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NOTE: This
is virtually the same review of
"Blood+" that
I wrote a
few months ago. Some minor picture and sound details
have been added. This volume is also available in the
box set reviewed above.
Anime isn't my favorite form of animation, with the
exception of the original "Speed Racer" and some of
Hayao Miyazaki's films like "Spirited Away" (2001). I've
found it too jerky and the American dubbing is usually
pretty bad. Plus the stories aren't very appealing to
me. "Blood+" changed my mind, at least for this Japanese
epic series.
"Blood+" Volume Three is now available in a boxed DVD.
Epic, poignant and brilliantly animated, "Blood+" is a
remarkable achievement in anime. The concept revolves
around a young girl named Saya (American voicing by Kari
Wahlgren) who holds a mysterious past, and super samurai
powers to combat evil creatures called chiropterans. She
and a band of mercenaries fight these hideous creatures
and other evil minions throughout the episodes.
The initial plot is simple enough, but the series is far
more complex and deep than that. Clocking in over
600-minutes running time, "Blood+" is adept at getting
you hooked into its characters and storyline. So why is
this anime series different for me, a non-anime lover?
It's a combination of elements that mesh well together,
starting with a strong storyline and characters.
Director Junichi Fujisaku carefully guides viewers into
Saya's world, allowing them to digest each and every
situation with ease. There are many characters, but the
filmmakers and animators have handled them with care and
have given them distinct personalities. Saya is a
sweetheart and we're instantly drawn to her. Typical of
a reluctant hero, she only fights when necessary. And
when she fights, watch out! She means business with that
sword. Her brother, Kai (American voicing by Ben
Diskin), is very much from the school of Japanese anime.
When he gets frustrated, he hits walls and we get
close-ups of his shaking jaw and eyes. But this is all
in good fun.
The animation is fairly standard anime, but it's more
fluid and colorful than I've seen before. In a word, the
anime is outstanding.
The Japanese production crew worked closely with the
American dubbing crew. The result is anime that has
dubbing that matches the lip movements on-screen. The
voicing also fits the characters well.
"We really paid attention to that," says Michael Hack,
the American casting director. In bringing "Blood+" to
American audiences, which can also be seen on Cartoon
Network's Adult Swim, the American cast and crew worked
hard in keeping everything about the Japanese program
intact. The American crew tried very hard to make the
series seamless as possible in the translation of story
and dialogue dubbing. As actor Dave Wittenberg mentions,
"It was like a giant Tetris game working with the
dialogue." He plays the character of Soloman.
In trying to match the Japanese animation, which can be
very quick on the mouth movement, both the actors and
writers strived for accuracy. Many times, the actors
were called on to do multiple voices for different
characters. "Imagine having an argument with someone
who's not there in front of you," says Wittenberg. The
American sound crew would then mix the various voices
into the final film. Actor Ben Diskin (Kai) also
stressed that dubbing his lines into a Japanese anime
series is one of the hardest things to do. Japanese
phrases are much different and sometimes longer (or
shorter) than American phases.
"We wanted to stick to the Japanese version," says
writer Joe D'Ambrosia. The result is a flawless dub,
with scripting that is convincing to American audiences.
The show doesn't feel like a dubbed "Godzilla" movie.
Outside of the obvious anime style, "Blood+" feels right
at home showing on a television in an American media
room.
There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot and
allegiances between characters. "Sometimes the good guys
become the bad guys," says writer Tom Teves.
I'm not a big anime fan, as I mentioned before. Yet I
found myself engrossed in the action and storytelling
that this series has. It's really quite good. There's a
lot of stylized gore and action that does get bloody. I
suppose that's why they call this "Blood+." The music,
by Hans Zimmer, is really good, along with an impressive
sound mix. This is presented in 2.0 stereo and sounds
excellent. The picture, mastered in high-definition,
looks sharp and colorful on DVD. I can imagine a Blu-ray
version would simply blow one away. I took a chance on
"Blood+." It's well worth the risk.
Bill Kallay
Special thanks to Ana Lopez, Tom Teves, Joe D'Ambrosia,
Michael Hack, Dave Wittenberg and Ben Diskin
Photo: © 2005-2008 Production I.G. Aniplex, MBS,
HAKUHODO/Adelaide Productions/Sony Pictures. All rights
reserved.
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