 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | ADV FILMS | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANES DD 5.1 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 100 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV 14 | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 04/17/07 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/18/07 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Murder most foul, supernatural cults moving behind the scenes, betrayal within a secret organization and the spirit of a beloved sister reaching from beyond the grave for vengeance most bloody – this is the mesmerizing and astonishing world of Le Chevalier. And this is only its beginnings.
D’Eon is slowly coming to terms with being possessed by the vengeful ghost of his murdered sister. Yet when his latest mission for the Secret du Roi goes afoul, he is given a choice no one wants: a suicide mission or imprisonment in the Bastille and death. Still searching for answers regarding the heinous murder of his sister, D’Eon goes on orders to Russia, a mission likely to succeed in his death. But there he will find a chance to learn of Lia’s life at the Russian court and perhaps discover the disturbing truth behind not only the Royal Psalms that he was sent to retrieve, but also who murdered Lia. With the clues pointing more and more towards a traitor with the Secret du Roi itself and reaching across Europe, can D’Eon know who to trust as he takes on the guise of his sister and infiltrates the Russian court? The road itself will prove perilous. With supernatural evil brewing, death coming, and haunted by Lia and her anguish and wrath, D’Eon must find his way through a maze of deadly politics and even deadlier secrets if he hopes to avenge his sister, let alone save himself.
Few anime display such complex and immersing story telling. For fans of such sophisticated and mature shows such as Gilgamesh, Ghost in the Shell: SAC, and Gankutsuou, this series is definitely something you will not want to miss out on. The deeper into the maze of secrets D’Eon travels, the more dangers he faces. We can see him already becoming stronger and more sure of himself as he prepares to take the perilous road he has chosen. He also is growing more accepting of Lia’s possession of his body. But as more hints of her life as a spy are revealed, will he be able to retain the same feelings of devotion he holds for her now? It is a fascinating and completely unique relationship to watch develop as he gets to know the adult Lia after her death, haunted by her tortured soul. And D’Eon, gentle, innocent, more comfortable wielding a pen than a sword, he is changing. Will it be for the better? Or is this his first steps down a road that will lead only to madness?
The secondary characters are just as intriguing. Queen Marie of France with her own occult bent shows a particular interest in the ghost of Lia and encourages D’Eon’s possession. But for what purpose? In Russia, The Empress reveals the she was quite close to Lia. But was Lia a confidante or something more? Could she even have been a traitor to France? The possibilities are wickedly thrilling. This show has a way of getting into your system and not letting you go.
Part of the reason for its powerful story telling is the excellent use of the mysteries surrounding such a pivotal point in Western history. Those years before the French Revolution were rich with not only pending upheaval, but major changes within society on several fronts: political, religious, social, artistic, and more. The anime blends these creatively with supernatural terrors, a murder mystery, and touches on the invigorating curiosities of conspiracies involving the Freemasons, the Secret du Roi and more. All this combined with the incredible music, superb animation and astonishing story makes Le Chevalier an anime masterpiece.
EXTRAS:
Again Le Chevalier hosts a plethora of extras. The second disc case continues in the same rich look of having a handsome marbled slip cover with gold foil filigree; this time the marbled look is colored blue. The insert is a booklet that contains credits of the cast and crew, character sketches with character background notes, accessory design sketches, key words used in the anime, text interview with Tow Ubakata (Creator, Series Planning, Original Story), and several pages of Yasuyuki Muto’s script translated into English.
On the actual DVD, bonus features include previews, clean opening and closing animation, Historical Notes, a preview of volume 3 of the next Chevalier set of episodes, and Japanese Promo Event which shows an event that includes a look at the lobby display set up for Le Chevalier and video of the Japanese cast and crew interviews done before the viewing audience at the theater. There is also the sexy Crossed Swords and Cross-Dressing photo shoot. The first part of this photo shoot has the leads, Taylor Hannah (Lia) and David Matranga (D’Eon) each dressed in alluring drag as befits their characters. David is boldly dressed in a dark crimson dress, while Taylor Hannah looks absolutely seductive in a male black suit and tie. This is a fabulous addition that is a sign of the flair and creativity only seen in Director Steven Foster’s works. He has shown similar innovativeness with the extras included in Steel Angel Kurumi and Gilgamesh. It always adds that little extra je ne c’est quoi to any series he puts this type of extra artistic attention to.
Not done yet, there are still more extras! There are also two commentaries by the English cast and crew. The first is Conversations with Knights: The Swordsmen of Le Chevalier which is an episode commentary with Steven Foster (ADR Director) and John Swasey (Teillagory). The second commentary is The Royal Mystique: Commentary with the Royal Women of Le Chevalier and has Steven Foster joined by Donna Hannah (Empress Elizaveta of Russia).
IN SUMMARY:
Le Chevalier is one of the best anime of the year. With sophisticated storytelling to match Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and political intrigues and religious conspiracies to rival The DaVinci Code, this is one of the most stunning stories to grace anime. Le Chevalier is an arresting anime masterpiece.
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