 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH DD 5.1 AND JAPANESE 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 288 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV 14 | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 06/30/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/28/2009 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
SYNOPSIS:
Kazuma is no stranger to the bitter chill of defeat. Once an heir to the magical Kannagi Clan, he was blown from the ancestral tree by an upstart cousin six years his junior. His lack of fire for the family business didn’t sit well with his old man, so Kazuma was banished from the clan. But now he’s back, risen from the ashes cooler than ever and armed with a powerful new mojo that’s sure to fan the flames of rivalry. Wind magic is the flavor of the hour, and Kazuma plans on using it to settle some old scores. It won’t be easy, but this cold-blooded Romeo has a few tricks – and maybe a tornado or two – up his sleeve.
REVIEW:
Kaze no Stigma (Stigma of the Wind) is a story about redemption, revenge, and power. For Kazuma, it is all elemental, literally. He was ousted from his family, rejected by his own father and banished when he failed a duel with his female cousin to become heir to the Kannagi Clan. They rule the element of fire, showing fantastical skills used to exorcise demons and evil spirits. Four years later he returns, the unwanted exile with the power of wind. The Kannagi’s scoff at his ability, always thinking that fire is by far the most powerful. He quickly proves them wrong. Has he returned to take his place as heir or for revenge? When members of the Kannagi Clan start to turn up dead, assassinated by wind powers, Kazuma is suspect number one. He is both hunter and hunted. He has a cool intellect, and is uneasily fazed by what occurs around him. The deaths do no make him bat an eye. However he doesn’t like being manipulated and so chooses to find out who the murderer is in order to end the person attempting to frame him. He quickly runs into two people who will become main stays in the story. One is the younger brother Ren who is a compassionate and pure soul completely devoted to him and to Ayano, the very same cousin who defeated Kazuma four years ago and she holds the power of the fire sword and is ruled by her own fiery temper. Although the story is a serious action tale adapted from the light novels by Takahiro Yamato and illustrated by Hanamaru Nauto, it has some fun as well. Ayano is an arrogant and reckless girl and her fits of temper are often used to diffuse scenes with comedy. This first half raises a mystery, lays the foundation for a romance, and introduces pivotal characters that could forever affect both Kazuma and Ayano’s lives. The first half can be broken into three story arcs. The first surrounds Kazuma’s arrival and the rebellion (some might say treachery) of the Fuga Clan, the Clan of the Wind. They kidnap Ren in order to use him as a sacrifice and it is up to Kazuma and Ayano to put aside their differences and work together to save the boy who is a little brother to both of them (but not Ayano’s actual brother). During that time, it is discovered the Kazuma is a Contractor, one who has made a pact with the Spirit or God of the Wind, and so wields a far greater power than his fellow elemental users, but clues suggest that it comes at a steep price. In the Misao arc, the second story follows the first closely with the girl Misao looking for revenge upon Kazuma for killing her brother. To do so, she goes to extreme lengths, sacrificing her soul in order to gain the power to avenge her brother. In the shadows is Michael, a devious figure who holds the key to a painful part of Kazuma’s past, a past integral to what will happen in Kazuma’s future. The third and final arc of the box set is the Earth arc involving the Tsuwabuki Clan that controls the element of earth. Having been weakened by the Fuga Clan’s betrayal, the Kannagi family is loath to cause conflict with the other families. However, when Ren becomes involved with a girl named Ayumi who is destined to be a sacrifice, he must choose between familial obligation and what he believes is right. A clone, a plot for power, and a crucial ritual to seal a demon, all converge for an intense action packed season half finale with Ayano and Kazuma fighting to save an enemy and a young girl in light of a greater threat. The anime has interesting and likeable characters, a sound plot, and an unflappable hero with secrets. It has all the ingredients of a strong shonen style anime. The main theme of the overall plot is power. Some want it to seek revenge, others to protect those they love. The search for it and means of getting it destroy some while elevating others. The animation is vivid, with interesting and visceral use of the elemental powers the people command. Done by GONZO (Last Exile, Trinity Blood, Black Cat), the animation delivers well on lovely backgrounds, interesting fantasy elemental qualities in the action, and appealing character designs. It also holds appealing J-pop opening and ending theme songs with dramatic scores for the action scenes. In regards to the animation, keep your eyes peeled whenever it switches to a comic moment, the drawing style of Ayano’s face changes drastically for amusing results every time. Meanwhile the story lays enough clues for viewers to know that there is much to Kazuma’s tale yet to be revealed.
EXTRAS:
Bonus features include reverse cover art, clean opening and ending animation, trailers, and the Ayano café fan events parts 1 to 3. These are videos featuring Ayumi Fujimura (Ayano), Yuka Inokuchi (Yukari) and Shizuka Ito (Nanase). They are fun shorts with the female voice actresses touring the Chinatown district in Kobe. The first part features the actresses in Chinese dresses doing an official interview session, the second part covers their antics in Chinatown, sampling the foods in the evening, and the last part is their humorous clowning around at the hotel in the early morning.
IN SUMMARY:
Kaze no Stigma is an action series sure to appeal to fans of Shakugan no Shana. |
