Karas: The Prophecy (Vol 1).
April 25th 2008 23:09
Category: Videos
Original story by: Tatsunoko Productions.
Director: Keiichi Sato.
Screenplay by: Masaya Honda & Shin Yoshida.
Producers: Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Toshio Iizuka & Shigehiro Tanaka.
Starring: Jay Hernandez (Nue), Matthew Lillard (Eko), Piper Perabo (Yurine), Steve Staley (Otoha/Karas), David Wittenberg (Kure) & Michael McConnohie (Chief0.
Produced by: 2005 Tatsunoko Productions & Karas Committee.
Released by: Madman Entertainment.
Running Time: 80 minutes Rating: M.
Apparently according to the blurb on the back of the DVD cover this little production was to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tatsunoko Productions who were the makes of Speed Racer and Gatchaman, the last work being known here in the west as Battle of the Planets. Now I’ve never seen Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets apparently cut a lot of the action and violence which resulted in a more sanitised and sickly product according to some, I do recall that I swiftly got over my BOTP phase and moved onto other and better things. Admittedly when I read this blurb on the cover I had to confess there was a sudden feeling of foreboding and gloom as I slid the black DVD into the machine. There was the horrible sense of dread that this might contain…dare I mention it…the pyramid of power or whatever G-Force used to periodically do at the end of each episode was called. Fortunately I was delightfully disappointed that such was not the case. Karas: The Prophecy is a slick, thoughtful and action packed story with not a sonic boomerang or pyramid in sight.
Events open with a combat between what appears to be two jet fighters high in the skies over Shinjuku, a major district of Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Though as the action progresses it is not actually two jet fighters but actually two armoured figures whose combat involves not only the exchange of projectile fire but morphing between various forms as well as a variety of weapons. The duel seems to be between two similar figures, and later as the tale is unravelled further we do find out that there is a distinct similarity between both combatants. Eventually one of the combatants is vanquished and the vanquisher, Eko, proclaims to his gathered minions that now is the time for the fulfilment of his grand dream to commence.
So what exactly is going on here? Well it seems that the back-story behind Karas is that existing alongside the mundane world of mortals is that of the various supernatural entities that have populated stories and mythology of various cultures since time immemorial. This is nothing new, after all the ancient Celts long held the belief that existing side by side with their world was the Otherworld, the home of the Sidhe, the Fomorii and other similar entities and beings, the Native Americans and Australian aborigines also shared similar concepts in their unique worldview. What makes Karas unique is that even though these two worlds exist side by side their seems to be a sort of détente between the two and whenever something from the other side creeps into the mortal world and starts to cause trouble that is when Karas becomes involved.
The Yurine, are the guiding force behind the Karas, they direct this almost indestructible warrior to confront the dangers and menaces that escape from the otherworld into the mundane. Looking like elfin maids with doc martin boots, goggles and a sort of grunge chic outfit the Yurine can sense where or when something supernatural is making a move or engaged in something. They also give the Karas form, according to Eko who was once a Karas himself and now seeks to achieve dominance in both worlds. He has gathered to himself a host of minions known as the Mikura, demons that have become mechanized and feast upon the blood of humans whenever necessary. They are able to assume the guise of mortals as easy as a man can put on a pair of shoes or a woman a summer dress; they also have a host of other abilities unique to their own particular identity. For example there is one amongst the Mikura who has a spider like guise and it’s as a result able to weave webs and entangle her victims.
Naturally Eko and his Mikura buddies think that all is going to plan after Eko managed to waste the Karas, remember me telling you about the opening scenes? With the guardian who maintains the balance and order between the two worlds effectively dead and buried it seems that nothing is going to stand in the way of their plans, such is so often not the case however. It seems that the Yurine has managed to find a suitable replacement and a new Karas has emerged to challenge the ambitions of both Eko and his Mikura minions. Naturally though a new Karas isn’t the only complication to occur in Eko’s ambitions it seems a former member of the Mikura has returned to town and is looking to take out as many of his former allies as he can.
Precisely what Nue’s motivation is isn’t revealed, he just seems to have a grudge against the Mikura and their boss what he doesn’t realise is that he hasn’t the clout to pull it off. Certainly he’s capable of dealing with a single Mikura, providing he doesn’t sustain any serious injuries to himself. So as Nue wanders his way around Shinjuku and the Karas engages in his duties both in the mundane world and the otherworld it seems that these are proving to be some consternation to Eko. And if that wasn’t enough it seems that there is another Yurine with her own Karas in tow watching events unfold in Shinjuku and another mysterious entity that is connected to the civil authorities who have their own agenda. In the end their seems to be a great deal of intrigue and plotting going on, but with no clear idea of how many agendas are in play and who is allied to who. It also seems that the Yurine never interfere in affairs occurring in the territory of another Yurine regardless, at least this is the idea the second Yurine conveys to her Karas as they watch the unfolding battle between Shinjuku’s Karas and the Mikura. Potentially confusing but then again this movie is but the first in what seems to be a two part story.
The animation in this feature is just superb, especially when it comes to the combat scenes between the Karas and his Mikura opponents or even between Nue and his former Mikura comrades, all of whom refer to him as a traitor and can’t understand his sticking to a human form. Even though he can’t cause as much damage or carnage in this form he isn’t completely powerless, it seems he is still able to effect the flow of time and either stop things or slow things down (or looking at another way speed up so that the surrounding movement is snail like). In fact the combat often seems very similar to the moves that were seen in the Matrix, in particular in the closing minutes of that seminal film.
If this is the kind of stuff that Tatsunoko Productions are churning out nowadays then more power to them, forget Speed Racer and Gatchaman; forget sonic boomerangs and pyramids of power and instead embrace the dark and somewhat surreal otherworldly action drama that is…Karas: The Prophecy.
Director: Keiichi Sato.
Screenplay by: Masaya Honda & Shin Yoshida.
Producers: Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Toshio Iizuka & Shigehiro Tanaka.
Starring: Jay Hernandez (Nue), Matthew Lillard (Eko), Piper Perabo (Yurine), Steve Staley (Otoha/Karas), David Wittenberg (Kure) & Michael McConnohie (Chief0.
Produced by: 2005 Tatsunoko Productions & Karas Committee.
Released by: Madman Entertainment.
Running Time: 80 minutes Rating: M.
Apparently according to the blurb on the back of the DVD cover this little production was to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tatsunoko Productions who were the makes of Speed Racer and Gatchaman, the last work being known here in the west as Battle of the Planets. Now I’ve never seen Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets apparently cut a lot of the action and violence which resulted in a more sanitised and sickly product according to some, I do recall that I swiftly got over my BOTP phase and moved onto other and better things. Admittedly when I read this blurb on the cover I had to confess there was a sudden feeling of foreboding and gloom as I slid the black DVD into the machine. There was the horrible sense of dread that this might contain…dare I mention it…the pyramid of power or whatever G-Force used to periodically do at the end of each episode was called. Fortunately I was delightfully disappointed that such was not the case. Karas: The Prophecy is a slick, thoughtful and action packed story with not a sonic boomerang or pyramid in sight.
The Yurine, are the guiding force behind the Karas, they direct this almost indestructible warrior to confront the dangers and menaces that escape from the otherworld into the mundane. Looking like elfin maids with doc martin boots, goggles and a sort of grunge chic outfit the Yurine can sense where or when something supernatural is making a move or engaged in something. They also give the Karas form, according to Eko who was once a Karas himself and now seeks to achieve dominance in both worlds. He has gathered to himself a host of minions known as the Mikura, demons that have become mechanized and feast upon the blood of humans whenever necessary. They are able to assume the guise of mortals as easy as a man can put on a pair of shoes or a woman a summer dress; they also have a host of other abilities unique to their own particular identity. For example there is one amongst the Mikura who has a spider like guise and it’s as a result able to weave webs and entangle her victims.
Naturally Eko and his Mikura buddies think that all is going to plan after Eko managed to waste the Karas, remember me telling you about the opening scenes? With the guardian who maintains the balance and order between the two worlds effectively dead and buried it seems that nothing is going to stand in the way of their plans, such is so often not the case however. It seems that the Yurine has managed to find a suitable replacement and a new Karas has emerged to challenge the ambitions of both Eko and his Mikura minions. Naturally though a new Karas isn’t the only complication to occur in Eko’s ambitions it seems a former member of the Mikura has returned to town and is looking to take out as many of his former allies as he can.
Precisely what Nue’s motivation is isn’t revealed, he just seems to have a grudge against the Mikura and their boss what he doesn’t realise is that he hasn’t the clout to pull it off. Certainly he’s capable of dealing with a single Mikura, providing he doesn’t sustain any serious injuries to himself. So as Nue wanders his way around Shinjuku and the Karas engages in his duties both in the mundane world and the otherworld it seems that these are proving to be some consternation to Eko. And if that wasn’t enough it seems that there is another Yurine with her own Karas in tow watching events unfold in Shinjuku and another mysterious entity that is connected to the civil authorities who have their own agenda. In the end their seems to be a great deal of intrigue and plotting going on, but with no clear idea of how many agendas are in play and who is allied to who. It also seems that the Yurine never interfere in affairs occurring in the territory of another Yurine regardless, at least this is the idea the second Yurine conveys to her Karas as they watch the unfolding battle between Shinjuku’s Karas and the Mikura. Potentially confusing but then again this movie is but the first in what seems to be a two part story.
The animation in this feature is just superb, especially when it comes to the combat scenes between the Karas and his Mikura opponents or even between Nue and his former Mikura comrades, all of whom refer to him as a traitor and can’t understand his sticking to a human form. Even though he can’t cause as much damage or carnage in this form he isn’t completely powerless, it seems he is still able to effect the flow of time and either stop things or slow things down (or looking at another way speed up so that the surrounding movement is snail like). In fact the combat often seems very similar to the moves that were seen in the Matrix, in particular in the closing minutes of that seminal film.
If this is the kind of stuff that Tatsunoko Productions are churning out nowadays then more power to them, forget Speed Racer and Gatchaman; forget sonic boomerangs and pyramids of power and instead embrace the dark and somewhat surreal otherworldly action drama that is…Karas: The Prophecy.
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