BigShot Jordan
07-12-00, 08:37 PM
here is my review of the best OVA series i have ever seen:
Usually, a very successful run produces a couple of OVAs (Orignal Video Animations -- straight to video releases) which is, if we're lucky, a couple of add-on stories with better than usual animation. The Kenshin OVAs far surpasses the usual.
Instead of throwing a bone to us Kenshin dogs, SONY went back and cooked a filet mignon steak. They threw away the comedy and came back with a production far superior to its own (and others') series. The OAVs do exactly what we wish for in OAVs. A story so good, it makes the TV episodes that came before it even better when you watch them again! Going back to the origin of Kenshin, you live through his past with him and see exactly who he is and how he came to be that way. The personality is so well-characterized in the OAVs, when you watch the TV episodes again you see Kenshin as not just a character— but a real person striving to live a domestic life to wash away the blood from his past.
What about the story? It has more of everything (except comedy). The fight scenes are smoother, bloodier, and more exciting. They went all out for music to enhance the already deep tale of Kenshin's past. And the drama bites more deeply. For the first time, not only do you see a master swordsman — but you see a child that's slowly going insane from all the killing. And the love that develops between Tomoe and Kenshin is like a warm blanket on a snowy night. There are also cool guest appearances of the Oniwa Banshu (maybe. they never really figure out who the guy was), Saitoh and the Shinsen Gumi.
This OVA does what a good OVA should do. Instead of trying to make each episode a glorified TV series episode, the four OVAs come together almost as if they were four pieces of a movie. In fact, if we were to take the four OVA episodes and splice them into one long, two hour show, this indeed would make for a grand anime movie. The character are there, the flow and pacing are certainly there, and the quality is absolutely something that I could see from a movie. Ahh, the quality. Here is where Samurai X reduces so many other anime titles to fodder just as Kenshin swings his blade through his opponents. Never once is this show not an utter treat for the eyes. Looks good? Certainly. Animates good? Absolutely. This is an anime title that knows what its doing, that always has a great level of animation yet knows when to really crank up the power. Fight scenes are as elegant and choreographed as a ballet, nevermind the carnage and trails of blood flying through the air. Remember when you first saw the first episode of Cowboy BeBop, and were amazed at the fabulous outdoor cafe fight scene that Spike got himself in? Remember the great camera angles, the pans, the way it flowed and moved so well and just looked so great? Every fight scene in this is like that.
The music is excellent as well.It avoides the J-pop influenced music from the t.v. series and goes for a more melancholic and classical feel that really goes well with this OVA.I even bought the soundtrack and it is truly superb.
take all that i said and combine it with some great dubbing and you have the best OVA over the last five years-or-so.
i really reccomend that you get it on DVD too because it looks 1023891 times better on DVD than it does on VHS.
art and animation:10 music:9.5 story:9.7 characters:9.6 originality:9.8 overall(not an average):9.8
A+
feel free to comment,see you space cowboys.
Usually, a very successful run produces a couple of OVAs (Orignal Video Animations -- straight to video releases) which is, if we're lucky, a couple of add-on stories with better than usual animation. The Kenshin OVAs far surpasses the usual.
Instead of throwing a bone to us Kenshin dogs, SONY went back and cooked a filet mignon steak. They threw away the comedy and came back with a production far superior to its own (and others') series. The OAVs do exactly what we wish for in OAVs. A story so good, it makes the TV episodes that came before it even better when you watch them again! Going back to the origin of Kenshin, you live through his past with him and see exactly who he is and how he came to be that way. The personality is so well-characterized in the OAVs, when you watch the TV episodes again you see Kenshin as not just a character— but a real person striving to live a domestic life to wash away the blood from his past.
What about the story? It has more of everything (except comedy). The fight scenes are smoother, bloodier, and more exciting. They went all out for music to enhance the already deep tale of Kenshin's past. And the drama bites more deeply. For the first time, not only do you see a master swordsman — but you see a child that's slowly going insane from all the killing. And the love that develops between Tomoe and Kenshin is like a warm blanket on a snowy night. There are also cool guest appearances of the Oniwa Banshu (maybe. they never really figure out who the guy was), Saitoh and the Shinsen Gumi.
This OVA does what a good OVA should do. Instead of trying to make each episode a glorified TV series episode, the four OVAs come together almost as if they were four pieces of a movie. In fact, if we were to take the four OVA episodes and splice them into one long, two hour show, this indeed would make for a grand anime movie. The character are there, the flow and pacing are certainly there, and the quality is absolutely something that I could see from a movie. Ahh, the quality. Here is where Samurai X reduces so many other anime titles to fodder just as Kenshin swings his blade through his opponents. Never once is this show not an utter treat for the eyes. Looks good? Certainly. Animates good? Absolutely. This is an anime title that knows what its doing, that always has a great level of animation yet knows when to really crank up the power. Fight scenes are as elegant and choreographed as a ballet, nevermind the carnage and trails of blood flying through the air. Remember when you first saw the first episode of Cowboy BeBop, and were amazed at the fabulous outdoor cafe fight scene that Spike got himself in? Remember the great camera angles, the pans, the way it flowed and moved so well and just looked so great? Every fight scene in this is like that.
The music is excellent as well.It avoides the J-pop influenced music from the t.v. series and goes for a more melancholic and classical feel that really goes well with this OVA.I even bought the soundtrack and it is truly superb.
take all that i said and combine it with some great dubbing and you have the best OVA over the last five years-or-so.
i really reccomend that you get it on DVD too because it looks 1023891 times better on DVD than it does on VHS.
art and animation:10 music:9.5 story:9.7 characters:9.6 originality:9.8 overall(not an average):9.8
A+
feel free to comment,see you space cowboys.