Customer Reviews

Jyu-Oh-Sei: Planet of the Beast King - The Complete Series S.A.V.E.

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

How is it that this show isn't better known? "Jyu-Oh-Sei" is an 11 episode series that manages to stomp nearly every full-length sci-fi anime series out there in spite of it's briefness. At the end, it seems impossible that such an epic and perfectly-paced storyline could be over so quickly and leave such a large impression. That is a true testament to the writer and the director of this series. Guaranteed to thrill any sci-fi fanatic.

The story begins as a simple revenge tale. It takes place in a human colony in the Balkan star system hundreds of years in the future. Our hero Thor and his twin brother Rai (both 11 years old at the start) are mysteriously kidnapped after discovering that their parents have been murdered. They are dropped off on the planet Chimera, which is a world used by the colonists for capital punishment. The worst criminals are abandoned there and are either soon dead or wish they were. The planet is as harsh as they come; monstrous plants are the top of the food chain and a single day and night cycle takes an entire year. Half of the year, the plants flourish and the planet is one massive carnivorous jungle and the other half is complete darkness and Siberian weather. Great setup.

Thor soon learns just how harsh Chimera is. It is kill or be killed; but he soon finds that he has an uncanny knack for survival. He also finds that there is civilization on this harshest of planets. The people of Chimera are a tribal lot broken up by skin color into a series of clans known as Rings. Each ring is lead by a Top, a Second, and a Third with the Top position being decided by single combat within each Ring. If a Ring's Top is able to defeat each of the other Rings, he becomes the Beast King and is able to return to the colony. In other words, if Thor wishes to return home, solve the mystery of his parent's death, and exact his revenge he has his work cut out for him.

"Jyu-Oh-Sei" would already be an outstanding series based on premise alone. The planet is so intriguing a setting and the characters so strong that it could have cruised almost indefinitely without losing the viewer's interest. But the story flies by with amazing velocity, even jumping several years ahead at one point. It's got places to go and people to see, that's for sure and not one minute is wasted. The show is merciless and unpredictable -which it displays very early on- and filled with twists and turns of the best kind. Even though a savvy viewer will likely soon suspect which character is pulling the strings, the purpose remains an unsolvable mystery until the final episodes which feel like an all-out mental assault on the viewer as bombshell after bombshell hits. The final act is absolutely amazing and jam-packed with pure genius. It's extremely easy to lose track of the mysteries altogether as you become wrapped up in the intrigue, romance, and drama of the story, which makes the effect of the barrage of revelations even more shocking. Without any major spoilers, I'll just hint that perhaps the world where mankind's forsaken are sent may in fact be their only hope for survival. Like I said, epic.

While the price of this set is pretty exorbinant considering the small number of episodes, it's well worth it if you've got the bucks. This is a top-flight work of science fiction that should enthrall both anime newcomers and veterans who've seen it all. There is no weak link in this series; every aspect seems to have achieved near-perfection. I was legitimately sad to see it end; but that feeling may have been partly because of the cheap shot near the end that seems to have no purpose other than to break the viewer's heart. Cheap shot aside, "Jyu-Oh-Sei is animated sci-fi greatness. All who profess to love the genre must not hesitate in seeing it.

I agree with the other two reviews...Why is this series not better known? Even though it's over far to soon it covers a lot of ground in the 11 episodes. Seeing as how it's a short series you hit the ground running so to speak. While the story moves forward there are flash backs but none of which take to much time. They have done an excellent job with filling you in along the way.
How ever between episode 5 & 6 there is about a 3 year gap. At the end of one episode he is about 12 then the next episode he is going on 16. Yet it blends smoothly and does not leave you with that feeling of "Huh..what just happened?"
This series is well worth your time...It is something that I would recommend and I do not just like anything...I enjoyed Trinity Blood - Black Blood Brothers..Hellsing...Death Note...etc. This hovers right at my top ten and if you liked any of the aforementioned then you should enjoy this. There is blood just not over the edge and as for language..I do not really remember anything that send up a red flag.
Over all it's a 4-1/2 star series....enjoy.

I have been watching anime for a long time (since the late 80s). This series rates about a 3.5 in my humble opinion. Here is why:

The series itself brings an interesting concept. The planet that has 180 days of day followed by 180 days of night is pretty interesting (despite the reality of a serious greenhouse effect were this to really exist). The show is very well animated and well voiced. I also enjoyed some of the references to ancient Norse mythology, both in the storyline and in the names of the characters and places.

Where the series disappointed was in the pace. 11 episodes were far too few to properly develop this complex world and society. At times the series seemed to move at a pretty even pace, then suddenly rush forward. I thought the passage of time between episode 5 and 6 (or was it 6 and 7) was very well done though.

Several characters are introduced, seem to be an important part of the series, then are 'offed' in the same or next episode. Only a few of the characters stuck around and made a serious impact in the series (trying to not include spoilers). A lot of plot threads are left unfinished. The final episode seems rather rushed and unsatisfying. The final 'villain' is a huge disappointment as well...

I would definitely recommend this to a die hard sci-fi anime fan; but for those seeking a deeper plot and richer story go for Wolf's Rain ~ a similar yet much better series in my opinion. (based not on the setting but on the overall type of story).

Perhaps it would be worth renting from Netflix (which I did) since it is only 2 discs. Though entertaining, I doubt I would watch it a second time.

I had no preconceptions going into this series--I only bought it because I got it for a decent price ($22) and the cover art looked interesting. Perhaps I enjoyed the series so much because I wasn't expecting much, but enjoy it I did. In fact, I watched the whole thing in one sitting because I couldn't tear myself away. (The last short series I felt compelled to watch in one sitting was Paranoia Agent, way back, so that's a compliment to Jyu Oh Sei.)

Although it's not 100% perfect (I'd give it 4 and a half stars, to be exact), it's one of the better dramatic sci-fi anime series I've seen in the past couple of years. The story is engrossing, the animation is pretty, and the music, by Hajime Mizoguchi (who also did Jin-Roh, among other things) is a step up from the norm--mostly low-key piano with jazz inflections. The bishounen in it aren't bad either. :D

Trashcanman pretty much did a sum up of the story, so I won't repeat that. But I second his assessment. I would just add that I had a slight problem with the ending. However, IMO, endings in anime are typically problematic anyways ... few are perfect. It didn't tank the whole series or anything, and I'm already looking forward to a rewatch.

It's not often that an anime makes me go "WOW" anymore, but the world and plot of Jyu-Oh-Sei are amazing. Jyu-Oh-Sei covers more in 11 episodes than most animes cover in 2 seasons.

Hundreds of years in the future, young twin brothers Thor and Rai find themselves abandoned on the prison planet Chimera after discovering their parents murdered. Chimera is a harsh planet where only the strongest can survive. There is a rumor that he who can defeat all of the clan leaders is able to return to the colony. In order to solve the mystery of their parents' deaths and to get revenge, one of them must become the Beast King.

When I first found this series, I was so excited. I am not sure why, but the plot reminded me strongly of Heinlein, one of my favorite science fiction authors. And I was just eager to watch a sci-fi anime that didn't involve mecha (really!).
I thought the plot sounded interesting, and with only 11 episodes, I thought it would be sufficiently fast paced. And for the first 5 or so episodes, I was in heaven. Thor was pretty impressive for a 11-year old boy and the world of Chimera unlike anything I had seen in anime. Then episode 6 hit. We get a necessary jump in time (no one could become Beast King in anything less than a few years), which wouldn't have bothered me except the change it wrought in Thor. He goes from being frightened boy determined to survive at all costs (someone to be admired and pitied) to a stereotypical anime teenage boy worthy of a high school drama. Not only does he become both boring and pathetic, he also sort of falls in love and that is even more boring. The plot shifts from survival to unrequited lus- love. It pretty much ruined the whole show for me. The ending wasn't all that bad, but nothing stellar.

I probably would have enjoyed this more if I had had lower expectations. When I first finished watching the series I rated it one star, but while writing this review and looking back on it, it really deserves better than that. I still recommend this show to people looking for a good sci-fi anime, but don't get too excited for it. May you like it more than I did.

Not an anime veteran only seen about 5 or 6 series most I enjoyed this one was better than all of them though. Great storyline, interesting characters that you really care about, action packed but with a heart as well. Plus while I like to follow a series it's a pain to slog through 50 episodes with some meandering plotlines to get to a final conclusion. Not here 11 eps all great, straight to the point and all drive the story forward. You could kick back one morning and watch beginning to end over the day. Very satisfying and interesting ending to this one, no cliffhangers or wondering what happened after bs. I'll admit I was very touched by how it ended and I haven't said that about most mainstream movies let alone an anime.

For the price you can't beat this series so what are you waiting for buy it now.

I bought this because of all the positive reviews, and I'm afraid I have to say I was disappointed. Near the beginning, things picked up after a certain annoying character died, and I had expectations of a reasonable experience. Sadly, in the last few episodes, believability in terms of character and plot goes right out the window. I can't go into detail because I don't want to spoil it anymore than I already have, but I found the sequence of "twists" and "exciting moments" in these last episodes to be ridiculous, to the extent that it ruined the show for me. I wish I had watched something better, and not wasted my time.

It's a very good anime to me. My dad got it for me on my birthday and as soon as I put it on I fell in love with it. The story to me is very good, the animation is good, the main people are good and the English dub is pretty good to. The one thing that I don't really like about it is how high Thor and his brother's voices are in English dub. To me they are just way to high to be 11 year old boys. Everything other then that is very good and I recommend this anime to anyone.

I enjoyed this dvd thouroughly but it was a little predictable for the main plot. However it was an interesting take on reverting back to our primal selves, with a few shocking moments that will probably make you do a dubble take. This dvd is not for kids. Over all I liked it and will keep it in my collection.