Side One of the double disc set from Bandai
Episodes: 2 (available both as sub and dub)
Intro: Although Talpa has been defeated, the warriors don't get much of a break. As they celebrate Ryo's birthday party, the news tells of a strange killer in hauntingly familiar samurai armor in New York. Once there they meet a girl named Runa who's brother has been killed by this mysterious armor and seeks revenge. Now, they will have to battle the ancient sorcerer Shikaisen for Sage's life.
Positive points:
Any fan of the original series has been waiting years for this to be released in America! The days of scrounging ebay for vcds and translation books are finally over! Okay, more analytically, though it was made in 1989, the animation is still quite good, IMO. Not top of your line par Evangelion standards, but nonetheless entertaining and fluid.
Negative points:
Plot wise, it ended anti-climatically in my opinion, but it was short enough (1 hr in length total) not to REALLY make that much of a difference. The length did not provide for any in-depth analysis of anything, nor explanations, since it was all built off the tv series(but if you've seen it, you'll get it). They voice-over actors did change slightly, as did their pronounciation of Ryo's name, which to be frank irked me. There were two, possibly three slightly disturbing/bloody scenes [spoiler="descriptions"] the Halo armor strangles two men but you only see him hold them up and they stop moving the rest is implied. Toma/Rowen finds a man stabbed to death in his apartment so there is blood there and a knife still in wound. In the final battle the villian melts so to speak which may disturb some viewers[/spoiler], but to be honest I really don't find it worse than a G or PG movie, and the scenes are so brief you barely blink differently.
Also, the armor is 'mystical' and while there is no occultic sorcery (other than the villian, who is "knowledgable in the Eastern wisdom") the armors provide the wearers with special attacks/moves, or which enhances their normal abilities, like speed. This does not mean they are wizards or dabble in sorcery or magic, nor is it even hinted at that they could be. The OAVs offer no explanation for their armor whatsoever, because it was explained in the TV show. They do "summon" the armor, although in my opinion it is harmless. No incantations or anything like that (save "armor of halo!", etc.). Still, it is there.
Lastly, price wise, it was around $30 at my local suncoast. So, even for potentially 4 hours of footage, unless you're a true fan I really wouldn't recommend buying it...rental perhaps. Both OAVs included are only 1 hour each, and the disc includes both a dubbed and a subbed. No special features.
Sexual content:
No nudity whatsoever in either version. There was one scene where a man put his hand over a woman's shoulder (no dirty looks or 'eh heh heh heh'ing' either) and his nephew makes a passing remark about leaving her alone because she means a lot to him and his friends. Not in the least bit crude or risque, nor would it bother a sensitive Christian. While there is a bit of romance, the "couple" does not even kiss, let alone anything else.
Language:
I've seen both the subbed and the dubbed, and actually the subbed is more vulgar (few d's and a b). They took out ever hint of cursing in the dubbed.
Violence:
There are a lot of sword fights, but nothing Akira style or anything. They don't even bleed when they get hurt thanks to their armor...just a bunch of clashing and clanging. There are a few attacks in the DBZ-esqe style animation wise, with the outlines of bodies being thrown by the force of it. Again, non-gratuitous. See "Negative points" for more detail.
Spiritual Content:
Passing references to "eastern wisdom", sorcery (used SOLELY by the villian), a computer system referred to as ying-yang and oddly enough, racks (for holding prisoners still) in the shapes of Star of Davids. I have no idea about that last one. Also, mention of demons, though not the Inu-Yasha "fuzzy" ones. No, this guy was bad, though not particulararly scary. Still, it was a better rendition than most. Ironically enough, ALL of those things were used by the villian, not the heroes.
Conclusion:
While I will admit, it is not completely and totally without fault I can say that I would honestly recommend it on good conscious, especially the dub. The sub does have more language issues, but same good story. None of the aforementioned bothered me in the least. I saw the series when I was 13/14-ish, and this is even cleaner. It is fantasy, however, so there are of course some aspects that cannot precisely be biblical, like the armor for instance. The redeemptive part of the dvd though is that likewise, there is nothing especially un-biblical, other than the villian. Which, I can't understand why anyone would get upset over a villian using sorcery...it's the VILLIAN. If you haven't seen the series though, I wouldn't really bother. They do not even provide answers for the villian's purposes/tools, much less the heroes, which it is assumed you are already familiar with (their armors, their abilities, etc.) Personally I loved the series, and so naturally loved the oav, but that's only my standards.
Officially it's a PG; some parental guidance may be suggested.
Rating: 4/5 Content Rating: PG
Note: Dub vs. Sub:
For once I actually preferred the sub version. Yes, the language was pumped up a bit, but the sub's dialogue flowed so much more smoothly. However though it was more vulgar, the sub seemed much more intelligent and less cheesy sounding.
Subbed:"How strange for yesterday's enemy to become today's hero"
Dubbed: "Wait a minute, you tried to kill me yesterday, why do you want to help now?"
The characters also seem a bit more indepth (i.e. Toma more a believable genius, Yuli/Jun less annoying). The translation did change the meaning of quite a few lines though; for the most part for the better. Hardcore fans of the series will notice a few changes between element/armor names, virtue names, and actually one of the attacks! My suggestion? Watch both if you can tolerate a wee bit more language. The subbed provides a more clear storyline, but the dubbed is cleaner and does have -some- better lines. If you saw the TV series, you'll be more comfortable with the dub, but the sub is just as much fun.
