▪	RELEASED BY:		ADV FILMS
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 5.1
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		100 MIN
		▪	RATING:		T
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		11/13/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		10/08/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

From Oriental Light and Magic comes a full-length anime feature about a lone warrior and the strange living weapon he commands. Blade of the Phantom Master is distinguished by great character designs, an involving plot, and plenty of action.

In the ashes of justice, two heroes stand alone. Long ago, the legends say there was a secret army that watched over the land. Unseen until needed, these warriors struck from the shadows, protecting justice and defending the Jushin Empire from both tyrants and thieves. They were called the Amen Osa, the Phantom Masters.

But now Jushin has fallen, its kingdoms destroyed and its citizens left to the mercy of zombies, beasts and sadists. Yet from the ashes of destruction, a hero has appeared to defend the people. His name is unknown, and no man knows who he serves, but there are clues – the strange symbol he wears around his neck and the female living weapon he commands. Amidst a maelstrom of death, the warrior clashes with wasteland cannibal nomads from beneath the desert sands. Together with his Sando, a beautiful but deadly human weapon, this warrior saves thousands from the evil dictator that destroyed his master. In the end, he battles legions of the damned in a magical underworld created in the minds of the living dead. Could he be the very last of the Amen Osa? The answer will only be revealed when the battle of the Phantom Master is unleashed on those that would threaten the peace of Jushin.

Fans of full-length anime features, especially those of fantasy and adventure, will be very pleased to know that Blade of the Phantom Master is coming out from ADV Films in November. It’s a stylish film about a lone warrior and his travels across vast lands to make peace with his past and bring peace to his homeland. At heart, it is an action/adventure piece with a bit of fantasy and Asian mysticism thrown in for good measure. Powerful warriors, dictators and demons clash in many a fierce battle to decide the fate of the land and the innocent people that make it their home through thick and thin. The animation is pretty top notch and really excels during fight scenes. Visual concepts for the secret army, the main characters, and even some of the more minor (yet very interesting) characters are fairly unique and will grasp a lot of viewer’s imaginations. Fight scenes can be a bit brutal when it comes to violence – but this is of course an anime, so go figure. There’s even a portion where an unfortunate young man is cut down and eaten alive by desert trolls – at least until he is blown up by thirty pounds of dynamite and the trolls with him.
The dialogue is good, and not everything about the story and the characters is revealed right away. This brings some mystery and uncertainty to the plot, allowing the viewer to make some guesses about different motivations and what dark secrets may be laying in waiting for the lone warrior and his female counter part.  It’s a fairly entertaining film to take up an evening time slot in any anime fan’s viewing schedule. It also gives the feel of something that could become a series or spawn a number of other movies – so hopefully we can look forward to a continuation of this story that already shows so much potential to expand.

EXTRAS:
“Making Of” Video, storyboards, production sketches, interviews with the Japanese cast, original Japanese theatrical trailers and TV spots, clean closing animation, clean opening animation, ADV previews and DVD credits.

IN SUMMARY:
Blade of the Phantom Master packs a whole lot of punch into one full-length feature. Fantasy, Asian mysticism, mystery, big fights and a knack for good storytelling make this feature a well rounded hit that will appeal to a wide range of anime fans.