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UTAWARERUMONO: MASK OF A STRANGER (VOL. 1) [ADVANCE REVIEW] |
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Sunday, 14 January 2007 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | ADV FILMS | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH DD 5.1 AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 125 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV PG | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 01/16/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 01/15/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | ROMMEL SALANDANAN | | |
But why? Why can’t I remember?
- A stranger who has no memories of his past
Words uttered by a man with an unknown past, wears a mask that he cannot remove, and will soon lead a village into a bloody battle.
After being discovered in the forest badly wounded, a young stranger is nursed back to health by Elulu and her grandmother Tusukuru, the leader of the Yamayura village. The village is populated by human beings with distinct hairy pointy ears for males and droopy furry ears and tails for females. The quaint village is under the oppression of the king of the country, as the young stranger will soon find out in his brief encounter with Nuwangi, the son of the feudal lord.
Nuwangi, upset with his confrontation with the stranger, destroys one of the shrines that the village built for Mitikapa, the “guardian of the forest”. She is a beast that’s covered in thick fur that is impenetrable to any sharply pointed weapons. Angered at the destruction of one of her temples, Mitikapa makes her bloody mark. In a ferocious encounter, the masked man finds the beast’s weakness and sets up a trap by putting his life on the line. Gaining the trust of the villagers, the young stranger is named Hakuoro by Tusukuru, after her deceased son.
As Hakuoro becomes part of the village and starts to provide guidance to the town’s people, he is sent to retrieve Tusukuru when she is discovered missing. Hakuoro learns that Tusukuru is visiting a bedridden girl named Yuzaha in a hidden fortress in a forest that is controlled by Yuzaha’s older brother Oboro. Yuzaha’s condition takes a turn for the worst and Tusukuru must provide her with powder from a rare and invaluable stone called “Mui Kowha”. Upon learning of the condition of her sister and the rarity of the stone, Oboro sets forth on a mission to steal valuable materials needed from the feudal lord’s mansion. While trying to escape, Banawi, general of the kingdom’s cavalry, spots him.
Oboro’s actions put the village in trouble. Nuwangi returns to the village with the Feudal Lord Sasante and his forces. But their brief visit turns into an incursion and Tusukuru is put in harms way. After Oboro finds out what’s happened, and feeling the burden of his actions, he goes on a suicide mission to take revenge on Sasante and Nuwangi. Meanwhile, the villagers elect Hakuoro to become their new leader. After what happened to Tusukuru, learning the fate of Oboro and the town’s people’s desire for revenge, Hakuoro make’s a decision that will take them on a one-way path to go against the feudal lord - a battle that will start a bloody insurrection.
Utawarerumono, pronounced “Oo-tah-wah-ray-roo-moe-no,” started in Japan as a successful video game and then it made its way to manga and now to an anime. Unlike its video game predecessor with its linear plots, this series is supported by strong plot and story details that will peak your interest. I’m not a fan of the fantasy genre, but this series intrigues me just like it did when I first saw Escaflowne, nonetheless, it takes it one step further as each episode leads to the next story and takes you and your attention along for the ride.
The opening song is catchy, and the soundtrack gives the viewers the feelings that it is trying to convey with each particular scene. The fighting scenes are clean and easy to watch, and the series didn’t shy away from what it is like to be in battles as blood is gushing in most fight scenes. To balance the violence, there are light hearted and funny scenes to further draw you into its world.
Utawarerumono has the making of becoming the next Escaflowne or even better.
EXTRAS:
A seven-minute fight for the bathroom Omake Theater (subtitled only), glossary of terms to assist you with the series, extended episode previews, Character Art Gallery, ADV previews and DVD credits. Missing is the usual clean closing and opening animation.
IN SUMMARY:
If it is too hard for you to pronounce this powerful and intriguing series, then just call it a DARN GOOD SHOW. |
