Peach Pit dazzled fans with DEARs, and this was reinforced with a fine anime adaptation.  Now, ROZEN MAIDEN, released by Geneon, is stepping up to the head of line of anime series destined to occupy a big place in your heart.  Based closely on the manga, which was billed as a ‘metaphysical comedy about the trials of loneliness and Internet shopping’, ROZEN MAIDEN is mostly about lost souls finding their way back to happiness.  Overcoming mistrust, sharing love, pain and peril, the characters- ranging from the humans in the story to some mysterious and dangerously cute doll-like beings let loose on the world where they wage a war amongst themselves- ROZEN MAIDEN is a delight from beginning to end.  

The main character in this tale is Jun Sakurada.  He is a shut in, avoiding school, avoiding friends and behaving badly towards his loving and long suffering older sister.  Jun amuses himself by ordering items from shops on line, and returning them again just before the ‘cooling down’ period expires (about 30 days).  One day, however, he encounters a website that intrigues him with a request that states simply “Wind or not wind,” Jun check ‘Wind” and, turning his back, finds a box containing a gorgeous Goth Loli doll suddenly sitting in his room.  Unpacking her, he quickly discovers 1) she cannot be returned, and 2) she can be brought to life by winding a special key.  Ahhh… so that was what the “Wind” part was all about!  Doing so brings to life the doll, who immediately slaps Jun, and then starts bossing him around.  When things settle, Jun discovers this doll is named Shinku- the fifth doll of the Rozen Maidens, who forces him to declare his loyalty to her and her Rosa Mystica, which she needs to stay ‘alive’.  Jun knows he’s going to have his hands full. 

Almost immediately adopted by Shinku as a servant, Jun is verbally abused, tested against a variety of threats and dropped headfirst into the battle brewing between Shinku and her sisters over the collective Rosa Mystica amongst them.  Jun must protect Shinku, if necessary, with his life, especially when Suigintou, one of Shinku’s sisters, shows up and starts making trouble for them both.  When Jun’s sister discovers Shinku is a ‘living doll’, the complications increase as she becomes utterly besotted by her.  Jun has no choice but to become more involved in life and more proactive in his personality.  He cannot turn back the clock now the Rozen Maidens have arrived, no matter how much he fights it.  His fate becomes intertwined with theirs, especially as with each episode at least one new character is introduced.  For example, there is the needy Hinaichigo, who belongs to Tomoe, a childhood friend of Jun.  Shinku compels Hinaichigo to become her servant after defeating her in a dangerous battle called the Alice Game.  (The alternative is to become an ordinary lifeless doll.).  Hinaichigo agrees, and they move into Jun’s room- with predictable results.  There is also the cute, but human hating and slightly potty-mouthed Suiseiseki, who can see the emptiness in Jun’s heart as a kind of wilting plant.  Finally, there is, as noted, the clearly demented Suigintou, who makes one direct appearance through a mirror in a closet, but who often manifests her mayhem through the possession of other dolls.  (Her calling card is a carpet of black feathers left in her wake.)

Of course, there are many mysteries to be solved.  Who created the Rozen Maidens?  Why are they here?  What is their real purpose?  Such is the fodder of entertaining storytelling in any genre, and ROZEN MAIDEN, the anime, does not disappoint.

ROZEN MAIDEN wastes no time in setting the tone of the story and getting the characters into play.  It follows the timeline of the manga very closely, with a few embellishments that anime can deliver in padding a story so much better than a manga.  However, as in the manga, once Shinku is delivered into Jun’s hands, you know the series is going to be a treat, full of action, comedy and mystery.  Jun and his sister Nori, voiced expertly by Mona Marshall and Minx Lee respectively, bring these characters to life convincingly, sounding just as I imagined they would.  Shinku, voiced by Mela Lee, has just enough clip in her slightly accented voice to give this demanding doll the edge she needs in the anime.  The Foley sound also deserves credit.  When Shinku slaps Jun with her doll hand, it makes the cutest little tap sound instead of the ‘thwack!’ one might expect.  That comes as she later whips her long hair around to lash Nori when she gets too close in one scene.  (They may be dolls, but like a certain Chucky in a certain horror franchise, they know how to defend themselves- even if they can’t reach a door handle without using a cane!) 

The art work in the anime is designed to support the generally lighthearted tone of the series, but the artists clearly know when to ramp up the black backgrounds or twisted otherworldly scenes when needed to create an effectively surreal or dark setting.  The attention to detail with the dolls is exquisite- a word that kept coming to mind regarding the overall look of the piece.  This series is a joy to watch just for the high production values alone.  It is engaging, fast paced, funny, and very pretty to look at.  Now the themes are not exactly to this reviewer’s personal tastes, but they make an effective counterpoint to the visuals in the series, and bring some pop music into the score, which, for the most part is very conventional, with orchestrations and pleasing themes reprised throughout the episodes. 

Extra features in the disk include a non-credit opening, which showcases some beautiful animation, and Geneon previews.  Knowing there is an art book connected to the series in existence, one hopes some of the designs may eventually find their way into an extras section on a future disk.  The release timelines for the series are included in an attractively designed insert that has a poster inside.  It would appear ROZEN MAIDEN will be released fairly quickly, with the second disk already for release sometime this month.  Not wanting to sound like a fanboy, but this reviewer can hardly wait.

IN SUMMARY:
Pure magic and mayhem from beginning to end, ROZEN MAIDEN will enthrall you with its lush visuals and loveable characters.  Sit down, make some tea, and let these lovely dolls wind you up with their winning ways.

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