Animanga Nation

Review by: Edward Zacharias
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $29.98
Running Time: 635 minutes
Genre: Mystery
Rating: TV PG
Release Date: Available Now

Who are you, Conan?

For three complete seasons we have watched a boy who calls himself Conan Edogawa stick his nose into every crime investigation headed by the dim-witted private investigator Richard Moore and solve the crime thanks to some rather nifty gadgets and the fact that’s he’s really the genius detective Jimmy Kudo that was transformed into the pint-sized Conan by criminals using an experimental drug. While he was sly enough to solve the crimes by using other people and a bow tie that can mimic any voice, Season Four of Case Closed comes close to revealing the one truth about Jimmy/Conan to the person most close to him.

That’s right, you read that correctly. Season Four not only comes close to Conan’s secret spilling out but this is the first season where other characters come to question the fact that Conan, Richard and his daughter Rachael always seem to coincidentally become a part of a murder investigation. In other words, there’s a lot to this season than meets the eye.

There are also 26 episodes filled to the brim with inventive mysteries that put the criminals of CSI look like nitwits. In the first case of the season, a client asks Richard to locate his childhood sweetheart but the evening ends with a murder. The victim happens to be the client’s son who is a burn victim with a troubled past. It’s a complex case and returning High school detective Harley Hartwell also shows up with his father who happens to be investigating as well.

The following episodes finds Richard, Rachael and Conan solving a number of random crimes such as the time they witness a bank robbery that ends with murder and a “Rear Window” inspired episode that has a hospitalized Richard witnessing a murder outside his window and ends up being the prime suspect. The Junior Detective League is also back in action with Conan and his young friends help solve the case of a murdered homeless man as well as the kidnapping of a famous brother-sister music act. The kids even help Conan find a little girl who was kidnapped by bank robbers attempting to blackmail a man into killing one of their associate’s that was caught by the authorities after he was injured during the getaway.

Even a holiday getaway becomes an excuse to solve a murder when Rachael, her friend Serena and Conan head to the snow for a skiing trip only to find that the pair’s old elementary school teacher is being hunted by a murderer. In another trip, Richard takes the pair to see some cranes only to find that the habitat’s owner is being harassed by his two kids that he is leaving out of the will. When the man is found dead with an arrow through him the prime suspect isn’t who he seems. In another case, a horror novelist that writes Dracula-inspired novels is found dead with a stake through the heart like one of his books. Interestingly enough, in this case, Richard’s deductions are nearly accurate enough to impress even Conan. Maybe Richard isn’t a complete loss as a detective after all.

Then again, Richard’s deductions are way off when a client hires him to foil a hit the client had ordered on himself when he misinterpreted a cancer diagnosis. The assassin in question is the famous Fox who rarely fails and had performed a hit recently that resulted in the accidental death of a little girl aboard a bus. To lure the Fox out, they all head for the mountains on a hiking trip with a group of people that all seem suspicious from the very start. In another case, Richard becomes the unwitting alibi for a woman that actually likes him romantically. When the woman’s roommate ends up dead, there’s doubt that it was a suicide.

Speaking of suicide, there are cases in this season such as the case where an actress that played the Snow Priestess in a movie is found dead from an apparent suicide during a ski trip. In another case, the daughter of a master potter is found with a noose around her neck. Did she kill herself or is this murder? The best episode, however, is Episode 99 where it suddenly dawns on Rachael that Conan and Jimmy might actually be the same person. How else could she explain how a child can know so much about poisons and the law?

One of the many great things about Case Closed is how elaborate most of the murder cases are and this season is no exception despite a few obvious cases that are definitely open and shut affairs. Then again, these less intricate cases do mix things up. In the end, Season Four of Case Closed is absolute proof that mysteries this good would be a true crime to miss.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B+
Richard, Rachael and Conan see to a number of cases that include kidnappings, a dangerous assassin and presumed suicides. At one point, Rachael has her doubts of who Conan really is and – on a rare episode – is involved in a case with his mother that isn’t solved by the super sleuth.

VIDEO QUALITY: B
Once again, the episodes look good on DVD and I could only imagine what they would have looked like in the Blu-ray format.

AUDIO QUALITY: B+
The English dub voice acting is just as good as the original Japanese voices. While the opening theme song isn’t my personal favorite, the closing theme song is actually nice.

EXTRAS: C-
Trailers and cleaning opening and closing songs can be found here but the real extra – if you can call it that – is a brief character description of Harley Hartwell and a short look at two of Conan’s gadgets.

OVERALL: B+
Season Four of Case Closed brings us more complex cases that are right up Conan’s alley but this season remains to be the one that one truth doesn’t prevail for the diminutive sleuth. In fact, other characters make rather interesting observation in this one that makes the fourth season one of the more interesting. Fans of Case Closed will definitely like this one.

Review by: Brenda Gregson
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: DVD: $69.98
Running Time: 650 minutes
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now

Long live the masked Emperor!

Like many countries, Japan has a rich history of kingdoms long gone and of Empires that have passed on to the pages of history. Some stories of history even take on mythical feel as if they only existed in fantasy and make-believe. Utawarerumono: The Complete Collection is a fantasy story that has a historical feel to it and thus makes it a thoroughly epic and entertaining series.

Waking up in a home that is unfamiliar to him and staring at the face of a kindly young girl with furry ears and a long bushy tail, a young man who can’t remember who he is or what he’s doing there can see that the young girl had bandaged his wounds. The girl, name Eruruu, only tells him that she and her grandmother (who is the village’s healer) had found him wounded out in the woods. On top of that, the young man with no name is wearing a mask that seems to be stuck on his face somehow.

Given the name Hakouro, the young masked man begins his new life living among these people and staying with Eruruu, her young sister Aruruu and Grandmother who sees the goodness in the stranger. Hakouro lives among the people, aiding them in their harvesting and – when the “Goddess of the Forest” (that just so happens to be a powerful white tiger) attacks – he helps slay it. Just as Grandmother had forseen, Hakouro shows his kindness by caring for the people and even accepts young Aruruu when she reveals that she is hiding the Goddess’ baby cub. He even forgives the brash young man named Oboro who insults him when Hakouro becomes close to the young man’s ailing sister.

Yet not all is peaceful in this land since a cruel and violent government comprised of power hungry Emperors and Kings that wish to dominate the land with an iron fist. One such Emperor wishes to seize the small village and even uses a former village dweller named Nuwangi to bully the people of the village. Of course, Hakouro does stand up for them and even after a tragedy that sees the demise of Grandmother Tuskuru); it is the masked man who leads the villagers in a battle to defend themselves. And so begins Hakouro’s new position as Village Chief as he leads villagers in a revolt to overthrow the Emperor of the land.

With the Emperor gone, it is Hakouro that becomes the new Emperor of the land. As a result, winged people send an ambassador that just so happens to be a Priestess named Urutori who has come with her younger sister Camus to see what kind of ruler Hakouro is and what his plans are for the people. Hakouro is joined by the previous Emperor’s Samurai General named Benawi and his top lieutenant. He even takes into his army an escaped female prisoner who slaughtered her captors as if they were nothing.

Along the way, Hakouro learns what it’s like to be the Emperor of various territories. Luckily for him, Hakouro is loved and respected by the people even though blood continues to be shed thanks to the Emperor of another land. This Emperor Niwe leads his armies to destroy Hakouro and manages to do a lot of damage as well as slaughter close friends from the village that took Hakouro in as their own. In the battle against Niwe, Hakouro learns a little more about who he really is and what had happened to him. It is thanks to Eruruu that he looks past his questionable past and focus on the future as a ruler that means well for his people.

Of course, the land is plagued by unrest whether it is another race’s quest to free themselves from slavery to a young sovereign who befriends Hakouro and then threatens the land and the good kingdoms with giant mech-like armor units. Pulling the strings from the shadows is a winged person whose intentions become known when Hakouro finally discovers the shocking, very surprising and somewhat confusing truth about himself. What is the beast that lies dormant within him and what does it have to do with the mask he wears? All of this is answered in the final chapters and let me tell you that it will shock you in the end.

The truth is that Utawarerumono is an epic tale that feels like an Arthurian story of enormous proportions and that’s a great thing. The animation itself, though, is a bit inconsistent especially when things suddenly turns bloodier (where was the blood in the earlier episodes?) and the animation more fluid by Episode 14. Even the CGI effects feel a bit out of place at times. The light moments are actually fun, though, and while the series doesn’t give depth to the characters they are hardly forgettable.

In the end, what we have in Utawarerumono: The Complete Collection is a richly told fantasy story that has nearly everything you can ask for in an anime series of this type. While it’s far from perfect, there’s no denying how deep and fascinating this story of the rise of a noble kingdom is and how much you will enjoy watching the events unfold. Sure, we cannot pronounce the name but who cares since this story is fascinating? This series is one fantasy anime fans should not dismiss.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B+
A mysterious man wearing a mask that he can’t remove and with no memory of who he his is wakes up in a village he defends against a cruel government. Quickly rising from stranger to leader, this man named Hakouro sees the people through battles to preserve the peace of the land. In the course of his leadership, Hakouro learns a dark secret about himself that’s a tad confusing but utterly fascinating.

VIDEO QUALITY: B-
The animation isn’t bad at all, although it is slightly inconsistent with the earlier episodes. Still, the video quality is excellent and the series overall looks great on DVD.

AUDIO QUALITY: B+
There’s a solid voice acting cast here whether you like the original Japanese voices or the English dub. The Japanese voices are my preference thanks to a Hakouro that sounds more commanding. The original score if sweeping and epic and the opening song, “Muso-Ka” by Suara is awesome.

EXTRAS: D
The third and fourth disc in the set only includes trailers and the clean opening and closing songs.

OVERALL: B+
Utawarerumono is a beautifully told fantasy tale that feels as epic as any historical feature film and it definitely is one of those rare anime series that shouldn’t be ignored. Yes, the characters can seem a tad one-dimensional at times but what the series doesn’t do with characterization it does with the actual epic storytelling.

Review by: Faith McAdams
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: DVD: $39.98
Running Time: 300 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Rating: TV MA
Release Date: Available Now

Party, Party, Join us, Join us!

When it comes to animated comedies, I have a continued disagreement with my closest friends that throw around the names of shows like Family Guy, American Dad, South Park or – a true classic – The Simpsons. Yet the minute I mention Shin Chan, we’re all in agreement that it is, without a doubt, a truly unique and outright hilarious show that happily crosses the line other comedies fear to cross. Yeah, I said it once and I’ll say it again … Shin Chan makes the overly hyped Family Guy feel like a lame joke you laugh at only once.

Shin Chan, Season 2 Part 1, starts off its 13 episode collection with a nod to Star War’s original trilogy along with opening scrolling letters that let viewers know that Star Wars was met with some slight confusion in Japan so this episode – the warning goes – will seem way out there. The episode manages to cram bits and pieces of all three films with Shin as the Luke Skywalker role and his mother, Mitzi, in the Princess Leia role with a surprising twist at the end. With jokes about clones and the cantina turned into a gay bar, this episode is definitely a highlight.

Like previous episodes, each of the episodes has bite-sized stories that don’t often revolve around Shin and sometimes some of them don’t even have a point. For example, one story finds a drunken Hiro coming home to make a number of awful dishes using potato chips, soy sauce and rice pudding or the one where he saves an attractive woman from a pervert on a train. In other episodes, Shin and his school friends come to strange conclusions and thus spread false rumors about their teacher such as the time they think she’s pregnant and another where they spread the word that she has AIDS. Our favorite nerd next door even makes a return in this season’s Part 1 as he attempts to pass an entrance exam.

In another story, Shin is, once again, forced to play an embarrassing game his classmate Penny blackmails him to play. Penny is also the star of another story (one of my favorites) where she falls for Ai’s adult bodyguard (known only as Mr. K) and makes Shin deliver love notes and flowers to him. To make matters worst, Mr. K thinks the letters and flowers come from Shin instead. In another, she practices her skills for applying makeup on the boys (who then poke fun at the “Sex in the City” girls).

This season’s set also makes includes a series-within-a-series five-part look at a typical Action Bastard episode. I can definitely see why this is Shin’s favorite show seeing as it is a fun but also a funny take on old Japanese superhero shows including a hero with a cheesy alter ego, an ageless Japanese schoolgirl and zany villains that include a Hitler clone. In another episode, Shin and his mother change bodies when they collide. At last, Shin gets to see how difficult it is to be in his mother’s shoes, especially when he’s forced to breastfeed his own baby sister.

Half the fun of the series is that the jokes move from underlying sexual to blatantly sexual within seconds. Shin Chan doesn’t dance around the potty humor but rather it flat out pushes it in your face and damn if it isn’t funny as hell. Shin makes it clear that all he thinks about is boobs – especially those belonging to any hotties like his major crush – and his bulbous rear end that he proudly displays. He’s the type of kid that savors the fact that he has to go to the toilet very often. Shin is the kid a teacher has to sedate in order to keep him from being unruly and who marries his dog, Whitey, to a female pooch that wanders into his yard. In a look into his future as a High school student, we can see that he’s way too stubborn to change as well.

I have to say that broadcast version of Shin Chan over the Adult Swim lineup in the Cartoon Network channel is good but the jokes and language on these DVDs lets loose so even if you seen the episode before you’ll find some new lines. This is definitely the way to see Shin Chan and while we wish there were more extras here, the two-disc set is presented nicely enough.

Season 2 Part 1 of Shin Chan deserves a place among your collection if you’re looking for a great animated comedy series that is not afraid of going too far. With some truly witty and off-color jokes that poke fun of Japanese and American culture, Shin Chan is a laugh-out-loud funny show that raises the bar for animated comedy shows. If you haven’t tuned in to the show on cable, the series is best enjoyed on DVD so do pick this one up.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: A+
Whether it’s lampooning the original Star Wars trilogy or giving us a peek into what life would be like for Shin in High school, Season 2’s first part delivers more hysterically funny and memorable moments that are even funnier than the broadcast presentation.

VIDEO QUALITY: B-
The animation is as crude as some of the jokes but they work nicely for this series and gives it its own sense of identity.

AUDIO QUALITY: A+
The cast of Shin Chan really does a magnificent job bringing all these characters to life as well as keep the jokes rolling with perfect timing. Once again, Laura Bailey really shines and the closing theme song is the type of song that gets stuck in your head … like forever.

EXTRAS: C
There’s only one audio commentary track in this Season 2 set and you’ll find a few trailers included as well. Still, the best extras come in the form of the absolutely funny “From the Bowels of the Booth” feature with outtakes and bloopers. Karaoke fans will enjoy the closing song sing-along and karaoke version as well.

OVERALL: A+
Season 2 of Shin Chan keeps up with the momentum that began with the first season sets and that’s saying a lot right there but, for my money, Shin Chan still outshines a lot of animated comedies on network television. If it’s hysterically over-the-top lewd and witty humor you’re looking for then I know a little boy who isn’t afraid of shaking things up. Trust me, you will definitely want to pick this one up right away.

Review by: Sophie Stevens
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $59.98
Running Time: 312 minutes
Genre: Sci-fi / Action
Rating: TV MA
Release Date: Available Now

Oh brother, where art thou?

Leave it to war to tear loving young sisters away from their beloved big brothers and even more so when the young sister in question is alone in the world. However, young sisters like Sara Werec aren’t content with simply waiting for big brother Ralph to come home but rather she enrolls in a military academy to one day join her brother in the frontlines. STR.A.IN.: The Complete Series is an action sci-fi anime that might be far from perfect but it does tell an engaging yet tragic story with a lot to like.

You see, Sara adores her older brother, Ralph Werec, who has joined the military to become a pilot the sleek and sexy mech-like Strain. Of course, not just anyone can pilot a Strain (or STR.A.IN. which stands for Strategic Armored Infantry), you have to become a Reasoner, which is to say that is you wish to be a pilot you must first pair up with an artificial interface known as a Mimic. Pilots that lose their Mimics in battle can no longer pilot a Strain so you need to go to a training school to learn these things. This is exactly what Sara does in order to one day be by her brother’s side again.

Happily giving it her all in the Basion training center and enjoying the company of her close friends, Sara finds life as a cadet rather enjoyable. To top it all off, her brother is well praised in the training facility to the point that Ralph Werec has become the example all cadets must be like if they wish to become great Reasoners … especially in a time of war. You see, there’s a territorial war going down in the Clanial Region of the solar system between the Union (the friendly human side) and the Deague (the more sinister side). While the war has been waged in the frontlines of space, the Deague suddenly find it more suitable to attack cities and it does so with the training facility as a primary target.

During the attack, Sara and her friends hop into their Strains to defend the academy and its students but a lone Strain find itself destroying everything in its path including Sara’s friends. When the enemy Strain attacks Sara, she has no choice but to abandon ship and lose her Mimic. Running to kill the man responsible for killing her friends, she sees the lone pilot in the academy’s hanger taking what looks like a little girl for a chamber. To Sara’s horror, the lone pilot is none other than her own brother, Ralph! How can this be? Why has the hero of the academy become the one that is helping destroy it?

So begins Sara’s quest to find out why her brother had turned his back on the Union to fight for the enemy. She hopes aboard another training academy that just so happens to be onboard a ship that will get her closer to the frontlines. She even changes her name to Sara Cruz to train to use a Gambee, a tactical armor that isn’t as cool as a Strain but then again Sara did lose her Mimic in her confrontation with her brother. As the new girl onboard, however, Sara makes it clear that she doesn’t want anything to do with her fellow cadets. She becomes withdrawn, anti-social and thus even becomes the target of bullying from the other girls aboard the ship such as this one girl, Isabella.

She does meet one girl who doesn’t talk down to her, though, and that is Lotti Gelh from the Spatial Armor Division. Lotti makes an effort to befriend Sara mainly because she sees something Sara that reminds her a lot of herself. Sara does spend her days and nights training in hopes that she could become just as skilled as her brother. When the Deague send TUMORS (mechanized attack robots that attach themselves to hard surfaces and explodes without a moments notice), Sara shows that she’s more than capable of handling herself in an actual battle instead of a practice simulation. Even more interesting, Sara discovers a discarded doll that somehow calls to her and seems familiar in a way. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the doll she names Emily also happens to be the name of the little girl Ralph Werec took from the old Union academy.

Strangely enough, the doll acts as a Mimic that allows her to use an experimental Strain created by the two young Academy geniuses Melchi and Carmichael. She joins the Spatial Armor Division as a part of their team but still doesn’t become a team player even though her new teammates try to get close to her and even defend her. During an encounter with her brother, Lottie discovers Sara’s real name. Even though she is treated as a possible traitor, Sara’s teammates and the Academy heads consider her the only person talented enough to take down Ralph. In the end, Sara and Ralph clash in a brutal yet heartbreaking battle that’s actually quite epic.

If anything, STRAIN is filled with plenty of surprises, mainly the fact that certain characters you come to know as key players actually die. Yes, the drama is so thick you can cut it with a knife (such as the moment Sara discovers Ralph’s reasons for betraying the Union) but – thankfully – it also knows how to be fun (such as the female cadet that has a monster crush on Sara and is willing to do anything to win her over). The series also handles the action well enough, adding a healthy dose of CG to go along with the animation.

STRAIN, The Complete Series does a great job of telling a deeply moving story with a decent sci-fi action twist but it just doesn’t make quite the impact is should have made considering the solid storytelling. In fact, there are times when STRAIN feels a tad on the generic side. Looking past these things, though, you will find that this series is still good enough to offer sci-fi fans a great reason to check this one out.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: B-
Sara Werec loves her brother and wishes to be like him so she pushes herself to join the Strategic Armored Infantry unit only to find that her brother has crossed over to the side of the enemy. As she attempts to unravel the mystery behind her brother’s traitorous turn, she becomes an important member of her squad and the only one that could bring her brother down.

VIDEO QUALITY: A
All 13 episodes look sharp and crisp on DVD but I bet this one would have looked amazing on Blu-ray. The animation is solid with characters that aren’t too original but you just have to love the CG Strains and visual effects that make battles look awesome.

AUDIO QUALITY: A
The English dub has a number of talented voice actors onboard including Cherami Leigh and they do a great job that is certainly just as good as the Japanese voice talent. The original score by Ryo Sakai is excellent throughout the series and the opening and closing songs are simply just decent.

EXTRAS: C-
There’s a single audio commentary track for an episode in the first disc and the second disc contains two different art galleries (one for the ship art and the other contains character art). The rest is simply the usual extras such as textless songs and a few trailers.

OVERALL: B-
STRAIN is a deep and involving story that plays up the action nicely enough but also says a lot about war and the lives it affects on both sides of a conflict. Sure, it’s not as brilliant as other anime series much like this one but this one’s strength lies in its ability to tell really good story sci-fi fans will truly welcome.

Review by: Clive Owen
Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
MSRP: $49.98 US
Running Time: 320 minutes
Genre: Action
Rating: TV 14
Release Date: Available Now

Sailing for dangerously personal waters.

It’s not often that the people in this office enter an aggressive game of rock-paper-scissors to get a chance to review an anime series but here were are – again – and it’s all thanks to you, One Piece. Maybe it’s the fact that the season sets feature the episodes in all their beautiful uncut and unedited glory that has us so excited to review each volume. Perhaps, it’s the fact that the DVDs look pristine that has us feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Whatever the reason, One Piece, Season One: Third Voyage is mine and it’s definitely a voyage worth taking.

Then again, those One Piece fans that have been following the series from the first two sets already know that. You see, One Piece is the type of series that is not only a fun action series but it’s also completely unique with a wonderful cast of original characters and an assortment of fascinating creatures. Oh, and there are pirates that are like nothing like you might expect. Third Voyage is the third part of the first Season and it continues right where the second set left off with talented cook, Sanji, fighting to protect the ship where he learned to cook. Their opponent is not only the dastardly Don Krieg but also his top commanding officer, Ghin, who Sanji had saved once.

Luckily for Sanji, Luffy has his back and our stretchy hero decides to go up against Don Krieg who is the type of pirate that is willing to sacrifice the lives of his own men. Using a weapon that is able to shoot a lethal gas canister, Don Krieg is about to unleash this deadly attack when his own right-hand man isn’t willing to kill Sanji when the opportunity comes up in their one-on-one battle. If anything, Sanji impressively puts up a worthy battle and definitely shows Luffy that he can take a serious beating and survive. When Don Krieg does fire the gas, it is Ghin who manages to save Sanji as well as Luffy from the gas while taking the full blast himself.

Luffy definitely doesn’t pull any punches when he gets back up to fight Don Krieg and does manage to punch through the pirate’s armor. Defeated, Don Krieg’s remaining men desert him and it is Ghin that surprises them by taking a more diplomatic and friendlier position. Meanwhile, Sanji decides to be an official part of Luffy’s crew although he finds it difficult to say goodbye to the old chef that had taken him in when Sanji was an orphaned child. In one of the best scenes of Third Voyage, Sanji and his mentor try not to cry when Sanji is about to set sail with Luffy but they fail miserably. While he means to see the All Blue, Sanji does promise to come back to the cooks.

Their first order of business is to find Nami who has gone off by herself and return to her seaside village where she grew up. While she made it clear to Luffy and the others that she plans on not only collecting the bounty on a dangerous pirate but also collect a vast sum of money for reasons she never explained. For somebody wanting to collect a bounty on a pirate, Nami comes home to a pirate much like she described. Arlong and his crew of Fish Men pirates (they’re half-fish-half-men) run the town with an iron fist and Nami seems to be on friendly terms with them. Her tattoo even reflects the fact that she runs with the Fish Man pirate captain, Arlong.

While Luffy and Sanji have a way to go to reach Nami, a ship containing Usopp, two trusty men and Zolo (called Zoro here) arrive first. Unfortunately, the Fish Men who rule the village immediately jump into the water to investigate and – seeing as he’s a big coward – Usopp leaves the ship leaving Zolo tied up. In Arlong’s home base, Zolo sees Nami with them and the girl doesn’t even acknowledge the swordsman as a friend.

Meanwhile, on land, Usopp comes to the aid of a human civilian, an act the surprises a young girl that just so happens to consider herself Nami’s sister. It is through this young woman that we come to learn a lot about Nami as her tragic past is revealed later. Unfortunately for Usopp, he is captured just when Zolo escapes (thanks to Nami) and tries to make a break for it when Nami puts a stop to it. Has she really turned her back on her friends out of loyalty to Arlong. Nami’s sister doesn’t think so.

We come to see Nami as a child and meet Bellemere, the woman that cared for Nami and her “sister” when Nami was but an infant, in a flashback that gives us a better understanding of what motivates her and why she takes being Luffy’s navigator so seriously. On top of those things, we also find out that she actually enjoyed her time with Luffy and the others. It’s vexing to the others to see Nami even hanging out with the man responsible for her hometown’s misery as well as her own emotional scars.

In the end, Luffy ignores Nami’s past because he feels it’s the present that counts and he stands up for her when Nami finally gives up hope. Seeing Luffy determined to make Arlong pay, he is quickly joined by Zolo, Sanji and Usopp who begin to battle the Fish Men in their own base. Still, with Zolo still injured from his own violent confrontation with another swordsman and Fish Men who are able to take out the Royal Navy so easily, this battle isn’t going to be a walk in the park. In fact, Arlong even knows Luffy’s weakness and uses it against him during the battle. Once again, the Season One set ends in a cliffhanger and once again One Piece fans cannot wait for the next season set.

One Piece, Season One: Third Voyage is among the best episodes of the first season and damn if the 13 episodes won’t keep you very entertained. Luffy and company find themselves in some tough and personal situations that make this third part of Season One too hard to resist. If you aren’t aboard for this voyage then you are seriously missing out on one of the best action anime based on one brilliant manga series.

DVD REVIEW BREAKDOWN

MOVIE/EPISODES: A
If it wasn’t enough trouble taking down Don Krieg and his loyal crew, Luffy chases after Nami only to find his friends going up against some even more powerful enemies … the Fish Men led by a pirate named Arlong. Add the fact that Nami has a long history with Arlong and we have ourselves a very personal and dangerous battle.

VIDEO QUALITY: A+
The uncut and unedited episodes look amazing on DVD and you have to hand it to the animators who do a great job of not only recreating Eiichiro Oda’s art but also making the fight scenes really stand out.

AUDIO QUALITY: A+
It’s great when both the original Japanese voices and the English dub are handled this well. The original score makes the action scenes even more exciting and the opening and closing theme songs are Ok.

EXTRAS: C-
There’s audio commentary for only one episode on the first disc only and there are trailers included in the second disc. Aside from the textless songs, the Marathon Play feature is just about the only extras you’ll find in this 2-disc set.

OVERALL: A
Third Voyage is, by far, one of the more electrifying and action-packed chapters in the first season of One Piece. Then again, fans of One Piece already know that this series is never lacking in the action department and it definitely is one of those rare Must-Not-Miss anime series. Hop aboard because this voyage is fantastic.