Customer Reviews

3x3 Eyes, Vol. 1: Immortals

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

3x3 has to be one of the virtually unknown classics of anime-and this DVD set has to be the best deal for a fan there is. Previously only the first 4 parts of the 7 were release on VHS, leaving 5&6 hard to find-while 7 never actually came out for the public (at least in America, I could be wrong else where.)

The mini-series begins the saga of Yakumo, and his quest to make Pai, his demon-acquaintance, human. A strange bond develops between the two of them, binding them together through thick and thin. Their journey takes them to Hong Kong and back to Japan, where they finally become separated-how they get back together is a story in its own.

The animation is great is some places, and lacking in others-but the strange plot and crazy characters make up for it. The music might seem a tad familiar to any one who has seen Braveheart-you might even swear that the producers of Braveheart borrowed it from the anime :) 3x3 Eyes is, however, extremely gory, which is critical to plot. But the gore is well done, and a vital part of enjoying the anime, in my humble opinion. ;) The series is truly superb for any otaku or anime-fan, but perhaps a little too much for someone just getting started on their anime fix.

First of all, I own and have seen the old Streamline dub of 3x3 Eyes. So I'm speaking not of a long ago recollection of the old dub, but from an actual recent comparison of the old version vs. this new DVD. This new Pioneer DVD release is 1000 times better than that old crappy dub by Streamline. Not only does this DVD have great voice "acting" (note the emphasis on the word "acting", something which the old dub lacked), but it finally completes the series that has long been incomplete (thanks MGM/Orion for leaving us in the dark for 4 years). OK now before you say "why am I so gaga over this new dub", let me say that I still prefer watching the Japanese Language version with English subtitles (something that this great DVD version offers for the first time). But Pioneer gets an "A" for effort for putting serious work into making a good quality dub. A lot better than many dubs out there. I enjoyed it a lot, but who can resist Megumi Hayashibara as Pai. Although Christian Campbell does a great Yakumo. What I don't like about this DVD is the image quality of the 1st OVA series. But I blame that on the quality of the original source material and not the DVD authoring process. Still it's much better than my Streamline VHS. The extras are somewhat lacking (just some image gallery and cast bios) still I give Pioneer kudos for including a voice cast images & bios for both the English and Japanese actors, something you don't often see in an anime DVD. One important note comparing the old Streamline version to this new DVD, which makes this DVD version better. You can see that Streamline actually did some editing to 3x3 show when they made their VHS "perfect collection" in 1992. You don't get to see the images of Kayanwang's grave and the ruins of Kunlun which run during the end-credits of episode #1. And at the start of episode #2 & #4, Streamline decided to edit in their own music into the show rather than using just the voice over and sound effects. Plus it's nice to hear all 4 of the end title music scores from the first OVA. Speaking of the music, did anybody notice that the movie Braveheart practically stole Pai's theme from 3x3 Eyes as their own love theme? Kaoru Wada should be suing James Horner for theft. I have seen many anime sites list this DVD to their essential collection list and I am one to agree with them. It's well worth the extra money to own this classic.

3x3 Eyes was one of those not so 'normal relationship stories between a boy and a girl' from the early 90's. The set is a compilation of all 3x3 Eyes anime to date. This is definitely a region 1 DVD so those out of the US stuck with a non-region 1 DVD are out of luck.

Immortals is the first half of the story, and is about Pai's (the triclops) quest to becoming human, but she needs the help from a boy called Yakumo; who she has been looking for, for four years; and an ancient statue. I just so happens that an evil cult is also in search of this statue at the same time. The main characters are loveable. Yakumo is a silly character, but means well. He is also a hopeless hero does his damnedest to protect Pai in times of danger. Pai is a dual personality character. Most times cute and innocent, but the triclops character the opposite, but rational. The art from Immortals is dated, and perhaps slightly inconsistant. It was made at a time just before the use of bright and bold colours which is common in current day anime. The story it self has a good mix of action, monsters, comedy and drama.

The Legend of the Divine Demon is the second part of the series, and takes place some four years after the end of the first part. First of all, the style of art is noticeably different to the Immortals, but it does not alter the fact that it is a continuation of the original story. This time the story starts with Yakumo in search for Pai. When Yakumo does find her, Pai does not remember him, or the events from four years back. The original plot from Immortals takes a back seat in this installment of the story, which is basically about regaining Pai's memory, which in turn uncovers some other, perhaps unnecessary, convolutions in story. I would suggest people start the second disc with no expectations for it to be like the first disc. This part is certainly less comical, the characters are less likeable, but the action remains about the same. Yakumo is much more confident in fighting, although his adversaries have also gotten stronger.

Over all it is a good story to watch, there are strong themes of devotion and friendship, so it's not the regular mindless action for no-reason story.

This anime appears at first to be a typical horror genre film, but reveals itself over time to be a remarkably good story. Don't let reviews from people who fail to follow the story through mislead you, there is a cohesive and well-written story here. Imagery can be very violent and bloody, be forewarned. Classic storytelling themes are well played here - the heroes are determined to move forward to meet their fates, victories come with their price, the "heavies" are truly frightening yet the true battle occurs (as with any good story) within the characters themselves. Imagery is well done but dated, editing is excellent, the english voice acting and translation is awful (I ordinarily prefer the english translations but in this case suggest watching these DVDs subtitled, as the translations of the subtitles carry the story far better than the english dub.) Overall I would say that this is a relatively unknown series to english-speaking audiences and that it shouldn't be so. Fans of anime classics like Akira, Armitage etc will enjoy this, as will fans of American supernatural-themed stories (Buffy, etc.) I'm comfortable saying that the people who take a chance and purchase this series will probably be glad they did so.

3x3 Eyes is driven by a very strong and original plot, but the overall atmosphere is just too gloomy for my taste. Even daytime scenes come off as dark and brooding, somewhat reminiscent of Batman films.

The main character Pai is a sweet young girl who wants nothing else but to become a full-fledged human being. She doesn't even know that like the Incredible Hulk, she's just scary when she's angry. A third eye appears on her forehead, and the incredible powers of the Sanjiyan become manifest. In her Sanjiyan form, Pai is merciless -- the total opposite of her usual self. Helping Pai on her quest for humanity is Yakumo, an ordinary guy with a not-so-ordinary job (which involves cross-dressing). A romance between Pai and Yakumo develops in a realistic and believable pace, and the innocence of the two characters is a great contrast with the violent setting, giving 3x3 Eyes a certain freshness and distinctive twist.

3x3 Eyes is one hell of a blood and gore fest, and the scenes are shown in their full, horrific glory. There are also a lot of occult elements like demons, evil spirits, and possession. What ruined this series for me is the artwork. None of the characters look any good. Faces are drawn in a pudgy manner that's just annoying to look at... which is a far cry from creator Yuzo Takada's original artwork. The English dubbing is quite satisfactory though, and I didn't notice anything amiss.

3x3 Eyes could've been a great series. In fact, there are a lot of things it could've been -- if only the visuals were better.

This series is a well planned, and even better executed story. The subtitled version is superb and takes you through a tale that is exciting and enjoyable and one of the best all-around anime series yet! Definitely a must-see! My only regret--or hope, rather--is that they make another sequel!

I first watched this anime many years ago as a dub. And despite the many criticisms it recieved for the actors and actresses participating in the english dubbing, I thought they were pretty good. Yakumo's original english voice did a really good job and so did several others. This dvd dub doesn't have the same enthusiasm and same feel as the original dubbing, though Yakumo's english voice displayed great voice acting. I guess I didn't like this dubbing so much because I was so used to the original dubbing of the film and much of the dialogue was changed.

Anyways, on to my review...The video quality is not of the usual dvd quality seen in more recent dvd anime, due to the age of the film. However, the second disc, since it is newer, has better animation and artwork.

The story is pretty good and is one of my favorite anime of all time. However, the story seems unresolved in this dvd set and hopefully there will be future plans in continuing the story (I've heard rumors of a tv series of 3x3 eyes). The romance within the story is also well done. All in all, this anime classic should be watched by all anime fans. Despite all of the obstacles it had on its way to America, 3x3 eyes finally made its way here and hopefully many will come to appreciate this.

I've got the original VHS of the first part of the story, and what's there I love.

Problem is what's NOT there. Any resolution at all. I understand the thematic reasons for doing this, they were planning on more to follow. Yet apart from one more series with the same ambiguous ending nothing HAS followed.

That's the biggest flaw here, they were banking on a continuation that never appeared. It's like DaVinci's unfinished paintings, 3x3 Eyes may be beautiful, but it's not completed and so not worth nearly as much.

If ya don't mind having no ending to a story you get involved in, check it out. The disjointed parts ARE very good, but that doesn't detract from the fact that they are disjointed.

You may really want to rethink buying this if you were doing so hoping it resolved anything. They've been quiet on this for so long it's doubtful we'll ever get a complete story. I'd just go buy the manga series, or just get Visions of Escaflowne. They actually bothered to FINISH Visions.

I actually bought this series on VHS several years back. I've seen it like 70 times (seriously), and it is still my favourite. This anime is action-packed to say the least and, together with an incredibly story this makes a killermovie. I had to get this DVD pack as my VHS is getting worn. The VHS series consists of five parts, while this DVD pack contains 7. It is the same story though, the episodes are only split up differently

3x3 eyes is one of the longest running and best Anime Manga in Japan. The 2 OAV series of course are 2 of the most classic Anime series ever made. If you are a true anime fan, then this collector's set is a must get.

If there is a set that would make me not buy El Hazard: The Magnificent World. This one would be one.

Even if you are not an hardcore Anime fan, the action, the emotion and the character in the show is still one of the best even at current time.