Breach -- (Why did they even HIRE someone this creepy?!)

Bad films that are "based on a true story" often suffer from two crucial flaws. One is that they lack direction and stay too loyal to a string of facts for the story itself to go anywhere. The other is that the characters (ironically) don't seem very real. The movie may pin fascinating real people down to a laundry list of traits and idiosyncrases and leave us with a flat, distant-feeling character. But how do you defy these problems without deviating too much from what really happened and taking the "true" out of the story? A good example of the "true story" done right may be found in Breach.

Eric O'Neill is an ambitious would-be FBI agent assigned to a new case: spy on an agent suspected of being a sexual deviant, 25-year force veteran Robert Hanssen. Not a glamor detail, but Eric is a devoted kind of guy. It's only after he becomes close to the bitter, extremely conservative Hanssen that he learns the truth. Robert Hanssen is a suspected traitor who's been selling secrets to the Soviets for years, responsible for countless deaths. Robert Hanssen is also a human polygraph with years of experience in exposing spies and even though O'Neill has somewhat gained his trust, it's a thin wire he's walking on trying to expose the master interrogator. If Hanssen can't be caught in the act of making a drop, he'll walk in a trial. But if O'Neill pushes too hard and blows it, the brilliant agent will never make another drop again. It's a true story with no time period explicitly stated...but it was relatively recent news, so none should be needed. A quick scene of Clinton's picture being replaced with Bush's in an FBI office is really all we need, wink wink. It was the greatest security breach in FBI history, and it was stopped by one young man in two months.



Don't let that trailer fool you: it's actually very quiet for an "action movie." There's no lengthy car chases, covert ops with squads of suits, and only one scene with gunfighting, if you can call it that. (It was a scene that clearly didn't take place in reality, but they needed something for the trailer!) Despite that, Breach is gripping and Hanssen is scary. We may not all be able to identify with being locked in a fight to the death, but we can all remember snooping around in someone else's things and being terrified when they come back, look at you, and you have to wonder: Do they know? What if they do? That's what makes Breach so tense and spooky: it's a quiet terror.

It's also a great character study. No, it's not obvious why Hanssen, such a brilliant and loyal man, turned traitor to the Soviets, but we are given some potential reasons to chase after before realizing that we may never understand his mind, and it's okay. It's mostly okay because Chris Cooper is absolutely fantastic in this role. I would almost call it Oscar-worthy, as every scene he's in exudes his role's manic mind and sends us shivers. Ryan Phillipe as O'Neill is capable alongside him, especially in the scenes where he has to lie on the spot and shiver it out later. Unfortunately, one weakness of the movie emerges when Cooper and Phillipe come to the table...no one else in the movie is mildly interesting by comparison. Even O'Neill's wife is a flat second fiddle in the story and while a few spare scenes try to delve into the psyches of the more minor characters, they are scenes perhaps better spent elsewhere. Unless the focus is on Hanssen or O'Neill, it's not interesting. So, the movie has its flaws and isn't really "unique" in any sense, but it certainly is very good, and that's enough.

It's an intellectual thriller where each little gesture carries more weight than a gunshot . The final scene is most chilling of all, and only moreso when you think to yourself. "Wow. This actually happened." I highly recommend checking it out. It's not only a great example of how to handle "true story" material in an entertaining way while saving authenticity, but more than that, it's most thrilling when nothing is moving onscreen but the two men's deceitful mouths. O'Neill's undercover endeavors to earn the traitor Hanssen's trust are far more nerve-wracking than any car chase could be, and few films keep this balance so well as Breach. (One of the tensest scenes takes place in a rush-hour traffic jam, ironically.) Definitely give this one a look-see, and if you really like espionage movies, maybe take it home with you. It's an underrated gem, and that's no secret to be kept!

The Prestige (But magic is supposed to be friendly and happy, not murrrrrderous!)

I'm really sorry for the lack of updates! Life has been caving in on me like a felled redwood. -.-' Without further ado, one of my favorite underrated movies from the director who brought you Memento and The Dark Knight. He's a real visionary for dark depths in the movies, and The Prestige is no exception!


As a director, Christopher Nolan has the curious trait of creating films that are drastic, dark, and depressing but always leave you feeling fulfilled as you walk out, not like you endured some horror, but that you saw the nastiest side of human nature...in a positive light. A perfect, 4 star example of this approach is The Prestige.



Sorry about the ugly windowboxing...

Around the turn of the century, two apprentice stage magicians become involved in a bitter rivalry caused by a woman's death. They use their stints as stage magicians to both one-up the other and plot turns of revenge that could eliminate the other. What you see above you is the end result for one man, then the other when he is accused of arranging the drowning. But really, it's just the beginning of a deliciously poisonous magic trick the movie plays on you until the very last frame. The film has a pledge, and a turn, and a prestige, but it's up to you to decide where all those things lie...or will you be fooled at each new revelation?

Enough of the smoke and mirrors, I should shoot you straight on this movie: it's brilliant, but it's easy to follow. (One of my favorite traits in a movie!) Like the apparatus of a well-planned trick, everything you see is, in fact, real, but may be more than it appears when all is said and done. Since this is during the Industrial Revolution, there is an interesting period fascination with the "real magic" in electricity, which leads magician Angier to acquire the machine you see in the video above. (It also gives David Bowie a cameo as the wise and withdrawn Nikola Tesla, who was a real man who pioneered alternating current.)

The photography is beautiful. Rich browns and navy blacks flow through each scene as deep violas and muted timpanis growl foreboding in the background. The period clothing and settings are quite rich, and I think their extravagantly restrained look (can I call it that?) adds to the film's tone of passionate men executing slow and quiet revenge. Those passionate men, by the way, are the best part of the movie. All three of them. For as marvelous as Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are in their respective roles, really making you believe in these half-crazed angry magicians, Michael Caine is just as important. You'll notice that this story doesn't really have a "good guy." Both of these guys sink pretty low over two hours of awesome man-angst, and Cutter (Caine) is the voice of reason, the only moral groundwork that keeps the story from becoming too dark to relate to. He (thankfully) brings out the humanity in the other men that is so necessary to keep the movie going, and of course does a great job acting his part. Scarlett Johansen also turns in a fine performance, but story-wise, she doesn't factor into the plot as much as that poster suggests.

I should warn you that there is one great criticism for this film, and that is its eventually resorting to a kind of "real magic." I don't want to give too much away, but your mileage may vary here. I thought the surprise "real magic" only emphasized the theme of the story more and added all the more meaning to its ultimate ending. But if you're liable to be disappointed by a tiny tweak of sci-fi late in this narrative, you have been warned. I will say that people who complain about it are kind of missing the point of what one man actually using "magic" represents in the end. It's all about the characters.

Because, point blank, the real fascination in the story is the dichotomy of the two characters. These men HATE each other with good reason, not only because of the accident, but the way each views the world is completely different. As the movie poster suggests, they reflect two VERY different approaches to the same passion. Angier (Hugh Jackman) lives for the applause and the approval of the audience while Borden (Christian Bale) lives for the mastery of the trick itself. Devotion to the critics vs. devotion to the craft dictates all their actions and their ultimate fates. Ironically, the movie about these men accomplishes both these purposes as well! The twists and turns are fun to watch, but the story's portrayal of the darkness in human nature is what has some critics gushing and may bring you back for a second or third viewing.

That and it's a lot of fun to watch the trick once you find out where all the trapdoors are, if you know what I mean. The DVD cover doesn't lie when it says you'll want to pull a Sixth Sense on this movie and run it back to see what you missed. Sometimes huge twists can be a cheap gimmick in suspense films like this, but The Prestige sets up its whammies perfectly, from pledge, turn and the final prestige delivery that gives it such a well-deserved name. Even if you spot some of the twists beforehand, as I did, it won't really matter when the case is closed for the vengeful duo. Every step of the dark journey, you'll just want to be fooled, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Ouran High School Host Club -- (Beverly Hills meets Tex Avery and explodes in pink roses)

(Check it out. I've stopped putting the title in large font at the top of my reviews. I mean, it's really redundant and it looked stupid. Why don't people TELL me these things? From now on, by the way, I can post a new review every night for a while...I hope!)


If you're an anime fan and haven't heard of this show by now, you may very well be living under a rock. If it is terribly uncomfortable down there, I suggest you bid a fond farewell to the snails and lichen and join the party with the crazy/beautiful hosts of Ouran High. This is a show that really takes every cliche in the bishounen anime book and turns them on their heads with a wink and a smile. It cannot be missed, period.

The premise is more than a little ridiculous. Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at the prestigious Ouran Academy, is having trouble fitting in. She's a complete wallflower who puts work first and play later, but because Ouran is an elite school for the rich and well-bred, lower-class Haruhi finds herself adrift in a sea of petty party animals when she would rather excel in her schoolwork. She sneaks off to an old music room in an attempt to find one quiet place to study (the libraries are all party halls) and finds out that it belongs to the host club: a group of six men with way too much time on their hands who are paid to romantically entertain young ladies in extravagant fashion.

They don't attempt to pander to Haruhi, however, because with her baggy sweatshirt, thick glasses, and rough masculine haircut, they assume she's a man (a gay man!) and pick at her commoner status, no less. Insulted and uncomfortable, she makes a bolt for the door and breaks a vase worth 8 million yen in her scramble. The flamboyant host club president, Tamaki, won't stand for this and makes Haruhi the club errand-dog. It's miserable for Haruhi until the club members catch sight of her without her glasses and see potential in her adorable looks...then it just gets worse! Haruhi finds herself in training to be a host herself in order to work off her debt and when the host club DOES find out that she's a girl, well, that's when the romance part of the rom-com kicks into a barely restrained overdrive. It's one girl pretending to be a boy in a pack of guys who just wish she'd wear a dress and act like a "real lady." Something's gotta give, but it never really does, and the balance teeters constantly for the gender-confused bunch.

So now we have our classic "reverse harem" situation with one innocent girl in a pack of beautiful men. And yet...

Haruhi doesn't want this harem. She doesn't like this harem. All the men in it are gorgeous, yes, but they're also enormously silly, naive, and S-P-O-I-L-E-D rotten! It's no place for a studious, practical, and completely UN-feminine girl...or is it the best thing that's ever happened to her?


Video created by Jaddziadax

It seems it's impossible not to fall in love with the host club as each zany new escapade unfolds, for Haruhi, the host club customers, and especially all of us viewers! The real brilliance of the show is not in its very cliche premise, but how it delivers, and oh how it delivers! The characters complement each other perfectly and fulfill different roles for the fantastic fetishes of their customers.

There's Tamaki, the "prince" type who's in such high demand with the ladies that he thinks himself "a perfect person on the inside and out." He's a charming narcissist who believes in traditional gender roles and comfort and beauty above all else. Despite it all, he also manages to be very lovable, as his intentions are pure and his naivete adorable. There's Kyoya, the "cool" type and his polar opposite, who sees the club as a fiscal venture only, the straight man in a jumble of goofballs. There's Hunny and Mori, the "lolita boy" and his "strong and silent" bodyguard. Hunny hugs bunnies and gobbles cake while Mori grunts and stares into space, and the contrast is an automatic smile for everybody. Most questionable are twins Hikaru and Kaoru, a pair of wily cheshire cats who entertain the ladies with teasings of twincest to stave off boredom. It's all an act of course, but with their constant mischief and twisting of tales, who's to say what the twins are really thinking anyway?

Watching the customers' reactions to all of this will bring back memories of crowded conventions full of crazy, screaming fangirls for many anime fans, and just illicit giggles in non-fans. (And a lot of eye-rolling from poor Haruhi.)

That's another charm of the show. It's actually funny even if you're not an anime fan. Lots of very funny shows like Fruits Basket, School Rumble, and Full Metal Panic! are just going to be funnier to those who are somewhat familiar with anime humor, and a bit lost on everyone else. The hosts at Ouran keep the jokes flying at record speed, but who can resist making fun of high school, upper class idiocy, skewed innuendo and cartoon hijinks? It's all universal, material everyone can embrace. A few anime in-jokes are present, but they're kept broad enough to be funny even to those who don't entirely understand them.

It's so goofy, but it so works. I think the creators of Ouran know full well that this show is corny, silly, and over-the-top, but they embrace it and break the fourth wall frequently to tell the fangirls (and perhaps boys) "We're aware this is stupid. Play along." (One great example is when Tamaki tells the other hosts that Haruhi will fall in love with him because this is a romantic comedy anime and he's the lead. They mention that they could have a chance, and he asserts that characters like them are all revealed to be closet homosexuals supporting the lead and shouldn't overstep their bounds. He even draws a line down the middle of the room to keep Haruhi to himself.)

Another major plus this show possesses is GREAT animation. Shoujo series, or slice-of-life girl focused shows, tend to get the lower budgets and the cheaper animation. After all, if what you have is a comedy (or drama) with a lot of talking heads, there's no point in throwing extra money at it. Ouran defies this by combining the stream of silly dialogue with Warner Brothers-frantic action. No one just stands still and talks in Ouran, at least not in the comedic moments. The hosts zip around the room like only they can, employing every non-rule of cartoon physics to take this show far and above others like it. The animation quality is just stellar, and the designs are very nice on the eyes to boot.

The music is also perfect: elegant waltzes and piping ballads that are just melodramatic enough to carry the mood but silly and spritely too. The music is most important when the show occasionally sobers up for a tender moment. Another great mark for Ouran: all those dramatic moments work. They're really touching and sweet, even when they pop up unannounced during a bout of laughter. Any time the show does drift into corny territory, one of the characters will shout "Well, this is stupid!" or a slight off-color twist will creep in and turn our "awwwws" into "ah-HA-HA-HAs." (A touching scene between Haruhi and Tamaki is mistaken for S&M by the other characters near the end of one episode, leaving the poor prez back at square one with Haruhi romantically speaking.)

While I'm talking about audio, I'm overjoyed to say that the English dub for this show is a match for its original. I was originally concerned for this dub because shows like Ouran, with all their zaniness, are easy to muff in translation, and furthermore, the Japanese casting for Ouran was already extremely above par. Amazingly, the crew at Funimation really stepped up to the plate with great writing and spot-on performances that are drop-dead funny without losing anything in translation. I think it's the best dub of a shoujo series I've ever heard. In particular, the leads are incredible standouts, with the normally high-pitched Caitlin Glass doing a great droll and boyish Haruhi while still sounding like an actual girl with gender indifference. Alongside her, Vic Mignogna blew me away as Tamaki, who is a very hard character to play if only because he has to be sincere and screwy all at the same time. Even if you aren't a fan of English dubs, this one completely merits a listen.

I honestly can't give Ouran High School Host Club enough plaudits. I couldn't give it a perfect score if only because it doesn't really "break new ground" in any sense. It's great fun and great entertainment, and that's all there is to be said. But by making fun of its own genre and pulling a double whammy of gut-busting humor with tender sweetness and a host of lovable hosts, this is a real rose among thorns in shoujo, and should leave every girl (maybe a few guys!) squeeing for more.

What do you want to see most? -- (See the poll alongside this massive ugly cat face)

It's time again to talk to mah face, peeples! (I think that poor thing's on cracknip.)


I'm not dead, fear not. I just haven't finished compiling the reviews I've been writing yet. (And finding videos for them, which takes time but really makes each mass of text stand out more in the final product, I think.)

I have decided, though, that it might be best to find out what the people that read this are most interested in. That way I can specialize what I review and how I go about doing it, making this blog a little bit more specific than it already is, and giving me a better comfort zone. (I haven't had time to watch all this stuff, but I've somehow made time, and it would be nice to make less time and specialize a little!)

So, if you will vote in the poll on the sidebar here, I'd be very happy. You can select more than one option, so pick two if you like, although picking three or four kind of misses the point, ha ha.

Either way, I can get into a nice rhythm once I've whittled down my options:

If New Movies wins out, I'll be making a lot of trips to the Redbox, the Family Video, and every once in a while, the theater.

If Retro Movies wins out, I have a massive collection to peruse at my leisure and rummage through bargain bins too.

If New Anime wins out, I'll be doing a lot of Youtubing and might sign up for an online renting service to help me out.

If Old anime wins out, I have a massive collection to peruse at my leisure and several titles to be networked through friends, internet, etc.

Now I will continue to review a little bit from every category if a certain movie or anime grabs me and I've just seen it, but instead of trying to keep them all equal, I can consistently stick with one and just put reviews in other categories when something really makes me sit up and pay attention...being either really good, really bad, or really popular.

On a side note, my upcoming reviews I've been working on to publish one after the other:

Movie Reviews: Finding Neverland, Batman Begins, Wall-E

Retro Reviews: Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Goonies, Airplane!

Anime Reviews: Wolf's Rain, Ouran High School Host Club, Neon Genesis Evangelion

Have a spiffy day, folks!

Utawarerumono -- (no, there isn't an English translation, now say it three times fast, I dare you!)

UTAWARERUMONO



As I have snidely mentioned, there's no real English equivalent to the unnaturally long word that titles this anime. It's not like it matters, as it's only one of a LOT of really long names in this series featuring ten-syllable characters and countries. The best phrase to describe what it means is "one being glorified." The word itself only takes on significance at the very end of the story, but I should start this review at the beginning, shouldn't I?


The epic fantasy itself was based on a Japanese "ero" game of all things. (Dating sim.) That would explain the enormous female population of the show, many of whom are busty and attractive and fulfill different roles as potential love interests to the hero...or at least they would, except that this show so completely steps outside of anything resembling a dating sim that such petty smut doesn't permeate the series worth a drop.

The story follows Hakuoro, a soft-spoken masked man who awakens in a small village with amnesia...and an inability to remove the mask that is fused onto his face. He had been rescued from certain death by the caring healer Eruruu and her younger sister and grandma. At first, Hakuoro proves a father figure to the tiny family, but it's not long before he feels the need to stand up to the corrupt leaders extorting the little village, and the vicious tiger god that sporadically attacks the populace.

Through a series of pot-stirring confrontations and revolts, Hakuoro soon finds himself gathering a mercenary band against the powers-that-be in a quest to reshape the country for the better so his new homeland can live in peace. He joins to his party the motley likes of Oboro, hotheaded swordsman, Benawi, coolheaded samurai, and Karula, a savage and beautiful once-slave with immense strength...among many many many other fighters. The grand coup unfolds very smoothly, but it is like watching a video game as all the party members fulfill their cliched roles and just as one villain goes down, another (way more powerful) one randomly appears in his place.

Speaking of this broad world, the universe of Utawa is at least an intriguing one. Many of the characters are half animal-half human hybrids, although there are some pure humans, and saurian lizards are saddled and mounted rather than horses, but apart from that, it's a very down-to-earth fantasy, with more swords and feudal conflict than magic or superpowered monsters. There's just enough fantasy to make it different, but it's still tied to that middle ages sensibility of fantasy, much like the Fire Emblem franchise's storylines. It sounds complicated, but it isn't...yet. And that's the anime's greatest gaping weakness.



There's just not anything unique about it all, but it still tries to overcomplicate matters with trivial details about tribes, long names of countries that may or may not be a convenient plot device, and WORST of all, a terribly bizarre and convoluted overworld backstory that I had to rewatch several times just to (kinda) understand. The only reason I attempted it is because it's a detail tied directly to Hakuoro's true identity, one of the most interesting parts of the show. As you can see, I posted the theme song as a video clip...because I couldn't think of any one moment in the show that stuck out as noteworthy. (And the theme song is catchy...the credits song is even better, though!) The journey is fluid, but there's no real surprises of note here, with the exception of some unpleasant "revelations" late in the game that are giggle-worthy because they feel so out of place...two words: Giant Robots.

I mean, the plot, as RPG-like as it is, manages to please just dandy, but the characters are to fault for the lack of novelty here. To better explain my mild annoyance: characters are often described as having "dimensions." There are 1-D characters, who act a certain way in every situation and never change. A good story should have at most two of these, preferably none unless comic relief is involved. There are 2-D characters who fit a basic archetype, but may change over the course of the story and can be believed as somewhat realistic. All Disney movie leads are like this. Finally, you have 3-D characters who have entirely dynamic personalities and may change their motives or behavior depending on the situation but somehow remain believable and solid and you could almost take them for real people. My point?

Well, Utawarerumono's enormous cast of colorful beast-people has maybe three or four 2-D characters, and the rest are one-dimensional. Inevitably, it gets old. Our lead, Hakuoro, and his problems with amnesia and learning to lead an army, aren't even as sympathetic as they should be, because Hakuoro is so much of a flat-spoken goody-two-shoes. Likable maybe, interesting or unpredictable, no.

On the positive side, this anime has a pretty good score and remarkably consistent, fun-to-watch animation. There's even great use of CG with the armies that flood hilltops and valleys in scads, each soldier moving on his own thanks to computer mapping. It's neat to watch, as are the battles themselves, with slashing, swiping, spearing, and every once in a while, heaping helpings of blood. The gore is used pretty sparingly for a renegade tale, and its effect is always felt. The English dub is also quite good for this series, albeit nothing really special. This has nothing to do with the casting, which is just fine, but the stereotypical, predictable writing of the show itself. The only role that really sticks out is probably Luci Christian as Lady Kuuya, but the other actors do just fine with their one-note characters, and the campy villains are good for a giggle.

I might recommend this title for a week or two's enjoyment, but I wouldn't spend any money on it, lest you find it worthy of only one viewing. See if you can mooch it off someone else or Youtube the sucker and you may be kinder to the epic fun than I was. If nothing else, it is easy and fun to watch, even if you don't come back from it with anything you haven't seen before.

Dr. Strangelove -- (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb)

DR STRANGELOVE (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb)



Long before Michael Moore and other bigoted copycats came along to make fun of America, Stanley Kubrick managed to do it right, way back in the 60s. (Your mileage may vary on the slough of political satire films flooding theaters now, including the recent "W." which I am hesitant to ever see if only because it seems too soon to be reflecting on a "historical" blunder. I feel the same about 9/11 films...) Anyway. It was during the Cold War and the Red scare (1964) when this film was meant to be relevant, but oddly enough it has stood the test of time to be just as hilarious and thought-provoking today. If you're looking for films with a screwy political bent, look no further, as this is as good as it gets.

The story launches from a drastic measure taken by certifiably cuckoo General Jack D. Ripper to launch an attack on Russia and wipe out the communists once and for all, for fear they will pollute America's "precious bodily fluids." The Pentagon finds out about this, but they're so tangled in their own red tape (red, yay irony) that they can't even get the right radio code to call the planes back. To make matters worse, they find out from the Russian ambassador and the invalid presidential advisor Strangelove that any nuclear threat on Russia will automatically trigger their failsafe "Doomsday Device," a terrifying weapon that will wipe out all plant and animal life on Earth and hang in the atmosphere for a hundred years.

You'd think this would be a serious subject, but it turns out that it's just too important to be taken seriously. In its own quiet, absurd way, this movie is drop-dead funny, and takes a dry approach to the whole affair that kinda makes you fear for the government, as we're in a tense situation with nuke-missiles ourselves.

One of the unique things about this movie is its cast of characters. With the exception of one Russian, one German, and one Brit, all the important characters are nondescript middle-aged old guys with funny names...and yet they manage to stand out perfectly from one another. You will never confuse one character for another in this movie, and they're all great fun to watch, from the cool-headed to the war-mongers, the bigots to the morons, the only sane people in the entire movie end up wholly at the mercy of the stupid. (Including the completely normal president. Yeah, This movie does NOT cheap-shot the president for quick blame like many others. It's those middle-management people who screw everything up.)

This is even more impressive when you consider that Peter Sellers played three of these characters: the President, the Brit, and the German: Dr. Strangelove himself. The (good???) doctor doesn't get much screentime, actually, but the significance of his appearances and his way of thinking are enough to justify the movie being named after him, with all its gallows humor and tongue-in-cheek self-mockery.




The scene above is pretty indicative of this. The man on the phone is trying to contact the president and give him the code to call the airplanes back from their dastardly mission. It's not enough he has to worry about dogmatic soldiers and telephone operators...now he'll have to answer to the Coca-Cola company! (Maybe in the midst of the nuclear crisis, they'll hold off on suing him.)

It's no wonder this movie has been designated a spot in the National Film Registry, but like most old relics, it's been largely ignored by this generation. Before you see "W." give this film a chance. It's funny, well-acted, so well-written that nearly every line is quotable. Quite frankly, my dear, it's the bomb...

...that pun was bloody arful.

Now and Then, Here and There -- (nearly putting Schindler's List to shame in 13 episodes)

NOW AND THEN, HERE AND THERE



Shu was a normal, if not overly friendly and optimistic, young kid who enjoyed a comfortable suburbian life in Japan. He was. But everything changed when he was swept away through time and space to the desolate kingdom of Helliwood because he tried to save an innocent young girl: LaLa-Ru. She is an ancient water spirit coveted in a dry, dying world.

Before I admit that this series was quite good, I have to say: I really don't know what the inspiration for this story was, to be honest. I think someone must have been horribly depressed or convinced that society was going to hell in a handbasket to write this kind of thing. Anyway, I should better explain my strong reaction, shouldn't I?

The kingdom of Helliwood is overlorded by an oppressive tyrant, King Hamdo, who overtakes all the native villages of the Dune-like world with his military might and unsurpassed technology, which is sort of steampunk-influenced in design. At every village he sacks, he kills the older men and women and recruits the young boys, down to small children, into his army. The girls...well, it's implied that they become breeders for the massive army, if you catch my drift. It's scary and oppressive, and we get to watch.

I know the art style looks tame, Disney-ish, and simplistic compared to most other anime, but that's more a blessing than anything considering the subject matter. This story does NOT feel cartoony, as evidenced by this music video here...

Video created by NHMK

That's not to say that the story is all gloom and doom and has no redeeming qualities. That's where Shu comes in. Despite all the trials he faces, along with the other boys and girls in the story, he doesn't despair and tells everyone that if they hold out, change will come for the better. Turn after turn, things only get worse, but he sticks to his guns and refuses to either give up hope or do wrong just because he can get away with it. (One of the most notable examples is when he is ordered by a drill sergeant to whip the boys who had been bullying him. He tells them he won't return evil for evil or harm a man with his back turned to him.) Really, Shu's optimism is what keeps us going throughout the story's 13-episode run, as he attempts to save LaLa-Ru and escape the evil Hamdo's clutches.

The dismal ride is made all the more elating in the few moments of triumph, but happy or sad, you will find yourself emotionally moved by this story. Or, some might argue, emotionally manipulated. Myself included. I have to argue that for all the opportunities this story has to say something powerful about the human condition or something that would validate its heavy content, it kind of backs off. There's nothing particularly deep or profound about this show, it's just a story about people who suffer and persevere, and maybe that's enough. Personally, I would have liked some more insight, but if all we get an engaging fantasy holocaust, it's a well-written one and it will suck you in and leave you believing in these very human cartoony characters.

The animation, as I mentioned before, does a lot in making this easier to watch. No matter the art style, you're going to be gut-wrenched over how this story progresses, but the muted watercolors and basic shapes probably tamed the darkness of it all a lot. The English voice acting is...interesting. Almost all of the roles are well-played, with the exception of some drill sergeants and angry mob-types, you're not going to struggle with corny acting. But it's weird because the group that dubbed this show also lends their talent to 4Kids.

Basically: you're going to hear a lot of Pokemon/Yu-Gi-Oh! actors in this dub. Apparently, once they're not doing 4Kids garbage, they're rather decent actors! The portrayal of King Hamdo, the head tyrant, is particularly striking. The character was clearly modeled after Hitler, but lacks any of the fuhrer's charisma or even a smattering of sanity. This is pretty different, because it's so rare to see a leader so COMPLETELY insane, and Jack Taylor does an amazing job of making Hamdo uncomfortably, eerily psychopathic and fear-consumed. The oddest choice in casting, I must point out, was giving the roles of the two most important soldier children to voice actors famous for DEEP voices. Dan Greene (Yami of Yu-Gi-Oh!) and Crispin Freeman (Alucard of Hellsing). I understand they're good actors, but having them play little boys?! Why...? Well, they do decent enough jobs anyway, with Green focusing on acting quality at the cost of sounding like a ma-yahn, and Freeman keeping a "young boy" register at the cost of more believable acting.

In the end, I didn't regret shoving through Now and Then, Here and There and all its tragedy, but I was left wondering what the real point of it all was. Good story, great characters, beautiful moments, but after it's all over and things are "put right" again, Shu just...well, maybe you'll just have to see for yourself. After watching a series so full of emotion, I still catch myself wondering why I felt so empty at the very end, waiting for a theme behind all the pathos that never really arrived.