The Legend of Himiko - Sacred Fire
by Ayumi Tomobuki
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DVD details
Director: Ayumi TomobukiDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); Japanese (Original Language)
Format: Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-07-09
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Us Manga Corps Video
DVD Reviews of The Legend of Himiko - Sacred Fire
DVD Review: Too Many Queens Can Spoil The Broth
Summary: 3 Stars
The Magical Girl as an anime form is one of the oldest genre and is responsible for bringing many fans (male and female) into the fold. Classics like Fushigi Yugi and no holds barred efforts like Escaflowne dot a landscape full of creations that is almost the comfort zone of romantic anime. In each, one or more modern day teenagers are translated from the irritating world of adult rules and find themselves in mythical lands where special rings, swords, or spells change them into special beings with god like powers who must struggle to save their new worlds.
Legend of Himiko is straight out of that mold. The Flame of the Bokka, the power of the land of Yamatai, is quenched in an attack by the evil General Shikara. The six women who are potential queens of Yamatai are dispersed, and a newborn girl vanishes into the flame. Years later that child, grown into a beautiful girl, is suddenly returned to Yamatai with her close friend Kutani, triggering a renewed struggle to throw off the Kune invaders and re-establish the kingdom of Yamatai.
The originality of the story come from the relationship between Himiko and Kutani. While this is a typical love/loyalty friendship, to release the power of the Bokka, both are required. Their separate adventures are what makes up most of this DVD, as they take different paths upon their arrival. Kutani falls in with the warlike Imari, who fights on the side of the rebels. Himiko meets on of the friendlier of the Kune nobles, who becomes determined to help her.
All but one of the six potential queens support the rebellion, and their bantering and argument supply much of the less serious dialog, and visits to the grand palace of Shikari provide all the dire moments a good story requires. The Kune governor has enlisted both occult help and fairly modern technology (tanks that drop from sky islands using umbrellas as parachutes). His power base is wobbly, though - his father, the emperor, is impatient to see the final conquest of Yamatai, But Shikari seems to be bogged down in his own priorities.
I found the series quite entertaining if a little lacking in finesse and polish. The artwork is better than Fushigi Yugi, but not up to the standards set by Escaflowne. Too many stills against still backgrounds. The scripting is typical, and the dubbing, unfortunately, is uninspired. But it all seems to work together so far, so I think the series is worth investigating.
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Description of The Legend of Himiko - Sacred Fire
Based on a PlayStation game, this 1999 TV series feels like a mixture of Escaflowne, El Hazard, and Fushigi Yugi, with a cutesy, Pokémon-like sprite thrown in. Himiko, the infant heiress to the throne of ancient Yamatai, is thrown into the future when General Shikara, who looks like a cross between a Peking Opera villain and a shower curtain, attacks the temple of the Bokka. At the ruins of Yamatai, Himiko, who has grown up to be a normal teenager, is hurled back into the past with her friend Kutani. These modern kids must deal not only with Shikara and his king, but ghouls, animated cadavers, demons, rebels, and six "Queen Candidates." The leaden dialogue and endless references to "the power of the Bokka" will quickly weary viewers who aren't already fans of the role-playing sword-and-sorcery game. Unrated; suitable for children 12 and older; contains violence, profanity. --Charles SolomonBestsellers in DVD
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