▪	RELEASED BY:		FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		4:3 FULL SCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH DD 5.1 AND JAPANESE DD  2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		600
		▪	RATING:		TV 14
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		02/24/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		01/08/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

REVIEW:
Kurau is an anime that fans of more cerebral and masterful science fiction pieces like Rahxephon and Ghost in the Shell can admire and be thrilled by. It is a dramatic, layered, mature and sensitive story does not talk down to the viewers but rather lifts them up into a world of possibilities, of loss, and of hope.

Kurau’s life as an agent is a dangerous one. She does it for thrills while trying to appease her loneliness while she longs for and waits for her other half, the other half of her binary alien pair to awaken within her. Without her pair she is incomplete, lost, and alone. Outwardly the Rynax combined with the human girl appears cheerful, perceptive, highly intelligent and has a fun sense of humor. She teases her boss and those around her easily, sensitive to the feelings of others while she hides her own. When her pair does arrive as the younger girl Christmas, everything changes. She no longer wants danger. She wants a life of peace and joy with her pair. However, others won’t allow that. The GPO, basically the controlling faction on the planet, wants all Rynax and the organization has a sinister purpose behind its outward agenda. They claim the Rynax are a danger to humans. They claim they need them for energy. The truth will prove to be a far more malicious thing.

Throughout the series Kurau and Christmas fight and flee, going from place to place (Japan, Los Angeles, the Moon, Switzerland). They meet many people along the way including Doug, an agent who could be an ally if they dare trust him. There is also Ayaka who is captain of the GPO unit hunting them down, and the mysterious Inspector Wong, Ayaka’s commander, who has many secrets and an agenda that is his alone separate from the GPO’s.

They don’t only run into humans. An unstable Rynax causes Kurau as well as Ayaka, to question some things and perhaps choose different paths. When Ayaka, Wong and Kurau finally speak face to face, it is a series of shocking revelations about the GPO and their commander – Saito. Ayaka’s plan on revenge, Kurau’s hope for peace, and Wong’s true agenda all must come to terms with the reality before them. Saito’s plans are malevolent and must be stopped, but to do so could mean losing everything each of these people hold dear. For Kurau it was never a choice. Her selflessness is astonishing and often heartbreaking. It is also one of the more inspiring stories in anime today.

The series keeps things believable by not simply painting the brush of “humans bad and greedy” and “Rynax as victims and all are good”. There are few one dimensional characters in this show. Most have layers that bring a large emotional depth to the experience. Instead it shows what happens when some of the Rynax in the final act do not behave like Kurau, but rather have no respect for life on this planet as long as they get to live. With the GPOs Rynax soldiers ready and set to strike, Kurau must fight her own kind in order to save the world and those she loves as well as to stop her fellow Rynax from coming here where it will ruin everything for both sides. The finale is stunning and heartrending. But at the same time it is inspiring, thought provoking and ultimately uplifting in the face of such heroism. It is truly a sci-fi anime that is not to be missed.

It has beautiful music, particularly the stirring opening theme song with stunning animation “Natsukashii Umi” sung by Akino Arai. The emotional ending theme song is “Moonlight” sung by Yukari Katsuki. Both Japanese and English language dialogues are equally impressive. Of note, Monica Rial does a surprising job of voicing the complex and more mature character of Kurau as Ms. Rial is more famous for her cute and higher pitched characters. Jessica Boone does an equally laudable job as Christmas, giving her character the needed range of vulnerability, innocence, and courage the character holds.

The animation is done by Bones, also responsible for other visually striking anime as Wolf’s Rain, Rahxephon, Eureka 7, Cowboy Bebop the movie and Darker Than Black.  The original story is done by BONES and their experience with cerebrally challenging yet perceptive stories continues with Kurau, including into the visual sphere.  The anime has a clean look, far more open than average, less cluttered yet more effective because of it. It also can be seen as a parallel for the “wide world” the Rynax are called to. The big open skies, the large expansive landscapes all give the impression of breadth and scope much wider and loftier than the average scenery in your average anime – Kurau is anything but mediocre. The blue eyes of Kurau are a window into a soul as complicated yet as clean as the blue skies those eyes can represent. Every time the Rynax coalesce, break apart and come together it is a beautiful choreography of light and movement.  The scenery, particularly the moon base, is the stuff of sci fi admirers’ dreams. They are all filled with impressive yet never overwhelming details. The anime embraces the viewer into the world not only with its deft storytelling, but also with its keen use of imagery.

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include reverse cover art, trailers of other anime titles, and clean opening and ending animation.

IN SUMMARY:
One of the more stirring and thought provoking science fiction series of the year.