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102 Minutes | Bandai Entertainment | 13+

Jin-Roh is one of those anime classics that I never got around to watching. I can’t really justify one reason or another as to why I didn’t watch it until just recently. Perhaps the biggest reason is that I just wasn’t interested in a sad story. It also got a lot of mixed reviews among my peers; add to that I wasn’t very fond of Mamoru Oshii’s works in the past, so I just avoided it. Just recently, though, I decided to take it out of my (rather big) backlog and watched it. I was in the mood for something a little more serious. It’s a tragic story indeed, but it’s done with so much style and class that it’s hard to fault it. It’s a good story with some harsh dilemmas.

The setting of Jin-Roh provides a very realistic and grim presentation of a near future, where guerrilla warfare is commonplace and excessive force is common practice as well. Even though the background is about the socio-economic problems of a war-torn Japan, surprisingly it doesn’t feel convoluted nor confusing. It’s a little pretentious, but the story of the relationship of an elite officer and a terrorist young woman doesn’t lose its focus. One of the things I really liked about the movie is all the allegories given to the Red Riding Hood (yes, that Red Riding Hood). At times it felt excessive and overbearing, but it provided the story a good focus, that of innocence being distorted by the world around it.

In the Capitol Police, the special police unit with the heavy suits, there’s a rogue counter-intelligence group that acts behind the scenes to eliminate the biggest terrorist threats with no limitations –excessive force and prejudice is more than adequate. The Wolf Brigade works in secret and are extremely well organized and disciplined, they set themselves apart from the Capitol Police whom they refer to as "dogs." Their leader gave a really cool line that put their status into perspective — "We are not men disguised as dogs, we are wolves disguised as men." BADASS! Without giving too much away, this is where most of the allegories come into play. You see, the bomb-carrying terrorists were often young women or girls who were referred to as "Red Riding Hoods." Oftentimes we see that our main character, Constable Fuse, is at a constant struggle to establish a relationship with the girl, but everytime it turns out to be impossible. "Tales of beasts living with humans always end on a bad note" as they said several times in the story. Even if Fuse were to find a way to escape with the girl, he can’t just abandon his pack. Wolves will always be wolves, they don’t fraternize with men.

For an anime that is almost 10 years old, the animation is still gorgeous! Everything looks meticulously drawn with excessive attention to detail, the action sequences are stellar, character movements are very fluid, there are no cheap stills or cheap zoom-ins. You can tell it’s a high budget flick. The music is great, particularly the closing song, and the colors are believable of the type of story they’re trying to tell –dark, browns, and grays. I have yet to see it on an HDTV, but if there’s a Blu-Ray version of this out there, I can only imagine it’s even prettier.

I normally don’t care for movies that do tragedy for the sake of tragedy, but Jin-Roh is a clear exception. This is one exquisite film that I can easily recommend to anyone looking for something more mature and/or realistic. It’s a classic for a reason and I easily see why now. To be completely honest, though, if I had seen this movie 3 years ago I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it the same way I did today. Now that I’m a little more jaded and bored of anime in general, I can appreciate gems like this one a little better. It’s a great movie, one of Mamoru Oshii’s best.

12 Episodes | Starz! Edge? | 16+

As of this writing, the second season of the highly explosive Black Lagoon anime series has not been distributed on DVD in the United States, due to Geneon, the license holder, being out of business. However, I’ve had the pleasant opportunity to watch the series (dubbed in English) on Starz! Edge. I’ll try to keep my impressions as concise as possible… Black Lagoon: Second Barrage KICKS ALL SORTS OF ASS!!

Holy crap do Balalaika and Revy kick ass! They’re only half the reason I loved the show, but man those are some powerful ladies. From watching the first season, I knew Balalaika wasn’t one for jokes, however she almost completely dominated Second Barrage. We got to see both her cold and cruel side, as well as her psychotic side. And I do mean psychotic! This lady saw a child bleed to death just a few steps away, from a sniper wound she herself ordered. FUCKING RAD, Balalaika gives bad-ass babes a new name. I don’t think I can properly give her the credit she deserves… COLD HARD BITCH, I LOVE HER!!

However, Revy still shows she’s also a remarkable killer this season. We do see a more vulnerable side to Revy this time, though. Unlike the first series, this time she played as Rock’s bodyguard through a good portion of the story, particularly the last arc. We see Revy struggling on a decision if she could lead a normal life after all she’s been through, but eventually sees it’s inevitable she’ll be pulled back to the underworld. But besides her inner turmoil, she took names like no tomorrow, as skillfully and masterfully as the first season, if not more.

Even though the series is action packed, there was plenty of characterization. Just like the first season, Rock goes through some personal trauma. However, he matures a lot more in Second Barrage than he did in the first season. Him and Revy get a little closer, though nothing romantically develops. Their romantic/sexual tension is still there somewhat, but they become good partners in the end. One thing that’s become somewhat clearer now, though, is that Revy seems to admire Rock for not caving into violence like she does. She sees a safe but naive world with Rock, which she finds attractive. Though it’s repeatedly mentioned that she can’t escape the world she’s in now, so she often doesn’t find the comfort she wants from Rock. After a near-death encounter with Balalaika (booyah!!), Rock eventually accepts his position in the underworld and stops wishing for normalcy. This is what made him and Revy become closer friends and partners, they now both work together in a world they both hate.

The conclusion leaves a bit to be desired, though. There’s definite room for more. There’s closure to the last arc, but the story of the Black Lagoon company (and Hotel Moscow… hell yeah!) can keep going indefinitely if the manga-ka wishes it that way. I’m fairly certain the only way anybody can end this series would be with a major death in there somewhere, which didn’t happen this season. From what I can gather there isn’t any more Black Lagoon coming in the future, so it’s a little disappointing that we won’t be getting anything new for quite some time, if ever. But anything’s possible, I suppose. I think the manga is still going.

There’s no question about it, Black Lagoon is an essential part of any anime fan’s collection. Particularly those who enjoy the action-packed anime series with some colorful characters. Even though the second season is in limbo at the moment, do yourself a favor and pick up the first season if you can find it. If you have Starz! Edge, keep an eye out for re-runs! Fans of Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing, or Heat Guy J, this series was tailored made for us! It’s as if Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez made an anime. Bad ass!

P.S.
Since I don’t own the DVDs, I had to google those images. If a blogger claims them, I’ll remove them upon request.

Update
FUNimation has the distribution rights for Black Lagoon seasons one and two. The first volume of Second Barrage is coming to DVD in August.

24 Episodes | ADV Films | 13+

If you thought Peorth’s advances towards to Keiichi didn’t ignite something inside Belldandy in the first couple of episodes of Season 2, you haven’t seen anything yet. Wait until you see Hild, Urd’s mom come into the mix. Holy moly!

Now that Peorth has (kind of) become one of the good guys, we are left once again with Marller as the main antagonist. She has no interest in Keiichi and the only thing she cares about is the misery and punishment of Belldandy. Marller has a boss, though. Her name is Hild, she’s Urd’s mom and also is the C.E.O. of Hell. Haha… get it? Hell is a corporation. Even more sinister than Marller and even more vindictive than Peorth and Urd combined she’s proving to be a formidable opponent. She’s also much more powerful than Belldandy considering she has over 3 dozens of restraints to keep her power in check. In short, it’s everything the devil incarnate could be. She’s also incredibly sexy.

That’s not to say that Hild is just another vapid villain devoid of meaningful purpose. Just like Marller, she really really hates Belldandy. Her motives are not exactly clear at this point (the C.E.O. of hell doesn’t need to explain herself!), but we’re hinted that Belldandy reminds her of "Him." I think we know which "Him" we’re talking about here. Needless to say Hild and her ex-husband are now separated, one living in Heaven with the gods and goddesses, and Hild living in Hell with the demons. Their affections just weren’t meant to be. That resentement is passed on to Belldandy. To add insult to injury, the gods also won over Urd, her legitimate daughter to be one of them rather than a demon. She blames Belldandy for all of this and probably a little more.

Unlike previous adversaries, Hild actually thinks things through very carefully before she executes a plan. Normally she has Marller do her bidding as her minion (who’s also very happy/scared-into to do it), but it’s her way of thinking and thoroughness that make her a great villain. Needless to say the good guys here win all the time, but I get the feeling it won’t be too long before Hild truly strikes a nerve inside Belldandy.

She almost did on DVD #6 when she found a weakness in Belldandy –her feelings for Keiichi. A little less slutty than Peorth, Hild actually goes to a deep root. She attempts to steal Keiichi’s heart by distorting his memories and make him think they’ve been a couple for the longest time. In essence, Keiichi’s feelings for Belldandy are fluctuated over to Hild. She feeds him, hugs him, bathes him… on one occasion almost kissed him. This is making Belldandy turn her noble and godly feelings into more angry and jealousy ridden ones. On the occasion where Hild attempted to (quite honestly) kiss Keiich she lost it. Her pupils dialated, the sky and ground turned red, and time stood still for a moment. This is as pissed off as she’s going to get, haha.

The whole driving force behind this action wasn’t just to get back at Belldandy, though. It seems that Hild’s intentions are to turn Belldandy into a demon. To bring out her "true feelings" as she puts it, even though it’s quite obvious that selfish and hateful feelings are not innately inherent in Belldandy, she’s too much of a goody-two-shoes. Heck, when she was told that to save Keiichi she needed to perform some "truly evil deeds", her idea of evil deeds was crossing the street on a green light or reading manga in a bookstore without buying it… hahaha! I swear I’ve never seen such a goody-two-shoes like this one in all my years as an anime fan. She’s still very fun to watch because she’s being put through these bad ordeals that is revealing a darker side of her that I didn’t know existed. All thanks to Peorth and Hild, no doubt.

If it isn’t obvious by now, Belldandy isn’t on Earth because of an obligiation to a contract. She geniunely loves Keiichi and Keiichi (who wouldn’t?) loves her back the same way. When Peorth attempted to steal Keiichi away, she discovered she’s capable of jealousy. When Hild attempted to steal Keiichi away, she found out she has a limit. The second season has been more about exploring Belldandy’s darker feelings, so it isn’t as fluffy as the first season. I think that’s why I’m enjoying this season more than the previous one. It makes me appreciate Belldandy more as a character, not a doll. This development also progresses Bell and Keiichi’s relationship, even if they haven’t kissed yet. (Can you believe it?) Either way, perhaps Belldandy isn’t as one-dimensional as a lot of people make her out to be. She’s a first class goddess, but she has a lot of human in her as well.

One thing that I felt a little concerned is that Belldandy openly admitted to Urd that it’s inevitable that her and Keiichi will be separated after some time (episode 23). Does this spell gloom for the happy couple? I’m thinking Keiichi needs to get his butt in gear, the poor sap can’t even say "I love you" to the woman of his life. As I was watching this episode I was thinking of all the possibilities Belldandy and Keiichi’s relationship could end as. Among them I was thinking that perhaps Belldandy will leave Keiichi, only to come back years later (let’s say 10) and find a mature Keiichi still holding to his promise to wait for her. That could be likely. Another issue I was thinking about is how they will age together –will Keiichi become an immortal and be together always with Belldandy? Or will Belldandy become a mortal (abandoning her powers and god status) for the sake of Keiichi? Or will they remain as they are and Belldandy will see Keiichi grow old? No matter which way I looked at it, I always saw it as a bittersweet ending of sorts.

Considering the manga is still running in Japan, though, we won’t be seeing an ending anytime soon. So needless to say, season 2 doesn’t really end on a high note. It’s like the end of a regular episode with a promise of more to come. I’ve heard rumors on some of the online forums I frequent (I think it’s even confirmed, not sure) that a third season is already in the making. Ah! My Goddess has been running its manga for more than 20 years, and I don’t think it’s going to stop anytime soon. So while I hate to say it, even if they made a third season, I wouldn’t expect it to end conclusively either. What I would suggest, though, is that right after you watch the two seasons for the TV series is to go right ahead and watch the movie (movie blog coming eventually). It was made before the TV series, but its setting is in the same time frame as the second season of the TV series. So check out the movie if the last episode here wasn’t enough for you.

To conclude this rather extensive blog (didn’t mean to), I wish there was more A!MG to be seen. I’m a little sad that we’re going to have to wait a pretty long time to see more of Belldandy and crew, but I suppose there’s always the manga. I just wish I had the cash to splurge on it! Either way, this has been a fantastic season for the series. It brings new depths to Belldandy’s character and there are actual attempts in progressing Belldandy’s and Keiichi’s relationship. The introduction of Peorth and Hild definitely spiced things up and I don’t think the season would’ve been the same without them. Skuld is still pretty annoying, but thank heavens Urd is there to keep her in check. Anyways, this is a personal favorite of mine if it isn’t obvious by now. Great cast of characters, I will always be an A!MG fan.

Yawara: Season One - $124.98 + Shipping (Sub-only)

This is AnimEigo’s first anime license in like… 8 or 9 years? It’s almost astonishing they’re still in the anime business, all thanks to their Samurai movies, I suppose.

I digress! If you’ve been keeping up with AnimEigo’s news they finally got the first season of Yawara! up for pre-order –$125 for 40 sub-only episodes. It’s a very hard sell, so I’m afraid this is the only way this series was ever going to get brought over to the U.S. It’s surprising enough it even got licensed, so it’s very cool that AnimEigo is selling it in season sets, it’s much more accessible this way. I just hope this doesn’t mean extremely slow releases. I don’t know if they’ll turn to Rightstuf.com or other online retailers eventually, but right now you can only pre-order the set from the AnimEigo website.

If you find the price too steep, AnimEigo is promising that if they get enough pre-orders, they’ll drop the price to $100. I’m pre-ordering regardless, though. It’s hard to find anime like this one today. $125 for 40 episodes seems like a good deal considering the quality of content here, regardless if it’s sub-only. Granted, I haven’t seen the show, but it just gives me a strong impression that I’m going to love this one.

AnimEigo’s previous works include the Oh My Goddess! OVA, Urusei Yatsura, and You’re Under Arrest.

About Yawara
Yawara is a sports anime with drama and romance elements. It’s a story of a reluctant young girl who is trained in the Judo arts by her pesky (but superbly skilled) grandfather, whom also has high hopes of her reaching the championship levels. But like all girls her age, Yawara only wants to have a normal life and find love.

Care to find out more? Check out this fansite I found while Googling for Yawara… JudoGirl.com - A Yawara Fansite