Customer Reviews

Soul Eater: Part One

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body." If a soul becomes evil, it has the potential to turn into a demonic kishin -- which is when the meisters and their shapeshifting weapon/partners come in. "Soul Eater Part 1" is a solid beginning to a well-written, deliciously Halloweeny fantasy series, with solid writing and a twisty-turny subplot that promises to get even better with time.

The meisters of the DWMA work for Lord Death to keep the world from being overrun with kishin -- they get rid of evil souls, kill monsters, battle witches, and try to collect souls so that their weapon/partners can become Death Scythes. Among their number are Maka and her scythe Soul Eater, narcissistic ninja Black Star and Tsubaki, and Death's OCD son Death the Kid and his twin pistols Patty and Liz.

But nabbing the right combination of evil souls isn't their only problem: they have to grapple with zombies and mad scientists, the legendary sword Excalibur, a vengeful werewolf, and the demon blade Masamune (who also happens to be Tsubaki's brother). And there's a traitor in the DWMA's ranks -- a cruel witch who inflicts heinous magical experiments on those around her. When Soul is wounded in a battle against her kid, he's infected by a substance called "black blood," which threatens his sanity and bond with Maka.

"Soul Eater" is a series that looks kind of... well, cartoonish. Think bug-eyed trees, big grinning sun and moon, cats in pointy hats, and an academy apparently built out of skulls and candles. All it needs is some vampires. Fortunately, there's substance under all the Halloween kitsch -- "Soul Eater Part 1" is a solid dark fantasy story that becomes outright brilliant in the last few episodes.

The series starts out a bit fluffy, but once the characters have been introduced, the writers spin up a good balance of action, a hint of romance, and plenty of comedy ("Why are you standing up there yelling like an idiot?" Soul asks Black Star, who was trying to sneak up on them). And it dips into darker territory from time to time, with gruesome injuries, nightmare worlds, a tombstone-swinging zombie, and a witch whose magical snakes can actually make your body explode. What's more, Soul finds himself tempted to sacrifice his mind for power.

It also has a strangely endearing cast, who are usually odd couples. There's uptight Maka and laid-back Soul, who bicker and snipe but clearly care deeply for one another; Black Star is annoying at first (he makes Naruto look sedate), but turns out to be deeper and more complex than his narcissistic rantings would suggest, and the mild-mannered Tsubaki is a sweet foil to him. Death the Kid rounds out the cast nicely -- he's violently OCD (and I mean that literally), and obsessed with symmetry in everything. Don't mention his hair.

The voice actors also deserve a shout-out -- Laura Bailey, Monica Rial, Vic Mignogna and John Swasey all do excellent jobs as their characters, and Todd Haberkorn is utterly brilliant ("I'm a pig! A louse! I deserve to die!"). And relative newbie Micah Solusod (who sounds eerily like Johnny Yong Bosch) is perfect as the titular character.

This solid, kitschy-horror series starts off a bit frothy, but soon achieves a brilliant balance of light and darkness -- and the end of "Soul Eater Part 1" hints that future episodes will be even better.

This series was a nice mix of Bleach, Full Metal Alchemist, and Naruto both with the action and comedy in the series. The characters are all great giving a nice mix of bravado, hilarity, seriousness, and loyalty to their teammates and each other when teams are paired up or join forces to complete a mission. The characters you meet in this first set are Maka a feisty young female Meister(Fighter and true human of the two person team), Soul her young male partner and weapon as he turns into a scythe for Maka to fight with in their missions, Black Star a young boy assassin in training, Tsubaki Black Star's slightly older female partner and also his weapon to help him, and finally Death the kid the son of lord death and his two female partners Patty and Liz Thompson who transform into twin pistols for him to fight with. All these characters attend lord death's school for young students to train them to retrieve keshin egg souls before they mature into true keshin, the series shows us that certain souls that have turned evil become keshin eggs that feed on other human souls to become more powerful and after a situation of when a keshin was born caused such calamity that lord death now tries to make certain such a situation will never happen again. The show also shows that when a weapon consumes a hundred keshin souls and a witch soul that the weapon will evolve into a true death scythe weapon becoming vastly more powerful than the weapons currently are at now. The animation is a nice touch seeming to be a mixture of cowboy Bebop and Full metal alchemist and the voice cast for the Japanese and English actors/actresses was great another plus for Funimation for their choice of cast. The extras aren't really much but for the price and the entertainment of the series I think most people will overlook that. So for fans of Full metal alchemist, Naruto or Cowboy Bebop here's another entertaining series to try out for your anime library..

Soul Eater sits in a special place amongst current anime. It gives us a world that isn't terribly original, but it handles it in a way that seems fresh. It gives us exceptionally predictable character types, that in the end you come to like and believe in. It gives us an ending that, unfortunately, disappoints much to the chagrin of the excellence that preceded it. Yes, definitely there are great things to like about this anime, and even with a cliché ending, the work as a whole will leave you happy and refreshed that there still hope for this genre.

I won't go into too much detail about the plot itself, as many other reviewers have stated that above, and you could always look at the show notes for a brief summary. What I think would be good to note is the great things that this series does. Primarily, the best thing about Soul Eater is the characters. Yes, they do follow some standard character types that we've all seen before (Black Star could easily have been replaced by Naruto) yet at the end of the show, you feel like you can connect with them in some level and you wind up rooting for all of them.

Each of the main characters, Maka, Black Star, Soul, Kid, Crona--all have a distinct charm, a presence that makes you like them in the end. Yes, as I said, Black Star is a direct clone to Naruto, at least initially, and at the beginning of the show I told myself I would dreadfully dislike this character. However, give credit to the source material because by the end I ended up liking him the most out of the bunch. In fact, I think I can't say I disliked any single character. Even potentially obnoxious Excalibur became eagerly anticipated whenever he showed up to give some comic relief.
The story itself is also to be commended. Even though we get the usual here, the teens with incredible powers, and a foe that certainly wields the power for world destruction, the story uses these elements in a fresh take. There are chinks in the armor, mind you, and I won't say that you won't roll your eyes in a few places, but the overall storyline is satisfying.

The only problem here is the ending.

Here is a transcript of what the head writer of the show had to say to the director when dealing with the ending of the show:

Director: Head Writer, we need an ending to this show.
Head Writer: Hmmmm, we should use `predictable Japanese anime ending A' for the end piece.
Director: BAKA! We used that for our last series. How about `predictable Japanese anime ending B'? We haven't used that for a while?
Head Writer: BAKA! That's too predicatable!
Director: BAKA! What do you suppose we do?
Head Writer: Let's just use `Ending A'. I don't think people will notice.
Director: BAKA!
Head Writer: BAKA!

And scene...

Well, at least they tried...

Truth be told, the ending could have been different, but it falls to the same trap that this genre has created for itself. If you've seen shows of this epic nature, you understand what the ending might be like without any utterance of what happens. And yes, it fails to surprise. The disappointment lies in the fact of the ambiguity and abstract nature that the storyline concludes and how nothing is ever truly explained in a clear fashion. You're left there to interpret the logic on your own. Weather this is a cause of a cultural gap, or the insistence of a Japanese audience that has different sensibilities to endings; it still fails to elevate itself from what every other anime in the genre has done for their endings.

You'll have to wait for some other series to break that mold.

And yet, I can't say that the ride wasn't worth it. In the end, the positives outweigh the negatives. The comedic touch, the wonderful and different art style, the soundtrack, all of these little things that give life to the series is what ultimately drives you to keep going until the end. You'll be drawn in when you first see the battle between Maka and Soul vs. Jack the Ripper. It gave me chills when I witness the battle between Black Star and Mifune for the first time. I laughed when Kid couldn't handle the awkward Death statues in a passage way. And Excalibur was a treat in and of itself.

The little things matter. Those same little things are the meaningful pieces to a great experience. You won't regret watching this show, but just disregard the ending and you'll have a wonderful time.

I had a chance to watch Soul Eater before it's release here in the U.S. and was blown away by the fantastic animation and visuals and the great characters that make up this series, especially the attention given to secondary and even minor characters (the one exception is of course Black Star who fortunately gets less annoying as the series progresses). After watching the Funimation releases though, I'd have to recommend watching the series in the original Japanese audio with subtitles. It's not that the English dub is bad, it's that it's just competent. It seems like the ADR director really kept the actors reigned in and didn't let their performances rise to the levels that this series deserves. I've heard enough dubs from Funimation to know that they can be really good and match or even exceed the original Japanese, but they really dropped the ball on this one. (I mean, you can give a good dub to Sekirei but not Soul Eater, come on!)

English dub aside, this is still an excellent series and should be in your collection.

Great quality!! I am really happy with it and it came promptly and works perfectly. Really good menu and accurate subtitles

arrived fast to destination. good quality. Really like this anime.
The one thing im wondering about is the price diference in between this first dvd and the rest of the episodes.......... almost twice the price on the others....

The box set for Soul Eater Part 1 is pretty good, just lacking a bit here and there.
It comes with 2 discs, both covering the first 13 episodes (which is not alot considering the price).

It also comes with a collectible sticker, and the special features include a commentary on Episode 7 and Soul Eater: Late Show (which are some different clips that aired on the Japanese broadcast later at night).

Then of course you have your textless songs and trailers.

It's a good box set, and Soul Eater is a VERY good show, one of the best I've seen in years.
The box's extras are what brings it down just a bit, but overall Soul Eater is a good experience.

If you haven't invested in these sets yet, I'd just hold off for the joint release of Parts 1 and 2 (which is also going to be on Blu-Ray).

#1: Check out the YouTube Funimation channel. This is streaming, subtitled, at the time of this writing.

#2: The dub is -- again, at the time of this writing -- streaming on Netflix.

I liked this series a lot more than I expected to. The animation is smooth and detailed, which is important given how prevalent fight scenes are. The plot was interesting, even if it was sometimes predictable. The bonds between the characters were believable. I'm a sub snob, but despite this, I actually enjoy the dub a lot more; Funimation did an excellent job on it.

What impressed me most is that this is a shounen/seinen series (a story with a more male-gender audience in mind, favoring fighting over romantic pursuits or emotional drama) which doesn't overlook the female cast or depict them as weaker. The girls of "Soul Eater" are -badass-. The character Soul is definitely a tough dude, but he and Maka are very much in it together. Black Star is a self-absorbed lunatic, but when Tsubaki needs him to either help out or quietly bear witness, he shuts the hell up and supports her. Patty and Liz, who are teamed with Death The Kid, technically don't need him to function as weapons; they choose to work with him because the three of them provide each other with a stability they all need.

There are series out there with more interesting story lines, but a considerably less gender-equal balance in the cast. The difference makes "Soul Eater" stand out dramatically.

The background music is pretty excellent, too -- catchy as hell.

There have been some complaints about the ending; the reason it's so trite is because the anime is based on a manga series which is only about two thirds or three quarters of the way done. They had to make up an ending which wouldn't upstage the original manga's eventual end. It's a disappointing result, but honestly, it's a minor and fairly common dilemma.

My daughter, husband and I started watching this on Funimation and we got completely utterly hooked. The premise is fun, the characters are great, and there's a nice mix of intense action and comedy. As other have noted, the series doesn't end, it just sort of...stops. The manga that the series is based on resolves the story and is ongoing, but I can see why the show ended at the point it did. Ending aside, you won't be sorry you purchased it. You'll love the laid-back Soul, intense, studious Maka, demented tough guy BlackStar and the OCD-riddled Death the Kid. You'll want to take Tsubaki to a women's lib meeting, applaud the Thompson sisters for putting up with Kid, wring Excalibur's neck and worry about Dr. Stein's mental stability. The cussing and violence are too extreme for younger kids, but older kids and adults will love it.

Soul Eater is a lot like FLCL in some ways. It is bizarre, thought provoking, great animation (some of the best looking I have seen in a long time) and an interesting story to boot! But while FLCL focused more of sci-fi (sorta) and growing up, Soul Eater is more fantasy, and it definitely has a lot more darker themes to it.
Soul Eater focuses mainly on the Death Weapon Meister Academy which was set up by Death himself to train weapons and meisters into fighting the forces of evil known as Kishin. A weapon is a person who can actually transform into a, well, weapon. A meister then wields that weapon and fights with it. The primary protagonists of the series are Maka, a young meister, and her weapon, Soul, who can turn into a scythe. At the start of the show, the two are working on collecting 99 souls and then the soul of a witch so as to turn Soul into a Death Scythe, a weapon that can be wielded by Death himself. There are two more meisters the show focuses on: a ninja assassin named Black Star whose massive ego will either humor you or annoy you. His partner, Tsubaki, is a perfect foil to him, though, as she is quiet, calm, and smart. The two make for an entertaining pair, but Maka and Soul's pairing are much more interesting in my opinion. The next meister is Death's son, Death the Kid. Kid is perhaps the most entertaining character of the show. He is, to put it simply, a perfectionist and so is obsessed with perfect symmetry to the point that he will vomit up blood if he sees something un-symmetrical. That or demolish it. He carries twin pistols named Liz and Patty who have their own little quirks that make for a highly entertaining team to watch.
The rest of the characters are also a joy to watch, especially Maka's father, who is the current Death Scythe. The witch Medusa, despite only being around for a few scenes, has the potential of becoming one of the most sinister villains of recent anime.
The voice acting is well done for both Japanese and English voice actors. Laura Bailey's impression of Maka is a bit more softer than Junko Takeuchi, but both manage to pull off her character well enough in their own ways. I actually preferred Micah Solusad's Soul better than the Japanese seiyu, but both performances are great. As for the rest of the performances, I can't help but think that Black Star's and Kid's English actors are not as good as they could have been. The Japanese seiyu's manage to pull off their respective characters very well, but I think there could have been better choices for the English voice actors. The rest of the cast I have no complaints with on either side.
And now for the visuals, and oh boy, what a visual treat. Seriously, perhaps the best selling point of this series is the animation. The character designs are gorgeous and unique, the fight sequences are so incredibly well done you will find yourself watching them over and over again. The backgrounds are fleshed out and also unique, creating a whole new world that's as interesting as it is enjoyable to watch. The unique take on the Sun and the Moon is also a visual highlight. This is serious eye candy, folks.
The music for the show is great as background and also for listening. I intend to get the soundtrack as soon as it comes out in the States. The opener sounds a bit too serious for a show like Soul Eater, but it is still awsome to watch and deserves to be considered one of the best anime openings. The ending theme is just as good.
Overall, Soul Eater is perhaps the best anime I have seen since FLCL and Evangelion. The animation is by far the best I have ever seen (and that's saying a lot)and the plot is as entertaining as it is interesting. The characters are fun, though some may annoy you a little, and the voice acting is good on both sides. Regardless of whether you are new to anime or not, I highly recommend Soul Eater. Watch it. Love it. Thank me later.