▪	RELEASED BY:		ADV FILMS
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		4:3 FULL SCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH DD 5.1 AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		100 MIN
		▪	RATING:		TV 14
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		10/23/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		09/22/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

Pumpkin Scissors? When you first hear a title like that, you really don’t know what to expect. Right off the bat, we can almost assure you that this new anime from ADV Films has nothing to do with Halloween. Pumpkin Scissors takes place in a war ravaged world much like our own, but set in a period that looks like a mix of Victorian times and the WWII era. Two factions, the Empire and the Republic, have fought a long war against each other for reasons unknown to us at the moment - but then decided to sign a cease-fire agreement since both sides had suffered so much. Pumpkin Scissors mainly takes place in a time three years after this cease-fire had been made. Despite the cease-fire between the two factions, the world is a desolate and violent place. The bloody war between the Empire and the Republic left a deep wound throughout the Empire. In the time after the cease-fire, now known as the “Thin Ice Treaty,” the Empire is still plagued with starvation and disease, while bandits of former soldiers terrorize the populace. The Empire is now fighting another battle to repair the destruction of war. That’s where a special army unit comes in: Imperial Army Intelligence Section III, also know as “Pumpkin Scissors.” The Pumpkin Scissors work together to give war relief to the many people still suffering from the after affects. Many ex-soldiers are now bandits that threaten villages and the people that live there. There are also many tyrannical dictators and nobles within the land that use their power to cause suffering. Beyond those threats from other individuals and groups, the people also suffer from low moral and a sense of hopelessness. The Pumpkin Scissors, vigorously led by the easily excitable 2nd Lieutenant  Alice L. Marvin, are a guiding light to the people of their country, and so the story revolves around this military group’s engagements and trials to help keep peace and hope alive in a world in need of some positive action.

So the story already appears to have a good amount of depth, and certainly won’t be giving us all the answers to the questions that have been raised any time soon. It’s often thrilling not to know everything that may be going on, early in a series – it can really drive you to want to see more. As for rough and tumble bits, Pumpkin Scissors has some truly great action sequences. For anyone that loves mechanical design of weapons, military tanks, etc. Pumpkin Scissors is a must. There are some amazing tank battles between the machines and a single man that have to be seen to understand just how riveting that match up can be. It’s amazing what an oversized hand cannon can do to the occupants of a tank at close range when you’re hanging of the front of the tank’s armor! Another key point that is intriguing, especially for anyone who knows a thing or two about WWII, is that Pumpkin Scissors incorporates a lot of design features, and even backgrounds of characters that relate to the era. Many of the tanks look like they’re right off the German production line from the early 1940’s, and there are a number of the bad guys that actually have German accents and German looking military iconography on their uniforms, etc. It’s interesting to think that there could be a fantasy world where instead of knights and dragons, the world is a bit more like a WWII era Europe, but after the war has ended. It just throws some really interesting elements into a mix that many fans may have not seen before. It’s a cool idea! And as much as the story relates to action and government/military intrigue and cover ups, Pumpkin Scissors is not without laughs and jokes. The group has a messenger dog named Mercury who constantly gets himself in trouble by biting military officials on their balding heads. He’s often demoted for his actions!

The opening sequence is very fitting, being dynamic and with a lot of movement. The closing theme is fun and lightens up the sometimes-serious mood of the series. The music in general is actually fairly good, always helping to bring that extra bit of dramatic push for the fight scenes. The animation is great – as mentioned before, the mechanical designs are so easy to appreciate. Not all anime fans are big on the use of CG animation, but the CG used in Pumpkin Scissors is both seamless and actually really adds to the overall design goodness. The tanks are done in CG and are just stunning. Nothing is jerky or awkward like a lot of shows with CG vehicles. This anime does it right - enough to make you believe that it wouldn’t be as good unless they had been made with CG exclusively. All other elements of the animation are very fluid and well done too. There are even some note worthy flashback/dream sequences where a more  “experimental/art film” style of animation is used, and it’s pretty cool. It’s nice to be surprised by some sudden changes in what you’re seeing like that. All in all, Pumpkin Scissors is an anime with an intriguingly evolving story line and some hair-raising action sequences that really bring this one home. It has a lot of potential to become something of an epic along the lines of Last Exile – just less airships, and more ground shaking tanks. Good stuff!

EXTRAS:
Clean Opening Animation, Clean Closing Animation, ADV Credits, and ADV Previews.

IN SUMMARY:
Pumpkin Scissors is a winning combination of unique concept, great story, and action that is up close and personal. Stellar weapon and tank designs also help to make this series stand out from a crowd – fans of military related anime will eat this one up.