▪	RELEASED BY:		FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH DD 5.1 AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		325 MIN
		▪	RATING:		TV MA
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		12/15/2009
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		01/31/2010
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

At the dusty border crossroads where ancient spirits and modern science meet, a storm of conspiracy is brewing low in the desert sky. Someone out there can explain the hazy mysteries of Ellis’ past. If she and Nadie just keep moving south, the Hunter and the Witch will get their answers soon enough.

Contains the first 13 episodes on 2 discs in a slim pack thin box set.

REVIEW:
El Cazador de la Bruja is the final installment in the trilogy of girls with guns from Bee Train and director Kouichi Mashimo. First there was Noir, the tale of an assassin and a girl with a link to the killer’s tragic past, then there was Madlax, a story of a war torn area, a girl and a mercenary, and now fans have El Cazador. It is the story of a girl with a bounty on her head for a murder she can’t remember committing. Ellis is a quiet girl with strange powers but no memory of where they came from or who she is. Nadie is a rough talking, good-hearted bounty hunter who is hired to care for Ellis and stop the other bounty hunters from getting the girl. Nadie is taken with Ellis right from the start despite her gruff talk. When the girl only knows that she is drawn south, south it is for these two ladies as they journey to find answers to the past while fighting off all manner of threats in the present.

The anime series is a much lighter tone than the other two previous titles (Madlax and Noir). The body count is far, far lower for one thing, but another difference is the surprisingly plentiful comedy found in the show. Ellis and Nadie are a duo that bicker, banter, and share misadventures in between dealing with dire threats to their lives and trying to unravel a dangerous mystery involving Ellis. They run out of money at different points and work at taco places for gas money. There is a running gag about a taco song and calling each other taco heads. Ellis may have amnesia but she is witty and has her share of deadpan humor when bickering with the reckless Nadie. It gives the show more of a buddy flick feel that the more suspense ridden thrillers of the previous Bee Train titles. Their relationship is fun and sweet.

Another gag involves two transvestite bounty hunters who show up periodically, always one step behind, in their bumbling attempts to get the young women on their hit list. Overall the sense of humor which is fairly consistent throughout the series helps bolster it up to a more fun adventure feel to the anime than one might expect from the makers of Madlax and Noir. It helps set El Cazador apart and demonstrates that it is setting its own unique tone to the girls-with-guns genre.

During their travels, many episodes are stand alone stories that depict the people the girls meet and end up helping out or having to fight.  At one point Nadie helps reunite a retired bounty hunter with her daughter, help a man assaulted at a taco stand who waxes sentimental about his wife, and help a girl when they are all trapped in a silver mine. It’s not all fun and helpful people and sentimental good times. Drama and angst do enter the show at various points and with increasing frequency as it gets towards the halfway point in the series. This is seen when Nadie runs into an old flame and it spells tragedy for young lovers. A false witch trying to take advantage of a town gets into real trouble and tries to drag Ellis in on it. A son hoping to save his dying father attempts to have Ellis save him after he witnesses her healing powers work on a shot Nadie.

The biggest and driving drama in the series is of course the mystery around Ellis. Did she commit murder? Who is she? What is she? As the dangers mount, they are shadowed by an exceptionally creepy young man who appears to know who Ellis is and what she can do. He’s deadly, psychotic, and obsessed with her. He works for Rosenberg, who is portrayed as the villain of the piece, but his true objectives are still unknown. And then there’s Blue-eyes. She’s the enigmatic women who was working undercover but is soon seen to be a woman who is an agent for a secret organization involving witches and they have a keen interest in Ellis. The first half of the series (the end of this box set) ends with Ellis and Nadie discovering an abandoned lab that is not so empty after all. Nadie is busy fighting off armed men while Ellis confronts the killer that’s been following them all this time, L.A. He tells her where they both came from at the same time that Nadie learns the truth behind Ellis’ past through evidence found in the lab. Both are reunited and go on their way, but without telling each other what they have learned. Nadie made a curious decision regarding the evidence of Ellis’ past, and the two leave the area keeping secrets from each other even while they have shown their devotion to their partnership.

It is an interesting animation. The story does a good job of keeping its mystery. Agendas are still guarded closely and the two females have bonded over their trials even while the truth could pull them apart. The show has humor, drama, suspense, and a nice share of action and of course, girls with guns.

Because Bee Train did the production fans of Madlax and Noir can expect more John Woo like moments between assassins and bounty hunters, witches and killers. The anime is set in either central or southern America. This is never stated but the Spanish languages used and many references certainly suggest it. Due to the desert like setting there are a lot of yellows and ochre used in the overall animation palette. It has flair to it that is eye catching. Bee Train did many other favorite titles along with the Noir, Madlax, and El Cazador femme fatales series. Bee Train has worked on all of the hack.//sign animation series, as well as Blade of the Immortal, and Murder Princess. El Cazador is filled with interesting angles for the images, used effectively to convey disconcerting or apprehensive moments as well as fast paced action.

For fans of Madlax and Noir, they’ll recognize the type of music used in El Cazador. However for some reason the music doesn’t stand out as much in this series as it did in the previous two. El Cazador’s story and sense of adventure however more than make up for it.

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include reverse cover art, opening and ending songs without text, trailers, and English cast commentary on episode 1 by Christopher Bevins (ADR Director/voice of Schneider), Trina Nishimura (Nadie), and Maxey Whitehead (Ellis).

IN SUMMARY:
El Cazador de la Bruja is the third in the set of girls with guns anime series by the makers of Madlax and Noir.