There are only a few anime on the market that set out to screw with your mind right from the very beginning. With a wildly different art style and a plot rife with dimensional shifting and time travel, Noein weaves an astounding tale that leaves you bewildered. Right out of the gate this show is about as surreal and unique as it gets. Fortunately this befuddlement gives way to amazement because all around this is a top-notch show.

Directed by Kazuki Akane and Kenji Yasuda this 24 episode series uses a breathtakingly original art style filled with dramatic sketchy marks and wild animation to tell its story. While the series is complex the plot can be summarized simply by saying that it focuses on the lives of some children. Warriors from a futuristic parallel dimension come back to nab one girl in particular in an effort to save their world from being destroyed. That's kind of it in a nutshell but to be fair that summary doesn't do Noein justice.

Haruka is basically the normal school girl she is insinuated to be when the series starts. Unfortunately things are about to get weird for her very soon. A shadowy figure appears one night while her friends are looking for a ghost and a mysterious person tries to kidnap her. We soon learn that these black-clad visitors are explorers of sorts from a different timeline and dimension. They have come back in time to capture Haruka because she is something called The Dragon Torque and has the power to save their timeline. It would seem that a creature known as Shangri-La is threatening their world and this unwitting little girl is the key to redemption.

In the previous volume Haruka has been captured by Karasu (one of the men in black) and taken to La'cryma (the other dimension). Right off the bat we start getting more information about what's going on. It seems that La'cryma is one of Haruka's futures and most of the mysterious men we have met knew her. The difference between the two dimensions is in theirs Haruka died; hence the traveling to find another one. Even so her fate at the hands of these people seems to be up in the air since she's held prisoner miles beneath the planet's surface. As the volume progressed she and Karasu managed to escape and make their way back to "normal" time though the dimensional crap is really starting to hit the fan.

Back in present time more of the Dragon Knights have traveled back to capture Haruka again though Karasu stands before them in defiance. This loyalty is due to the memories of Haruka from before she passed away and he was her childhood friend Yuu. At any rate the Dragon Knights go back to their own time and argue about the best way to handle things. Ryouko and Kyouji also discuss the intricacies of quantum mechanics, the possibility of parallel dimensions, and the hypothetical ability to travel between them. In the end a question is raised about Haruka's father being involved with something called the Magic Circle Project.

In the second episode Haruka has a vision of sorts of Karasu and Fukurou killing each other. When the Dragon Torque activates she sees different dimensions and meets a dimensional traveler who tells her that she can't change what she has seen. What follows is an absolutely amazing fight scene between the two Dragon Knights that ends in an unexpected way. I don't want to divulge too much but let's just say that the playing field for Noein has changed drastically from this point on.

It's hard to describe what happens in the next three episodes without spoiling the rest of the volume. Therefore I'd prefer to leave the summary for those untouched. Let's just say that the scope of the series becomes realized with this volume and many unanswered questions to this point find resolution. The conflict between Karasu and Fukurou, the relationship between Atori and Tobi, the definition of Shangri-La, and the interactions between Yuu and Haruka make this the best installment for Noein yet.

While the action is one of the main attractions this volume it's hard to deny the development of the show's characters. The maturing of Haruka in terms of the whole being the Dragon Torque thing is quite interesting. Seeing Yuu come to terms with many things is fascinating as well. The best thing found in this volume in my opinion is the introduction of Noein and what he means to the show.

If you're looking for an intense series with a fascinating story Noein is a show that you absolutely must purchase. It is without a doubt one of the best shows currently being released and it virtually came out of nowhere. As each volume ends I find myself anxiously awaiting the next installment. This is about as good as it gets.

There's just something about seeing anime in anamorphic widescreen that makes the experience seem like so much more. With the recent production date Noein is truly a work of art both in design and presentation on DVD. The wildly different style that it's presented with makes an impression but it's the virtually flawless transfer that seals the deal. The color palette is vibrant with great contrast and very little grain to cloud things. Despite some slight aliasing here and there thanks to the computer generated effects this is one of the most impressive shows that I have seen in a while.

Another aspect of this volume that was particularly striking was the fight scenes. As the action picked up the artwork took on a frantic style that absolutely blew me away. I haven't been this entertained with an animated fight before and it's merely another reason to enjoy this show. It's stunning to say the least.

The standard in anime seems to include stereo version of an English and Japanese dub. Noein goes beyond that and includes a 5.1 selection for both languages as well. The quality is top notch with a decent channel spread and use of the appropriate speakers when need be. The sense of immersion during Karasu and Fukouru's fight scene was particularly impressive. While the previous installments presented some fine audio this was by far the crowning achievement to date.

There are plenty of points where Noein gets cerebral and somber and it's these moments that the show maintains itself on the front channels with dialogue. Both the English and Japanese 5.1 selections offer this immersion while the 2.0 stereo offerings obviously offer a much more limited experience. English and Spanish subtitles are included on this disc.

This volume presents some interesting special features. On the lighter side of things is a gallery of images from the show and some trailers for other Manga releases. There is also a very interesting comparison between storyboard images and the final animation. Various scenes are presented in different forms and it really helps to show the process of how a show like Noein comes together. The third volume also features the third installment of "On Location" with a duo from the Japanese cast. Like the prior ones this offered a look at areas that inspired scenes in the show and provided a fair amount of information behind the series.

Noein's third volume absolutely blew me away. I was intrigued by the first and entertained by the second but this time around things are absolutely insane. This show is well on its way to be the best show currently released on the market in so many ways. The high-end fresh presentation is phenomenal but the character development, concept, and story are the main selling points. If you're looking to buy a new series this is the one to get.

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