Lady Stray Anime Reviews

[Lady Stray]

Cowboy Bebop

Alternate Title: カウボーイビバップ
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction
Creator: Hajime Yatate
Director: Shinichiro Watanabe
Produced: Bandai Visual, Bandai Entertainment, Sunrise, Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd
Distributor: Bandai
Release Dates: Japan: 04/1998 to 06/1998 (first run, 12 eps) & 10/1998 to 04/1999 (second run, full 26 eps), US: 09/2001 to 02/2002
Related Anime: Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Language: Japanese w/English subtitles, English
MPAA Rating: Not rated
Age Rating: +13
Advisory: Contains adult situations, drugs, and violence.
Running time: 25 minutes
Number of episodes: 26
Status: Available

Set in the year 2071, humanity has taken to migrating out into space to colonize new planets and leaving the ravaged Earth far behind. Space is the new frontier and much like the wild west of the Americas, it can be a hazardous place to be for the unwary traveler. So in come Cowboys brave enough to ride the stars and round up the universe’s nastiest outlaws. For the right price that is.

Jet Black (ex-cop) and Spike Spiegel (ex-mob enforcer) are two such bounty hunters. Piloting their ship the Bebop between worlds, they try and most often fail miserably to catch wanted criminals. Before long the crew expands to include Ein (“data-dog” of mysterious origins), Faye Valentine (femme fatale that has a gambling problem) and finally Ed (quirky 13-year-old girl who seems knows everything about computers and technology). Put this motley crew together on one ship and it’s a recipe for the unpredictable.

Cowboy Bebop is a series where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It flows along chronologically, with a handful of story episodes which move the plot along, but there really isn’t a grand storyline at work here. Nearly every session (as the episodes are called) is self-contained. The series does cover every part of ground as far as genre is concerned. Action, science fiction, drama, and even comedy can be found here, thanks in part to the varied cast of characters. There is a bit of theme running under it all, though. Each character has a story they bring with them that the others don’t know. Along with the bounties and occasional adventure (or misadventure), this is a show with characters trying to come to terms with their pasts.

The animation is very eye-catching. There is an amazing amount of detail that makes it very realistic, from the crushed soda cans in a dirty alleyway to the scuff marks on the spaceships. Nothing seems too wild, flashy or out of place in a universe that’s trying to pull itself together while things are still out of control.

I have not viewed Cowboy Bebop in its original Japanese dialog. But the English dubbing is above average, the voice actors fitting well into their roles and consistent with the character they portrayed. The music soundtrack is downright fantastic. Composed by Macross Plus musical mastermind Yoko Kanno, the soundtrack is a healthy mix of jazz and ska, with occasional other styles thrown in. It’s pure pleasure to listen to.

In conclusion, I personally enjoyed the Cowboy Bebop series in general. In fact, my only real complaint about the show is that there are too few story episodes in it. Great action and comedy, interesting and stylish characters, awesome music, and quality animation make for a fun and watchable series. It’s made my list of must see animes, and I highly recommend it.

Stray's overall rating of Cowboy Bebop: 8.5/10  

[Lady Stray]

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Alternate Title: Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door, カウボーイビバップ天国の扉
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction
Creator: Hajime Yatate
Director: Hiroyuki Okiura, Shinichiro Watanabe, Tensai Okamura
Produced: Bandai Visual, Sunrise, BONES, Sony Pictures
Distributor: Sony Pictures (Japan), Sony Picture Studios, Columbia TriStar
Release Dates: Japan: 09/01/01 / US: 08/11/02, 08/30/02, 04/04/03, 09/03/05
Related Anime: Cowboy Bebop (series)
Language: Japanese w/English subtitles, English
MPAA Rating: R
Age Rating: Mature
Advisory: Contains adult situations and violence.
Running time: 120 minutes
Status: Available


As the Cowboy Bebop crew travels the stars, they learn of the largest bounty yet, a huge 300 million oolongs. Apparently, someone is wielding a hugely powerful chemical weapon, and of course the authorities are at a loss to stop it. The war to take down the most dangerous criminal yet forces the crew to face a true madman, with bare hope to succeed.

“Cowboy Bebop: The Movie” marks the return of the adventure of the title-giving space ship and its bounty hunting crew. Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, the movie does its best to adapt the series to the big screen. “Cowboy” does share the series’ dark mood and it’s cynical, flippant attitude. It also boasts the same slick and stylish animation, having remarkable detail and atmosphere-an impressive sight on the small or big screen. The problem is the story, which is not nearly as compelling as the TV series. While there are some nicely intense moments and gruesome plot twists, in its overall thrust it’s a fairly conventional tale that might have been better served as the basis for a live-action blockbuster.

I have not viewed the film in its original Japanese language, but as I thought with the series’, the English dialog and dubbing are both handle very well.

In conclusion, fans of the program should be satisfied with its coolness quotient. Newcomers would do better getting warmed up with the TV episodes first. "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" isn’t bad, but it could have and should have been great.

Stray’s overall rating for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie: 7.5/10  

[Lady Stray]

Howl’s Moving Castle

Original Title: ハウルの動く城
Alternate Title: Hauru no Ugoku Shiro
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Comedy, Drama
Creator: Diana Wynne Jones
Director: Hayao Miyazaki and Pete Docter
Produced: Studio Ghibli and Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Titles: Malin Post
Distributor: Toho Company and Buena Vista International
Release Dates: Japan November 2004 / US June 2005
Language: Japanese (English, French, and Chinese subtitles), English, French, Chinese
MPAA Rating: PG
Age Rating: 10+
Advisory: Contains images that might be frightening to small children and brief mild language.
Running Time: 119 minutes
Status: Available




Based on the popular children’s novel by Diane Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle is the latest anime feature from master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. It’s the story of a young, unconfident hat-maker named Sophie, whose quiet life is suddenly interrupted after she has a chance meeting with the handsome, notoriously mysterious wizard Howl. Jealous that she has caught the eye of the dashing master magician, the wicked Witch of the Waste curses Sophie, transforming her into an old crone. Not knowing what to do or whom to turn, Sophie leaves the city to seek help for her condition in wastelands, a place that’s rumored to be the home of witches and wizards. In a twist of fate, she stubbles upon Howl and his moving castle. Howl's moving castle is a bucket of bolts on the exterior and supernatural chaos within. There, Sophie meets Calcifer, the feisty fire demon that powers and operates the castle, his fate mysteriously intertwined with Howl's. She also befriends Howl's young apprentice Markl and decides to serve as the wizard's cleaning lady. Complications further arise when Howl, who is anti-war, is caught between two warring fractions that desire to use wizards to destroy the other side. Attempting to unravel the mysteries that surround Howl and to break her curse, it soon becomes clear to Sophie that she’s not the only one in need of rescue from curses and other plots.

The animation is breathtaking. The film is beautiful to look at, with stunningly rendered landscapes and fanciful creations. The art direction and visualization of a sci-fi fantasy Victorian world on the brink of war is on a par with some of the finest live action productions. At times it’s so visually dazzling that the imagery borders on overwhelming, but never crosses the line.

The voice acting in the English dubbed version is excellent. Christian Bale is solid as the conflicted Howl. Billy Crystal brings comedy to the hot-tempered Calcifer that was not intended in the Japanese version. Edgy humor turns slapstick in Crystal's hands -- not in keeping with the dark tones of this imaginary work, but still highly enjoyable in my opinion. Emily Mortimer voices young Sophie with a combination shy uncertainty and regal determination; Jean Simmons gives old Sophie a lovable layering of tolerance and self-confidence. Lauren Bacall is delightfully wicked as she uses her Fancy Feasts voice for the Witch of the Waste. Blythe Danner is both serene and devious as Madam Suliman.

The Japanese voice acting is okay. At least there was no grating little-girl voices, one reason I usually dislike watching any anime with the Japanese dialogue. Miyazaki casting Chieko Baisho as Sophie and Takuya Kimura as Howl, both well known live action actors, wasn’t a bad choice. Both did their roles admirably well.

In conclusion, this is a wonderfully engaging movie. It a fairy tale that has gorgeous imagery, a cast of endearingly animated characters, and such worthwhile themes as the dangers of war, spirit in the face of adversity, contrasting wisdom and perspective with age, the timeless powers of love and the responsibility that comes with having a human heart (and soul).

Stray’s overall rating for Howl’s Moving Castle: 10/10  

[Lady Stray]

Haibane-Renmei

Original Title: Charcoal Feather Federation
Alternative Title: Ailes Grises, 灰羽連盟
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Psychological
Creator: Yoshitoshi Abe
Director: Hiroshi Negishi & Tomokazu Tokoro
Produced: Geneon Entertainment (USA) Inc., Radix, PIONEER LDC,
Release Date: Japan: 2002 / US: 2003, 2004
Language: Janpanese w/English subtitles, English
MPAA Rating: Not rated
Age Rating: +13
Advisory: Contains images that may not be suitable for younger viewers.
Running Time: 325 minutes
Episodes: 13
Status: Available on DVD.


Haibane-Renmei was created out of an amateur comic (or doujinshi) released independently by Serial Experiments Lain creator Yoshitoshi Abe (popularly known as just ABe). It is the tale of the haibane, people born into the walled city of Glie from cocoons inside of an old abandoned dormitory called the Old Home. The haibane, who grow wings soon after emerging and are given halos to designate their status, remember nothing of any former lives they may have had save a dream they had while in the cocoon, which they receive their names from. These angel-like beings live alongside humans within this walled area, and neither is allowed to go near or even beyond these walls. The only beings that are allowed to come and go freely are the Togo (a group of priest-like outsiders who trade goods with the people of Glie and act as guardians, intermediaries, judicators, and council for the haibane). The story primarily focuses on a newly hatched haibane named Rakka as she seeks answers to whom and what she is and the mysteries that surround every inhabitant of Glie.

Some things are never fully explained in this series—to the actual benefit of the story, I think. There are some holes or explanations left vague in what I would call the “appropriate” places and this gives the story more of a sense of magic, mystery, and wonder. It deals with a lot of emotional issues, and has themes such as birth, identity, acceptance, redemption, forgiveness, death and closure. All the reasons why I love or enjoy the works of such talents as Hayao Miyazaki, Leiji Matsumoto and Satoshi Kon is all here.

The animation is very high quality for an anime TV series. It has an ethereal and dream-like feel to it, with excellent backgrounds and character designs. With the use of soft, cool colors and subtle effects, I very much found it like watching an oil painting coming to life.

I have not viewed it in the original Japanese soundtrack, but the English dub was good and worked well with the visuals.

In conclusion, this is a series that made me wonder about a lot of things, essentially supporting the questioning of things held dear and societal mores. I very much enjoyed its unique storyline and characters. It’s full of religious overtones, but it never got too preachy for me, though I’m still trying to digest a lot of what took place. But the fact is that Haibane-Renmei will not be enjoyed this much by everyone. Its uniqueness will count against it if you are looking for an exciting show, because while this it’s immersive and beautiful watch, some would consider it too slow, hard to understand, or totally depressing. This is not a show suitable for all ages because what appears to be a light story really has dark and intense undercurrents to it. And those who are the sensitive type (like *sniffle* me) make sure you have a box of tissues handy. You’ll definitely need them.

Stray’s overall rating for Haibane-Renmei: 8.5/10  

[Lady Stray]

Slayers: The Motion Picture


Original Title: スレイヤーズ
Alternate Title: Slayers Perfect
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Shounen
Creator: Hajime Kanzaka
Director: Hiroshi Watanabe and Kazuo Yamazaki
Produced: Kodansha in association with Bandai Visual and Manga Entertainment
Titles: Maki Productions
Distributor: ADV Films
Release Dates: Japan 1995 / US original 2000, Essential Anime Collection 2004, Slayers Box Set 2005
Related Anime: Slayers Next (TV series 1996), Slayers Try (TV series 1997), Slayers Return (movie sequel 1996), Slayers Special (movie sequel 1996), Slayer’s Great (movie sequel 1997), Slayers Excellent (OAV prequel 199 cool , Slayers Gorgeous (movie sequel 199 cool , Slayers Premium (movie sequel 2001)
Language: Japanese (with English and Spanish subtitles), English
MPAA Rating: No Rating
Age Rating: 13+
Advisory: Some images not suitable for young children. Contains mild violence and language.
Running time: 75 Minutes
Status: Titles still available.

Slayers: The Motion Picture is a prequel film to the popular Japanese anime series The Slayers. For those who aren’t familiar with this series, it’s a prime example of a sword and sorcery tale that’s fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It centers around the adventures of Lina Inverse, a sorceress with enormous magic power and an even more massive insecurity complex about her small “stature”.

In this movie, Lina is teamed up with fellow sorceress Nahga Whitesnake, who thinks she’s Lina’s arch rival though she’s actually just a major annoyance. After the two dispose of a group of troublesome bandits, they come into possession of a pair of tickets to a hotspring resort on the Island of Mipross. When they arrive, they soon realize that this resort is just a bad tourist trap ran by a bunch of demons. Lina is plagued by strange dreams, and starts receiving visitations from a grizzled, old sage that begs her to help free the island of its demonic oppressors. The two sorceresses finally end up helping, doing battle with every nasty creature on Mipross and even going back in time to thwart the initial demon attack on the island.

This is a wonderfully animated film. The backgrounds are lush and colorful, the characters clean and detailed, and the action scenes are smooth and fast. So the overall look of the film is very pleasing to the eye.

The music is very good, the highlight being that the ending theme "Midnight Blue" is preformed by the very talented Megumi Hayashibara, who also does the voice for Lina in the Japanese soundtrack of the movie.

The English voice acting is pretty good. Cynthia Martinez and Kelly Manison both perform exceptionally as Lina and Nahga. I think Ms. Martinez was a worthy replacement for voice actress Lisa Ortiz, who preformed the role of Lina in the TV series dubs. And I still cringe every time I hear Nahga’s screeching laugh, but I congratulate Ms. Manison for doing it so well.

The Japanese voice acting was okay. Those of you who know me, know I dislike Japanese voice actresses. But I didn’t mind Megumi Hayashibara’s lively voice skills as Lina. She’s one of the few I actually like. I didn’t care for Maria Kawamura as Nahga at all, but I’ll grudgingly admit her artificial laugh is in keeping with Nahga’s personality.

In conclusion, if you like the series, you’ll like the movie, and vice versa. If you don’t like comedy or fantasy, the movie is not for you. If you do like fantasy, and are old enough to appreciate the comedy of the film, you will likely enjoy it. There are some moments of complete silliness, but that does not ruin the movie. Being a long time fan of The Slayers, this is the film I always recommend as a starting point for those who have not yet gotten into the series.


Stray’s overall rating: 9.5/10  

[Lady Stray]

Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind

Original Title: Kaze no Tani no Naushika
Alternative Title: Warriors of the Wind, 風の谷のナウシカ
Genre: Sci-fi, Drama, Adventure, Fantasy
Creator: Hayao Miyazaki.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Produced: Studio Ghibli, Buena Vista Home Entertainment/Disney
Release Date: 1984 (Japan), 1985/2004/2005 (USA)
Language: Japanese w/English subtitles, English
MPAA Rating: Not rated.
Age Rating: PG
Advisory: Contains images that may be disturbing for younger viewers.
Running Time: 116 mins.
Status: Available on DVD.

Based on the complex ecological manga series that gained Hayao Miyazaki widespread attention in Japan back in the early 80s, Nausicaä is the story of a young princess that is fighting desperately to save her home and all of its inhabitance. Years following a global war, toxins have poisoned the air and the forests leaving behind only a handful of inhabitable places on Earth. Abnormally large insects reside in the forests where they protect what remains of their habitat from the human race. Nausicaä and her people live in a secluded settlement called The Valley of the Wind. They have learned to peacefully coexist with their insect neighbors that dwell in the nearby Sea of Decay, even the most terrifying of all creatures, the huge tank-like ohmu. When the people of the Valley are violently coerced by the warlike Tolmekia and their queen, Kushana, into joining a multinational campaign to exterminate the insects and gain control over more land, they turn to Nausicaä, to save them, and later, to redeem the whole human race. Along with her mentor, Lord Yupa, the princess sets out on the journey to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict and make humankind see that further destruction the environment will only bring the end of all life on the planet.

Even though it was made in the mid ‘80s, the animation is quite stunning. It isn't as dazzling as some of Studio Ghibli's other visual accomplishments, but it is highly detailed and unusually cinematic for animation that was released when it was. The characters are detailed and unique, already showing the wonderful expressions and reactions that would later characterize the studio's work. The backdrops are awesome as well, creating a world that's easy to get lost in.

The Japanese soundtrack is okay. I didn’t particularly like Sumi Shimamoto as Nausicaä. But I enjoyed Goro Naya as Lord Yupa and Yoshiko Sakakibara as Kushana.

The English soundtrack is outstanding. An all-star cast: Alison Lohman as Nausicaä, Patrick Stewart as Lord Yupa, Uma Thurman as Kushana, Shia LeBeouf as Asbel, Chis Sharadon as Kurotowa, Edward James Olmos as Mito and Mark Hamill as Mayor of Pejite. Each brought strong vocal performances that made the characters come alive.

In conclusion, the message of conserving and protecting our environment this film expresses is very current, relevant, and even if some might find a bit clichéd, a worthy theme. The action sequences are as entertaining as any in a live action film and personal scenes are also very moving. Some of the visuals might be a little frightening for young viewers, but I think it’s suitable for most ages. If you’re a Miyazki fan like I am, or just enjoy sci-fi and action adventure, you should love this film and want to add it to your collection.

Stray’s overall rating for Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind: 9.5/10