keep Naruto fans happy. Naruto The Movie 2: Legend of the Stone of Gelel was originally released in Japan in 2005, and was directed by Hirotsugu Kawasaki and co-written by Kawasaki and Yuka Miyata, the movie takes place directly after episode 160 from the first Naruto series.

Opening with a battle between Sand Ninja and mysterious warriors wearing suits of armour, the Sand Ninja are slowly overwhelmed with the strength of their unknown opponents. At the crucial moment, Kankuro and Gaara turn up and manage to destroy the opponents of the Sand Ninja en masse. When Gaara orders a flare to be shot, a large warship appears and opens fire – Gaara manages to protect everyone with his Sand Armour, but only just.

Whilst these events unfold, Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru realise their relatively normal mission is going to turn very sour when the group is attacked by a number of strange opponents, dressed in armour with their blonde leader having strange powers that stump the trio. During the fight Naruto and the blond foe fall into the river below them and awake in a caravan full of travellers. Whilst in the caravan the leader explains his motives to Naruto, which is standard when two enemies are locked in the same room together.

The group are after the Stone of Gelel, this stone possess extraordinary power and the group hope that once they have managed to obtain these stones they will set up a utopia and there will be no further wars in the world. The leader of Temujin, the blonde foe, Master Haido tells his group that sacrifices are for the greater good, and many sacrifices will be made to find the Stone of Gelel. It becomes apparent the leader of the caravan group knows where the Stone is and Haido goes to find it.

After a very long and drawn out scene, Temujun learns that Haido is not all he appears to be and is actually a murderer and Naruto attacks Haido with the help of Temujun to help save the world from Haido. After saving the war, Temujin leaves with some other children stating that he alone will end all war in the world.

Clichéd as always, but most standard sagas of Naruto follow this similar plotline, and unfortunately this movie follows that standard as well. The film feels old and it is, taking three years to secure an English release is far too long for such a popular franchise. Owing to this, the film pales in comparison to many other stronger releases in the market at the moment. Throughout there are few surprises as the viewer will see glimpses of everything to come earlier on in the story telling process.

The character development is forced, and although the rest of the trio manage to get some action scenes, their input feels very much forced and what development occurs feels flawed. Fortunately Naruto, Temujin and Haido control much of the story, and although a little stretched, the plot works for these characters. Although it would appear that there was no continuity editor, as the plot does have many holes and leaves most questions unanswered.

Fortunately the animation quality does not suffer from age, and throughout the film maintains the solid, vibrant and fluid Naruto animation quality. The character designs themselves may leave much to be desired, the quality of the area where the characters are fighting make up for this. With well-drawn and creative scenery, the film feels very natural – even if the characters do have super powers half the time.

The same voice actors are used in the film as the anime in both the English and the Japanese versions of the track, and the music composed throughout is of a passable quality. One big plus is the use of Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, which has been missing on a lot of recent Manga releases.

Aside from that, the extras on the DVD are woeful – just a selection of other manga trailers.

» Final Score

6/10

Naruto fans will definitely want to pick this film up, as it explains a few things for other parts of the series. However, for most viewers it’s predictable in most points and doesn’t really warrant the hype. Not poor, but certainly not great.

Naruto Unleashed Series 5

Naruto Unleashed Series 5
Format: Anime DVD
Release: 15th December, 2008.
Rating: 12
Publisher: Manga Entertainment
7

Since the dawn of time, Shoen Jump mangas and their subsequent anime series have always been popular. This can be seen historically by the various anime shows to hit the west in the past twenty or so years, Dragoball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Bleach and Naruto. The appeal of Naruto hasn’t slowed at all, and is one of the strongest sellers in the UK, as such, Manga Entertainment have acquired the rights to release the follow up series of the franchise: Naruto Shippuuden.

Produced by Studio Pierrot and TV Toyko, Naruto premiered in Japan on the 3rd October 2002 and ran for 220 episodes. Directed throughout by Hayato Date, the first 135 episodes are adaptations of the 27 volumes of manga, whilst the remaining 80 episodes are mostly filler episodes. These fillers are either entirely new elements to the show, or huge offshoots of a slight theme developed from the original material.

The debut of the fifth series and the first volume commences with the final two episodes of the new Tea Country arc. For many who watched the last volume, the Tea Country arc is the beginning of the infamous filler episodes that Naruto has become well known for. Fortunately this arc does actually push the show forward somewhat, and there’s a degree of character development. Unfortunately, it’s not really at any of the main characters in the show.

Itachi, the person running the race across the Tea Country manages to hurt his leg, and whilst he is recovering Naruto is carrying the boy across the country. Although this may seem like the right thing for Naruto to do, Itachi’s resentment at Naruto is growing and a meeting with his brother comes to mind. This only leads Itachi to resent Naruto even more. Whilst his resentment is growing the trained ninja: Jonin appears to cause more trouble for the cast.

Jonin, aside from being very self-inflated, attacks Naruto and Itachi whilst Naruto is trying to carry Itachi across a bridge so that he can win the race across Tea Country. However, Jonin attacks the pair with a deadly sword that cannot be destroyed or broken. Naruto attacks Jonin with everything that he has many times, and still hasn’t even made Jonin really move much. Then out of no-where Naruto’s friends turn up and battle Jonin. Unfortunately they don’t do much better; however, they do make a crack in the sword. Naruto who attacks Jonin and wins, whilst doing this Itachi realises a few home truths and they win the race notices this.

Predictable and contrived. However, the rest of the episodes are as if an entirely different production team and script team have made them, as they are vastly more interesting. Following from episode three on the first volume, otherwise known as episode 107, the show starts to follow the manga again and much of the second disc is taken up by Saskue’s emotional turmoil and his jealously of Naruto.

A lot of character development is spent in many of the episodes, and most of the main cast are fleshed out more. Neki, Shikamaru and Choji, who were once very much one-dimensional characters, actually have backstory and motives. This leads to more emotional conflict within the group and the volumes are at their peak when the battle between Rock Lee and Garra occurs during the Chuunin exam.

It’s clear that by now the voice-acting cast are very comfortable in their roles and their respective characters, and this is portrayed well. The English cast are now well put together; however, some voices still don’t really suit the characters in comparison to the Japanese cast. Fortunately though the actual quality of the voice cast is strong enough to put aside these reservations.

Throughout the animation is smooth and of a solid quality – which is rare for a show of this length. The characters remain distinct and at no point drab, the battle scenes are very well animated and there are not minutes of powering up either. Thankfully.

» Final Score

7

For Naruto fans this is a must as it’s really the climax of a lot of the show, as from this point onwards the filler episodes start to rear their ugly heads. The emotional attachment to the characters, and the newly fleshed out supporting cast make this an important volume in the series and it’s fortunately been done with a lot of attention.