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WHITE BASE WIRES
11.21.02
by
Matt McConnel
Featuring
reviews of Arjuna, Nadia: Secret of Blue Water the
series, Nadia: Secret of Blue Water The Motion Picture, Spriggan,
Burn-Up Excess and Soul Hunter! Geez!
ARJUNA
Rating: 
More Info: Bandai
Arjuna
is possibly the most visually stunning anime within recent
years not to have the name of Miyazaki attached to it. The
story concerns itself with Juna, a young girl who is chosen
to be the new Avatar of Time, the protector of the Earth against
the Raaja. This may seem trite, but the Raaja are thematic
means to an end, as the real message behind all this is to
ram some environmental consciousness into people.
Juna is
a young girl who despite some recent family troubles, dear
ole daddy ran off lives a reasonably happy life with her friends
and her kinda-sorta boyfriend Tokio. Then on an outing to
the seaside, Juna sees a strange worm like creature knock
her and Tokio off the road. Next thing she knows, she is in
a hospital, dying. Then a voice calling itself 'Chris' tells
her that he can give her back life in exchange for the promise
to fight the demons called 'Raaja'. The Raaja are the worm
like creatures that Juna saw before, and she is then treated
to a vision of what destruction they, along with mankind,
will wreak on the planet. She accepts the offer, and becomes
the 'Avatar of Time', the protector of the Earth.
The premise
is deceptive, the Raaja are not evil demons bent on total
destruction at random. They are manifestations of the death
and corruption of the pollution sent out of the cities by
humans; they do not attack at random either, Raajas are drawn
to places of corruption, a nuclear power plant, landfill,
etc. Chris does not explain this to Juna, but throws her into
situations that will let her come to these realizations on
her own. This has a tendency to backfire, since Juna has no
training, she will react as you would expect any teenage girl
to react to giant, semi-transparent, and luminescent demon
worms: "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." But she pulls herself together,
and comes through, although usually not in the way Chris expected.
The supporting
characters are some of the most interesting, and best made
recently. From the girl who translates Chris' telepathic sending,
to the various other members of the secret organization SEED,
there is a sense of care taken with their creation. They are
people, and real well rounded characters. This care is reflected
in almost everything about Arjuna. From the animation, the
voice acting, to the writing, everything has a sense of deliberate
care about it.
The center
piece of the show is the art. It is simply stunning. A blend
of both cell and CG, the scenes flow together with grace and
ease. The style is reflective of a more simple approach to
the characters while a deeper interest in the backgrounds,
but that makes the characters sound shoddy, when they are
not. They are not as detailed as one might expect in anime,
but they are no less interesting to watch. Whatever time was
taken out of detail was put into making the characters flow
and move better. Consequently, there are a lot of establishing
shots and many times the characters are simply off to one
side in the larger picture, but that is very much intentional
given that this is an environmentally conscious anime.
That was
the one irksome thing. I have never liked preachy entertainment.
It is always vexing for people like Frank Herbert, Hayao Miyazaki,
Bill Maher, or anyone else who uses their position as a story
teller or entertainer as a soap box. This is not to say that
I dislike their works, or disagree with what they are saying,
but messages can be subtler than this. Put away the giant
comic mallet of subtlety please. Even with this caveat, the
enjoyment of Arjuna is not diminished. It is a thoroughly
enjoyable and exciting anime, and well worth it. The rating
reflects how good it is, despite the writer's lack of subtlety.
Nadia:
Secret of Blue Water (Series)
Rating:  (maybe
a smidgen more, because it's so damn charming)
More Info: ADV
Films
Watching
Nadia, one gets the impression that it is a combination of
the purported base of 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Walt
Disney's flop Atlantis. However, Nadia is in fact older than
the Disney movie by several years, and when it gets down to
it, the similarities to Atlantis are only superficial; instead,
Nadia more closely resembles GANIX's follow up work Evangelion.
There are many trace elements in the story that are more deeply
explored in Evangelion, but Nadia presents these archetypes
in a much more playful manner. The result is something that
while seemingly childish is in fact made for a much older
audience with a child like appeal.
Jean meets
a circus performer named Nadia at the World's Fair in Paris;
when he follows her, he gets caught up with a trio of crooks
bent on stealing Nadia's pendant, a jewel called the Blue
Water. Nadia and Jean escape, but not for long as the crooks
catch up to them, but the man who placed the price on jewel,
and Nadia, in the first place. This individual, name of Gargoyle,
is bent on world domination with his Neo-Atlantian army. He
intends to resurrect the power of ancient Atlantis with the
Blue Water; the only thing standing in his way are Jean, Nadia,
a little girl they pick up named Marie, the Granville Gang,
and not to mention THE Captain Nemo and the crew of the technological
wonder Nautilus. The plot twists and turns from here, but
the real meat doesn't occur until the last five episodes or
so. Up until there, it is a romp under the sea, with some
concrete plot points placed down to keep interest up. In fact,
the entire series seems to be reminiscent of a console role-playing
game: Side quests, treks just off the way to gain experience,
new party member, even down to loosing the original ship,
and gaining a new one.
Because
Nadia was made on a rather tight budget, the quality of the
animation sometimes suffers. Often, the clean and smooth characters
will break up in jerks and flat color. The stunning background
establishing shots are followed up with rather weak close
in shots, and while this focuses attention on the characters,
the effect is rather disappointing. Especially in some of
the scenes in various ancient ruins, where the characters
behold marvelous sites, the audience is not let into the same
view to share in the experience. There are entire episodes
that seem to be, both story wise, and in quality, injected
in at the last minute. Similarly, there is a lot of stock
footage used, and re-used with abandon; in some scenes, the
same bit plays over two or three times although usually for
comedic effect. The source of this, whether budget or the
need to fit an extra five time slots, should not be forgotten,
it is a business after all, but the effect remains disconcerting.
The quality of the strictly plot episodes are very high, while
other ones are on par with a low budget Saturday morning cartoon.
The voice
acting and writing is good, and with the horrible exception
of the poor soul convinced to use a bad French accent for
Jean in the English dub, there is little to complain about.
The whole
experience of Nadia is something that is not difficult to
watch, it is an easygoing and relaxed series with some intense
episodes. Sometimes this produces a bit of a depression in
the story, but most often it is to allow the viewer to decompress.
There are some moments that are no less intense than the subsequent
series Evangelion, and it is the fact that Nadia releases
its hold on the viewer long enough for them to enjoy it that
gives the series its child like charms. The story is very
much good versus evil, with little in between, save for the
poor dupes who Gargoyle tricks into helping him; the deeper
themes of technology, religious imagery, and meaning don't
really surface often, but when they do, they are used to great
effect. The entire work builds upon itself, and while it does
not necessarily stick to the plot of 20000 Leagues Under the
Sea, it does evoke the spirit of discovery and wonderment
that Verne was a master at. If the exact story is lost, the
core remains, and that is the great appeal.
Nadia:
Secret of Blue Water - The Motion Picture
Rating:
More Info: ADV
Films
Four years
after the close of Nadia, GANIX brought back five of the primary
characters for one more go round of adventure. Jean, Nadia,
and the Granville Gang return to do battle with a mad scientist
who has stolen the legacy of Gargoyle and is now using it
to facilitate world domination of a different sort. The result
is a rather haphazered, if enjoyable run around with a useless
twenty minute recap of the series.
The motion
picture takes place in between the end of the series and the
six year mark given as the wedding of Jean and Nadia. Nadia
is in London trying to become a reporter, while Jean remains
in La Havre with his bycicles and his inventions. The world
is headed head long into world conflict, and suddenly heads
of state, generals, capptins of industry, etc begin to disappear
suddenly in puffs of steam. Jean then finds a rather odd girl
on the beach, and suddenly the Granville Gang is after him
and his newfound ward.
The story
comprises only about 60 of the full ninety minutes, the rest
is a lengthy recap of the series. This is possibly the weakest,
and most tedious part of the movie. Despite the fact that
the flashback is interspersed with Nadia at her desk, the
entire exercise serves no real purpose save to fill time.
This is tactic is not new to GANIX, the first Evangelion movie
is all creatively piced together with new footage. Still,
it has no place here, as it seems the time taken to edit the
recap together would have been better spent towards a longer
actual movie.
The animation
is clean, and the character designs really look like they
have been aged for a few years. Thankfully the voice actors
are all the same, so there is no loss in continuity in that
regard, even if Jean still has the terribly bad French accent.
The final product is very easy to watch, but it seems almost
like an episode from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. There is an
implicit backstory, but not nessicarily completely pertianant
to the goings on at hand; the story does not need to fill
in plot, it just needs to fill space and be fun. The plot
has been advanced elsewhere. This makes for something very
easy to watch, not at all taxing on the mind, and very enjoyable
to visit the world of Nadia and Jean again.
Spriggan
Rating: (Okay,
3-3/4)
More Info: ADV
Films
Oh, is
this not nice, an anime movie about the fairy folk of central
Europe. ERRR! WRONG. Try the elite arm of a secret society
bent on protecting the world from the agents of evil and corrupt
government. Spriggan is all out action, with very little regard
for any deeper characterization than the painful hidden secret
of the protagonist. But it is pretty, very pretty, and the
animation is smooth.
The idea
is that secreted away throughout the world, there are ruins
and artifacts from an ancient civilization that hold an amazing
amount of power. For good or ill, these devices have the potential
to change the face of civilization. To protect ourselves from…
Ourselves, the secret group ARCAM investigates these ruins
in an attempt to understand them before someone else does.
In Turkey, on the fabled Mount Ararat, Noah's Ark has been
found at last, but it is not just a hunk of wood. Instead,
it is a massive edifice of arcane technology designed for
some unknown purpose. Spriggan Japan, Yu is sent, alright
he goes against orders, to Turkey to help in the defense of
the site, as there have been several attacks on other excavations,
as well as his friends. Someone is on to Yu and ARCAM. There
he meets up with his friend, Jean, Spriggan France, and all
hell proceeds to break loose as the site comes under attack
from cyborg agents of the United States bent on claiming Noah's
Ark for the US of A, whether the US of A knows about it or
not.
Spriggan
has all the hallmarks of a good action flick, complete with
the ubiquitous chase sequence through the bazaar of Istanbul.
There is an echo of many other films here, ranging in style
from Bond, Indiana Jones, Ghost in the Shell, to Evangelion.
The drawback is that while it is good action, the story sometimes
is a little weak. Even with the explanation at the end, witch
is badly placed and drags the climax on for a further eight
or ten minutes, Yu is a seventeen year old kid who is an international
super agent? This is really minor, what is the most bothering
is that the ending drags in pace and then is over too soon.
There is foreshadowing, but nothing comes of it; certain venues
of plot are just dropped at the end. This is especially problematic
as the rest of the movie is paced so well, and moves with
alacrity from scene to scene without leaving anything by the
wayside.
Spriggan
also takes some rather daring steps with its story. The enemy
in this case is, at least at the beginning, the United States
government. Do not believe the dubbing's attempt to peg it
on a rouge Pentagon office, it is the real deal. Very rarely
in films is an entire government implicated. Usually it is
merely a corrupt official or branch, not the entire infrastructure,
but in Spriggan the Machine Corps are in fact a black ops
team for the US military. No punches pulled. There are other
interesting little twists and wrinkles to the story, but thankfully
not many. Any more and the story would probably collapse,
and its standing on shaky legs as is.
The animation
is reminiscent of Ghost in the Shell, complete with the green
CG inserts, but the team is completely different. Possibly
an homage, or just shameless copy cat-ting? It is smooth however,
and especially in the actions sequences this is a big plus.
The characters move in a real way, if slightly superhuman.
The backdrops are gorgeous; witch is saying something since
most of the film is set in the stark landscape of Eastern
Turkey. Even the industrial devices look alive with the vivid
colors and detail injected into the cells. Speaking of slick,
ADV is to be commended for the menus on the DVD, they are
some of the finest that company has produced.
It is
a pity that Spriggan was not released to the big screen, it
would have been incredible, but I can see why not, as it hardly
is an art house kind of a flick. It is an enjoyable ride,
though hardly a deep and meaningful one. This is one of the
few anime you really can turn your brain off for and not be
assailed by childish banter or inane dialogue. If you enjoy
good action, and can forgive the occasional hiccup in plot,
Spriggan truly belongs in your collection.
Burn-Up
Excess
Rating:
More Info: ADV
Films
There
are sequels that should never be made; Burn Up W is one of
these series that should be left behind in ADV's archives,
instead its sequel, Burn Up Excess has been unleashed upon
the unsuspecting masses.
The art
is very good, and this is certainly a mark in favor of a good
review, but the art is mostly focused on making the female
characters unrealistic and jiggley. The voices are high pitched
and grating with few exceptions, and any semblance of dialogue
is lost in the constant flow of insanity across the screen.
Somewhere in here there is an over plot, but since this reviewer
accidentally watched discs one, three, and two in that order
and did not notice any loss in continuity, this is a bad sign
that the vast conspiracy alluded to in just about every episode
will not be much of a big deal until the last episode, maybe
two. Oh, there is no doubt that the intention is to create
a sense of foreboding, but it is a little hard to accept that
when the entirety of the show is based around boobs, butts,
and the babes thereof.
The extras
are the same from disc to disc; clean open, clean close, previews,
and little else. The extras feature only one thing of any
note, the jiggle counter. Scavenged from a previous DVD release
of Plastic Little, it was novel then, and remains an interesting
little tidbit, even if it becomes tiresome on these DVDs.
I suppose
Burn Up Excess is nothing more than a police action sex fest,
and for that it makes no pretensions that it is anything but.
The problems with it are simply that for a show that wants
to show skin and bounce, they refuse to go any racer. It seems
almost half hearted in a way. The other problem occurs when
the show tries to get serious. The dichotomy of silliness
that is Burn Up's stock and trade and the attempt to be serious
is just out of place and falls flat.
Soul
Hunter
Rating:
More Info: ADV
Films
Set in
11th century China, Soul Hunter is based on a Chinese novel
of court intrigue and dynastic struggle. Into this, the modern
storytellers have injected their own bent of action and comedy.
The blend it at times iffy, but for the most part makes for
an enjoyable viewing. The epic scope set against the characters'
development is well blended right up until the last few episodes
when the whole shebang falls apart.
Picture
this if you will. The emperor of the Yin dynasty is being
controlled by Daki, an evil Valley Girl sorceress and her
two sisters. To combat Daki and her 364 evil Yokai Sennin
followers, the Immortals of Mount Kun-Lun send Taikoubou.
This is not as impressive as it sounds; Taikoubou is quite
lazy for all his good intentions and nature. However, it is
for this apparent lack of capacity that the Immortals have
chosen him; the both expect and want him to fail, but it needs
to be made clear to the mortal world that they are trying.
This conspiracy, the court intrigues, and Taikoubou's quest
are just some of the many veins that run through Soul Hunter's
story. On the one hand there is Taikoubou and his allies trying
to stop Daki with their mystic powers. On the other there
are the mortals who must struggle against her in their own
way. Rebellion, intrigue, loyalty, and betrayal are all themes
that are raised up throughout the series.
The strength
is the blending of all of these, and especially the political
machinations that the original book undoubtedly provides.
The blend is destroyed at the end of the fifth DVD when the
political ends and all that is left are Taikoubou's faction
and Mount Kun-Lun. There are some surprises in the sixth installment,
but the last three episodes or so fall apart. One episode
is devoted to Taikoubou's origin, something that just does
not fit very well within the context of a climax. Otherwise
the pacing shows little weakness, and is in fact one of the
draws of the series. The build is good, but reaches the purported
climax too early, then drops off, then tries to pick up again
with the real climax. It can work, just not in the way the
writers tried here.
The art
is good, even if it does waffle back and forth between two
very distinct styles, and the voice acting fits in well. The
only complaint with the script is that ADV has once more dumped
it down for the American audience, even if a couple of the
voices fit the characters better than some of the Japanese
ones. The extras are good, and constant throughout the six
discs, including voice actor profiles, and language guides.
In fact, the extras take up almost as time to go through as
an episode or so making for a very thorough experience.
On the
whole, Soul Hunter is a pleasing experience with an engaging
story, great art, good voices, and some fun moments. The ending
however is just not on par with the rest, and leaves a bad
taste of cheese in the mouth.
Matt
is our anime guru. Email him here.
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