▪	RELEASED BY:		ADV FILMS
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH AND JAPANESE  DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		100 MIN
		▪	RATING:		TV MA
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		02/19/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		05/28/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		SCOTT CAMPBELL

The story of Tokyo Majin is wrought with mystery and just hints of information as it flows along. Not knowing everything all at once gives this series a fair amount of suspense, making it much more enjoyable. It’s easy to get wrapped up in a story that you really have to think about as a viewer. The basic idea, if we’re to put it into laments terms, is that five high school students from the Tokyo area get accidentally (or by fate) thrown into an ongoing battle with once human zombies and powerful demons (school safety tip #1: “Don’t let the zombies eat you”). So, corpses of the un-dead scour the city at the bidding of inhuman masters, seeking a power that will trigger the final apocalypse. Our five high school heroes must use their new found powers and a bit of bad attitude to fight through the back alleys of Japan – places that are about to become the site of the biggest supernatural rumble ever. All these kids know is that they must continue to fight and stick together. They are weak by themselves, but by combining all of their skills, they become a formidable fighting force.

In volume two, the fight against what is evil in Tokyo becomes frighteningly more serious. As a mist envelops Tokyo, new waves of monstrosities emerge from the shadows. Preying on the souls of the living, wearing forms both bestial and human, they converge in an unholy alliance to strike against the one force that may be able to stop them: the students of Tokyo Majin. Now guided by an old friend versed in the Dark Arts, the five students of Magami High must face the renewed fury of demon beasts, psychic-powered delusionals and insect girls as they burn a path towards their ultimate nemesis. And while they have the courage of a hundred, the bloody battles of this holy war will take their toll, and not even Tokyo Majin will have the strength to survive against an endless army of the demons unscathed. The scales tip towards the side of darkness in the second stunning volume of this already very engrossing series – it’s really not to be missed.

The fight sequences and action bits in volume one were animated in a wildly dynamic manner, but this next volume really takes it up a notch. It’s very positive to see a series build and build in relation to its proficiency and entertainment value. Everything shakes and moves and it’s like the fight is trying to explode out of the screen. It’s everything an action fan could ask for from a big fight between beings with powers beyond that of reality. So, the action sequences are amazing, but surprisingly enough that isn’t the only good thing about this beautifully animated bit of work. The story is involving and the characters have personalities that really stand out and are unique from each other. Even though the setting and situation of the show is something that couldn’t actually happen in real life, the characters themselves are still very believable when it comes down to it. They have many horrible tasks and fights to get through and accomplish, but they aren’t always gung-ho about it. They are sometimes unsure, especially the girls – they are frightened and unsure of what is happening to them and around them. Any normal person would question these things, so it’s nice to see the characters having some moments of weakness because it’s just so much more realistic in relation to the human psyche. Things relating to character’s minds and the link between their thoughts and supernatural occurrences are pretty cool. One character in volume two exists mostly in a dream world in another dimension that has been formed by his mind. He puts Aoi in a coma so that he can take her to his dream world and keep her for his own. She was the only person that was nice to him when he was younger, but the abuse he has endured made him selfish and not really all quite “there.” The group enters his dream world and convinces him to stop and let Aoi go through force and talk, and he returns to the real world as the dream world collapses. It’s interesting concepts like that which really keep this shoe going, and the viewer interested.

Beyond all that, the emotions, human movement, etc. are all done in a way that is both entertaining and shows high production values within the animation. The people responsible for this one said to themselves: “Lets set out to make the next big hit in anime – lets make a TV series with animation that is close to movie quality!” And they’ve done it. It looks great in every sense, and it’s exciting to watch. Just as a side note, it gets its mature rating due to a fair amount of colorful language and just as much violence and a bit of blood. But that all totally makes sense – you’d be using some colorful language too if you were caught up in some of the zombie horde/demon crushing situations that these unfortunate high school kids get themselves into.

The animation is flawless – a very visually appealing work. The story is suspenseful from the start, and the mysteries waiting to be unlocked would make anyone feel the need to see the next volume as soon as they can get their hands on it. This is a great action series with time and thought out into the characters to make it well rounded and very much worth your time. Something this good is often hard to put into words – so just go out and see it!

IN SUMMARY:
Tokyo Majin is a visually engrossing work with equally interesting characters and a rocky plot that keeps you guessing what fate will befall the world they live in. It screams high production values through and through, and so it is well worth your attention. Bleach fans shouldn’t even consider passing this one up!