Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
People Meet and People Part, September 27, 2002
This review is from: NightWalker - Eternal Darkness (DVD)
This DVD contains nights 7 through 12 of the 'Nightwalker' series, tales of a Shido, a Tokyo vampire, committed to fighting creatures of spiritual evil called the nightbreeds. Shido's companions in the quest are Guni, an 'urban fairy,' the newly mad vampire Riho, his assistant, and Yayoi the beautiful agent who provides her blood in return for Shido's help. This second DVD is more introspective than the first (Midnight Detective) and reveals much of the interior motivations of the main characters. Night 7 - 'A Mother and Her Son.' Riho finds a small boy playing with a kitten in the park. His mother, who refuses to let him even touch small animals, becomes the suspect in a series of animal mutilation cases. In a moment of horror, Shido finds himself faced with a horrible choice. Night 8 - 'A Soul Lost in the Darkness.' Broken China draws Shido into the search for a young woman's grandfather only to find he isn't missing but one of the walking dead. Night 9 - 'Someone Else's Face.' In a grim tale of disfigurement and tormented guilt, we are told the story of the first meeting between Shido, Guni, and Yayoi. Night 10 - 'Tears of an Angel.' The unusual luck of a young schoolgirl alerts Shido to the influence of a nightbreed. A quest for happiness leaves everyone with regrets. Night 11 - 'A Witch in the Forest.' Shido relives a contest of wills with Cain. A woman trades her souls to stay young for her absent lover as Shido struggles to find the road to redemption. Night 12 - 'Eternal Darkness.' Cain returns for real as Shido is forced to confront his own feelings for Riho. As you can see, the material in this DVD is darker than the previous series. The stories turn on the more bitter and sorrowful aspects of human love. Shido is more thoughtful than he was in previous episodes, and we are treated to a good deal of insight into the motivations of Riho and Yayoi. This adds surprising depth to what originally appeared to be a fun but lightweight series. One has to admire has to admire 'Nightwalker' for both its stylishness and its efforts to transcend the traditional blood and violence of anime vampire stories (not that that is necessarily bad). Hopefully we will get another change to visit Shido's detective agency.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Somewhat predictable, but enjoyable Vampire series, June 22, 2001
This review is from: NightWalker - Eternal Darkness (DVD)
NIGHTWALKER: Eternal darkness is the second half of the 12 episode series first presented on DVD in NIGHTWALKER: Midnight Detective. This series aired on Japanese television in 1998. It revolves around Shido, a vampire whose human heart is in control, who acts as a private detective and fights to protect humanity from the demonic "Nightbreed" who are emerging in modern day Tokyo. Shido has long lavender hair and an 18th century style of dress. He can manipulate and solidify his blood into a sword or even a rope to aid him in his missions. Shido is assisted in his fight by Yayoi, a beautiful detective who brings in the cases (and acts as Shido's voluntary meal provider), Riho, an orphaned high school student who lost her parents to the Nightbreed, and Guni, a small "urban fairy" who flits about and adds commentary to every situation. (Incidentally, in the Japanese version, Guni's voice is provided by Ikue Otani--Pokemon's PIKACHU.) Shido's evil vampiric sire Cain also appears, and tries to persuade Shido to rejoin him (a la Lestat and Louis in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire).....Cain even declares his love for Shido in one of the episodes. This second set of episodes is somewhat less predictable than the first six. This time around, Riho has become a vampire (which actually happened on the last DVD volume), we learn how Yayoi had a twin and how Shido came to meet both she and Guni, there is a mystery with a single mother and her child, a guardian "Angel" who lives for only one girl, a flashback story with a Witch, and a story in which Riho "turns to the dark side". All in all, the second volume improves upon the first with more action, a little gore, and a whole lot more characterization. Although this series is treading on somewhat familiar territory, I still found it to be very entertaining and I was not happy to see it end. If you liked Wicked City or Vampire Hunter D, you might want to give this series a chance. Although it's not as evenly good as those two films, you might be surprised at how much you might enjoy it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moody, thoughtful, and entertaining vampire series, July 13, 2001
This review is from: NightWalker - Eternal Darkness (DVD)
This is the second (and last) DVD of Nightwalker, containing episodes 7-12. Nightwalker is the animated, Japanese counterpart to US series like Forever Knight and Angel: the main character, Shido, is a vampire who tries to help people endangered by the Nightbreeds, demons capable of possessing bodies and stealing souls. At the core of the series is a pessimism regarding ability of those drawn into evil to repent or be saved. That the show ponders such questions sets it apart, and the difficulty the hero has in saving those around him creates real suspense: the viewer doesn't know who might be saved and who might die. The show is largely episodic--in most episodes, Shiro assists police officer Yayoi in solving a Nightbreed related crime. The relationships between the main characters are constantly evolving, however, and everything is fairly well wrapped up in episode 12, while leaving room for future sequels. Although this isn't really an action series, there is fighting and, occasionally, some really nasty gore--as well as a little nudity. The show was aired late at night in Japan, and the content reflects this; in addition, the quality of the animation suffers some due to the small budgets such shows have. The character designs, by contrast, are very attractive. The English dub is among the best for a CPM/US Manga Corps title; only a few incidental parts are lackluster. So, while this isn't a showcase of high budget animation techniques, it is a well-written show with interesting characters and a thoughtful (even philosophical) side which sets it apart from other vampire stories.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
