Customer Reviews

Sorcerer Hunters: Perfect Collection

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

 

 

This is a very fun series made available once again by ADV Films. This is the (fourth?) release of this series and probably the best - all DVDs are collected in slimpacks housed within a nice casing. It looks great on your shelf and takes up minimal space.

But is it any good? For a mid 90s OVA, yes it is. If you have watched and enjoyed the likes of Slayers, Dragon Half or Rune Soldier, Sorcerer Hunters will be right up your alley. There is a nice balance between comedy and serious plotlines. Most episodes are fairly standalone until the end, where there is an overarching story plot. Its light fare, and definitely entertaining. Animation-wise it is alright, with some animated (transformation) sequences repeated, but that's a minor gripe.

A good price for a classic show you might have missed out on the first time around!! Check it out!

Greetings;

Well, to begin with, it is indeed a complete collection. I know that should be obvious from the title, but what some may not be at all familiar with is the case surrounding the later episodes. When released originally, the final half or so were titled "Spell Wars," Which I had all but the fourth and final tape. "Sorcerer Hunters" was only what was given to the first five tapes, and I was uncertain as to what to expect when I got this, I am moving soon you see and wanted to have the complete collection, in much less space. Happily, I must say, this covers that nicely. Every episode and indeed it does take up very little space. No particular qualm about this purchase aside from perhaps the loss of box art, or that I am trying to sell the original tapes at about a buck apiece at garage sales, still no luck though, so, just have to see what happens.

Dubbed and subbed, lovely picture and volume, no problems as far as that all goes. Indeed complete.

As far as episode reviews, the other reviews seem to cover that quite nicely, Carrot's perverted antics are very reminescent of Ataru Moriboshi from Urusei Yatsura, he is even granted a odd kind of immortality that allows him to simply shake off nearly any and all damage inflicted upon him from the girls he chases after, only when in a fight against an enemy sorcerer or otherwise(Except it seems, from the cute ones). He even seems to recover more rapidly when in the presence of a pretty girl after a beating, which is remenescent of Happosai from Ranma 1/2. Good stuff ^-^

Thank you...

Even if you only get drawn in becuase of Carrots crazy actions, this anime will soon suck you in. This was actually the first anime I watched, and now we have a whole collection. Great twists and comedy will make this an hit for almost anyone, and if you're somehow bored with that wait until you see the girls final outfits!

This series is like somebody took the basic monster of the week theme of Sailor Moon, thrown in an idea from Urusei Yatsura, and then topped the whole thing off with Slayers as a seeming afterthought.

The basic plot for the first episodes is that our group is sent in to take out an evil sorcerer with Carrot (who changes into an rampaging monster every time he gets hit with a spell), Gateau (swordsman), Carrot's brother Marron, and the women Chocolate and Tira who when they are not turning into scantly clad dominatrixes to beat monster Carrot back under control are beating him up in normal form for coming on to nearly every female that crosses his path.

The main problem is in addition to these five characters you have their boss Big Mamma and the fairy like girl Dotta (Daughter) that serves as her messenger and few of the characters really get developed. In fact, the first 12 or so episodes could be summed as: our group is sent in, Carrot gets hit by spell, turns into monster, tears sorcerer apart, Chocolate and Tira then transform and beat crap out of Monster Carrot, rinse and repeat. There are hints that Big Mama has some dark secret and that Carrot has something inside him that if awakened will force Big Mama to kill him but it is IMHO not enough to keep most viewers to keep going.

Then there is the problem that with so many characters to deal with plot points are brought up and then left dangling. For instance, in "In Between Dreams and Reality" the group goes searching for a magical book that can make your dreams come true. For reasons not immediately clear Dotta looses her wings and after talking to Carrot disappears for the rest of the episode. Then you get to the ending of this episode and you have no idea what has just happened--did they defeat the book? are they still in the book?

Past this point the series decides to get its act together and the dark secret becomes clearer but by that time I doubt most viewers will care. There is not the one big bad boss is behind all this you had in Sailor Moon or even exploration and meeting new character you have in Slayers to get you this far into the series and by the time we finally meet the big bad I found I simply didn't care enough to continue.

As someone who's been a devoted fan(okay, maybe obsessive otaku is more accurate) of Sorcerer aka Bakaretsu Hunters, having watched this set in its entirety at LEAST a dozen times, I felt I should do it justice here. Yes, it is very much in the tradition of Slayers, and other adventure/comedy/magical animes, but it's a creation of it's own past that. You like a good clean laugh or silly pun? It's here! Or are you perhaps a "closet pervert"? Well, they've got you covered too. Pretty much anything besides gundams can be found here, from BDSM-suggestive intense battle scenes, to traditional Japanese anime mythos(dragons, gods, reincarnation, etc), to absolute quack randomness(episode 13, I'm looking at you). You'll take turns crying tears of concern to laughing yourself to tears. What other anime has not only crossdressing knights, feminist giant hypodermic needle-wielding nurses, a mostly benevolent 40 foot tall woman dictating missions, and a seemingly invincible cliff diving nemesis, not to mention ALL of the above? This box set is the best of the best, spanning the entire series PLUS a bonus OAV disc that captures more of the true manga SH experience, with a lot less clothing! And it's a pretty tidy looking display piece for anime 'hunters' as well. To sum it up:
PROS:
-Diverse cast of characters and excellent development for each. You will find yourself identifying with everyone and getting very attached to them, through the good, the uncomfortable, and the downright life and death situations.
-Eye candy for anyone and everyone, male or female!
-Crosses genres, great for those who don't like their animes too dramatic or heavy, or have a hard time following series by each episode(the first half easily stands by itself before the plottiness kicks in)
-Endlessly quotable supply of one-liners(What's a shmanky-shmank crossed with a hoobajooba?)
-Box Set has nice DVD bios and other goodies

CONS:
-Recycled battle transformation scenes that make Top 40 radio seem unpredictable and fresh
-Fans of the manga may be disappointed in the discrepancies, not totally true to the manga plot; omits a good lot of manga characters in favor of focus on main characters
-Random moments that make you wonder what the staff was smoking at the time. The show is supposed to be a bit off-beat in the humor department, but cohesive.
-Sudden shift from lighthearted feel to very heavy, dark confrontation

There's the gist of it! Strap in for this fun roller coaster ride, filled with ups and downs, adventure and magic. Fans of Slayers, Those Who Hunt Elves, and Rune Soldier, but really any anime fan, will find Sorcerer Hunters casts a spell on them.

Well, I liked this set, but it wasn't quite as good as I thought it would be. I had delayed buying it as the price seems a bit high, but it was worth the cost. As these gals continue slaying evil sorcerers, you start to get the feeling that Big Momma has a scret pass and she does. I won't go into that here as it would spoil it for others. The reason for the four stars is that for some reason the series just didn't grab hold of me. I run into this and when that happens, I usually have trouble giving 5 stars. I do suggest buying this one however as it does have an interesting ending.

While not very old, the style is more along the lines of the older "Slayers", which is what it seems to be trying to copy. It is watchable, but parents should be aware that unlike slayers there are adult situations and some fan service. While not really bloody, there is a fair bit of violence.
The story is about a team of sorcerer hunters working for a supernatural entity called "Big Mama". It has some good points and develops a story line, including some character development, but not as much as it could. Some of the characters are developed more while others get less attention. If you're in the mood for something with serious moments in the middle of a comedy, and aren't looking to think too much, this is a good series.
Overall I liked it, but unlike most I've recently picked up, I haven't bothered to go back and watch it again. (I usually at least watch each once dubbed and once subbed).
Not really disappointing, but not outstanding either.

OKAY FIRST OF ALL, THIS SERIES IS AWESOME IN MANY WAYS, FOR ONE, I LOVE THE STORY LINE AND HOW EVERY THING THE LEAD CHARECTOR IS ALWAYS CHASING THE GIRLS. I CAN RELATE TO THAT WHEN I WAS A KID. BUT WHEN TWO GIRLS THAT TURN TO DOMINITRIX AND ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS NAIL U, THEN SOMETHING'S WRONG. BUT ALL IN ALL THE STORY LINE IS SMART, FUNNY AND GOOD TO WATCH. EVEN I SHED A TEAR WHEN THEY ALL DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE. LIKE I SAID GOOD SERIES.