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Jing King of the Bandits:Complete Collection
Jing: King of Bandits is a highly stylized and intriguing show animated by Studio Deen and directed by Hiroshi Watanabe. If you're a knowledgeable Otaku then you should know that means the show comes from a fine lineage of anime crafters. Studio Deen was responsible for other series like You're Under Arrest, Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok, and Samurai Deeper Kyo. Watanabe was no newcomer when he took on Jing and had prior work on the original Orphen series, Slayers: The Motion Picture, and 1986's Guyver: Out of Control. That may not be the finest pedigree when it comes to anime, but Jing undoubtedly has it where it counts.
Fantasy anime seem to be a dime a dozen, and while many of them are strikingly similar, Jing: King of Bandits tries to take a different spin on a magical world. For starters, the characters themselves are very outlandish, and even though some of them follow anime clichés, they are pretty unique. The show has a marvelous sense of humor with a carefree atmosphere and an appropriate amount of drama. That's something that is usually missing from this type of show, since they tend to have a much more serious tone instead of a lighthearted one.
The plot revolves around a young man in a yellow trench coat named Jing and his wisecracking, womanizing bird friend Kir. Judging by their appearance, Jing is little more than a smartass punk who happens to be dogged by a rather ugly looking flying pest. Once you get to know the characters though, you'll begin to understand their relationship and learn who these characters really are. The only real problem is that while there is an air of mystery surrounding them, it's never really explained, so they come off as slightly one dimensional.
For instance, Jing walks around with a constantly cocky expression on his face, but is a much smarter and skilled warrior than he originally lets on to people. Even though he is called the King of Bandits, he doesn't really steal stuff for profit. Instead he seems more interested in helping people out, even though he's not exactly the Robin Hood type. We never really learn what motivates him to do what he does, but he carries a crystal around that has the visage of a woman inside. It is apparently an image of his mother, who he says he will see again, but ironically that intriguing facet doesn't get fleshed out or really brought up by the end of the show.
Kir is a near polar opposite of Jing, so the two play off of each other very well. While his human buddy remains stoic most of the time, Kir is a loud mouth trouble maker who always voices his opinion and speaks his mind. He also spends most of his time chasing after women and dreaming of beautiful girls that fawn over him. He's undoubtedly the comic relief of the show, but he's more of an equal to Jing instead of a sidekick. An example of how they need each other is shown when they join forces for the Kir Royale attack, which is a devastating blow that requires Kir to attach himself to Jing's arm. They are a unique duo and make the show work, despite not having a lot of character depth.
As you might imagine with a show that's all about stealing things, the series is mostly comprised of stand alone adventures. There are a couple two part arc and a three episode story at the very end of the thirteen episode run, but the other six are completely separate from the rest with little or no continuity. It's not that I really mind that, it's just that when a show is only half of a season of want as much plot as possible. Fortunately what Jing: King of Bandits lacks in continuity it makes up for in charm, so going along for the ride is half the fun.
The first episode of the series starts off with Jing and Kir going after the illustrious Double Mermaid, which is a mysterious treasure that is owned by a crazy guy in a tower. Once their goal has been achieved we realize that Jing had an ulterior motive and we get a first glimpse at his selfless personality. From there some more stand alone adventures pop up that involve a ghost ship filled with gold coins, a girl who happens to be a work of art, and a mysterious Ocarina that makes people fall in love. Some of the more adorable single adventures focus on cute critters known as Por Vora, who are basically walking, explosive balls of fluff.
The two part adventures proved to be some of my favorite episodes for the show. The first takes place in a town that is controlled by time and a madman who executes people for being late. Jing's goal here is to "steal time", but as usual there is a hidden meaning beneath his actions, which in this case is to liberate the townsfolk from the trap they are snared in. The second brings up the issue of eternity and what price you have to pay in order to achieve it. There is a great message here and yet again we learn a lot about Jing's character and his life's ambition.
As I mentioned the series also ends on a three part story arc, but I didn't feel the tale made a very good ending note. No questions are answered, and nothing ends definitively, though there is a subtle nod towards a possible future for Jing. Unfortunately, we'll never get to see it unless there is a sequel.
The show is very stylish, with some interesting concepts, and a lot of personality. Many of the ideas that are touched upon in Jing's adventures are touching and well thought out, but there's isn't anything that will bring a tear to your eye or be highly memorable. The main draw here is the relationship between Jing and Kir since they play well off of each other. Jing: King of Bandits is undoubtedly one of the more entertaining fantasy shows that I have sat down to watch, and while it does have its flaws, the show is definitely worth watching.
Jing: King of Bandits was presented with its original 2002 broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The image was very clean and vibrantly colorful with little grain or flaw to complain about. There was a little bit of aliasing that popped up here and there, but it was nothing to really detract from the experience or mar the artistic impression. There are some repeat animations, especially with the Kir Royale attack sequence, but for the most part the show is fast paced, fluidly pieced together, and overall, very attractive.
As with many shows, Jing: King of Bandits sports a Japanese 2.0 soundtrack with English subtitles as well as a 5.1 English language track. Depending on what you are looking for the show offers a good amount of quality, though I personally preferred the Japanese language track over the English one. There is a decent spread of sound on the 5.1, but the 2.0 offers up some slight directionality, though mostly everything comes across at relatively the same volume. A great subtle aspect to the show is the music, which is used effectively to convey emotion and help pick up the pace. Even though it's mostly J-Rock I found it grew on me by the time the show ended, and I really appreciated some of the instrumental moments.
Aside from a handful of ADV previews on the first disc, there is absolutely nothing on the thinpak to constitute a grade for bonus material. It's nice getting an entire series in one small package, but extra features are sorely missed. Not that the individual releases for the series really had anything more than clean opening/ending animations and art galleries, but it would have been nice if those were included.
It may sound strange, but even though I really enjoyed the show, I felt that it was a little hollow. The stand alone adventures are great, and the two main characters are perfect for the show, but the development and sentiment really isn't there. This is one of those shows that you watch for the sake of watching since it's fun, not because it's some deep emotional adventure with a purpose. I had a good time sitting through it, had a few laughs and found myself loving the world that Jing and Kir live in. The show could have been a lot better if it had more time, but I'm hoping for a sequel series to pick up where this one leaves off at the relatively unsatisfactory end. Recommended
Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!
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