Kaidômaru

I recently bought Kaidohmaru on DVD and was really disappointed with it. You see...i'm a fan of Manga entertainment (more specifically, old school Manga e.g. Street fighter, Akira, Ghost in the shell, etc. )and i found Kaidohmaru's animation very bright and grainy. I also had a problem with the way this film had been edited. Every time a scene had ended and a new one began, it seemed like it was edited by someone fresh out of university. I did like the story (it's not all bad). The storyline was good, but it ended half way through the story (Kaidohmaru ends like there's more to be said), this feeling is made worst by this film lasting under an hour.

The animation is very good, though a bit pale in places. I can get into the storyline fairly well, but the English dub is so stilted, it makes it difficult to get into the story. Also, it would have been better to refer to characters as -san rather than Mr -insert name here-. Honestly, it flows better.

A lot of this may have to do with the Western habit of doing dub work with the actors in a room on their own, with no one to play off. The Japanese practice is to have the actors all in the same room, where they may act off each other's performances.

I'd be interested in seeing a reworking of this with a different dub performance.

This is a story set in Feudal Japan. Kintoki flees her uncle into the mountains and is rescued by Lord Raiko and his men who raise her to be a warrior. However her past comes calling...

This is told with computer animation that mixed flat with 3D. The coloring is very deliberate and makes you swear that something is wrong with your TV set, its not, it, like the design of the film is made to look of the art of the period the story takes place in. It looks good if really odd. If you like Japanese art then you are going to really enjoy the film purely on a visual level.

The plotting is such that, well, let me put it this way, The DVD I was watching was damaged and wouldn't play past the middle of the movie and I didn't care. I could have returned it for something else instead I just went on to another movie. It wasn't bad, its just that what was happening on screen was not living up to the visuals.

Honestly is worth a rental but its not worth a purchase unless you are interested in the art of the time period, or the different styles used in different types of animation.

Interesting Technically, but not emotionally

The film, or more reasonably, a short (at under an hour), harks back to the times of feudal Japan and the mysticism that surrounded political and warring factions of the time. The story itself revolves around a child known as the Kai Doh Maru, a figure of importance to a few warring parties.A good mix of action and romance ensues. Those who like Ninja Scroll and other such "sword heavy" anime may feel disappointed but that might be missing the point of the film. The short is incredibly well drawn and animated and ranks, for me, with "Blood: The Last Vampire" and "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" in terms of digital animations and sharpness. It would come as no surprise that the production team behind all three of these creations is IG Production, who created the original Ghost in the Shell. Whilst being a creation of startling visuals, the plot may leave some wanting more, as some loose ends and "legend" aspects are left unexplained, and not in a way that would be easy to figure out either! Overall though, the film presents a beautiful, if slightly too mystical slice of anime, which showcases the talents of it animators incredibly well. 8/10

This OVA is set in feudal Japan; a time when the capital is threatened by banditry and disease. Young Kintoki is caught up in a family feud but is rescued from her murderous uncle by Raiko; one of a band of warriors. She is raised as a boy and five years later she is a skilled warrior. She gets caught up in battles but also develops feelings for Raiko.

The first thing to say about this OVA is that it looks stunning; the artwork based on the style of Japanese art at the time. This animation nicely combines both 2D and 3D elements. The central story is interesting but I can't help feeling if it would have been better used as the basis for a series rather than an OVA. As it was there is little time to show the character development... one minute Kintoki is being rescued the next she is a warrior; we don't see anything in between or learn much about the world she is in. There is a medium amount of action and this looks pretty good; it is also fairly bloody with some scenes that might upset animal lovers even if the horses are only drawings. Overall I think this is worth watching; more for the visuals than the story.

These comments are based on watching the Japanese version with English subtitles.