<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/2011-07-1818571333_300x300_1.jpg">
<b>Review of Casshern Sins #1 by Raz112</b>
Tatsunoko Production, or Tatsunoko for short, is one of the most celebrated and most respected animation studios of Japan. Creators of many of the early Japanese superheroes, they have inspired many if not all of the Japanese animators we know and love. Though Otomo's Akira is often cited as the work that introduced anime to the West, it was actually Tatsunoko's shows that brought our attention to Japanese animation. Shows such as Speed Racer, Battle of the Planets, G-Force, and Samurai Pizza Cats were shown in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s respectively, with their connection to Tatsunoko and Japan unknown to most of us due to the editing, dubbing, and changes by American producers.
Many successful studios of today originate from Tatsunoko; Studio Pierrot, Production I.G. and Studio XEBEC to name a few. Tatsunoko itself over the years was bought by other studios, its name in many cases becoming hidden beneath the surface of the industry, and while its catalogue remains extensive in Japan, it is not in the West; particularly in the UK. The shows mentioned above were never released on video or DVD here, and have reached cult status for many people. To my knowledge, only two characters from the Tatsunoko Universe grace our DVD shelves; the more recent Karas, and the classic hero Casshern.
Casshern is one of the most (if not <em>the</em> most) celebrated characters in the Tatsunoko universe. With two anime series, one OVA series and a live action film to its name, it is the most revisited character of the studio's catalogue. Yatterman roughly shares the same amount of coverage, but that series hasn't had the same amount of influence and appeal Casshern has had on other areas of popular culture; particularly in videogames.
Casshern was originally a 35 episode series in 1973, concerning a young man named Tetsuya Azuma who willingly fused himself to an android body in order to become a super-powered Neo Human, to stop robots from annihilating the human race and taking over the world. These robots were originally created by Tetsuya's father, Dr. Kotaro Azuma, for the purpose of serving humanity. However, when the first android BK-1 was struck by lightning, it went berserk and escaped the castle. It renamed itself the Buraiking Boss and assembled a robot army, having concluded that humanity must be destroyed in order to save Earth. With his vehicle, shapeshifting robotic dog Friender, alongside him, Tetsuya - now Neo Human Casshern - joins forces with human resistance fighter Luna Kozuki against the Buraiking Boss.
Unfortunately this series was never released in the UK. Our first taste of Casshern was the 1993 four part OVA series 'Robot Hunter Casshan'. It is essentially the same story as the original series, condensed into just two hours - and it suffers tremendously as a result. There are a few differences, namely that Casshern is trying to clear his father's name, his mother is killed rather than being a captured prisoner, and his father's spirit is imprisoned inside the Buraiking Boss (whose name was misinterpreted as the Black King Boss in the English dub). Coupled with the awful dub, it wasn't the greatest animated representation of Casshern, but it was the only one we had. Until now.
In 2008 Tatsunoko started its drive to reboot its classic series for the modern era. This particular new series is more than just a reboot; it is a reimagining. Casshern's basic character design and concept of fighting in a robot-dominated Earth remains intact. So do some key character names, namely Casshern, Friender, Luna, and Buraiking Boss (now Braiking Boss). That's where the continuity ends. What we have here is a completely separate tale in content, tone and focus, with these characters having different backgrounds and performing different roles, particularly Luna. As a result, this series is approachable for all, not just those with knowledge of the previous works of Casshern.
At the beginning of each episode, we see an ongoing flashback of an encounter between a man and Luna. In the first flashback, Luna asks who he is. The man replies that he is Casshern, and he has come to kill Luna. After the opening credits roll, we see him fighting numerous robots, all of them wishing to kill and devour him. Casshern doesn't understand why, until his opponent tells him about the rumour that eternal life can be gained from him, and that 'The Ruin' that plagues them will cease. After the battle, Casshern discovers that the Ruin causes robots to rust away and die. Luna, occasionally referred to as 'The Sun Named Moon' and 'The Source of Life', was said to be responsible for the balance of life between human and robot. It is said that Casshern killed her, triggering The Ruin, transforming the world into a desolate place, with humanity now barely existent, and the once-immortal robots now rusting away without any means of sustaining themselves.
What results is a terribly bleak world, full of despair, desperation, and death. Robots are shown attempting to deal with death in different ways, and they convey very human emotions. The show's episodic approach sees Casshern drifting across the desolate land, meeting people with different stories and ordeals, allowing us to explore various facets of humanity through robots, and the wide range of emotions we all possess in life trying to deal with death. Rage, love, hope and despair are all discussed here, and in many cases it delivers a strong emotional impact. While many blame Casshern for the death of Luna and the impending doom of life on Earth, whilst desiring and cursing his inexplicable immortality, he knows nothing about himself and his past. With Casshern's inability to remember his actions and the constant accusations he faces as the alleged cause of The Ruin, Casshern is stricken with guilt and suffers immensely in trying to comprehend the consequences of his actions and the nature of the world around him.
The episodic approach and large amount of introspection lead to a copious amount of semi-philosophical discourse, which is refreshing to see in our current climate. However, with the series focusing so much on this as well as on the mood and atmosphere - though often poignant and beautiful to watch - it keeps the central plot close to its chest, providing little information despite the presence of many new and recurring characters, which can frustrate and test the patience of the viewer. It is a shame, as these characters are all interesting and set up an intriguing story.
Although this is a Tatsunoko production, the animation is handled by Madhouse and as always they do not disappoint. The animation style fuses the classic character designs with modern art techniques, providing a simple yet very stylised piece of animation that will appeal to both fans of classic and modern anime. The characters who appear more human are drawn with long slender limbs, big, wide eyes and very thick wavy hair, with the exception of Dio who sports long, straight hair instead. The long limbs help to accentuate the beautiful action in the series, with various different animation techniques used to portray the graceful movements akin to dancing, the incredible speeds at which characters move, and the venomous force of powerful strikes. The other robots are more simplistic and traditional in design (some may say too simplistic), with the exception of the dead robotic corpses that haunt the places they reside. The premise of a desolated planet doesn't lend itself to much variety and colour in the background art, yet Madhouse make some of the simplest terrains idyllic with their use of a monochrome colour scale for whole landscapes, whilst other backgrounds comprise ruins; remnants of a once-civilised world, often filled with broken robot corpses. Some small pockets of land still exist where the grasp of The Ruin does not reach and there nature flourishes. In these instances, as with the colour scheme of the humanoid characters, we see a very bright, vibrant palette, illuminating an emotionally intense and tragic tale. The DVD transfer is sublime, allowing us to enjoy this version just as much as the blu-ray advocates will. Also, both dubs are handled very well, with the English dub having a star-studded cast of voice actors, and the Japanese cast retaining the original voice of Buraiking Boss, 35 years after the original series. There are a few instances where characters sound a little melodramatic, but that is more a result of the story and the script, rather than the interpretation by the voice actors.
The music score by Kaoru Wada does a very good job of accompanying the animation. It provides a haunting, entrancing atmosphere with a soundtrack that is as dramatic and full of impact as it is melancholic and enchanting. The OP, while lyrically relevant, may appear a little upbeat for the heavy tone of the show. The ED song is gentler, and perhaps more appropriate.
The extras on the third disc are unremarkable as usual, with textless OP and EDs, and a nice music montage featuring a song not present in this half of the series.
Overall Casshern Sins is a series that may divide people right down the middle. It does not provide the action-packed science fiction experience that many fans of previous Casshern series (and the genre) may have expected. Instead we are treated to a series full of style and symbolism, focusing on philosophical discussions of mortality and identity. The sacrifice of plot development for such introspection will frustrate some, and demands some degree of patience. However, the combination of the beautiful animation and music score, exemplary action when present, as well as the strong character premises, creates the foundation of a compelling story that should be enough to justify the time and attention given to the series thus far.
<b>Final score: 7 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2011-07-18vlcsnap-2011-07-18-16h12m13s114.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2011-07-18vlcsnap-2011-07-18-15h45m08s8.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2011-07-18vlcsnap-2011-07-18-16h28m47s68.png">
<b>Review of Casshern Sins #1 by Raz112</b>
Tatsunoko Production, or Tatsunoko for short, is one of the most celebrated and most respected animation studios of Japan. Creators of many of the early Japanese superheroes, they have inspired many if not all of the Japanese animators we know and love. Though Otomo's Akira is often cited as the work that introduced anime to the West, it was actually Tatsunoko's shows that brought our attention to Japanese animation. Shows such as Speed Racer, Battle of the Planets, G-Force, and Samurai Pizza Cats were shown in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s respectively, with their connection to Tatsunoko and Japan unknown to most of us due to the editing, dubbing, and changes by American producers.
Many successful studios of today originate from Tatsunoko; Studio Pierrot, Production I.G. and Studio XEBEC to name a few. Tatsunoko itself over the years was bought by other studios, its name in many cases becoming hidden beneath the surface of the industry, and while its catalogue remains extensive in Japan, it is not in the West; particularly in the UK. The shows mentioned above were never released on video or DVD here, and have reached cult status for many people. To my knowledge, only two characters from the Tatsunoko Universe grace our DVD shelves; the more recent Karas, and the classic hero Casshern.
Casshern is one of the most (if not <em>the</em> most) celebrated characters in the Tatsunoko universe. With two anime series, one OVA series and a live action film to its name, it is the most revisited character of the studio's catalogue. Yatterman roughly shares the same amount of coverage, but that series hasn't had the same amount of influence and appeal Casshern has had on other areas of popular culture; particularly in videogames.
Casshern was originally a 35 episode series in 1973, concerning a young man named Tetsuya Azuma who willingly fused himself to an android body in order to become a super-powered Neo Human, to stop robots from annihilating the human race and taking over the world. These robots were originally created by Tetsuya's father, Dr. Kotaro Azuma, for the purpose of serving humanity. However, when the first android BK-1 was struck by lightning, it went berserk and escaped the castle. It renamed itself the Buraiking Boss and assembled a robot army, having concluded that humanity must be destroyed in order to save Earth. With his vehicle, shapeshifting robotic dog Friender, alongside him, Tetsuya - now Neo Human Casshern - joins forces with human resistance fighter Luna Kozuki against the Buraiking Boss.
Unfortunately this series was never released in the UK. Our first taste of Casshern was the 1993 four part OVA series 'Robot Hunter Casshan'. It is essentially the same story as the original series, condensed into just two hours - and it suffers tremendously as a result. There are a few differences, namely that Casshern is trying to clear his father's name, his mother is killed rather than being a captured prisoner, and his father's spirit is imprisoned inside the Buraiking Boss (whose name was misinterpreted as the Black King Boss in the English dub). Coupled with the awful dub, it wasn't the greatest animated representation of Casshern, but it was the only one we had. Until now.
In 2008 Tatsunoko started its drive to reboot its classic series for the modern era. This particular new series is more than just a reboot; it is a reimagining. Casshern's basic character design and concept of fighting in a robot-dominated Earth remains intact. So do some key character names, namely Casshern, Friender, Luna, and Buraiking Boss (now Braiking Boss). That's where the continuity ends. What we have here is a completely separate tale in content, tone and focus, with these characters having different backgrounds and performing different roles, particularly Luna. As a result, this series is approachable for all, not just those with knowledge of the previous works of Casshern.
At the beginning of each episode, we see an ongoing flashback of an encounter between a man and Luna. In the first flashback, Luna asks who he is. The man replies that he is Casshern, and he has come to kill Luna. After the opening credits roll, we see him fighting numerous robots, all of them wishing to kill and devour him. Casshern doesn't understand why, until his opponent tells him about the rumour that eternal life can be gained from him, and that 'The Ruin' that plagues them will cease. After the battle, Casshern discovers that the Ruin causes robots to rust away and die. Luna, occasionally referred to as 'The Sun Named Moon' and 'The Source of Life', was said to be responsible for the balance of life between human and robot. It is said that Casshern killed her, triggering The Ruin, transforming the world into a desolate place, with humanity now barely existent, and the once-immortal robots now rusting away without any means of sustaining themselves.
What results is a terribly bleak world, full of despair, desperation, and death. Robots are shown attempting to deal with death in different ways, and they convey very human emotions. The show's episodic approach sees Casshern drifting across the desolate land, meeting people with different stories and ordeals, allowing us to explore various facets of humanity through robots, and the wide range of emotions we all possess in life trying to deal with death. Rage, love, hope and despair are all discussed here, and in many cases it delivers a strong emotional impact. While many blame Casshern for the death of Luna and the impending doom of life on Earth, whilst desiring and cursing his inexplicable immortality, he knows nothing about himself and his past. With Casshern's inability to remember his actions and the constant accusations he faces as the alleged cause of The Ruin, Casshern is stricken with guilt and suffers immensely in trying to comprehend the consequences of his actions and the nature of the world around him.
The episodic approach and large amount of introspection lead to a copious amount of semi-philosophical discourse, which is refreshing to see in our current climate. However, with the series focusing so much on this as well as on the mood and atmosphere - though often poignant and beautiful to watch - it keeps the central plot close to its chest, providing little information despite the presence of many new and recurring characters, which can frustrate and test the patience of the viewer. It is a shame, as these characters are all interesting and set up an intriguing story.
Although this is a Tatsunoko production, the animation is handled by Madhouse and as always they do not disappoint. The animation style fuses the classic character designs with modern art techniques, providing a simple yet very stylised piece of animation that will appeal to both fans of classic and modern anime. The characters who appear more human are drawn with long slender limbs, big, wide eyes and very thick wavy hair, with the exception of Dio who sports long, straight hair instead. The long limbs help to accentuate the beautiful action in the series, with various different animation techniques used to portray the graceful movements akin to dancing, the incredible speeds at which characters move, and the venomous force of powerful strikes. The other robots are more simplistic and traditional in design (some may say too simplistic), with the exception of the dead robotic corpses that haunt the places they reside. The premise of a desolated planet doesn't lend itself to much variety and colour in the background art, yet Madhouse make some of the simplest terrains idyllic with their use of a monochrome colour scale for whole landscapes, whilst other backgrounds comprise ruins; remnants of a once-civilised world, often filled with broken robot corpses. Some small pockets of land still exist where the grasp of The Ruin does not reach and there nature flourishes. In these instances, as with the colour scheme of the humanoid characters, we see a very bright, vibrant palette, illuminating an emotionally intense and tragic tale. The DVD transfer is sublime, allowing us to enjoy this version just as much as the blu-ray advocates will. Also, both dubs are handled very well, with the English dub having a star-studded cast of voice actors, and the Japanese cast retaining the original voice of Buraiking Boss, 35 years after the original series. There are a few instances where characters sound a little melodramatic, but that is more a result of the story and the script, rather than the interpretation by the voice actors.
The music score by Kaoru Wada does a very good job of accompanying the animation. It provides a haunting, entrancing atmosphere with a soundtrack that is as dramatic and full of impact as it is melancholic and enchanting. The OP, while lyrically relevant, may appear a little upbeat for the heavy tone of the show. The ED song is gentler, and perhaps more appropriate.
The extras on the third disc are unremarkable as usual, with textless OP and EDs, and a nice music montage featuring a song not present in this half of the series.
Overall Casshern Sins is a series that may divide people right down the middle. It does not provide the action-packed science fiction experience that many fans of previous Casshern series (and the genre) may have expected. Instead we are treated to a series full of style and symbolism, focusing on philosophical discussions of mortality and identity. The sacrifice of plot development for such introspection will frustrate some, and demands some degree of patience. However, the combination of the beautiful animation and music score, exemplary action when present, as well as the strong character premises, creates the foundation of a compelling story that should be enough to justify the time and attention given to the series thus far.
<b>Final score: 7 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2011-07-18vlcsnap-2011-07-18-16h12m13s114.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2011-07-18vlcsnap-2011-07-18-15h45m08s8.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2011-07-18vlcsnap-2011-07-18-16h28m47s68.png">