Created by the mangaka group Kaishaku (UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie and Steel Angel Kurumi), Kannazuki no Miko is an interesting beast. Originally airing in 2004 the anime garnered twelve episodes while the manga was being released at the same time. With a story that revolves around pseudo-lesbian shrine maidens, giant robots, and a sealed evil from years past you know you're in for one heck of a ride.

The show begins unsuspectingly enough within the confines of a rural Japanese town known as Mahoroba. Almost immediately we are introduced to Himeko and shown a flash of her underwear. This not only provides the fan service that is prominent throughout the program but also gives insight into her timid personality. She's the innocent girl that quietly goes through life without standing in front of a crowd and shouting, "Hey, look at me!" In other words she is the total opposite of Chikane.

Chikane is quite possible the most popular girl at Ototachibana Academy. She does it all from horseback riding to sports, she's brilliant, she's beautiful, and both boys and girls propose to her on a daily basis. Oddly enough Chikane seems to have eyes for Himeko and considering their birthday is the same day (and coming up) she has a special birthday plan in mind. Before that happens, Himeko goes shopping with a boy named Souma just prior to all hell breaking loose.

You see, there is a hidden shrine on the moon that nobody knows about. This shrine has sealed evil away and now according to prophecy the sinister forces have awakened. Orochi, the eight-headed dragon, has come back to life in the form of people with this evil imprinted in them. Giant mechanized creations appear in conjunction with the newly arisen Orochi and wouldn't you know it, Souma happens to be one of these diabolical bastards; in spirit but not in mind.

Souma, with his giant robot up to full power, attacks Ototachibana Academy. Actually, he doesn't so much attack the Academy as he does Himeko's dormitory. At first we're left to wonder what the purpose of it all is but quickly enough we learn that Himeko and Chikane are resurrected forms of the original Solar and Lunar Shrine Maidens. It's their job to fight the Orochi and thanks to Himeko's relationship with Souma his normal personality overtakes the evil one for a time.

Considering all of this happens within the first episode there is a lot to take in over a short period of time. It can be overwhelming and a little haphazard if you don't take time to reflect upon what's going on but as the show progresses things are explained with a little more detail.

From this point we basically learn that Himeko and Chikane have to be defeated before the Orochi can even hope to destroy mankind. This creates a straightforward good versus evil conflict that doesn't necessarily deviate from expected paths. Many of the villains (Orochi's Necks) come into play and there are plenty of giant robot fights to please the senses. There is a ton of action in Kannazuki no Miko. and it is simply gorgeous to watch if you're a giant mecha fan.

When the show isn't mashing gears, spraying blood, or clashing weapons together it is handling the development of its characters. Himeko and Chikane have a strange relationship that is handled differently than you may think with the lesbian tones. Instead of constant groping or lusting like you'd normally see in a show of this type, their relationship and emotions are handled maturely. It was a nice change of pace to see their personalities deal with emotions rather than lustful intent. Once you add Souma and his feelings for Himeko into the mix you have a complicated love triangle that adds a unique spin on a well-established genre.

This relationship and developmental course of action does create for some poorly paced moments during Kannazuki no Miko's run and to be quite honest it doesn't feel entirely natural. The characters themselves aren't very original and that's one of the faults to be found in this series. There is a certain generic air amongst the cast and though there are some interesting angles explored here there's nothing that hasn't been done before. The weak woman, the strong woman, the hopeful friend, and the eclectic cast of villains just feel like tried and true stereotypes in the grand scheme of things; especially since their involved in a relatively simplistic good versus evil plotline.

Over the course of the twelve episodes the show does get much better as the relationships are explored and plot progresses. I was hoping for a little more depth amongst the cast and richer exposition for the story but what's here is suitable enough. If you're looking for an entry into the giant robot genre that is a tad askew from what you may be used to then Kannazuki no Miko is worth a spin. If you missed it the first time around with Geneon's individual volumes then picking up this collection is easily recommended.

With the recent production of the show Kannazuki no Miko hits DVD with anamorphic widescreen. The show is positively stunning in almost every regard and only sparse flaws exist in the transfer. At various points during the show I noticed a few artifacts and some grain but they were very, very minor. Other than that the technical presentation here is rock solid.

Stylistically speaking Kannazuki no Miko offers some fantastic design. The character artwork is highly detailed, the environments thrive, the mecha are awesome, and throughout it all the animation is impeccable. While the story and characters may be somewhat stereotypical there is nothing routine about the visual style here. Simply fantastic!

If you have ever been a fan of giant robots fighting each other or anime with action scenes then you know what a 5.1 track can do for a show. Unfortunately Kannazuki no Miko only offers 2.0 English and Japanese as the presentation options here. In both cases the audio is clean without distortion or dropout but the presence on the soundstage is rather limited. The front channels do a decent job of pumping out the necessary doses of dialogue and sound effects but without rear channel support it feels a little flat.

On each of the three discs you'll only find clean opening and closing animations along with some trailers.

Kannazuki no Miko was an interesting show but it certainly won't take you on a unique and original ride. The resurrection of evil, the prophesized maidens, and the giant robotic action has all been done before to one variation or another. This show infuses some relationship mumbo-jumbo into the mix and for the most part it helps add a positive spin on things. It gives the flat characters some ability to grow and keeps things from becoming too stale. If you're looking for a somewhat different spin on the established giant mecha genre Kannazuki no Miko is worth a watch. Recommended

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