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Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy adventure Castle in the Sky begins with a chase scene through a flying ship, where all the passengers are after the young girl, Sheeta (voice of Anna Paquin). Going overboard to avoid capture, Sheeta is rescued by her powerful crystal necklace which floats her down to safety. She's recovered by Pazu (voice of James Van Der Beek), a young resourceful boy who works in a small mining town. Sharing a common desire to see Laputa, the castle in the sky, Pazu and Sheeta team up to outrun the pirates and the military. Led by hard-bitten matriarch Dola (voice of Cloris Leachman), the pirates are a rowdy yet dimwitted group of brothers who are after Laputa's treasure. Led by the greedy yet civilized Muska (voice of Mark Hamill), the military is after Laputa's secret powers. Everyone races to get to the abandoned castle of Laputa, which has been overgrown with vines and plant life. Its only inhabitants are the animals and robots who protect a magical garden. As the different parties fight over who gets to control Laputa, it's up to Sheeta to use her ancient knowledge to save it from ultimate destruction. The English-language version also includes the voices of Mandy Patinkin and Andy Dick. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, (more)
Removed from the typical futuristic element of most Japanese animated adventures, this 1994 feature takes place in more of a sword-and-sorcery epic set in feudal Japan. Jubei Kipagami, a ninja mercenary, wanders the countryside in search of work. On his travels, he encounters Kagero, a female ninja whose poisoned blood causes her pale skin to be lethal to the touch. Jubei rescues the woman from Tessai, a creature made of rock. They later find that Tessai is one of the Eight Devils of Kimon, who are involved in a plot to overthrow the Shogun. A story of impossible love between Jubei and Kagero is somewhat interesting, but the true draw of Ninja Scroll is its action sequences. The dazzling swordplay of Japanese live-action samurai movies is not often seen in the animated genre, which tends more towards science fiction; however, this animated work has fight scenes in abundance. Although its content is too strong for children, adult fans of Japanese animation, samurai films, and fantasy should find it enjoyable.
~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
Clamp, Japan's acclaimed all-female animation group, created this futuristic animated adventure with veteran anime director Rintaro. As the Year of Destiny dawns, the fate of the universe rests on the shoulders of Kamui Shiro, a young warrior whose destiny is to defeat one of two armies, the Dragons of Earth or the Dragons of Heaven. His choice will determine whether humanity survives or is banished from the Earth; meanwhile, two oracles, Hinoto and Kanoe, have seen opposing visions of the future, and they struggle to make their dreams a reality. X was a hit in Japan in 1996; it received a limited theatrical release in the United States in 2000 shortly before its release on home video. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- AddBattle Athletes Victory: The Last Danceto QueueAddBattle Athletes Victory: The Last Danceto top of Queue
In this collection of episodes from the Japanese anime series Battle Athletes Victory, Akari and Chris decide that their training methods may be what is holding them back from defeating their rivals Mylandah and Lahrri. Mylandah uses her bottomless well of anger to defeat her opponents, while Lahrri relies on high-tech mechanical training equipment to keep her in top condition. Akari and Chris learn to focus themselves better and find that it makes all the difference. They find themselves evening the score with their rivals as they go into the deciding event, the 100 meter dash. Battle Athletes Victory: The Last Dance includes the episodes "Friend," "Save the Last Dance for Me," and "Farewell and Introductions." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Set in the year 4998, this animated science fiction/adventure series from Japan takes a look at the biggest athletic competition of the future, the Cosmo Beauty title. Akari is a young woman training in earnest for the events, but she works under the burden of constant scrutiny as the daughter of former champion Tomoe Mido. This disc features the first four episodes from this series: "Ready Go!," "Kowloon's Attack!," "The Night of Woong-A-Ji," and "My Rival." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
In this science fiction tale, two scientists find themselves waging war against a supernatural force that has taken hold of one of their bodies and threatens to destroy it. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy adventure Castle in the Sky begins with a chase scene through a flying ship, where all the passengers are after the young girl, Sheeta (voice of Anna Paquin). Going overboard to avoid capture, Sheeta is rescued by her powerful crystal necklace which floats her down to safety. She's recovered by Pazu (voice of James Van Der Beek), a young resourceful boy who works in a small mining town. Sharing a common desire to see Laputa, the castle in the sky, Pazu and Sheeta team up to outrun the pirates and the military. Led by hard-bitten matriarch Dola (voice of Cloris Leachman), the pirates are a rowdy yet dimwitted group of brothers who are after Laputa's treasure. Led by the greedy yet civilized Muska (voice of Mark Hamill), the military is after Laputa's secret powers. Everyone races to get to the abandoned castle of Laputa, which has been overgrown with vines and plant life. Its only inhabitants are the animals and robots who protect a magical garden. As the different parties fight over who gets to control Laputa, it's up to Sheeta to use her ancient knowledge to save it from ultimate destruction. The English-language version also includes the voices of Mandy Patinkin and Andy Dick. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, (more)
Based on the video game of the same name, Dragon Knight chronicles the exploits of Takeru Yamato, an adventurer whose travels land him in a mysterious castle filled with beautiful women. Though the women don't take kindly to his arrival, they quickly reconsider after realizing he may be the one prophesied to save the kingdom. Before he can do any saving, however, he must retrieve the six jewels of the Dragon Knights, a deadly group of monsters none too keen on giving up their treasure. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1998
- AddEl Hazard: The Alternative World - First Night, The Disappearance of the Priestess of Waterto QueueAddEl Hazard: The Alternative World - First Night, The Disappearance of the Priestess of Waterto top of Queue
In this home video release, which collects the first three episodes of the Japanese anime series El Hazard: The Alternative World, Makoto, Nanami, and Qawoor find themselves transported to a mysterious alternate reality as the new Priestess of Water receives her crown. In this land known as Creteria, Nanami and Qawoor are hailed as goddesses of the sky, while their friends have less pleasant surprises awaiting them. Titles included on this video are "First Night: The Disappearance of the Priestess of Water," "Second Night: The Door to the Future Opens," and "Third Night: Two Celestial Maidens Descended from the Heavens." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Dee Laytner and Ryo McLane form an adventurous detective duo fresh from the streets of New York. While most of his time is spent chasing after criminals, Dee spends a decent amount of his life trying to apprehend Ryo -- off-duty. Complications ensue when the crime-fighters find themselves in the midst of England's underground crime-scene, where Japanese-Americans have been turning up dead. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
This anime adventure follows a group of lethally armed females known as the Gunsmith Cats throughout their exploits on the streets of Chicago. This time, they infiltrate a gun-running operation, pursue a Russian assassin, and find themselves in the midst of a deadly, gun-slinging duel. This production contains graphic violence and is not intended for children. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
The anime series Generator Gawl follows a pair of scientists and an acquaintance names Gawl who team up to stop bad guys from creating powerful hybrid man-machines. This collection combines three episodes of the series. The episodes are titled "The Visitors", "Flowers and Girls", and "Curiosity". ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Mew and Mica are two hungry, rowdy, hyperactive and foul-mouthed girls who might just save the world if they can pay attention long enough. Sent from another planet to protect Earth, nobody would suspect their secret identities as alien superheroes, since no hero in history ever acted like this! From evil geniuses to giant jelly-fish, nearly every villain imaginable comes up against these two and gets swiftly booted back where he came from. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Groundbreaking animator Satoshi Kon (whose credits include Tokyo Godfathers, Millennium Actress, and Perfect Blue) directed this visually spectacular adaptation of a science fiction novel by Yatsutaka Tsutsui. Atsuko is a psychiatrist who uses advanced technology to study the human mind. Atsuko has developed a machine that will allow her to enter the dreams of her patients and study their psyches from the inside. Atsuko also does double duty as Paprika, a high-tech detective who uses this new innovation to find out the truth about what the people she's trailing really think. However, Atsuko falls victim to a thief who steals the one-of-a-kind machine, and Paprika sets out to find it as a wave of psychological instability tears through the city. Paprika received its world premiere at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Megumi Hayashibara, Toru Emori, (more)
This animated sci-fi adventure from Japan is based on the works of noted manga artist Leiji Matsumoto. Queen Emeraldas is a female warrior who sails through the outer reaches of the universe in her spacecraft, battling evil at every turn and defying her nemesis, the pirate Captain Harlock. While visiting the planet Daibaran, Emeraldas encounters Eldomain, the leader of a pirate league with ties to Harlock, and when he tries to draw young stowaway Tochiro into his schemes, she's forced to teach him a lesson. However, Eldomain and his fellows are not about to give up without a fight. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
When a mobile martial arts gang takes control over the land of Chungwon, only one man -- a defector from the gang itself -- has what it takes to overcome their tyrannical regime. The catch is that in order to do that, he'll be forced to kill his own brother, whose mind is under the influence of the gang's leader. Red Hawk -- Weapon of Death was directed by Kyoung Tae Hwang. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- AddSaber Marionette R [Anime OVA Series]to QueueAddSaber Marionette R [Anime OVA Series]to top of Queue
This dark anime series takes place in the distant future, a time when overpopulation has led to interplanetary colonization. On the planet of Japones, the entire world is comprised of men. The only women who live there are androids called marionettes. These super-strong creations are devoid of emotion but saturated with strength, so when the evil Starface is freed from prison and sets his sights on taking the thrown from Junior, the pure-hearted heir, there's no one better suited to protect him than three die-hard marionettes, Cherry, Lime, and Bloodberry. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- AddSol Bianca: The Legacy - 1: El Emblema, The Emblemto QueueAddSol Bianca: The Legacy - 1: El Emblema, The Emblemto top of Queue
This first installment in the anime series Sol Bianca gets a deluxe treatment in this North American DVD edition. Sol Bianca: The Legacy, Vol. 1 -- Lost Treasures has been transferred to disc in its original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the audio has been mastered in both Dolby Digital Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1. Users have a choice between the original Japanese language soundtrack, and an alternate audio track dubbed in English; the disc also features optional English subtitles. Bonus features include a special expanded-length trailer, a music video featuring clips from Sol Bianca, and test footage of 3D character renderings. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
When master swordsman Shuransuke Sakaki refuses to be cowed by the clans populating ancient feudal Japan, he chooses a lonely and dangerous path to tread, indeed. Eventually Sakaki is hired to rescue the beautiful Princess Mayu from a team of ninja bandits, but his employers leave out an important detail -- in order to find her, he must battle the spirits of hell first. Sword for Truth was directed by Osamu Dezaki. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
A pair of feisty young street urchins attempts to protect an unnamed metropolis from a diabolical villain whose plans to raze the urban landscape on the behalf of malevolent real-estate developers threatens to destroy the very soul of the city. Street-smart youngsters Black and White do their best to defend their territory from rival gangs as local yakuza leader Suzuki, fearing that the town has lost its zeal, plots a triumphant return to form. A lifelong criminal with a serious zodiac fixation, Suzuki (aqua The Rat) doesn't want to corrupt the city as much as he simply wants reinvigorate it with the kind of vibrancy that drew him to love it in the first place. Mr. Snake, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to profit as the buildings of the city crumble to make room for the massive amusement park planned by his wealthy clients. The only problem now is that Mr. Snake can't carry out his destructive deed while Black and White are still wandering the streets - of course that's nothing that can't be solved by a pair of sharp-shooting intergalactic assassins whose bullets always meet their mark. A metaphysical tale of survival in a city that seems to be poised on the brink of disaster, Tekkonkinkreet marks the feature directorial debut of longtime visual effects artist Michael Arias (The Abyss, Princess Mononoke). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Min Tanaka, Yoshinori Okada, (more)
In the third and possibly final screen adventure of Tenchi Muyo, one of the great characters in Japanese sci-fi animation, Tenchi heads to the hills following a heroic battle. When he doesn't return, Ayeka and Ryoko set out to find him, only to discover he's been seduced by a strange woman and isn't sure he wants to come back. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This animated film is based on The Slayers, and takes place before the events of the TV show, when Lina Inverse, the bandit-hunting sorceress roamed the galaxy looking for food and adventure with her fellow adventurer Naga. Using two tickets they recover from some bandits they've just defeated, Lina and Naga take a vacation on the exotic Mipross Island. Their leisure time is fleeting, and soon the two must use their swords and sorcery to fight off a band of villains. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
Based on a video game called Digital Devil Story, Tokyo Revelation is an hour-long original video anime with an overly complicated plot. The villainous Akito devises a satanic plan involving an energy substance called magnetite. In an effort to kidnap a magnetite-rich high school girl, Akito meets his old friend Kojiro and reveals his hidden love for him. This is followed by numerous fight scenes and explosions involving demonic possession, supernatural ninjas, and blatant homophobia. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Two ancient races return to earth in the year 2089 for a final battle in this horror-action animé. Centuries ago, the Demons and the Guardians waged a war. Few members of either race survived, but now Takamiya, the Dark Master, is plotting to return the demons to earth and vanquish the human race. Into this intrigue steps Shizuma, who's out to avenge herself against one such demon. She enlists the help of Tsunami Shijyo, an enigmatic man with a score of his own to settle. Shijyo eventually dukes it out with a pair of adversaries against the backdrop of a moody, post-industrial cityscape. Based on the original manga by Saki Okuse, Twilight of the Dark Master includes a screenplay credit for Duane Dell'amico, whose previous credits include one-sixth of the script for the live-action Hollywood film Sleep With Me. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
