Witchblade, Vol. 1
by Yoshimitsu Ohashi
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DVD details
Actor: Jamie Marchi, WitchbladeDirector: Yoshimitsu Ohashi
Brand: FUNIMATION PRODUCTIONS, LTD
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Funimation
DVD Reviews of Witchblade, Vol. 1
DVD Review: "I must...no, I want...to destroy you!"
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Witchblade Volume 1 DVD contains, in widescreen format, the first four episodes of the 24-episode anime series inspired by the well-known Top Cow comic book and beautifully animated by GONZO Studios. The disc's total running time is just over 94 minutes, and includes three vocal tracks: English 5.1 surround, English stereo, and Japanese stereo. It comes in a clear keepcase encased in a stunning (but very fingerprint-prone) mirror-finished slipcover, decorated with exquisite artwork by Mike Choi. Extras consist of textless opening and closing songs; a short promotional video; a subtitled interview with Japanese voice actress (and singer of the melodious ending theme), Mamiko Noto; and a tour of Top Cow Studios with Marc Silvestri--owner of Top Cow Productions and the executive producer of this anime project.
Six years ago, Masane Amaha was miraculously discovered alive at the epicenter of the Great Earthquake--an area commonly referred to as the Null Point, where the magnetic field reaches zero. She was clutching an infant. She had no memory whatsoever of who she was or how she got there, and the only proof that the baby girl in her arms was hers was the maternity diary she had in her possession. The government created a new identity for her and the child, Rihoko (a.k.a. Riko), and allowed the two to stay for a maximum of six years at a domestic shelter, after which time they were promptly evicted. Undaunted, Masane decided to move to Tokyo, with young Riko in tow, to start a new life.
Along the way, the adventurous twosome meet a friendly boat captain and his equally friendly "Doggy." After preventing Masane from drowning while observing a flock of yellow rubber duckies, the Captain warns the top-heavy mom that a lot of strange things have been going on in Tokyo recently.
He's undoubtedly referring to the horrific "Pulverizer Murders." The aftermath of one of these dastardly crimes is presently being captured on film by aspiring photo journalist, Yuusuke Tozawa, as he crouches atop an adjacent rooftop.
Later, Masame and Rihoko's quiet outdoor lunch is rudely interrupted by odious Child Welfare Ministry agent, Sakurai, who has been relentlessly pursuing the unsuspecting duo ever since their eviction from the shelter. Sakurai threateningly informs Masane that under the "new laws,"--established because many children were lost in the Great Quake--if she continues to travel around with Rihoko, without a steady job or a permanent home, she will be charged with kidnapping and child endangerment. "Children need structure," she sternly proclaims, "If the proper environment does not exist, CWM is obligated to take the child into custody." Eventually, Masane is coerced into consenting to part with her beloved Riko, and the unpleasant busybody drags the little pigtailed tot away yelling, "No! Please, Mom, I wanna live with you!" When Masane hears Riko's helpless screeches, her maternal instincts kick in and she runs after Sakurai as the self-righteous biddy drives away with tiny Riko locked in the back of the little red automobile, pounding on the windows and pleading for her mommy in a voice reminiscent of a dog's squeaky toy. Burly police officers try in vain to hold the frantic mother back, and she breaks loose of their grips and dives into an empty police cruiser! Once she's behind the wheel, Masane hits the accelerator and quickly catches up to Sakurai's car, ramming its side in a desperate effort to reclaim her frightened daughter. Instead, Masane's black and white cruiser crashes into a guardrail and careens down an embankment. The cops apprehend the resilient car thief, unscathed, and she winds up in a prison cell at the South Asagaya Detention Center.
At the Child Welfare building, Rihoko asks to use the bathroom, where she very cleverly scurries out the window and leaps out into the night air. She lands directly on the back of Tozawa, the avid photographer, who is more worried about his precious camera then his spine. In her own inimitable style, little Rihoko implores him to help her escape the clutches of the implacable welfare woman. Against his better judgment, Tozawa drives the plucky youngster away in his blue muscle car and takes her, at her request, to the Detention Center, where he gets out and looks around.
Inside, the odd mark on Masane's wrist begins to glow like Rudolph's nose. A fellow prisoner in a nearby cell sits up on his cot muttering, "I can smell it in the night...it's wonderful!" Masane screams in terror as the prisoner rapidly takes on the form of a terrible iron apparatus with multiple pointy protuberances. The mad machine bursts through the bars and slaughters several guards, reducing them to gooey crimson splats as he makes his way towards Masane's cell. "It's just you and me now, my darling prey," snarls the mechanical creature. Horror movie music plays as the spot on Masame's wrist changes from a mere tattoo to a silvery bracelet with a dazzling ruby at its center. Its wearer's cute, pixie-like face turns bewitchingly demonic. Her irises take on the appearance of lemon-yellow bug lights...her spikey brown hair turns tomato red...pinkish lines stretch over her plump cheeks...her clothes disappear and are replaced by a skimpy suit of strategically-placed armor! She is a beautiful, buxom beast, cursed with an uncontrollable urge to eradicate her adversary! The tiny nostrils of her narrow, turned-up nose flare...an enormous razor-sharp blade extends from her arm...she licks her delicate lips and tears into her monstrous enemy with the ferocious alacrity of a tabby with a fresh bag of catnip! The pandemonium ends abruptly with an earth-shattering explosion that blows a hole straight through the cement wall of the Detention Center. As Yuusuke Tozawa watches in stunned disbelief, the steel-clawed babe formerly known as Masane Amaha escapes...and Riko is still on her mind. Tragically, her brief search for her daughter is cut short by a mysterious bespectacled man with a tranquilizer gun.....
Japan's take on Witchblade offers an amazingly compelling and emotional story. It features simple but elegant animation and interesting characters. However, some of the villains--like the Microwave Man, who talks just like Mungo from the Heathcliff cartoon show, and literally cooks his victims' innards--may be a bit too weird for some viewers. I, for one, am anxiously awaiting Volume 2!
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