 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 4:3 FULL SCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 300MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | T+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 04/29/008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/25//2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
SYNOPSIS:
High school student Kazuki Muto thinks he’s saving a girl from a monster, but it turns out that he’s the one who needs saving! Kazuki is killed while fighting a homunculus, a malevolent creature that feeds on humans. The girl, Tokiko Tsumura, revives him by replacing his heart with an alchemical device called a kakugane. With this device Kazuki can create his own Buso Renkin, an alchemical weapon in the form of a huge lance, capable of destroying homunculi. With his new weapon in hand, Kazuki decides to join forces with Tokiko to eliminate the homunculi and destroy their master, the strange and eccentric Papillon Masked Creator! Contains the first 13 episodes on 3 discs.
REVIEW:
The anime is based off of the ten volume manga series by Nabuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin (both manga series are also available from Viz). Not only does the anime come from the same mind as the incredibly popular Kenshin, Viz has added to its appeal even further by offering the twenty-six episode series in two thirteen episode box sets. There’s a lot more bang for the buck and less wait time for those wanting to see all the show has to offer. And it offers a great deal in imagination and sheer zany energy. Buso Renkin begins with the death of the hero. Kazuki dies trying to save the stoic military minded Alchemist Warrior Tokiko. She brings him back to life with one of the few and highly guarded alchemic black kakugane. It offers him not only a second chance at life, but the ability to create his own Buso Renkin weapon. Something he’ll have to do quickly as the homunculi gather to take away his friends and family and start to threaten the world. It’s an action show through and through. And it offers two things the action genre can sometimes lack: imagination and zany comedy. The Buso Renkin weapons are unique to each person and unique also in their creative designs. Tokiko has a Valkyrie Skirt which looks like two metal braces on her upper thighs, almost like metal garters, that branch out into wicked and long claw like bladed weapons. In training to be an Alchemy Warrior in order to protect everyone, Kazuki has a lance as well as a glowing scarf that make up his alchemic weapon. One wouldn’t think there would be a lot of room for comedy in an anime about two people battling human eating monsters, and yet Watsuki has introduced a completely off-the-wall comedy in some of the unlikeliest places – the villains. The first arc of the series shows Kazuki’s introduction to the fight against homunculi, his training to get stronger, and the ever increasing foes that he must stop. They go up against not one, but two big leaders in the villain category in the first thirteen episodes. The first and most memorable is Papillon. There aren’t enough words in the English language to convey just how outrageous this character is. He becomes obsessed with Kazuki and it becomes such an odd antagonism-turned-adoration to a degree that by the end of this box set, Papillon actually helps Kazuki. We get a lot of Papillon’s background in order to understand and perhaps sympathize with him better, but the voice, that outfit, and his behavior are out of this world! The next foe, Moon Face, is just as strange and over the top. Even the heroes show some of those qualities, particularly with one of the main leaders of the Alchemy Warriors, Capt. Bravo. It is this very larger-than-life stamp that sets the show apart from the average action genre in anime. Kazuki is a very likeable hero. He’s reckless but with the best of intentions. He wants to save all humans. Even when it comes to his enemies, like the formidable twins, he shows a compassionate side that rankles Tokiko’s hard soldier ways, but ultimately wins her over. Tokiko is enigmatic. Where did she come from? What is her history? How did she become an Alchemy Warrior? She says little, but it’s with delicious excess during the previews for the episodes that she ends off her narration with “I’ll splatter your…guts!!” The music has that same largesse with an opening that seems more apropos to a larger than life mecha anime but seems to suit this over-the-top action series just as well. The animation is great, with fantastic skyscapes, lightning fast moves, and ability to capture the manga’s original designs. Production was done by XEBEC who also did such highly respected anime series as DNAngel, Martian Successor Nadesico, Love Hina and Negima. It is glossy and vibrant and suits the high energy of the show. The anime also holds several references to Rurouni Kenshin so listen carefully. It also has Buso Renkin Corner which is an omake narrated by Michiru (Kazuki’s little sister) and serves the function of the Buso Renkin Files from the manga, giving viewers inside information about the various Buso Renkin weapons and homunculi seen throughout the show.
EXTRAS:
The box set comes with a lot of extras and spiffy packaging. The slip case is embossed and sports a shiny reflective metal look. The inside DVD case holding all three DVDs opens up with trays like a book, each DVD tray like a ‘page’ with character art throughout. I find this much easier than the fold out case types. The box set also holds three exclusive full color art postcards showcasing the various characters of the show. Within the DVDs themselves there are many extras. Some are the usual, like Viz manga ads and anime trailers, other bonus features include three different audio commentaries. The first is one episode 1 with Steve Cannon (Kazuki) and Tara Platt (Tokiko) whom Naruto fans might recognize as the voice of Tenmari. On episode 6 with Spike Spencer (Papillon) and Rene Vielleux (ADR Director) who previously worked on Prince of Tennis. And the final commentary is on episode 9 with Rene Vielleux, this time joined by Donald Roman Lopez (Script). The final feature is a Behind the Scenes with the English voice cast and staff. This includes everyone who was on the commentaries (with the odd exception of Steve Cannon) and additionally Patrick Seitz (Capt. Bravo), Chris Smith (Moon Face), and Kelly Lake (Dr. Butterfly) who does the voice of Jiraiya in Naruto and the voice of Kenpachi in Bleach.
IN SUMMARY:
Buso Renkin is an anime that has fierce action and outrageous comedy for a winning combination.
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