Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

If you are an anime afficionado, then you probably already know this animator/comic book writer, but if you are like the rest of us, who have seen the anime films that Disney or Fox have distributed, this little film will offer something new. But be warned. It is amusing, a little bit disturbing and beautifully drawn, but the themes are definitely for adults. This is not a cute little movie you can leave your toddlers to watch while you make dinner.

In fact it is not a movie at all, but rather two episodes of a popular anime TV series that aired in Japan in 1999. One assumes that there were others in this series, featuring different characters, or several episodes, but since no information is available in the Internet Movie data base, (and I mean none!) I can only give you my best guess. I do know that the characters were based on a popular form of reading material, equivalent to our comic books, called manga (meaning wood cuts) in Japan. It was picked up by a TV studio, and produced more cheaply than say Miyazaki’s Ghibli studios, and aired for a big audience, presumably young adults.

The TV animation shows in Japan save on production costs , by using an animation standard process that differs from say what American animation studios are doing (and the big Japanese movie studios as well) by drawing fewer cells to indicate continuous motion. The film speed runs at the usual velocity, essentially with fewer drawings to make up the moving part of the presentation. That is why, compared to other anime movies you may have seen this one is a little jerky in its motion sequences, and there are more frequent pauses as a character visually responds to an event by a single expression or posture. That isn’t to say that it is bad. Far from it. It only looks a little different when you watch it.

ANIME FOR BOYS

This is what falls into the category of “made for boys” manga, or “shounen” manga. (Manga for girls is called “Shoujo” manga) And judging from the subject matter, the audience targeted may be even more specific. Let’s just say if this movie fits inside your mind set, you are a strange boy indeed. And I weep for your future. I suspect that most of the really offensive material is supposed to be funny, and I have to admit that I thought it was very funny. But the treatment of women is appalling, and the overt sexuality of the piece is borderline offensive to most Americans , given our attitudes toward sex in general.


THE PACKAGE

I BOUGHT THIS dvd AT Circuit City. There are no warnings about offensive content, and no warnings or restrictions for age. In fact the DVD comes with atrocious English dubbing, and a script that doesn’t remotely connect with the subtitled Japanese script. Music plays intermittently and is not particularly offensive, with a hard rock flavor. The drawings are really quite beautiful, high contrast, bright colors, and sensual , particularly when the girls are nude, which is frequently. The DVD contains two episodes featuring the same characters, Shibas Scotch, the bounty hunter who defeats evil sorcerers and magic creatures, two girls, Gin Fizz and Kiss, and a “friend”, Genmi.

According to the blurb on the package, the theme of the story is defeating evil magic, and the work is for a hero of sorts, who is kind of an antihero, a rogue. Pretty straightforward fantasy stuff, right?


SEXUAL CONTENT


The magic fantasy for this flick is not the fantasy of note. Almost immediately, we are faced with the main female character, Gin Fizz, who is a sister of the Golden Cross, with a heavy chain around her neck, jerked cruelly to the feet of her master, young Shibas Scotch, to wait on him. Shortly after that we find that the loyal retainer Genmi follows Shibas because he has romantic notions about the guy. If he mentions this to Shibas, he is hit in the face hard enough to make him fly. This happens at least three times.

Then, a little later, Shibas grabs the breast of the young lady, making her squeal. When Shibas uses up all the money gambling, he forces the girls to work in the local strip club for money.

You see what I mean? These may be adolescent fantasies, but they are a little ...no make that a lot ..suggestive of some pretty heavy S and M behavior. I don’t know about you, but this strikes me as an audience substantially different from most teenagers I know. I think if this Shibas guy is their role model, they are more than a little twisted. On the other hand, for adults, I think the whole situation and implied sexual references are just funny. I refuse to take them seriously, or allow myself to be offended by this domination theme, or worry about the gay bashing, although it really is offensive.

But as this medium is reflective of the society that produced it, I find my biggest question is, Could this be typical stuff for teenagers in Japan? Is this a common mind set? Scary!.

All that being said, there is no overt sex shown here.


OTHER STUFF

The one thing about this movie that almost drove me insane were the high screechy voices of the female characters, and their high pitched screaming. Sure they were cute....but Lord!

Thinking it a typically bad dubbing the first time, I found that they were almost as hard to listen to in the Japanese track. The voice of Shibas in the Japanese version is considerably deeper. The cast is not easily accessible, and I find I don’t much care who plays these characters through their voices. Satoru Akahori is the first billed voice for Shibas, and Miku Yuki is Gin Fizz, if that means anything to you.

Given a choice, I would definitely go with the original track. The subtitles indicate a more coherent script, where in the English version there is some confusion.

There is a simple game included in the DVD which is pretty much a waste of time, unless the target audience is 5 years old. And I sincerely hope that it isn’t.

THE STORY-The Plot

The actual story about the magic is not bad. It is imaginative and interesting, with a satisfying ending.

Many years ago, on the Spooner continent, a war was waged against those employing magic for evil means, But there are still pockets of evil magic. Bounty Hunters are employed to get rid of the evil sorcerers and eliminate the black magic.

Lord Shibas Scotch is one such bounty hunter. A disdainful, sarcastic, womanizing and debauched wretch he is. He travels with Gin Fizz, a pure maiden who claims to be with him to save his soul., although she is chained to the guy. Of their own free will, Kiss, a werewolf (with Green hair) and a young man name Genmi follow and serve Shibas Scotch.

They are camped out in a beautifully scenic area, when Shibas hears of a job. A monster is menacing a nearby town. He comes out every full moon. Shibas gets an advance on the money from Cuttlefish a local big wig. The town, we discover is a “red light” district. Shibas gambles away the money, and then puts the girls to work dancing in a strip club, while he waits for the monster’s next appearance. Gin Fizz, a sister of the Golden Cross is devastated by the evil town and her job as a stripper. In despair, she goes out to walk, and discovers a pair of little girls who sell her flowers and she befriends.

But all is not as it first appears.
We find that Cuttlefish had another motive for bringing the powerful sorcerer hunter to his town. For his evil plan, he needs the magic of Shibas Scotch and the body of Gin Fizz.


Oh that’s enough for now. If you want to watch the movie yourself, I hate to tell you everything. And I haven’t even mentioned the weird sexual tensions among this group of young people!
Does Shibas turn out to have any redeeming virtues? And what happens to the townspeople? I’ll never tell.


THE CHARACTERS

SHIBAS SCOTCH- a young man of magical powers, who works hunting down evil magic for money. He is disdainful, insensitive, and even cruel. At one point he hits the woman chained to him in the face. The question is , is he trustworthy? He even flies into a rage at a friend who has a crush on him, although this guy is his one reliable friend. He is debased and debauched, but they say he is really good at his job. Well maybe when the giant sword comes out.

GIN FIZZ A young woman of the order of the Golden cross, who tries hard to maintain her chastity and her serenity in the midst of evil. Her goal is to find some goodness in Shibas, but well, we all know there’s more to it than that, even if she doesn’t. Beautifully drawn character, I still could never bring myself to like anyone who squeaks and screams or allows someone to beat her. That would be one dead bounty hunter , if it were me. She does have some funny lines.

KISS-is a green haired werewolf (who gets naked when she transforms) with an annoying little girl voice that makes me want to tie her outside so I wouldn’t have to listen to it. She is considerable help in a fight, and is loyal to her friends, coming to their aide. She adds a lesbian element as she sneaks up behind Gin Fizz and cops a feel. One shock after another. There is one other extremely suggestive scene as well occurring in a bath with Shibas.

GENMI is a guy who sees himself naked in a rose garde with Shibas, and is very up front about it, even though he is always getting beat up for it.. I actually really like this character, and I hate the message that gay bashing is acceptable. (If you accept Shibas as a role model, what he does would be acceptable, right? ) He saved the day on a couple of occasions, although Shibas never thought to even say thank you. He proves to have some courage as well.

CUTTLEFISH is the town dignitary, a sorcerer himself, who employs Shibas. Evil, although not so much on the surface. He looks European.

Meru and Taru-The twins befriended by Fizz. They are not what they seem.

Million Dollar-Another loud mouthed female, a woman from whom Shibas has borrowed money, and who proves to be pretty annoying to everyone, including me.


FINAL RECOMMENDATION


I can not bring myself to recommend this movie for families, but you adults might enjoy it . There are definitely funny moments. But it is too sophisticated for young children, and even many teenagers. It is more likely to be truly offensive to generations older than me.

See it anyway, and tell me I’m wrong. If you have to see it, stick with the rental or ask me for my copy. I won’t need to watch it again.








Recommended: No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age