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Strange Dawn
The Story: Japanese schoolgirls (Honestly, isn't it always Japanese schoolgirls?) Emi and Yuko suddenly find themselves on another world with no recollection how they arrived, or any idea how they will get back home. They meet the tiny, knee high residents of this world, who believe the two are the Great Protectors summoned by the princess to save the small town of Bellgazle which is located between the warring lands of the Glianas and the ruthless Valgidans.
Episode One- Walking in the Desert: A basic setup episode, beginning with the girls already wandering in the strange land and encountering its tiny denizens. Like most Japanese schoolgirls who find themselves suddenly transported to an unfamiliar planet/land, they are none too surprised. Emi the innocent, sweet shy girl is curious, whereas the spoiled and impatient Yuko is just annoyed. We also meet the major Bellgazle citizens- heroic Captain Shall with the weight of the city on his shoulders. Darl, second in command and Iago to Shall's Othello. The girls Reza and her friend Mani, Reza being in love with Shall... A nighttime raid by the Valgidans is thwarted by the girls at the last minute.
Episode Two- Surrounded by Silence: The girls hear the story of the two warring nations, and especially Yuko is reluctant in any way to help them, is soured by the whole affair, and only wants to go home. The townspeople also have doubts, and when Darl spies on Shall admitting he thinks that the girls may not be the Great Protectors, and relays this to the townspeople, Shall is forced from his position as Captain, and takes the girls on a journey to find the princess.
Episode Three- On Another Dark Night: As the girls are escorted by Shall and crew, they find out that the princess has been captured by the Valgidans, but it is a secret kept from the people so they wont panic. Back in the village, Reza fends off the now in command Darl, and sets out after Shall and the girls with her friend Mazi.
Episode Four- The Sky Darkens Suddenly: The girls slowly begin to warm up to their situation, realizing that they may be stuck in this strange world. Reza and Mazi are rescued and then captured by the Galiana's, who want to question Shall about the princess' whereabouts. Emi follows a mysterious light in the forest, leading to a strange warning that she and Yuko are not needed in this world, and then an assassin strikes and Shall jumps in to defend the girls.
The Anime: Funny, the same week I review Adventures of a Mini-Goddess which had a 13 & Up rating suggestion I didn't agree with, I review Strange Dawn which has a "Recommended For Most Audiences" rating I think should read 10 & Up. Despite its cute veneer, with its stabbings, arrow impaling, implied rape, and political plotline, Strange Dawn will in no way be confused with The Smurfs. No, its all taken quite seriously and maturely- people die and mournful funerals are held, the girls wonder where they can pee, there is blood in the fights, and I'd say the machinations of the plot and interaction of the characters (unrequited love, jealous backstabbing) would go over little kids heads, its much more a work for older kids... And, I rather enjoyed it, though like most episodic anime developed from a manga story, you do get the sense you are only seeing a narrow view of a much larger picture, but the cliffhanger ending had me wishing I could see what happens next.
The DVD: Urban Vision DVD. I'll start by saying the DVD is not without its flaws, but is still a nice presentation of anime, just not perfect. It starts with a neat animated menu.
Picture- Nice picture, in its proper fullscreen ratio. Good, production values, with strong character design and backgrounds that reminded me of Jean "Moebius" Giraud.
Sound- A very strong and dynamic 5.1 English dub. I have to say, for me personally, the voice cast of English Brits(?)/Australians(?) is not very good, especially the actress who does Yuko- her voice performance was so annoying I could hardly bare to listen to it. Unfortunately the Japanese track is 2.0 Dolby Surround and considerably weaker, not only is it quieter, but the overall background track of music and soundfx isn't nearly as impressive as the 5.1 track. Its a shame they couldn't switch things around- make the original Japanese 5.1 and the English dub the 2.0. And, of course, there are optional yellow English subtitles, which from time to time slightly brighten the picture when they pop up, something that isn't really all that noticeable unless its a very dark scene, and then you can see the difference.
Extras- Inside the case is a neat little sticker sheet with some characters.---20 Chapters---Great Concept art Gallery, composed of 23 character sketch pages for all the main characters.--- DVD ROM material--- Trailers for Dragon Slayer, Tekkaman Blade II, and Final Fantasy: The Legend of the Crystals
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