Product Details

• Actors: Taylor Hannah, David Matranga
• Directors: Steven Foster
• Format: NTSC, Widescreen, Color, Subtitled
• Language: Japanese, English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Funimation Prod
• DVD Release Date: December 1, 2009
• Run Time: 600 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002R69MBS
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,721 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Paris, 1742. A coffin floats in the shimmering Seine. On the lid, a word written in blood—”Psalms.” Inside, the body of a beautiful woman. Lia de Beaumont. Now her brother, D’Eon, seeks the reason for her mysterious murder, and uncovers an evil that casts shadows in both the palaces of kings and the dark alleys of Europe. A power wielded by spell-casting Poets and manipulated by royalty. A force so powerful it brings Lia’s soul back from beyond to seize the only weapon she can possess to avenge her death—her own brother.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Le Chevalier d'Eon Almost Achieves Greatness, November 6, 2008

By 

Conner Macleod "Afficionado" (Africa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Le Chevalier d'Eon: Complete Box Set (DVD)

I finally finished this series a few months ago after beginning it over a year ago, and overall I'm glad I took the time to see it through, despite some major flaws that were primarily towards the end. It's an above average anime series, and it could have been a 5 star show, but somewhere after the middle the story becomes too convoluted for its own good and the various explanations for why certain events crucial to the core story occured do not make any sense, and after volume 6 there are still several unanswered questions.

Without spoiling anything I'll say that the ending felt rushed and seemed like a really lazy way to wrap up all the various characters and arching plot lines. I really enjoyed the first half of this series, which was full of intrigue, espionage, great characters, clever dialogue and excellent blend of CGI and hand drawn animation, but unfortunately in the end the build-up of such an interesting story falls far short of expectations and the potential of what this series could have been. For those with an interest in European history, I recommend watching it, since the architecture, clothes, mannerisms and so on are incredibly realistic and well done, plus the mysticism of it keeps the plot moving at a steady pace with enough action to keep it from becoming dull, but again, after the middle it begins to meander aimlessly and culminates in a less than satisfying conclusion, so be prepared for a letdown.

Ultimately I'd say it's a disappointing show because of the unanswered questions and uninspired ending to what was an otherwise superb show with a highly unique premise. Having said that, however, I still recommend watching it because despite some of the major letdowns, this show is a classic example of the journey being more important than the destination.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For King and Country, May 24, 2009

By 

Kellyannl (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Le Chevalier d'Eon: Complete Box Set (DVD)

If someone would have told me that an anime that can best be described as Alexandre Dumas meets George Romero could be this good, I would have been sceptical to say the least. But after caving in after reading so much positive buzz, I am very glad to have this in my collection.

Mid-level French spy d'Eon de Beaumont, based on a real-life 18th century transvestite, is devastated when the body of his beautiful, talented big sister Lia, a fictional hardcore superspy, is found floating in a coffin on the Seine pumped full of mercury. Naturally, he wants to find out the details behind her death and puts the rest of his life on hold, including his engagement to his fiance Anna - but things get more than a little odd when he starts being chased by Gargoyle zombies and his sister's spirit starts posessing him when he wavers in battle. He is soon approached by three other males in Lia's life who also claim to have cared enough about her to want to avenge her when they hear of her death: the Queen's page Robin, a very young friend of both Lia and Anna who d'Eon wants to protect due to his age but allows to come along because he can handle a pistol well enough to hold his own; Dumond, a dashing spy who often co-worked with Lia and had apparently been in love with her; and legendary swordsman Teillagory, d'Eon and Lia's aging but still fit former fencing instructor who has come upon word of his protege's fate.

The "Four Musketeers" will have their work cut out for them as they travel across Europe to discover the truth, though. Lia was not the kind of spy to botch a job - and considering that spies know what they're getting into and what will happen to them if they're caught the fact that her soul is not at rest suggests an alarming betrayal..

The highlight of the series is undoubtedly the phenomenal artwork. Everything from the Palace of Versailles to Cologne Cathedral and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg is rendered in loving detail, as are the period costumes. It's also just plain fun to watch, if fun is the right word for a story with such a serious tone. The swordfights, battles against the Gargoyle zombies, supernatural trappings and of course the intrigue surrounding Lia's death keep things jumping. Lia herself is posthumously one of the story's most interesting elements, as she seems to waver between a thirst for vengeance at all costs and desire to protect four guys she cared for very much in very different ways until we finally get her whole story. The relationships the guys develop with eachother and their posthumous bond with Lia give the story emotional depth - especially in the final episodes. Aside from people who just aren't into period pieces or stories with occult elements, the only people who I would advise to stay clear are history buffs who would go into apopleptic fits at the sometimes broad liberties taken with tweaking history.

The bit about the Gargoyle zombies should clue everyone else in about that though, and this is otherwise a great choice for adult viewers who want a dark action anime that doesn't involve mecha.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, but ending falls flat, May 1, 2009

By 

Andrea Lewis "Writer, cross-stitcher, anime fan" (various places in Missouri) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Le Chevalier d'Eon: Complete Box Set (DVD)

I fell in love with this series from just the intro animation. Gorgeous animation, with a strange, twisted revenge mystery tale that's a little historical but all intriguing. For anyone interested in the time period, I would recommend giving this a go. There are parts in France, Russia, and England, so you get a little snapshot at the time from those countries.

Le Chevalier d'Eon is set in pre-revolutionary France and is based off of an actual French spy for King Louis XV, d'Eon de Beaumont. He is involved in solving the mystery of the death of his sister, Lia, sending him from one end of Europe to the other, dealing with secret societies, the living dead, and dealing with the soul of his vengeful sister, who resided inside of him after her death in order to kill whoever was responsible for her death.

The series will have you hooked in the first episode (what better way to start than with a mysterious coffin?) and the mystery is built up so carefully that you expect the ending to be just as spectacular as the rest of the series. But when I got to the last DVD, I was let down. The ending was very rushed, and new information was thrown at me so quickly, I was in a whirlwind by the end, wondering what happened. What would have been a wonderful series ends up falling flat in the end. And unfortunately, the ending of a series means much more than the rest, a build up without answered questions. It was a series that had major potential, but it just didn't get there.