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TACTICS (VOL. 3) [ADVANCE REVIEW] |
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Sunday, 31 December 2006 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | ANCHOR BAY / MANGA ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 1.78:1 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 5.1 & 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 125 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | NR | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 01/23/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 01/01/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Suspenseful supernatural tales, spooky animation, and beautiful and frightening demonic creatures, both good and evil, make Tactics a compelling viewing experience. Fresh off the cliffhanger of the last volume, both Haruka the Black Goblin, and the mystic powered human Kantaro are being seduced by deadly females. Or are they? The story of the Will of the Winds is a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. Then the survivors are off to investigate a mansion involving a garden of roses and a beautiful woman. She wants Haruka, but the reasons why may not be what you think. Next, a ghost ship appears in the middle of a forest near Mount Fuji. Powerful creatures have laid a deadly trap for Haruka, the question remains why? Our heroes do not escape unscathed. After these tense episodes, we are given a mild respite with more comedic toned moments such as Kantaro’s lively editor, Miss Reiko, being possessed by a book. Last in this volume of supernatural riddles is a trip to a summer cottage that Suzu holds precious. However, when frightening memories resurface, a disturbing mystery begins to unfold…
Throughout, the animation provides an ominous ghostly atmosphere during the many serious moments to create a frightening delight for fans of this genre. At times intense, often suspenseful, Tactics provides many compelling mysteries to unravel. The, dare I say, ‘lighter’ episodes such as the demon book, gives us some insight into the life of the lovely Miss Reiko, while the last episode gives a chance for Suzu to be given some background development. The part that stands out in this volume is the ongoing plot of the powerful Lord Raiko and his demon confederates trying to trap Haruka. The question that has yet to be answered is why they so aggressively covet the Black Goblin.
The blend of supernatural horrors, mystical mysteries and the occasional comedic relief gives the anime an involving spell to weave over the audience. Although some of the comedy and the investigation of otherworldly disturbances give Tactics some similarity to Loki Ragnarok, it is more serious, with mostly adult characters and a predominantly more mature storyline emerging. Some of the stories have frightening moments that could disturb some viewers. This stronger horror theme brings it closer to Vampire Princess Miyu, without being as horrifically intense as Miyu, yet still enjoyable for those who like horror genres; especially ones with Asian supernatural creatures. Tactics stands on its own as a suspenseful anime series filled with beautiful characters, not many that are human, and deadly mysteries to investigate.
EXTRAS:
Bonus features include an image gallery, trailers, original Japanese TV commercials, original Japanese merchandise ads, image gallery, and original music video “Premonition Infinity” which is a character song sung by Yoko the demon fox girl (Japanese voice actress Tomoko Kawakami).
IN SUMMARY:
Tactics takes a deadly step forward with a more intense ongoing story line emerging involving the handsome Black Goblin Haruka and those who are willing to destroy Kantaro to get him! |
