XAM'D Lost Memories: Collection 1

Label:

MangaUK

Certificate:

12

Format:

DVD or BluRay

Discs:

2. (13 episodes)

Running time:

303 mins approx

Subtitles:

English

Video:

16:9

Sound:

DVD Eng5.1/Jap2.0, BluRay EngDTS JapDTS

Release date:

18th July 2011

RRP:

DVD £24.99, BluRay £34.99

Actual price:

DVD £15(ish) - Amazon - Play

Actual price:

BluRay £25(ish) - Amazon - Play

XAM'D Lost Memories: Collection 2

Label:

MangaUK

Certificate:

12

Format:

DVD or BluRay

Discs:

2. (13 episodes)

Running time:

303 mins approx

Subtitles:

English

Video:

16:9

Sound:

DVD Eng5.1/Jap2.0, BluRay EngDTS JapDTS

Release date:

5th September 2011

RRP:

DVD £24.99, BluRay £34.99

Actual price:

DVD £15(ish) - Amazon - Play

Actual price:

BluRay £26(ish) - Amazon - Play

Brief synopsis:

The inhabitants of Sentan Island lead a quiet, idyllic lives, their home considered a safe haven nestled between the warring states of the Northern Government and the Southern Continent Free Zone. All this changes when a seemingly terrorist act destroys not only a packed school bus but also the veneer of peace than had previously protected the island.

As the army moves in to “protect” the island from further attacks, teenager Akiyuki finds that his proximity to the initial explosion has left a foreign body embedded in his arm which in times of great stress takes over his mind and body and turns him into a vaguely human shaped weapon of great strength, power and armour. Believing himself to be a danger to those around him, Akiyuki leaves both his friends and his island home behind him as he sets off to find a way to turn him back into a normal human, before his body is taken over completely and he’s permanently turned into stone.

Comments:

Now this, my friends, is one good looking series. If I had to sum it up in one sentence it’d probably be “Bones attempts to do Ghibli - and doesn’t totally cock it up”. It's as if Studio Bones had decided to remake their own previously successful Eureka 7 by merging it with Gonzo’s Last Exile, chucking in some other stuff like (the god awful) Blassreiter and then spending their whole brainstorming-weekend watching Miyazaki’s best Ghibli movies like Nausicaä and Princess Mononoke for heavy lashings of visual inspiration. And if that’s what they were attempting then for the most part they’ve hit that nail squarely on the head, but as they were using some of the staff from Miyazaki’s previous works then the resemblance is to be expected. . The visuals are stunning, spoiling the eyes with the kind of quality you usually only get from a well made ninety minute movie, but this time it lasts pretty much a whole twenty six episodes. The weird and wonderful “monsters” are actually weird and wonderful and both the character and mechanical designs are impressive. But that’s not to say that it’s perfect, far from it - the plot wobbles about a lot, the translation got on people’s nerves, the characters may be just a touch too familiar (they’ve pretty much reused the whole Eureka 7 character list with just a few minor changes) and the ending reeeeealllly needed some work – but it’s much much more hit than miss.

So let’s talk about some of these down sides. First up is the translation(s). While there’s been a number of complaints over the various translations for this series which seem to be consistent only in their inconsistency - to the point where at some points the subtitles, dub track and original Japanese seem to be working from three completely different hymn sheets - the dub cast can’t be faulted and collectively give what has to be one of FUNImation’s better dubbing efforts of recent years. Luci Christian and Monica Rial (Female leads Nakiami and Haru respectively) especially show why they keep being brought back for lead roles time and time again.

The plot for the most part is good... for a while, then it goes a bit wibbly somewhere around the middle of the series, tries to sort it self out towards the end, then just gives up as the 11th hour approaches and just decides to blow shit up for a bit before kludging an ten minute epilogue on the end to clear everything up... kinda. Some fans like to take the story (wobbly bits and all) as an allegory for America vs Japan, others are seeing the Xam’d as a reflection of several real world regimes willingness to use living people as human weapons, while others are just happy to watch a boy turn into a superhuman mecha-type-thing and beat all hell out of other superhuman mecha-type-things. Either way, whatever works for you then it’s all good.

And while I’m on it, what is it about fighting forces in almost any anime that says that should any Army/Militia/Heavily-armed-fighting-force-of-your-choice that fields humungous mecha out on the frontline just has to give their newest and most bad-ass toys to a bunch of hormonally charged, emotionally unstable and barely trained teenagers… and if by chance they’ve only joined the army to chase/avenge a loved one or generally prove a point, all the better. If there was one group I’d be doing my best to keep away from the weapons of mass destruction, I think you can guess who it’d be.

Extras:

Just the Textless opening and closing animation, both original transmission and home release versions.

XAM'D Lost Memories: Collection 1 and XAM'D Lost Memories: Collection 2 are available now from most high streets and online retailers. I probably don’t need to say it but if you have a BluRay player then it’s really worth the extra money for the BluRay over the DVD version,

 

Sekirei - The Complete Series

Label:

MangaUK

Certificate:

15

Format:

DVD

Discs:

2. (12 episodes + bonus episode)

Running time:

283 mins approx

Subtitles:

English

Video:

16: widescreen

Sound:

English 5.1, Japanese 2.0

Release date:

15th August 2011

RRPrice:

£28.99

Actual Price:

£18(ish) - Amazon - Play

Comments:

Imagine if you will a wacked-out mix between Battle Royale and the Mai's (both Otome & Hime) with a bit of DearS, Fate/Stay Night on top and some Rozen Maiden thrown in for good measure. You got that? Good. Here's how it goes. 108 artificially created (mostly hot female) near humans called Sekireis are released onto the streets of Tokyo. Once there they have to search for suitable "Ashikabi" (masters) who can unlock their powers so they can fight to the last in the Sekirei plan. What the aim of the game is, or even the reward for the masters, is unknown at this time but the last standing Sekirei gets to remain with her master for the rest of their lives, the rest, well they get carted off for "disposal".

Now, not all humans can be Masters and even amongst those that do carry the gene they're only compatible with certain sekirei so it's incredibly rare for your average Joe to become one. So, enter our average Joe (19 year old 2nd year ronin and allround useless loser Minato Sahashi), who is chosen by Sekirei number 88 as her master and becomes embroiled in the game whether he really wants to or not. Sekirei can range from prepubescent to full grown (and then some) adults and they almost always seem to pick a member of the opposite sex to become their master, or "wing" them as it's known which seems to be a somewhat intimate act (interlocking mucus membranes… AKA kissing) which unlocks different superhuman powers in each Sekirei.

So, once a certain number of Sekirei become "winged" then the city of Tokyo is locked down and the games begin with the combatants trained to attack and kill each other on sight.

This series definitely falls into the ecchi/seinen category with your standard fare of perverted misunderstandings, compromising situations and most of the Sekireis' battles resulting (and not that I'm complaining) in destroyed clothing all-round. But what elevates this series above the likes of Master of Martial Hearts (which I steadfastly refused to review earlier in the year - trust me, it was for the best) is one basic question. If you took all the panty shots, cleavage and bouncing boobies out, would it still be as good? Hell, would there even be anything left to watch? Well in the case of Sekirei, Yes, it would still be as good… mainly because it actually has a plot (gasp) and decent characters (gasp again). In fact, if you’re over 14 or lack a Y chromosome, you’d have probably enjoyed it that bit more if they had actually taken the ecchi out. But, lets face it, sex sells and as both FUNimation and MangaUK are really pushing for the “boing-tastic” dollar with this one, then they must think they’re onto a good thing.

But, there is a down side to this series, which is that it suffered from being made too early. "But Pen’, how so?" you ask. Well when this series was animated it tried to have a definitive beginning, middle and end in wrapped up in 12 eps whilst the source manga on which it is based had only just finished it own “beginning” sections and was just starting to wiggling it’s toes in it’s own "middle" part of the story. But luckily, rather than going down the Claymore route of stuffing up the ending a pretty much knocking the chance of a second series on the head, The last ep was left open enough to accommodate a second series should there be one, which luckily there was.

So, do I recommend it? Well yes, it’s a decent little well-animated sci-fi/action/harem/rom-com with plenty to offer, as long as you don’t mind the (much more than) occasional booby.

Extras:

“Kusano's First Shopping Trip” mini episode, Textless Opening & Closing Songs

Sekirei - The Complete Series is available from most high streets and online retailers now.

Sorry, I just had to say “Booby” again….

Booby!