Ask any fan of the horror genre and they will most likely tell you that nobody weaves a scary tale quite like the Japanese. Whether it's a live-action film or animation there's just something surreal about watching a Japanese horror story. Take Demon Prince Enma for example.

Originally created over thirty years ago by Go Nagai, Demon Prince Enma is a new OVA being released here in the States by Bandai Visual. Well, technically Enma as we see it is a grown up version of the original manga with differences strewn about but it's essentially the same concept. After enjoying some of Nagai's other works such as Devilman, Devil Lady, and Cutey Honey I was naturally excited when I had the chance to check this show out (and yes I'm trying to forget about Kekko Kamen).

With the four episode OVA being split into two volumes this first installment naturally contains episodes one and two. The driving force behind Demon Prince Enma is a slew of demons that have escaped the underworld and are terrorizing folks here on Earth. They prey upon the weak or emotionally unstable because in all honesty they make the easiest hosts. With these monsters running amuck and slaughtering us in the night only Prince Enma can save our skin.

An interesting angle that this OVA presents, is the fact that Enma is hardly what you'd call a savior. He has come to Earth looking to return the demons back to their rightful place in the underworld; not save us from torment. In many cases the human hosts wind up dying during the battle and it adds an interesting spin on his character when he treats these events as a "matter of fact" kind thing. Shedding a little bit of personality or "humanity" on the show is Enma's partners in demon-hunting.

He's joined by a beautiful ice princess named Yukihime who possesses the ability to freeze things (whereas Enma can burn things). Funny enough, Enma's hat is also another personality in the show called "Old Man". He often dictates advice and alerts them to the presence of demons. Accompanying them is a kappa-like monster known as Kapaeru who acts as their liaison on Earth. While it has been a while since Yukihime and Enma have been on our world, Kapaeru has been living among us gathering information for quite some time. Early on in the program it's amusing to hear Kapaeru describe cell phones and escort clubs to the newly arrived hunters.

With the characters introduced Enma and company form a demonic detective agency as they look for cases with a spiritual connection. In the first episode they have to track down a vampire but as they get closer to the girl they believe is the suspect there is a twist thrown into the mix that was very unpredictable. The next episode on this disc is about a demonic doll. It kind of played into some stereotypes considering this particular plot has been used before but like the first episode there were many twists and turns that made things entertaining despite the stale premise.

If you're looking for a short burst of anime that features an interesting concept and likeable characters then Demon Prince Enma may be the horror tale you're looking for. Created by Go Nagai the show is most likely be polarizing among the audience though fans of his work will appreciate it for what it is. These two episodes were a bloody good time and I'm actually looking forward to the next volume. Check it out if your anime collection is looking a little dry.

Demon Prince Enma came out in 2006 though it has just received transfer to DVD. The show is presented with an anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and Bandai Visual gave it an absolutely fantastic treatment. With the abundance of blacks and shadows I feared that compression and grainy coloration was inevitable but fortunately neither of the two is present. Colors are very crisp and vibrant with the overall video quality being exceptional. For being a short-run OVA Enma couldn't look any better.

In an interesting move Bandai Visual opted to provide no English dub for Demon Prince Enma. All you'll find here for language selections are Japanese 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. Both offer decent audio quality depending on the limitations of your home theater. In stereo the sound was a tad on the flat side with no room for directionality while the surround offering was noticeably meatier. The sound was crisp and clean with no distortion and the rear channels picked up a great deal of action. English subtitles are offered despite the lack of a dub.

As far as the special features for Demon Prince Enma are concerned you'll find a nice little booklet inside the DVD case with sketches and information about the characters. It's a nice addition though nothing entirely informative. Apart from that the rest of the bonus features on the disc are interviews with some of the Japanese voice actors. They may be a little on the short side but they are a nice inclusion considering they came from the original release.

If you're in the market for a decent horror anime are want to stray from the beaten path, Demon Prince Enma may just be your ticket. The show features an interesting and relatively unique premise with memorable characters and well-presented stories. After watching the first two episodes I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the animation. If they are anywhere near as good as these were then you have a must buy on your hands. It's a shame Enma will most likely not be made into a series!

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