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Steel Angel Kurumi - Where Angels Fear To Tread (Vol. 3)
ADV Films // Unrated // August 27, 2002
List Price: $29.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
I did a review for the first disc of Steel Angel Kurumi a while ago, but somehow I never got the second disc. This is the third disc in the series and I have missed a bit.
Steel Angel Kurumi seems to adhere to the "fanservice" area of anime. This area of anime usually has panty shots (in the second episode), the lead male accidentally doing something confused as flirtatious (happens a lot in these episodes) to a female and the female characters being in outwardly sexual costumes and having outwardly sexual feelings (every episode). If you look at the heart of Steel Angel Kurumi though, you will find something that is usually not seen in fanservice anime…a competent story with characters you can feel sympathetic toward. Watching the story in this series has made me look beyond the panty shots and outwardly sexual feelings expressed in this show and has therefore made me like this show a lot more.
Now I enter in on the third disc having not seen the second one. It seems this series has turned more serious from its more comedic early episodes. There is still comedy, but it is obvious this series has gone a more serious route. The Academy has sent out another robot, Karinka, to take out Kurumi's heart since Saki failed to do so. However Karinka also fails to do her job and actually joins the group much like Saki did.
Karinka still wants to know where Kurumi is getting her powers and Kurumi still believes it was because Nakahito kissed her. Karinka tries to duplicate this trick and this opens the door for Saki to have a more intense relationship with Kurumi. After this is when things turn a little serious. The military is still on the chase for Kurumi and we are also treated to a bit of the past with how Kurumi came to be what she is or what she will be. Things are moving very quickly, but they still have a good handle on containing something within 15 minute episodes here. I have a feeling the last disc will be frantic.
Once again I warn that this show is not for children. It is a very adult show with very adult ideas behind it.
The DVD
Video: This series was done in 1999-2000. The quality of the full-frame video shown here is exquisite. The quality of this show is OVA quality and it is hard to believe it was done on television.
Sound: Presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 and in English and Japanese language. The English track on this disc is wonderful. The surround effects are also used quite well and overall this is a great sound presentation.
Menus: Pretty much the same as the first disc with a duplication of the cover art with gears that rotate as you go through the menus.
Extras: There is a plethora of extras on this disc
Photo Shoot with English VAs: About 20 minutes long this is a photo shoot in a staged cocktail party with the English female VAs.
Manga Background: Details the background of the manga that came to be the series itself.
Interviews: Interviews with the series creative staff and the manga creators
Production Sketches: Different sketches of all of the characters.
Translator Notes: Notes for those that wish to know more about certain words in the Japanese language that are presented here. This is a lot like liner notes that most companies put into the insert.
Extended Episode Previews: Longer previews of the episodes, all in Japanese with English subtitles.
Karinka Fortune Teller(DVD-ROM): A PDF file of the Karinka Fortune Teller. Have not checked this yet.
Final Thoughts: I am still Highly Recommending Steel Angel Kurumi as a great series. I missed the second disc (shall pick it up), but this disc is as good as the first one. I have missed some story points, but it was easy to get back into this show. The extras are numerous in this release as well and it is obvious that ADV went the extra mile with this show.
I did a review for the first disc of Steel Angel Kurumi a while ago, but somehow I never got the second disc. This is the third disc in the series and I have missed a bit.
Steel Angel Kurumi seems to adhere to the "fanservice" area of anime. This area of anime usually has panty shots (in the second episode), the lead male accidentally doing something confused as flirtatious (happens a lot in these episodes) to a female and the female characters being in outwardly sexual costumes and having outwardly sexual feelings (every episode). If you look at the heart of Steel Angel Kurumi though, you will find something that is usually not seen in fanservice anime…a competent story with characters you can feel sympathetic toward. Watching the story in this series has made me look beyond the panty shots and outwardly sexual feelings expressed in this show and has therefore made me like this show a lot more.
Now I enter in on the third disc having not seen the second one. It seems this series has turned more serious from its more comedic early episodes. There is still comedy, but it is obvious this series has gone a more serious route. The Academy has sent out another robot, Karinka, to take out Kurumi's heart since Saki failed to do so. However Karinka also fails to do her job and actually joins the group much like Saki did.
Karinka still wants to know where Kurumi is getting her powers and Kurumi still believes it was because Nakahito kissed her. Karinka tries to duplicate this trick and this opens the door for Saki to have a more intense relationship with Kurumi. After this is when things turn a little serious. The military is still on the chase for Kurumi and we are also treated to a bit of the past with how Kurumi came to be what she is or what she will be. Things are moving very quickly, but they still have a good handle on containing something within 15 minute episodes here. I have a feeling the last disc will be frantic.
Once again I warn that this show is not for children. It is a very adult show with very adult ideas behind it.
The DVD
Video: This series was done in 1999-2000. The quality of the full-frame video shown here is exquisite. The quality of this show is OVA quality and it is hard to believe it was done on television.
Sound: Presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 and in English and Japanese language. The English track on this disc is wonderful. The surround effects are also used quite well and overall this is a great sound presentation.
Menus: Pretty much the same as the first disc with a duplication of the cover art with gears that rotate as you go through the menus.
Extras: There is a plethora of extras on this disc
Photo Shoot with English VAs: About 20 minutes long this is a photo shoot in a staged cocktail party with the English female VAs.
Manga Background: Details the background of the manga that came to be the series itself.
Interviews: Interviews with the series creative staff and the manga creators
Production Sketches: Different sketches of all of the characters.
Translator Notes: Notes for those that wish to know more about certain words in the Japanese language that are presented here. This is a lot like liner notes that most companies put into the insert.
Extended Episode Previews: Longer previews of the episodes, all in Japanese with English subtitles.
Karinka Fortune Teller(DVD-ROM): A PDF file of the Karinka Fortune Teller. Have not checked this yet.
Final Thoughts: I am still Highly Recommending Steel Angel Kurumi as a great series. I missed the second disc (shall pick it up), but this disc is as good as the first one. I have missed some story points, but it was easy to get back into this show. The extras are numerous in this release as well and it is obvious that ADV went the extra mile with this show.
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