Introducing "Harvey"'s fairy tale character: Elwood P Dowd

Spotted this on IMDB - a review I wrote three years ago. I actually found it fascinating to read given the time between now and then has left me with no real recollection of writing this nor which angle I chose to present in the commentary. Funny how fickle the brainbox can be.

This is a delightful film. Jimmy Stewart's Elwood is a timeless character. When we live in a world which is constantly looking forward or backwards, Elwood P Dowd is a character who reminds us how perfect our lives would be if could live in the now, enjoying the singular moment. It is Dowd's ideology as much as his "imaginary" friend that makes "Harvey" so captivating.

Of course, Elwood Dowd could be far less perfect than we imagine. The back story seems to imply he undertook some sort of personality shift seven years back (he says he took life seriously for thirty five years, he is now forty two as I recall). From the events he describes on his first encounter with "Harvey", his recalled dialogue infers this event was after his character transformation. Considering how his big sister, Veta seems to feel their mother should have warned her about Harvey when she moved in, it seems unlikely it was his mother's death that caused any sort of dramatic character alteration.

So Dowd's character - for some reason - shifted from normal to unique. His life now is simplistic yet to himself, very busy. He spends a lot of times hanging around in bars meeting people. To him, that's a vocation, and with life itself being such a rich tapestry of character and history, who is one to argue? His approach to each day is structured on much repetition. His dialogue and mannerisms are very uniform and repetitive. His approach to all people remains equal. Elwood does initially give the audience the impression of someone who has had suffered breakdown, as someone who probably isn't quite normal. But as the film reminds us, when "normal" is actually quite nasty and stressful, would those "normal" people see being so very nice as a mental deficiency? The film doesn't dwell on the question as to whether or not Dowd suffers from mental illness. It could be character just was hit by some amazing epiphany seven years earlier. Unlike more contemporary offerings, it's not interested in what makes us who we are; it is more interested in what we are at present.

While it's clear that Elwood was never always as simple and gracious as he is now. The film doesn't concern itself with any catalyst for this change; in fact, it seems to deliberately avoid talking about it. The beauty in "Harvey" is that Elwood is as much a fantasy character as the mischievous "imaginary" Pooka Harvey himself and in my opinion, just as fascinating.

The timeless character of Elwood is solidified by the play/films disinterest in creating a resolution for his identity, even if all the unhappy people attempt the contrary. I prefer to see the change in Elwood as being an epiphany rather than a breakdown. It just seems to suit his almost fairy tale perfection. He doesn't see the bad in others. All behaviour has its reasons and all actions can be dealt with positively. Even when confronted with selfish concerns, he sees the lighter side. While the film doesn't leave any doubt to whether Harvey exists or not, it does leave the audience to make up it's mind on Elwood. That to me is the beauty of this film. The actual fairy tale character is definitive, but Elwood isn't. Is he a drunk? Again, personally, I don't feel he is. He never shows any behaviour indicative to a drunk. He goes and has a drink when he meets people as part of a ritualistic pattern, but the alcohol never pertains importance to him beyond that. Again, if we take Elwood's almost fantasy built persona - something we would all want to aspire to - to be able to socially drink very regularly without dependence seems quite fitting. That's my opinion, but really it's up to you to decide.

So I think, deep down, we would all want to be Elwood Dowd. Not so much for the Pooka invisible friend, but simply because his existence shows us how life ought to be taken. This is of course, an impossibility given the responsibility of today's lifestyle. Life is too complicated for an existence firmly entrenched in the present and while we have to accept that we can't be like Elwood, it would be nice to think we can try.

For me Mary Chase's "Harvey" presents a dream existence made manifest, and that is very much thanks to Stewart's beautifully performed Elwood Dowd.

Surgical Spirit: "Black Jack" Volumes 2, 3 and 4 Get a Clean Bill of Health!

For Toon Zone News
06-19-2009,

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There are some books simply too good to review— books that really don't require the help of some meager assessor; that are happy enough to stand tall without third party endorsements. In essence, there are some books that make my job more without meaning than I could ever succeed at.

Vertical have been hot on the presses releasing more of their Black Jack collection. Toon Zone reviewed volume one earlier in 2008 and here we are again with volumes two, three and four putting me back in the hot seat looking for something more discerning to say about this range of graphic novels other than "Well, Black Jack is simply brilliant, innit?"

Of course the quality of Black Jack is hardly a secret. Written by manga's legendary godfather, Osamu Tezuka, Black Jack is the long-running series of short stories that follow the extraordinary feats of surgery performed by an unlicensed Japanese doctor of the same name. The tales frequently carry a moral or sociological message, usually catalyzed by some emergency requiring Black Jack's surgical skills. (Black Jack's universe seems to exist on an abundance of car and HGV crashes throughout the four volumes.) The stories drift between resolutions of hope and despair, often ending on an abrupt coda.

Black Jack plays on a breadth of drama that weaves a tale around both simple and complex characters types. More often than not, Tezuka turns his critical eye upon the medical profession, taking the opportunity to pull the strings on a variety of doctor and intellectual stereotypes and making them dance to his satirical melodies.

Simply put, Black Jack is a joy to read. Aside from a few visual elements that prove a reminder of its vintage status, the stories remain relatively timeless. One story in volume three called "Your Mistake" requires a spool based tape recorder as a central prop—a reminder of the days before cassettes, CDs and digital downloads. You can read volume four without a single reminder of the time differential between ourselves and the author—only a few footnotes give away some of the minor satirical swipes at his contemporaries in Japanese manga.

The age of Black Jack does raise a question: how can a book dealing with a medical surgeon first written over thirty-five years ago possibly carry any significant value to today's society? Strangely enough, many of the stories are indeed significant, particularly to our current climate, to coin a relevant pun. In volume two we have "Assembly Line Care" which questions the balance between bedside manner and hospital efficiency; "Where Are Thou Friend?" is about the malady that is mankind upon the planet. Volume three's "Dingoes" questions the ravages of mankind on the animal ecosystem and in "Shrinking" we seen theological faith struggle against secular humanitarianism as our medicines save more people only to see others die under surplus demand upon resources. All of which are contemporary issues, all of which Tezuka was querying three decades ago.

Of course, many of the Black Jack stories simply stand the test of time by centering on the timeless moral issues. The question of euthanasia for instance is neatly explored in volume three's "Two Dark Doctors". The internal struggle between the family unit is a popular theme, and Tezuka enjoys examining blood relationships through a some surprising facets. In volume four we have a trilogy of family plights; "Burned Doll", a tale of a gangster's willing sacrifice for his son; "Lost and Found" focuses on dying wife and mother and her family's desperate plight to raise the funds to save her, and "Heart of a Giant" looks at the risks a parent will put on his ill son for the sake of fame and fortune. Whether it be a broad sociological question or a very personal tale, Tezuka opens up the tender wounds found between human fragility and social morality.

While the stories avoid being trapped in the past, it's perhaps Black Jack's fantastical ability to perform feats of surgery that prevents the reader from questioning the book's contemporary relevance. Black Jack can graft skin, re-attach limbs and even transplant bodies in ways no one can, and this little zest of fantasy completes the timeless illusion.

As always, Tezuka's artwork is an eclectic blend of caricature and incredibly textured linework. The testament to his work comes in the decades of imitators who have drawn from his skills. His sequential narratives are almost faultless in visualization and pacing. There is little change within the artwork between the three volumes—Tezuka's style for Black Jack is very much set from the start. In fact, the only evidence of change comes in volume four where there is a tiny modicum of self-referential humour that leaks into the story and visuals. It seems by the forth volume, Tezuka has become very aware of the restrictions of Black Jack's story format and occasionally lampoons it—but never to the detriment of the tale itself.

Vertical have continued their unique and quite understated approach to the book design. The stories are bound with a stylish blend of block color and line art. The black and white stories themselves are laid out well with handy notes that help decipher the underlying cultural ambiguities—and, in one case, inaccuracies—to Tezuka's work.

To look for fault in Black Jack would be just that: looking—no, hunting—for faults, just for the sake of a balanced review. There is no critical balance to be found in Black Jack; it's simply damn good. If I were to impart a little personal ego into this review, I read volume four after having a wisdom tooth extraction—and there is nothing better to dull jaw discomfort than tales of people suffering far greater than yourself. Forget drugs, Black Jack was a great chemical substitute. Take that as my medical diagnosis. Now, go prescribe yourself a copy—or three!

REVIEW: Torchwood Season 2: Episode One: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Captain Jack returns, as the Torchwood team reunite to fight a rogue Time Agent. The mysterious Captain John Hart is determined to wreak havoc, and needs to find something hidden on Earth. But with Gwen's life in danger, and cluster bombs scattered across the city, whose side is Jack on?
I can't say I was impressed, nor can I say the premiere was better than any of last year's season.

While James Masters was fun as Captain John and hero Jack Harkness was his enjoyable self, the rest of the characters fell pretty flat. Torchwood's biggest problem is that the main cast suffers from being particularly lacking in charisma levels and terribly unbelievable for any form of serious agency. Especially Gwen, who dripped her way across the screen throughout the episode, now even more indulgent, self centered and as irritating that ever before.

Certainly the episode had a few good gags (Captain John getting randy over a poodle was a fun insert) but the story structure was an absolute mess. It started on an action packed opening that felt more like a terribly poor action packed opening pastiche, and ended on a high speed race against time that failed to convince me that the allotted events occurred in the small time frame. The team had ten minutes before destruction, and in that time they needed to assess the situation, fight over it, be held at gun point, split into two parties; one that races across town to a specific point while the other rushes through a chemistry sequence to create the plot antidote and follow the first party arriving only moments after the first. It felt like the sort of gag you'd see on Family Guy, with this antidote making insert thrust into the middle of this ten minute countdown.

This lack of time structure was particularly awkward and not only present in the final act. The main thrust of the story has Torchwood and Captain John separate out into three teams to find three objects. The outcome of these three teams is shown consecutively in dramatic sequence, yet John manages to pop up at the end of the three scenes, despite being part of team one, with no explanation how he manages such a fast dash around. Just because the drama moves from scene to scene shouldn't mean the characters should. Co-current events should be played as thus, and any ability to appear in all three scenes should rationalised to the viewer, which - as you may have guessed - wasn't in this story.

The shows inability to build coherent drama makes it far more childish than it's older brother, Doctor Who. It's not any personal dislike of the sex or naughty gags that punctuate the programme that makes it seem so babyish, it's the poor story structure and lack of credibility in the show's personality that weakens it. Gwen is a big problem, being both unlikeable and pretty unbelievable. They need to get rid of the Hub as well. It looks like a playset for god's sake, not a base for a government agency in an adult drama.

The old journalistic adage of leaving one's brain behind before engaging in Torchwood is apt. Yes, its fun, yes, it's escapism, but ultimately, it's far less than it should be, and that's the disappointment. It has the potential in terms of ideas, but fails in execution. Until they swap their main character set, I can't see the writing having that much success in creating good drama. If the main characters are unlikable, your changes of engaging the viewer are somewhat less. Bring back Captain John, keep Captain Jack, but the rest of the team, they aren't likable or credible, which when mixed with inconsistent story lines and some silly set pieces, leaves a show which is watchable, but falling far below what it could be.

REVIEW: Mad For "Mushi-Shi

[Article written for Toon Zone News 1.15.08]

It sometimes seems that Japanese animation ranges over a smaller field than you might hope. Fighting. Big breasts. Confused young protagonists. Big breasts. Naive females with big breasts. More fighting. Comical sweat drops, big breasts and some more fighting for the sake of naive women with big breasts.

So if you've had enough of the ka-hooie ka-zookas that litter manga cartoons, come take a gander at FUNimation's Mushi-Shi (or in English, Mushi-Master). I spent the first chapter waiting for the young male protagonist, the silly battles, and the overlarge body bopples to appear. By and large, they didn't, which was a refreshing surprise.

So if it's not about the usual stuff, what is it about? That, it proves, is one of the beauties of Mushi-Shi—you really don't know what you're in for. Even after it starts, the show's enigmatic tone will keep you puzzled but expectant.

Basically, Mushi-Shi is a collection of individual tales centering on the mysterious Mushi-Master, Ginko. The Mushi themselves are a fairly vague entity, but they are, at their simplest, the closest thing there is to life in its purist form: a level of existence that transcends the mortal world and lives somewhere figuratively deep beneath it. Sometimes they are visible, sometimes they are not. How they affect the inhabitants of our world differs from story to story, as they are not one simple strain of life, but a pure form of life that has many facets and faces. They are neither good nor evil, but their existence can be a curse or blessing to those they infect or co-exist with. As a result, each tale in this collection centers on a different dilemma presented by the fusion of man and Mushi, one that often requires the Mushi-Master's intervention to strike a balance between the two. The result is something like a fairy tale, though without the vile enemies or earnest heroes.

Each story has its own special charm. "The Green Seat" (the opening story on volume 1) is a simple yet beautiful tale about a grandmother and grandson. "The Pillow Pathway" is a dark fairy tale with an Aesopian tone. "Tender Horns" and "The Light of the Eyelid" both feature children afflicted by Mushi with sensory damage, but the relationships within the two tales are very different. "The Traveling Swamp," though also the most Ginko-orientated fantasy on the first disc, is about a fantastical lady trapped in the moving Mushi-Swamp.

The third volume is just as consistent as the first at fusing fairy tale, tragedy and beauty in a unique and magical way, with "Inside the Cage," a beautiful yet bizarre tale that binds man, woman, and bamboo into one close knit mystery, possibly being my favourite episode on the two discs. The stories on volume three, meanwhile, begin to unravel some of the mysteries about Ginko, with "One Eyed Fish" pretty much laying bare the foundations of his character. If in retrospect it becomes less enchanting (you'd be Mushi in the head if you can't work out where it is going within the first ten minutes), it remains a poignant drama, and its substitution of tragedy for enigma in Ginko's character is a worthwhile exchange.

The stories don't come with much exposition. I find that adds to the show's magic, but others might be frustrated. Sometimes you just can't keep up: I defy anyone to watch "The Sleeping Mountain" and guess where it is going. And sometimes the questions remain even when the story is over; not everything will be clear the first time round.

The animation is magnificent throughout, with the direction and pace retaining a maturity that is rare in commercial animation. While the art and design is beautiful, you never feel it trying to overshadow the story. Only in "The Light of the Eyelid," when the animation, though still hand-drawn, begins to resemble computer imaging, do the visuals fall out of equilibrium. The music retains a dramatic subtlety, except for the Mushi-shi theme track which, while fairly gentle, lacks the subtlety found in the rest of the show. The Western vocal tracks are also good, with Ginko's VA in particular associating believably with the Japanese character.

Mushi-Shi Volume 1 comes lavishly packaged in a delightfully designed box that can hold the entire season; included also is a postcard and a wonderful booklet that explains in depth some the background and design in the show. Further volumes contain a free postcard and inlay booklet of the same style. The packaging retains the quality of initial starter pack. The interactive DVD mechanics are simple yet effective (as I like it), with two casual interviews (one with the voice actor for Ginko and one with the director), a peek around the production offices, the chance to listen to the opening and closing theme songs without text, and the obligatory trailers. In fact, the only liability is the mandatory single trailer at the beginning of each disk—you'll find no way to circumnavigate it.

I wish I knew more about Yuki Urushibara’s original. Quite how accurate this adaptation is, I don't know. But if the manga have anything near the series' quality (and being the original medium, I'm sure they do), they'd be well worth purchasing.

If you are looking for a gentle exploration of Japanese fantasy, Mushi-Shi is for you: mature in its storytelling yet with a childlike innocence to its content. With a consistent, earthy vision, Mushi-Shi is one of the more unique and enchanting animated series I've seen come out of Japan in a long time.

REVIEW: Popping Out for "Popotan": DVD Shrugs Off Its Hentai Roots

[Article written for Toon Zone News 12.11.07]

Quests. Difficult things really; they have a start, a middle and an end. For Popotan, the story has arguably one, maybe two of these elements as three sisters partake a quest to find fulfillment—I think.

I had the fortunate luxury of going into this DVD box set utterly cold; aside from what was on the package, I had little idea what I would uncover, and certainly, Popotan uncovers quite a lot. It doesn’t seem particularly bothered as to the age of what it uncovers, providing those who are uncovered have a) breasts, and b) bottoms. If possible, both should be exposed in bathing areas and explored with as much tactile contact as possible. In fairness to the anime, there is far more to this show than the rather exploit-to-titillate visuals that parade throughout the stories. The origins of the series however offer a little less substance.

Popotan is the brainchild of Akio Wantanbe (who also worked on the more famous Kiki’s Delivery Service) and was originally produced as a hentai adventure, first for the PC then later ported to the Playstation 2. In the original game, you played Chris, a male who lives in a house with three sisters and their android maid. Naturally, being hentai the game’s focus was on the romantic relations between Chris and the girls in the game. Thankfully the anime series that followed shortly after has a little more substance to it.

Popotan: The Complete Series is the tale of three sisters called Ai, Mai, and Mii who travel in their time-jumping house with their maid, the enigmatic Mea. They all search for Popotan—or dandelions—that Ai can speak to with her mind. With the Popotan’s help, the three sisters seek Shizuku: the end and the beginning of their quest. It introducds them to many adventures, new friends, and original locations they can gratuitously disrobe in.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to the insatiable urge to pull the disk out of my DVD player after watching half of the first episode. Fortunately, it's one of the benefits of watching a DVD for the sole purpose of reviewing it that you don’t get the luxury to stop—you have to press on.

And it was a worthwhile mandate. In fact, I watched all twelve episodes in one day. Yes, get past the rather sluggish and seemingly vacuous first five minutes of episode one where young boy Daichi has an accidental yet literal run-in with Ai’s breasts; get past the rather meandering and inane plot that staggers through the opening story and forge on to episode two. There you’ll find Popotan really finding its feet. It’s actually very good; you don’t have to get titillated by the cartoon breasts to enjoy this story, though clearly the producers feel it helps.

Yes, there is a lot of nudity and suggestive postures. While there is only one scene which implies sexual activity, every angle is geared to exploit the feminine body. If that sort of stuff offends you, be warned: there is lots of it. And while I’d hope that wouldn’t stop you from experiencing Popotan, there are occasions where the nudity is pretty disquieting. I don’t know how young the youngest sister is meant to be, but her fascination with breast size and her own penchant for nudity can sometimes be a little uncomfortable to watch. But that doesn’t stop Popotan being a lovely story in itself. The key is to put aside any personal ideology when viewing the irrelevant bathtub scenes. Just as the sight of Sipowicz’ ass doesn’t stop you from enjoying an episode of NYPD Blue, the discerning, open-minded viewer should be able to get past the gratuitous nudity; look past the tasteless icing and enjoy the tasty cake.

As the episodes continue, the story layers build up without the audience even being aware of it. The issues of being a traveler and the damage one's journey's have on those friendships born from wandering become a key arc, and the beauty of having a house that time travels onwards on each jump by five years, means that characters can return at totally different points of their life. So what initially seems like a gentle mix of odd character stories later becomes the tapestry which the show uses to present the ultimate question to the sisters: what do you really want?

The beauty of the show’s characters is not in themselves. Ai is quite drippy, Mai is a whiner, and Mii is annoyingly loud, but the central protagonists' chemistry endears them to the audience, and watching these simple yet effective episodes unfold along with the rich dynamic of players becomes a joy to behold.

The animation itself has some occasion flashes of smart direction (a table tennis game between Mea and Mai is a great sequence), but overall the animation is fairly uninspiring, with character models, expressions and artistic direction drawn from anime's box of clichés. Some of the backgrounds hold some charm, but overall the animation remains pretty crass, uninspired and stiff.

Aurally, the international dub is pretty good with careful attention to synchronization and voices which are raw and honest to the original Japanese. The incidental music complements the tone of the show and the opening and closing themes are extremely catchy.

The box set itself is nicely presented, with a transparent sleeve to collect the three brightly designed volumes. The information booklet that comes with each volume is neatly presented with a little bit of character biography.

The discs' interactive menus are simple, pretty and straight forward—just as I like it. Unfortunately, bonus features are weak: we have a small art gallery on each disk and a few Geneon adverts.

Overall this is a highly recommended DVD set. The complete series is around 300 minutes in length, and the audience can enjoy getting to know a set of warm, friendly characters while anticipating a decent ending.

Through no intention of mine, Popotan has become a welcome addition to my bookshelf and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a friendly, character-driven comedy. If that isn’t your thing, and you just like cartoon breasts and provocative poses, hey, there is something for you guys too.

Whatever you think about naughty nudity, don’t let that put you off exploring a really enchanting fantasy tale. Please don’t let pride prevent you from purchasing the near perfect Popotan!

REVIEW: Mongolian Chop Suey: "Beck" on Form

[ARTICLE written for Toon Zone News: 06.08.07]

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad is an odd beast: an anime ambiguity, a musical misfit, a punk peculiarity. It does come with a free plectrum, though.

If you pick up this DVD while looking for the standard anime manga attributes—over-the-top fights; large breasts; big explosions; big, big guns—you are clearly so far from the beaten track you might as well pull out your eyes and slip in a pair of rocks in their place. If you are looking for a piece of Japanese anime that feels culturally alien to your Western environment, indulging in Eastern anthropology and archetypes, again, let me pass you them rocks.

However, if you are looking for a gently paced character drama about some Japanese kids aspiring to form a popular rock beat combo (or for a free plectrum), then eyes back in, my friend, as you've picked up the right box.

This is the first volume of the animation adaptation of Harold Sakuishi graphic adventures, first published in Monthly Shōnen Magazine. It contains five episodes of the 26-episode series, and the aforementioned free plectrum.

The story revolves around a 14-year-old Japanese lad called Yukio (Koyuki to his friends), who through a series of mishaps and good fortune, finds himself unexpectedly heading into that crazy, rebellious world of rock and roll, though not quite in the way you might expect. The first five episodes unfold at a very gentle pace. Music doesn't really become a driving force until part three, and even then the story is not hostage to its musical background. Character interaction takes center stage in these opening episodes, and to some extent that helps this story avoid some of the clichés you so often seen when rock is portrayed in television and film. Bands are as much internally political as they are musical—finding the balance of skills and egos is difficult in real life—and this is an aspect that the show seems committed to exploring.

Yes, it does have some formulaic archetypes, some of which will be familiar to anyone who has watched more than a couple of Japanese animations. Koyuki is the typical "ordinary" Japanese kid who is more reactive than proactive and trapped by the whims and behavior of the other characters. We also have the two love interests: the hot headed, exciting rock chick, and the cute childhood friend Koyuki has long crushed on. We have the rough-edged friend playing the "cool loner" character type, and the standard comic relief guy. And one can't help feeling that, as with so many Shōnen, the protagonist is a cipher onto which certain audience members are meant to project their own insecurities, all of which can then be given a positive resolution in a fantasy environment. Those viewers without such insecurities, on the other hand, might find Koyuki's cautious character irritating and the romantic interest shown by his beautiful lady friends utterly, utterly bewildering.

But I'll admit to enjoying the show's attention to musical detail. Having spent a fair amount time in music myself, I was pleased to see it take many technical elements more seriously than most Western films and television do. It gets the educational aspects right: the use of bar chords (which are visualized accurately); the blisters you get on your fingers when you are starting to learn; and the fact that moving the student to a live performance does very often increase learning potential. The scenes depicting rock gigs are also very true to form, with the atmosphere, technical elements and acoustics all spot on. On occasion it does indulge in some unrealistic conceits (Koyuki's untrained voice sounds like a trained singer in the American version, and his ability to play the guitar and sing comes a little too easy), but the balance between realism and the tricks needed to make the story more interesting are pretty well balanced. The animation and backdrops also work particularly well and, again, show a remarkable attention to detail. You can, for instance, feel the weight of the guitars the characters are holding, which is not something I've often noticed animation getting right.

Despite these strengths, FUNimation's westernized adaptation of Beck is a mixed beast, just like the cartoon canine character the band is named after, with some important aspects getting lost in translation. Some of this is discussed in the DVD's key special feature, the FUNimation director's commentary, which focuses on the fascinating difficulties the American adaptors had in finding a balance between the tale's original cultural roots and the need to place the story in a more Westernized context. They have done a very good job of this: too good of a job, in fact, as it has been too Westernized in places. The American English spoken by the native Japanese teens, for instance, actually sounds more American that that spoken by two characters who have spent a great deal of time in New York. For me, there was a slight imbalance between cultural identities which blurred some of the story elements.

The DVD comes with an adequate array of extras: the aforementioned commentary (which is an interesting listen), a music video (which did not tickle my aural taste buds) and clean versions of the opening and closing credits. Pity we have the mandatory trailer tacked on the front, making me yearn for the days of VHS once more.

Overall, this is a very well realized piece of Shōnen that uses a musical backdrop for a character drama about respect and understanding. The pace might be a little slow for some, and the FUNimation edit may seem a little crass in places, but generally this is a story that could be an enjoyable little piece of light drama.

And in case you forgot, it also comes with a free Beck plectrum. With any luck, future volumes will have the same gift, as you're almost guaranteed to have lost that little piece of plastic in between the floorboards by the next release.

REVIEW: "Sword of Storms": Heaven-Sent Hellboy

[article written for Toon Zone News - 06-11-2007]

Before we delve into our little tête à tête, dear reader, let me make one thing clear: I am a huge fan of the Big Red Devil excellence that wasn't Hellboy.

In recent years, I've been a divided boy when it comes to Hellboy. I have always been a great fan of the concept and found the comic Hellboy a wonderful slice of mythological horror fused with contemporary humor and rich comic-genre indulgences. This Hellboy was unique: visually, narratively and characteristically. But I thought the movie—despite the handiwork of creator Mignola and the film master Del Toro—both ugly and disappointing: it was a substandard conspiracy-driven mishmash of Hellboy characters, all of which had been thrust through the Hollywood blender. Despite fine work by Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and Selma Blair, it managed to focus on every attribute from the book that would have best been avoided in a movie. It not only failed as a film but failed to capture what I found so wonderful and unique in Mignola's original comic work.

In fact, it did a lot to sour me on the very concept.

So with Hellboy: Sword of Storms, we have a full-length animated feature that could go either way with this dainty reviewer. Would it bring Hellboy back to its roots, or would it continue the drudgy film? Given that it has creative elements from both visions, I could see it going either way. Fortunately, it manages to combine the best features of both.

From the film it borrows an excellent set of voice artists. Special doff of the ol' hat to Doug Jones, who does a wonderful voice for Abe Sapien, one that doesn't attempt to copy David Hyde Pierce. Mignola was also intimately involved with the production and the story, and if what he says on the DVD is true, he was given much freer reign.

So it is no surprise that the story of Sword of Storms is very much more the kind of affair you'd expect from the comic: Hellboy has to protect a Japanese sword that has been fused with two ancient Japanese spirits representing thunder and lightening, and if the tragedy of past love is allowed to play out once more and the sword is shattered, the world will be threatened by these meteorological horrors. This story is much less generic, compacted and predictable than the story in the live-action film. It also has a gentle pace (though punctuated by action and violence) and a confident flow, so that it doesn't feel like it's packing too much in. The ending isn't quite as strong as the rest of the tale, but it shouldn't leave the audience feeling unsatisfied. Occasionally, the dialog has a little too much energy to it; nothing excessive for the cartoon action genre, but a little out of place for Hellboy. This is just another minor niggle, though.

Taking Japanese folk lore as the central theme was a good move, and the film uses the imagery found in Japanese legend without causing any indignities to the culture. Japanese mythology is perfect for Hellboy: it's a little off kilter and has a waspish, fairy-tale quality to its texture that makes it a perfect foil to Hellboy's "no messing" attitude. The Japanese folklore is wonderfully well-presented throughout the film, from the delicate rendering of the Japanese scrolls to the demonic procession of a folklore professor.

Visually, the film looks quite good, with animation that is slick, consistent, and well-directed, and CG work that is rarely obvious (always nice in an age of awkward CG inserts). The design work on Hellboy himself and Abe is very good, and I was pleasantly surprised to see some spiders vividly realized during one of the film's middle sequences—spiders nearly always lose out in animation. But I can't say I'm a big fan of its look. The producers admit on one of the special features that the film was supposed to diverge from Mignola's usual dark, flat visuals, and as a result too many of the supporting cast looked trapped in the cartoon niche. Liz Sherman would fit into X-Men: Evolution, and Professor Sakai would fit into a whole host of lightweight toy tie-in action cartoons.

The DVD comes with a great commentary, with Mignola, supervising producer/director Tad Stones and director Phil Weinstein offering honest, informative insights into the film, the problems they encountered (the schedule for this film sounded incredibly harsh) and objective criticism. In a culture of backslapping commentary, this team offers up a straightforward appraisal that gives credit where it's due and criticism where it's deserved. A lovely interactive sequence called "Follow the Fox" opens up behind-the-scenes sequences, and there is a whole host of relevant documentaries focusing on the creation of Hellboy. A Q&A panel discussion of the Hellboy concept is worth a watch, if only for a fairly honest breakdown of just what sort of person Mignola himself is. Look out for some of those obligatory storyboards/script on the neatly presented DVD-ROM feature, and watch the novel little kill-count feature for Hellboy/Liz/Abe tick upward as the storyboard-to-movie comparison plays!

The DVD comes with a free comic book that is simple and fun, though maybe a little too whimsical for my tastes: There is a fine line in the concept where dark humor hits slapstick, and I couldn't help feeling the story in this comic slipped just over it. It plays more like a kid's comic than an adult one, which is a pity, but the artwork is palatable and it's an enjoyable freebie supplement.

This is a great DVD, beautifully packaged and full of features. It's wonderful to see that Hellboy can work beyond the comic. Given the involvement of so many from the original film (Perlman, Mignola, Blair and even Del Toro), I have new hope for the live-action sequel.

Here's to looking forward to more Hellboy, be it the next animated adventure, Blood and Iron, or the next feature movie, Hellboy: The Golden Army. In the meantime, this is a Hellboy film that all Hellboy fans can enjoy sinking their teeth into!

REVIEW: "Terra"ific Second Season DVD!

[Article for Toon Zone News - 29.01.07]

It’s no shock that Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans was hugely popular. True, its premiere was preceded by the usual fan freakouts, but once it aired, most of the skeptics got down off their soapboxes to watch a rather enjoyable new show. They were joined by a wealth of new fans who were enraptured by the new series’ bright colors, quick wit, and fast action.

The Warner Bros. Animation production was inspired by the long-running DC characters of the same name. The comic book version of the team has evolved over the years, but the cartoon went back to the basics. Teen Titans presented the original lineup of Robin (headstrong hero), Starfire (culture-shocked alien), Beast Boy (metamorph and comedy relief), Cyborg (hip heavy man) and Raven (goth in a cloak). Viewers were spellbound by their turbulent teen dynamics, as well as by the anime-infused visuals and oodles of comedy. It was a different and worthwhile take on the DC material.

Now we’ve been presented with Teen Titans: The Complete Second Season on DVD. No shocks here, either: it has all the episodes from that second season.

And you better get used to the lack of surprises, for there’s little here except those episodes: only a load of WHV adverts and a “Story So Far” montage of clips from previous episodes (and half of those are on the DVD itself). It even lacks chapter stops. This is not WHV's finest offering.

But it’s also no surprise that the episodes on this set are actually rather good. Season two was far stronger than season one, as it had a far tighter season arc featuring a potential sixth Titan: Terra.

It’s a serious story, full of tension, drama and creepiness. Head villain and quasi-stalker, Slade, plans to take Terra on as his new apprentice (he failed with Robin in the first season) and then turn her on the Titans—Terra's new friends. It's quite a dark story, and it’s definitely made more discomforting by the predatory strength shown by Slade himself. He has the stuff that nightmares are made of: he’s unstoppable and unrelenting. His role as a predatory adult male clearly mirrors some of the real-life male relationships kids and teens can suffer. I don’t know if it’s a comfort to those who suffer such parallels in real life to see such a controlling and powerful adult character in a teen drama, but there is something very real about Slade, and that makes the drama all the more powerful. Within that arc, "Betrayal" is a strong character episode, but "Aftershock" is the most riveting.

The stand-alone episodes are functional, though they sometimes seem to strain to find new dilemmas for the group. DC fans will note that “How Long is Forever?” has a guest appearance by Nightwing, and that the humorous “Date with Destiny” has Killer Moth and a guest appearance by Batman Beyond’s Will Friedle. And the Slade-less “Fear Itself” has some genuinely suspenseful moments.

Overall, this is a good, though spartan, DVD. Though this release is a disappointment, the season it showcases is not. Fortunately, season three's set looks like it will be a little more bonus heavy than this one. It would be a shock if it were less.