41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughts from a lover of epic stories, November 26, 2007
This review is from: Trinity Blood Box Set (DVD)
Three cheers for beautiful anime box sets. The format of the "Trinity Blood" set is so nice it's almost like a modern illuminated manuscript.
But the pretty box is nothing compared to the story contained within.
The anime of "Trinity Blood" is a cobbling together of the stories in the light novels and the manga with an underlying plot involving the delicate transition between the conflict of the humans and the vampires to a balance of peace. It can appear to be haphazard in places, but overall the story follows a steady course to its conclusion and it has become one of my favorite anime.
The characters carry the events better than many stories I've seen. It is the changes in them that prove to be the most powerful points of the plot. Keep your eye on Esther and Alessandro, both of whom go through the most poignant transformations. My favorite scene in the entire show is towards the end when Alessandro blesses the little vampire girl's pet rabbit. You see him realizing for the first time that he has the potential to change the world, and he wants to change it for the better. There is power in simple moments like that.
And then, of course, there's Abel, who is just too weird to be believed. You find yourself completely engrossed in his character as he seems to flip back and forth from one aspect of his personality to the next in an almost schizophrenic pattern yet all the while perfectly maintaining his sympathetic humanity. I mean, watch this guy. He's so goofy and then he transforms into this nightmarish super-vampire, chopping villains down with a giant scythe (complete with a choir in the background! It's so much fun!).
Anime. Ya gotta love it. That kind of wild melodrama is all part of the awesome experience.
All the AX members have their own distinct personalities and they play off each other with archtypical perfection. Wordsworth the Bumbling Genius, Kate the Gentle and Stolid, Leon the Lovable Rogue, Hugue the Strong and Silent, Tres the Deadpan Android, Noelle the Elegant and Unrequited, Havel the Mysterious and so on and so forth, with Abel at the center as a kind of catch-all personality that they can bounce off of. It's very entertaining.
And if you like big epics with big plots, this is the story for you. It's beautiful to watch, full of elaborate backgrounds and animation. The history and mythology is complex and multi-faceted with all kinds of hidden surprises to discover. You get the impression that you've only just scratched the surface of what lies beneath. I've always had great admiration for stories like that. I never watch anime in Japanese. The subtitles are annoying. (I know, scandal to the purists) But I have nothing but good things to say about the actors chosen to voice the English version. I'd say the best performance is Troy Baker, simply because of the challenge of providing Abel with so many personality facets.
All in all, it's just a very well crafted story, unique and fascinating. Best of all (in my opinion at least) the series ends with the opening of a new chapter in the mythos. Esther is crowned and she and Alessandro stand poised to reign in a new era of peace with the Methuselah. And Abel begins his ultimate quest to rid the world of the threat of his brother Cain and the Rosen Kreutz. I like to know that the story will continue, even if I might never know what will happen. It gives a sense of satisfaction to see one door close and another open.
(This does, admittedly, make the ending feel a little rushed and cut-off, but bear in mind that Sunao Yoshida died suddenly before he was able to finish the novel series. A writer collegue of his brought the series to an end with the last book but who knows if that would've been the end if Yoshida had lived.)
I'm glad to see "Trinity Blood" in a box set. It will be up to each person individually whether or not the story is to their tastes, but from where I stand it's a story that no one will regret experiencing.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Top notch animation, March 1, 2008
This review is from: Trinity Blood Box Set (DVD)
The animation in this is really top of the heap. If you are impressed with the box you won' t be disappointed with the animation.
The box set this comes in is about as nice as you can get IMHO. The only other box set I own that is nicer is the complete box set for Basilisk. The packaging is done with remarkable thoughtfulness. It almost reminds me of opening apple products, almost.
The price is a bit heavy. But I think it balances itself out.
If you like Trigun you will enjoy this. Though the humor is toned down and this tends to be a little darker. I see this as a cross between Crono Cruisade and Trigun.
The story telling could have been a bit better but it was good overall.
I would argue that they didn't really play items against each other well enough to really impact you.
An example of this (slight spoiler): Someone has a love interest in the main character and she dies. The main character's mourning is TRIGGERED by the death of the beloved friend but is POWERED by his memories of someone else... how is that for an insensitive jerk! LOL
In the end his brooding doesn't seem like a sincere act over the loss of such a close loved one.
That being said:
The action is good.
The humor is fun.
The overall artwork is just beautiful to look at.
The characters are developed well.
The music is solid.
Did I mention the art is just great?
The story concept is solid too. (An Uber vampire that feeds on vampires... fun little recursive cannibalism thing going on there.)
Would I buy this again? Yes.
Would I try to find it cheaper? Absolutely
Is it a solid show to watch? Yes
Will you be disappointed? I don't think so.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent series, weakened by feeble ending, July 20, 2008
This review is from: Trinity Blood Box Set (DVD)
The series weaves an elaborate plot around a diverse and dynamic cast of characters. Visually spectacular and at times very touching, the plot unfortunately unravels at the end. The main thrust of the story becomes a footnote as the plot shifts to focus on a previously only hinted-at antagonist, elements are introduced that are not adequately explained, and ultimately I was left with more questions than answers. The story really needed to be paced across another three or four episodes to tie everything together. Still, the first twenty episodes are superb.
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