[US DVD] Ikki-Tousen Box Set (2009 Edition)

[Mark T.]

Review (http://www.mania.com/ikkitousen-box-set-2009-edition_article_113077.html)

Mania Grade: C
Audio Rating: B
Video Rating: B+
Packaging Rating: B
Menus Rating: B
Extras Rating: N/A
Age Rating: 17 and Up
Region: 1 - North America
Released By: FUNimation Entertainment, Ltd.
MSRP: 49.98
Running time: 325
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Disc Resolution: 480i/p
Disc Encoding: MPEG-2
Series: Ikki-Tosen (http://www.mania.com/aodvb/../ikkitosen_series_10422.html)

In Summary:
At its core, Ikki Tousen is about cute girls getting in fights and ripping each others’ clothes off; it is perfectly acceptable anime as long as you do not expect anything more from it. Unfortunately, it does not stand up very well to any examination closer than that, which is a shame because the plot had potential to be something very interesting. Check it out if all you are interested in is the former; ignore it if you want anything else.

[Daimao Raki]

Well no extras? Guess I'll just go and get the Geneon set.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

Thanks for the review. I have been going back and fourth if I should pick this set up or not. Looks like another "bare bones just the show" box set. Funimation just started posting the show on there website in both Sub and Dub formats so I think I may watch it there for the time being. Hopefully they will post all 13 episodes.

[Hayate Kurogane]

Well no extras? Guess I'll just go and get the Geneon set.

With better packaging, and half the price too (http://www.rightstuf.com/aod/pd12949).

Anyway, though I'm a big fan of the series (and the manga), I thought the review was pretty fair as an objective presentation of this first season. It's not really something that's easy to sell to other people if "it's got boobies and some fighting" doesn't work. :sweat:

The meandering plot that carries the manga isn't necessarily meant to be taken seriously, despite its origins in an acclaimed piece of literature, but I have to say that the changes the anime made to the corresponding parts of the manga it borrowed actually make things slightly more coherent. This, of course, then just created problems as the second season, Dragon Destiny, was forced to make further odd changes and spend perhaps too much time trying to realign itself with the original manga, and subsequently the third season, Great Guardians, pretty much gave up entirely and just started making it all up from scratch.

Up to a certain point, using The Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a reference provided a fairly accurate way to determine ahead of time what was going to happen to whom, and, in some cases, how. As the review mentions, the show does internalize it as well, though it starts to become a little less applicable as time goes on. The character names and relationships are maintained (well, the Japanese forms of the original Chinese names), though the whle thing doesn't apply so much to the ongoing anime saga anymore as it does the original manga due to the various divergences and differences.

Review note: Hakufu's name is misspelled consistently as "Kakufu" in the "What They Say" section. I don't know if the original ad copy is wrong, or if it's a typo in the review itself. But anyway.

[Damius]

This is a really great review. It was funny but nothing more...