View Full Version : EW reviews Witchblade!
neo-pactio
10-08-2007, 05:37 PM
Directly from the article:
Animation Alley - SEASON OF THE 'WITCH'
Unleash your inner superhero with these cutting-edge cartoons
Well established as a hit comic book and a lousy live-action 2001-02 TV show, WITCHBLADE can;t be considered an original concept. Yet this Volume 1 DVD (Unrated, 100 mins, 2006), collecting the first batch of half-hour anime cartoons directed by Yoshimitsu Ohashi, intrigues with its mixture of humor, violence and sex.
The Witchblade is, to summarize brutally, an ancient amulet that attaches itself primarily to women, giving them superpowers. Masane, a single mother to an adorable little girl, Rihoko, finds herself the latest Witchblade possessor, stalked by both the government and a mysterious evil corporation (Everybody wants control of the 'blade.) The series finds sweet, funny affection between mother and daughter, and an anguished terror when they are seperated.
In keeping with anime convention, Masane is unusually busty, and when her amulet transforms her into a mighty hero, exposed parts of her body push this cartoon into PG-13 territory. Sexualing Mom while maintaining kid-friendly plotlines is a typical anime ploy to attract older viewers; Witchblade is artful enough to appeal to both audiences without offending either. B+ - Ken Tucker
Suko-chan
10-08-2007, 06:57 PM
I read that review in the mag, too.
The article also appears on the ew.com site HERE (http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20058588,00.html), where EW readers rate Witchblade an "A".
As for Ken Tucker's statement: "Sexualizing Mom while maintaining kid-friendly plotlines is a typical anime ploy to attract older viewers..."
Um, yeah... like only anime does that. :roll:
This ties in nicely to my post in the grammar thread over in OT. Is there any other reason to watch Witchblade besides "Sexualizing mom"?
:>
kakugo
10-09-2007, 02:48 AM
'Cause shows in which monsters hack each other to pieces with biomechanical blades and tentacles is totally kid appropriate until boobs are involved.
...well, I'd let my kids watch Witchblade if I had any. :P
hikaru004
10-09-2007, 07:31 AM
And that whitish substance that gets released when they get hacked is totally kid-friendly too. :P
jojo_home
10-09-2007, 12:45 PM
A more accurate quote about anime ploys, sadly, would be more like this:
"Sexualizing younger girls while maintaining kid-friendly plotlines is a typical anime ploy to attract older viewers..."
:sigh:
nickcreech
10-09-2007, 01:18 PM
Witchblade seems like a reprise of My-Otome to me. I have an obsession with My-HiME and My-Otome so of course I like Witchblade. The dub was done very well, and I like how Masane says things like, "I taste it...death", and lets out a very sexual moan when she's about to kill something. It's really strange. If you like Witchblade then you [should] like My-Otome. And if you like My-Otome then you [should] like Rozen Maiden. I think Fate/Stay Night might have some My-HiME aspects about it but I have yet to buy it yet.
Mr. Spiffy-Pants
10-09-2007, 01:42 PM
As I understand it, she's moaning because she's orgasming every time she kills something.
I don't know about you, but I defintely want my 12 year-old watching softcore porn with a splash of hardcore violence. :roll: Granted, it's probably a step above late night Skinamax, but still... I don't know, this title and a lot of recent titles that are similar to it just don't appeal to me.
Maybe if the creators would've made the costume a little less revealing, made her boobs a reasonable size, and focused a little more on the whole battle against demons I might've been interested. If that's your bag, more power to you. :)
You do realize what market they try to aim most shows at, right :>
chloes_fork
10-09-2007, 02:26 PM
made her boobs a reasonable size
So true. There are things about this show that interest me, but the hindenburg tits dissuade me every time.
Mind you, I'm all about the smutty, and my inner arrested adolescent thinks spontaneous battle-induced orgasms sound supercool. I simply don't find these kinds of overly-pneumatic character designs attractive. Guess it's sexy to somebody, but to me, saner proportions would actually make for a far hotter heroine.
Dicrel Seijin
10-09-2007, 03:09 PM
Maybe if the creators would've made the costume a little less revealing, made her boobs a reasonable size, and focused a little more on the whole battle against demons I might've been interested. If that's your bag, more power to you. :)
Yes, this is my bag. :D
And as a fan of the Witchblade properties, I can tell you American version covers even less. I believe the current solicited sculpt has the phrase "Witchblade bikini" in the sell copy.
I agree about the breast size, but if I can get used to Divergence Eve chara designs, then this should be no problem. :)
Demons? No angels? Hmm. I wonder how much of the mythos they adapted for use? Thing is if you had to align the Witchblade it would be neutral (there are the two main powers: the Darkness (evil) and the Angelus (good). Technically, the Witchblade can fight both and IIRC, it has.
Mr. Spiffy-Pants
10-09-2007, 04:00 PM
And as a fan of the Witchblade properties, I can tell you American version covers even less.
US Version wears less? Get ready for the eye-candy, boys (and some girls ;) ):
US Witchblade Statue, rear-view (http://www.arhstudios.com.br/images/witchblade/witchblade_05.jpg)
Japanese Witchblade Statue, rear-view (http://www.entertainmentearth.com/images/%5CAUTOIMAGES%5CORG020241lg.jpg)
At least the US version has *some* coverage below the belt. The Japanese version has a tiny metal plate covering her vagoo (who gets that reference?). Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it, but I'm not attracted by it either. I like a little mystery to my women which a lot of recent anime shows have not provided.
As for the afore mentioned boob size, I agree with the statement above: I am attracted more to a realistically-proportioned woman as opposed to a small frame with boobs that would throw her off in battle.
EDIT: Technically, she is wearing more. The outfit is just covering different parts at the sacrifice of others, however. Either way, I'm just not attracted to her personally. :D
I can see the point you're trying to make, but both look the same coverage wise. I'm sure the original design was made to appeal to a certain fanbase, but anime will always get that "zomg porn" label due to it being animated and well, from Japan. It doesn't help things that she has waterballons for breasts and she moans when she kills things, but anime is anime.
hikaru004
10-09-2007, 08:07 PM
And just like Arucard, our fair Masane gets it off by killing. :>
At least, anime is equal opportunity. :D
kusanagi-sama
10-13-2007, 04:28 PM
made her boobs a reasonable size
So true. There are things about this show that interest me, but the hindenburg tits dissuade me every time.
Mind you, I'm all about the smutty, and my inner arrested adolescent thinks spontaneous battle-induced orgasms sound supercool. I simply don't find these kinds of overly-pneumatic character designs attractive. Guess it's sexy to somebody, but to me, saner proportions would actually make for a far hotter heroine.
I thought... that her boobs were of a reasonable size. At least from all of the screenshots and whatnot that I've seen. I would amaturely guess that she would be near a J cup in comparison to a real woman.
kakugo
10-13-2007, 05:30 PM
When I was 12 I liked hardcore violence with a softcore splash of teh pr0n... who's to assume today's youth is so different? :>
Much as I wish I could avoid the title solely for financial reasons, the art style and base concept is enough to keep me interested. I'll rent a disc or two before deciding if it's a keeper.
It's the whole "zomg think of the children" movement thats so prevalent today. I'm not advocating showing little kids porn, but the odd 15 or 16 year old that watches Witchblade isn't going to have his eyes burn out of their sockets and run to their parents. We can watch scenes of violence all the time on TV, movies, and the news as well as sex sex sex on TV and in movies, yet somehow anime is evil.
hikaru004
10-14-2007, 06:47 PM
It's the whole "zomg think of the children" movement thats so prevalent today. I'm not advocating showing little kids porn, but the odd 15 or 16 year old that watches Witchblade isn't going to have his eyes burn out of their sockets and run to their parents.
Witchblade is rated TV MA so a 15 or 16 yo shouldn't be watching it unless parents are aware of the content and approve of it. :P
Then the point I was basing my argument over in the review or subsequent posts is wrong, probably the review.
hikaru004
10-15-2007, 03:28 AM
Well, I don't think that the rating is widely published so don't knock yourself out over it. Amazon has it as unrated (http://www.amazon.com/Witchblade-Starter-Set/dp/B000TSMOGQ) which may be a source of the confusion and Netflix has it as TV MA (the correct rating). Happily, FUNimation has the rating as TV MA on Witchblade's website (http://www.funimation.com/witchblade/dvds/volume_01.html) to end the confusion.
So yeah, the reviewer used the wrong MPAA rating.
In keeping with anime convention, Masane is unusually busty, and when her amulet transforms her into a mighty hero, exposed parts of her body push this cartoon into PG-13 territory.
Yeah, thats what got me.
VinceA
10-15-2007, 06:01 AM
It's a nitpick but TV-MA isn't an MPAA rating, it's part of a rating system setup by the FCC and the television industry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_content_rating_systems#United_States
Mr. Spiffy-Pants
10-15-2007, 08:46 AM
True, but TV-MA's film equivalent with MPAA ratings would be "R" or, in few extreme cases, "NC-17". Either way, I wouldn't be hauling a bunch of 7th or 8th graders to the local Best Buy so we could purchase copious copies of Witchblade. Of course, I can't stand most middle schoolers so I wouldn't be hauling them anywhere anyway...
And while we're on the topic, if I were hauling a bunch of random middle schoolers around and I wasn't a bus driver, a teacher, or a very busy parent, I'd have more serious issues than whether or not they were watching some ridiculously proportioned woman orgasm as she killed stuff. ;)
Honestly, I don't care about the show. I just don't want little Billy's unsuspecting mom or dad buying this, watching the content, determining all anime is evil, and then launching a crusade to ban all anime [all because they were told by a reviewer that this show was appropriate for the pre-to-mid teens].
Lain Of The Net
10-15-2007, 09:34 AM
Wow. I'm surprised she doesn't have a side-kick. I would imagine her to be a cute but small breasted woman who has never had an orgasm and is constantly reminded by the baddies that she is cute, small and has never come. :)
General Hentai
10-15-2007, 10:42 AM
Maybe if the creators would've made the costume a little less revealing, made her boobs a reasonable size, and focused a little more on the whole battle against demons I might've been interested. If that's your bag, more power to you. :)
You sir, have opened a huge can of worms.
"Reasonable size?!?"
Please, be my guest and go about telling women that there bust size is not of "reasonable size."
Just let me know which cemetery where I should send the flowers.
To call Masane's bust size unreasonably sized is ridiculous. She's a busty lady, no question, but, guess what? There are plenty of busty ladies in real life.
Masane isn't going to be mistaken for a cast member of Eiken.
Masane is top-heavy in her proportions, but she's realistically top-heavy. She's not a thin waif with a 22-inch waist and gazongas where it seems that the plastic surgeon was using a shovel to pack in the silicon.
FUNi has properly rated this show; ergo, much ado about nothing.
hikaru004
10-15-2007, 08:35 PM
But wouldn't it be interesting if someone did read that review and bought Witchblade only to learn his/her error the hard way. :>
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