SOUL EATER (DVD COLLECTION 4)
May 15th 2011 23:40
Based on the original Soul Eater manga by Atsushi Okubo
Director: Takuya Igarashi
Producers: Aya Yoshin (TV Tokyo), Taihei Yamanishi & Yoshihiro Oyabu
Starring: Laura Bailey (Maka Albarn), Micah Solusod (Soul), John Swasey (Lord Death), Vic Mignonga (Spirit), Todd Haberkorn (Death the Kid), Brittney Karbowski (Black Star), Monica Rial (Tsubaki), Cherami Leigh (Patricia Thompson), Jamie Marchi (Elizabeth Thompson), Leah Clark (Blair), Chuck Huber (Professor Franken Stein), Troy Baker (Excalibur), Kent Williams (Sid Barett), Majekan Bullard (Angela), Robert McCollum (Mifune), Brian Mathis (Pharaoh), Luci Christian (Medusa), Maxey Whitehead (Crona), Sonny Strait (Ragnarok), Barry Yandell (Little Demon), Kate Oxley (Eruka), Jason Douglas (Joe Buttataki), Josh Grelle (Ox Ford), Brina Palencia (Yumi Asuza), Eric Vale (Justin Law), J Michael Tatum (Giriko), Stephanie Young (Arachne), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Marie Mjolnir), Chris Patton (Asura) & Mark Stoddard (Mosquito)
English language version by: FUNimation Productions Ltd
Released by: Madman Entertainment
Running Time: 300 minutes Rating: M
The close of the Soul Eater anime saga, which is kind of strange as the actual Soul Eater anime is still very much an ongoing thing. Apparently though the two diverged early on in the piece which is why the anime is on some fifty odd episodes long and the manga is well past that stage – I think it’s getting up to around eighty chapters or more at the present point in time. Two of the groups involved in this particular show are also involved with Bleach (TV Tokyo & dentsu) and BONES is also heavily involved with Fullmetal Alchemist as well as Darker Than Black and the RahXephon manga series, so this is an anime that’s been produced by some big names in the field and who have a proven track record in bringing out entertaining shows. But as they say all good things must come to an end and so it is with Soul Eater.
It’s interesting how in series that is based on a shonen manga the key protagonist in the whole thing is a girl, a subversion of the genre perhaps? Regardless of the intentions Maka Albarn is an interesting character who apart from being a serious kick ass weapon meister at the Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) is someone with considerable depth to her. Having a well fleshed out protagonist is always a plus whether it be in manga, anime or any other such work, and Maka is very much a well thought out character that is more than capable of driving the story along with little or no effort. In this collection, the conclusion to the series we get to see just how deep her character is and the strength of her capabilities in dealing with the issues that confront her.
But it isn’t just Maka that the show is about there are her friends and fellow meisters that are also significant players within the closing chapters. The story has been leading up to a confrontation between the forces of the DWMA, Arachnophobia, the kyshin Asura and the wild card Medusa and her minions. It’s a literal trial of fire for the various members of the DWMA and possibly one that many of them might not survive, the sun may rise but they might be shuffling off from this mortal coil. And if an impending confrontation of massive proportions wasn’t enough there is a sense of betrayal and distrust growing amongst Maka and her friends, they’re beginning to wonder whether or not they can trust Lord Death and the academy teachers…
At some stage in life we are all faced with a particular turning point where we are given certain choices and the choice we make can have a severe impact on the way we progress further. In these final episodes of Soul Eater the impact of these decisions will have not only a drastic impact on the characters involved but on the very world itself, if characters choose poorly then the whole thing could end up going to hell in a handcart with an annoyingly squeaky wheel…probably the left rear one… But the problem is just what choice should the characters make? For Maka and Death the Kid the choice isn’t so obvious, they feel that there is something not quite right with things but know that they don’t have the full picture so they realise that any decision they might make is fraught with the peril of being misinformed. Black Star isn’t so encumbered, his own choices are very much clear cut and involve whether he can surpass his abilities or be consumed by them like his father…
And then there is the Demon Swordsman, Crona and the demon sword Ragnarok…the former is seeking atonement for the deeds that he has undertaken as the unwitting lackey of his mother Medusa. He seeks redemption as well as to regain the trust of two people he has come to regard with some degree of respect; Marie Mjolnir and Professor Franken Stein. For him the journey will be fraught not only with peril, danger but nagging issues of self esteem and confidence; deep inside he wonders whether he has what it takes to defeat his mother and force her from the body of the innocent young girl she has possessed. And he knows that his partner in this effort Marie has every reason to distrust him, so of them all his journey is potentially the darkest of them all, for he must not only confront evil in the guise of his mother but also the fears within, a journey that can lead to the depths of despair and defeat as it can to victory…
As I said earlier on in the piece this series has been a real surprise, and frankly I’m glad of that. It’s a finely crafted piece of anime which is well worth tracking down and getting your hands on as I have. Or you could stream it on the internet, the disadvantage to that option is you don’t get the various little extras such as actors commentary or other features that you find on the DVDs. Regardless of which option you take though I highly recommend Soul Eater if you’re looking for some touching, rather offbeat action anime then this is definitely the show for you…
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