Customer Reviews

Speed Grapher: Box Set

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Speed Grapher" is something I watched out of pure curiosity. I seemed different from most of the anime I've seen. I am so glad I did! Since other reviewers have already given a warning about its explicit content I won't bother to repeat it. I'd like to talk about how cool the story is!

At first, "Speed Grapher" feels like a kind of knock off of "Eyes Wide Shut", except with a curious photographer instead of a curious rich doctor. However, it doesn't take long before the story becomes its own roller coaster of intrigue, corruption and heroism and you get taken along for the ride wondering, "Wow! When did that happen?"

Each of the characters are finely developed. Though many of them play archetypical roles, none of them feel like archetypes. Every one has complex, realistic motives and you don't find it hard to believe that these people might actually exist. They live in a near-futuristic society in the aftermath of a worldwide war following the collapse of the global economy. There's something incredibly creepy about this. We can see signs of the economy cracking in our lives today. It makes the whole thing hit home much more than your average alien or supernatural invasion.

I must not be much of an animation connoisseur because I thought the art style fit the story very well. It's stark, simple, and the characters are much more realistic. Exaggerated wardrobes, anatomy and flowing, sweeping lines work great for most anime shows, but I don't know if they would've helped here. Of course I'm not an animator, but the harshness actually added to the story, I think, by emphasizing the intricacies of the plot as opposed to the visuals.

And what a plot! I gotta say it, Suitengu is officially one of my favorite villains, not just in anime but anywhere. Unlike many villains in SF&F he is not blatantly evil just because he needs to be evil for the sake of the story. His background is harsh and complex and his motives make sense. He crafts an evil plot with patience and intricacy, showing a ruthless inner knowledge of how to manipulate pleasure and human need, and how to strike at his enemies in the most effective way, all the while showing an inner pain that's all too human. And I've rarely seen a villain who manages to redeem himself AND accomplish his dastardly plan all at the same time in a manner that's completely convincing. You gotta admire a character that well crafted.

And then there's the show's "monsters". I've seen my share of anime/manga mutants, but the Euphorics (or Euphorians) definitely win the title of the most disturbing. Saiga and Suitengu remain relatively normal but get a load of the prime minister! And that creepy priest all made of cables and wires. And I swear I will never be able to look at dentists quite the same way again.

The story whips up so many varied emotions. For all its bare breasts and politicians smacking girl-toys with riding crops, the sensuality of the show is concentrated mostly on the scenes where Saiga is trying hard not to take Kagura's picture even though he wants to so badly. That's one of the reasons why I don't think the animation is all that terrible. Scenes like that don't take much action. And I don't think sensuality or sexiness is the intention. Only the creepy rich people have much to do with it directly. All the main characters oppose it in some way, fighting it, falling victim to it or manipulating it.

I won't, of course, disclose the ending, but I can assure you it's epic, satisfying and happy. Never mind judging its value as an anime. All in all, I'd say that "Speed Grapher"'s greatest strength is in just being an awesome story. It's a worthy edition to anyone's video library, and certainly anyone's anime collection. Give it a try. I'm willing to bet you'll be breathless by the end.

I just bought this set a few says ago from SunCoast the brief description amazon provides is pretty much the arc of the storyline I will give some more information though the kiss Kagura gives to Saiga is a catalyst to activate a special virus some people have that gives them unusual abilities.The way is after Kagura kisses Saiga it gives him the ability to blow up anything he takes a picture of.The series is very hard-core with violence,language,and sex the sex scene are mostly r-rated that means topless scenes that you would see in the usual movies of that rating.The violence is very gory and bloody torn bodies,toture,and gruesome unusual deaths.The Video is wide-screen 5.1 english audio or 2.0 japanese audio again with Funimation Films the english voice actors have done a superb job as well as the japanese voice actors the video quality for the most part is crystal clear.I very much enjoyed this series but I will tell you this is not meant for young children as mentioned above there is very little comedy in this series as it is somewhat in the range
of Basilisk in drama but much darker.I am trying not to put people off of getting this but I do want people to know what they are getting into with
this still great series....

I picked up Speedgrapher on a whim. The price was right, and I wanted to add something new to my collection. I couldn't have made a better decision. I enjoy watching anime, it's a private passion of mine. I especially enjoy watching anime that has a deep and hidden meaning that really makes you think. There are certain things that only the art of an anime can bring to life. Speegrapher is one of those anime that seems to bring about a deeper meaning. It clashes realism with fiction, and tells a remarkable story. This is something I can almost see a movie being made out of...but of course it wouldn't carry the beauty that this anime brings out.

The Box Set-

Speegrapher is a beautifully pakaged Box set that includes character cards that actually add value to show. You can read in greater detail the backstory of each character, as some are almost a complete mystery. The CD's are packaged nicely and each disk contains bonus features which is a nice touch.

The Story-

This is the meat of it all. Speedgrapher is about a photographer who's passion for a "real picture worth taking" drives him to discover a secret society full of the most elite and notorious minds that control the media,financial,and Judicial powers of Japan. This secret society is a club in which these powerful and notorious faces can enjoy all the sins life has to over without fear of judgement being cast on them. However this clubs serves as a front for something even more sinister which hides behind the scenes.

The Characters-

Speedgrapher has some of the most memorable Hero's and Villians you may ever see. This is a anime where you fall in love with the villians just as much as you do the heroes. If you enjoy films like that then you'll love Speedgrapher. The characters are all extremely well developed and that even includes the jealous girlfriend. This is a very unpredictable and unexpected Anime which why out of respect to those that may wish to watch it I will stay away from "details". Discovering the characters and the story behind them is a strong part of the plot of Speedgrapher. What I love about this anime so much is that the characters a real. You can watch this anime and see them as real people. It's hard to make an anime where a character seems like just that an "anime" character. They seem only believable in their world, but the characters of speedgrapher manage to break that barrier and bring out real life emotions in an artistic anime masterpiece.


The Overall-

Speedgrapher is an adult anime meaning this is not Bleach,Samauri Champloo,or Cowboy Bebop(all animes which I also love). This is an anime that depicts the ugliness of humanbeings, and has a real message behind it. It you like anime's that make you think than this is one for you to pick up and watch. If you like action this is also good to pick up and watch. Even if your an adult that's not into anime, but you dabbled in it than I definitely recommend this one. It has a slow start, but a great finish, and it shouldn't be missed by any anime fan.

Speed Grapher is not an anime for everyone, it is controversial and the plot along with the characters and the art is probably going to offend or otherwise aggravate many people. It is a fantastic anime though, and it is well worth the purchase.

If you have watched Speed Grapher and you liked it this is the only collection worth buying and it is far more worthy of your shelf than any of the other collections of the complete series. It comes with three books of artwork and information on the characters - from Saiga and Suitengu to the Euphoria. It also has several very well done miniatures of art you won't find in the ending credits. The fold open box that holds the discs is beautiful. A friend pulled this collection off the shelf because of the visual allure of the casing and was stunned when they started to look through it - just the presentation was enough to make someone want to see this series. So, as I said, if you're a fan this is the only way to go.

On to the anime itself...

Without delving too much into the plot Speed Grapher is an anime that makes you think. You can go through nearly the entire series with a set of preconceived notions as to what it is about and when reaching the ending find you've been turned around on your head. This is a plot heavy anime despite the action that you will find in every episode: it is something that you need to pay attention to. I can easily see someone who is used to a casual anime that you can just sit back and absorb disliking Speed Grapher because it is something you need to think about. While you can marathon through this show I highly recommend taking some time between every few episodes to think over what is going on or you may find yourself turned off or overwhelmed.

While this anime has elements of the "fantastic" (Euphoria's which essentially are monsters) it is meant to be a realistic show. As such it isn't about powering up and getting stronger, it isn't about the epic battles and showdowns. There is violence in the series, having shown it to several people I have noticed that it can be disturbing to many people. The way that Speed Grapher moves you is more the poignant way that it illustrates the lust for power, money, and the physical, effects people and has an affect that ripples through an entire nation. It is a show about materialism and wanton desire, and it illustrates how damaging your unchecked psyche can be. Ultimately the series is so unsettling because it shines such a bright light on how uncouth and vile humanity can be.

There is love and touching moments in Speed Grapher, and it may be the interaction between Saiga and Kagura that is what upsets people the most. Yes, Kagura is a minor, yes Saiga is an adult. Yes, if you watch the series it is very easy to tell this is not a platonic love between them. There is no graphic sex in that relationship though it is rampant in the show - if that isn't your thing then don't buy this - you will hate the series.

I don't want to give away the plot because as a person who has seen the entire series it is very easy to accidentally reveal part of the story that emerges later on and ruin or color the entire experience. This isn't a "quick" show and it isn't really that fast paced, it does take time to get into even though it does give you a lot of information in each episode. In the middle of the series it can be very easy to ask "Where is this going and why do I even care?" if you reach that point please keep going because this story is epic in proportion and masterfully done. Those little things that you thought were meaningless actually turn out to be very important.

All in all, this is one of my favorite anime.

In summary, Speed Grapher is about the excesses of an elitist society gone mad where every desire/fetish can be met provided he has the means.

The story would be difficult for children to understand because of the many themes running through it. It's got politics, economics, bio molecular engineering, psychology etc. all mixed into it.

I don't know whether this story might appeal to some viewers because of some exaggerated slants the creators chose but to me, those creative slants were excellent analogies. I particularly like the way each character sincerely behaved when they were caught in different situations. When they were greedy, they were greedy. And when they were kind, they were most certainly kind. Imagine my surprise and how touched I was to see how compassionate the "villains" really turned out to be. After watching this series, good and bad will never be the same again.

this anime was .....different..... to say the least it was kind of unique in a way i liked the story line although i kind of wished that it would just get to the point of the story i've watched up to the last dvd chapter 6 but i am on like the last two episodes its kind of losing my interest but its ok especially for the price overall i am happy i purchased it it is very good for my anime collection....

I bought this set knowing how good the series was as I saw it online. I was very impressed with how nice the box set was put together and the extra 6 guide books that come with it. Also to my surprise the whole box set had a shiny holographic over it making that much more attractive. Why 4/5 stars. Well it wasnt the product it was the shipper caused minor damage but besides that I was very satisfied.

This series is not suitable for young children. Other than that this series is great. You follow the story of Saiga a war photographer who lives in Tokyo, a place where the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. His whole life turns upside down when he meets a young girl and gets the power to literally blow things up with his camera. Filled with plenty of action, and drama, you will be asking yourself the same question over and over, trying to guess on how Saiga got his powers, and who really is this girl he is trying to save. Extras include some of the dubbed actors first auditions which was very cool. Also you well get an art book for each DVD inside. Great series, Enjoy!

Now this is what I would term as wonderfully twisted. I didn't really know what I was getting into with this one. I kind of skimmed some reviews here and there and looked at the high ratings. While this isn't the greatest Anime I've ever seen, I still thought it was pretty enjoyable. It's actually very well done in many aspects and people should be warned that this is definitely meant only for adults. Nevermind the harsh language or violence, the sexual concepts and content are definitely geared towards an adult audience. Also probably one of the reasons I've enjoyed watching this because it's a more twisted facet than I've stumbled across before. Now this isn't overly lewd, in my opinion, it's actually fairly tasteful and there really isn't any full blown nudity or sexual scenes. Thus this is not even remotely close to a Hentai, this deals more with concepts of desire and how that motivates a character.

The story revolves around a photographer, Saiga, who sort of falls into something akin to destiny. There's a secret club rumored to exist where a lot of political officials from Japan are said to visit and partake of their excesses. At this point we can probably say we see some "Eyes Wide Shut" influence, but that's really where things begin and end for that. No one's ever seen this club and no one knows who belongs to it. Saiga is determined to find out what goes on there. He follows a suspected member and makes it inside safely. There he sees all kinds of sexual excesses taking place, some violent, some simply disgusting to behold! The worst comes with a main event involving someone they term as "the goddess". She's the daughter of the head of the most powerful company in Japan and she's only in her early teens, which is probably the most shocking fact. There's something strange about her and Saiga immediately starts taking photographs, this was not a smart move because it made him a dead give away to the patrons that he didn't belong. This is where we meet the story's main antagonist, Suitengo, who swiftly sentences him to death for intruding into their club. Something strange happens though, the Goddess walks up to Saiga and kisses him; this was originally meant for another patron. That patron is incensed with rage and insists on killing Saiga himself. However, something is changing inside Saiga. He does the only thing he knows how to do as the man is about to kill him, he takes his picture. There's a huge explosion and half the man disappears in a spray of blood. Saiga has turned into a Euphoric, something we find out later. This is how the show kicks off. Intrigued yet? I sure was, but I'm going to leave that quick introduction there and let you simply watch the rest for yourself.

In terms of the main characters I thought this show expertly developed them. The cast is actually fairly big, but it never fell to the problems Rahxephon had. It also didn't fall prey to some other common elements in Anime I've come across, in the sense that the writers didn't feel the need to have a battle every episode. Instead we do have episodes of pure character development and the conflict is in the drama. This is simply just great writing in my opinion. I realized after the fact that this show did exactly what I wish a lot of other shows would do in terms of story format. They have a handful of adversary creatures that are also Euphorics, I suppose you can term them Boss Battles (to borrow a term from video games) and each one has their own special powers. Some of the Euphorics have strange powers that can cause them to change shape into something hideous, not all are like Saiga's where he mostly stays as he is.

Saiga's main goal in this series is to save the Goddess (Kagura is her real name). He attempts to do this literally against all odds. He's fighting not only a giant corporation with limitless wealth, but also fighting against the government. It's as if no place is safe! Hiding from these people is nearly impossible, but he's up to the challenge. All amidst this is the background story of relationship building and concepts of love. This is a natural aspect since it's a highly sexualized series. I found it interesting to note that almost every character has some kink or fetish, even Saiga has one. I think the show was trying to subtly get across that fetishism is okay, but when it goes to extreme excess it becomes a dangerous element in a person's life.

My favorite character in this was Suitengo. I usually like the bad guys in most shows, but Suitengo is one of the best, by far. He doesn't act like the other estranged Euphorics that are in existence due to their extreme greed or lusts. He's calm, cool, and very collected. He never really goes out of control and I thought that was great. He has a very defined agenda and sticks to his plan. This might be a bit of a spoiler, but I simply have to mention it because it was one of my favorite aspects. This is, so far, the only thing I've seen that both the bad guy actually wins and there is also a happy ending. I know that sounds very strange, but it happens. It's so well written that it's just great and made me love it all the more.

I would definitely recommend watching this once, at the very least. I think it is very well written and my only thing I might say is it doesn't have a ton of re-watch value for me. I liked the world that was created and the concepts touched upon, but shows like this aren't something I really fiend for. I enjoy them while I watch them, but it's not something I'm going to pull out and tell my friends they have to see it right away. That's really the only reason I dropped a star off of this. Other than that, this is very well done and I definitely recommend it. The DVD box set is beautifully packaged in a gatefold format with slipcase and it also includes the bonus of six booklets that give you character outlines and rare sketches. I think it's a worthwhile set to own and I could definitely see myself watching it again at some point.

My boyfriend and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Like many anime, the beginning of it is a little... bad... but it starts to get better after about two episodes.
There is a romance between the main male and female character which is very cute and endearing. However the main male is about 25-30 and the main female is 15. So it's a little strange to watch.
I wasn't expecting anything supernatural or sci-fi, just a photographer trying to expose the corrupt. However it pretty much immediately jumps into crazy supernatural stuff. It was very entertaining though.