Shelf Life

I Am the NHK

Another volume 1 drifted into my hands lately, and it's one that I've been looking forward to—Witchblade. I was a little disturbed by the inside flap of the slipcase, though, because I couldn't figure out why Masane had three breasts. It wasn't until after four minutes of staring (actually, 3:47) that I realized that two of the breasts were actually just one breast, that were being squeezed by the really tight claws of her outfit. It can't possibly be comfortable running around with material digging into your bust and putting all of you weight on high-heel-blades, but Masane's so into destruction when she's transformed that I guess that extra pain must turn her on.

At this point, you're probably wondering why I spent so much time thinking about her outfit. Honestly, it's because I found it much more interesting than the actual disc, which can be summarized in three sentences. Masane and her “daughter” show up in Tokyo, only to be separated when Child Welfare takes the kid away. At the same time, Masane's Witchblade abilities are re-awakened, which captures the interest of some researchers who hire her to get rid of some unruly characters. She eventually agrees, is reunited with her daughter (with the help of the organization), and life goes on.

The story is very linear. This isn't a bad thing, but it also doesn't make for very exciting viewing. It does allow you to do other things while you're watching, but if you're driven to folding your socks, then it probably doesn't speak well of the series. None of the characters are particularly compelling, either, except for the daughter, who's pretty charming with her determination and gusto. The dynamic between her and Masane is interesting to watch, but nothing else really drives you to care about the characters.

Witchblade is the kind of series that would do really well on TV. It's very action-driven, and there's plenty of eye-candy, but it's something that doesn't really have too much replay value. I suppose you could just loop the scenes of Masane in her Witchblade outfit if you were a sick bastard, but aside from that, once you've seen it, you've pretty much got it. I could see it doing well as a “gateway” anime, though, so if you've got any friends you're trying to lure into anime, renting this may be a good move.[TOP]

Next on my review list was the highly anticipated Tekkonkinkreet, licensed by Sony. Based on the manga, Black and White, by Taiyo Matsumoto, the film is especially notable for being directed by an American, Michael Arias. Also notable is the involvement of Studio 4°C, known for their stunning visual style and experimental works.

The film is set in a sprawling urban mess called Treasure Town. What was once probably a glorious and prosperous neighborhood is now a dilapidated heap of concrete and steel. At the center are two feral children who call themselves Black and White, who refer to the place as “our town.” When a developer decides that he wants to wipe out the area and build an amusement park called Kiddie Kastle, he hires people to get rid of the people controlling the town, namely kids like Black and White.

While the story has a lot of potential, the resulting film is a bit of a mess. Visually, it's gorgeous, and the sometimes psychedelic scenes that pay homage to various artists are amazing to watch. Everything else, though, seems as though it was cut a bit short. The character development leaves much to be desired; while viewers get the gist of Black and White, and their different mental states, they're almost lost in all the other characters that Arias throws at the screen.

In fact, much of the movie feels lost in the sweeping piece that Arias and his fellow scriptwriter Anthony Weintraub have created. The dialogue is extremely verbose, there are too many unfinished concepts, and so much is going on that nothing really gets the depth that it deserves. Ultimately, it's a film that has more visual oomph than substance. It's definitely worth watching for the style and the creative approach that Arias has taken with the art direction, but it's a bit of a letdown because so much more could have been done.[TOP]