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Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set
FUNimation // Unrated // March 31, 2009
List Price: $59.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Show:
"Lyrical bloodshed" can best summarize the television adaptation of "Shigurui: Death Frenzy" -- lyrical, visceral, twitchy bloodshed with a shake of sexuality and a dash of traditional anime bizarreness. It wraps it all into the framework of a seemingly mundane Japanese tale during 1600's Kanagawa, and then begins to tap into its primal nature as passion and vengeance being to cloud the future of a powerful samurai dojo. Though hyper-stylized violence and erotic overtones take away from giving it the accessible nature that it possibly could've had, it's still a bizarre poetic display that tries its hardest to find a middle ground between traditional anime violence and historical perspective.
Specifically, "Shigurui" zeroes in on two swordplay masters, Seigen Irako and Gennosuke Fujiki, as they're brought before onlookers for a swordplay tournament. In a setting where honor is everything, their condition is a little unsettling: both are crippled, one being blind and assisted onto the battlefield, the other one armless. Whispers in the crowd begin to rustle the atmosphere with their disgrace, but as they being to posture their unique, adapted stances with real blades instead of boken (wooden swords), it's obvious that they're in for a whopper of a duel.
Just as we're getting geared up for their battle, "Shigurui" takes a clever direction and goes back in time to before the two men were disfigured. The rest of the episodes guide us through their mythos, showing how their rivalry builds over Seigen Irako's desire to master the Kogan fighting style -- Gennosuke Fujiki's primary technique -- as well as over their standing as the male "seed giver" to the dojo master's daughter Mie, lovingly referred to as a "vessel" throughout. Since we're aware that the men will be handicapped by the time of their duel, there's a sense of suspense in waiting to see how they'll reach their current state -- and how their determination to gain renown ebbs and flows with their setbacks.
Yet, since we're shown both the climax and the beginning of the full narrative at the forefront of "Shigurui", focus on a developing story isn't exactly the most important thing. Instead, it becomes a show of low-dialogue politics and ambient carnage, handled in a very tense atmosphere that aims to unnerve its audience. A thickness fills the air that's almost unbearable to handle at times, accentuated by jerky, literally "twitchy" moments from its characters. With pulsing veins and stilted movements, it gets its point across. If there's one thing that's obvious, it's that it doesn't want us to feel comfortable for even one second.
At the forefront, director Hirotsugu Hamazaki clearly wants to retain a poetic nature about his fierce adaptation of Takayuki Yamaguchi's original manga series. Because of that, "Shigurui" stumble a bit with a lack of coherence amid artful concepts at the beginning. Very little ties the first handful of episodes together, reflecting to the histories of the two primary swordsmen in a way that can be rather confusing. It's beautiful to behold due to the slick, bleak animation design, but also damn hard to make heads or tails of at the beginning. A more intelligible rhythm is found after a couple of episodes, especially with the second half of the show; it's as if the creators realized that they weren't incorporating enough interconnectivity to hold attention to its evocative imagery, so they leaned more on traditional tactics to stitch together the story.
Though violent, "Shigurui" also has a tough time with making swordplay an interactive viewing experience. Gauging by the first episode, you'd expect the blade-crossing to be relentless, but the violence largely steers our vision away from actual duels. Yes, one swordsman poises himself against another repeatedly -- largely focused on Seigen Irako -- but their battles are stiff and, many times, incoherent. Mix that with the overall tone that the creators are going for, and it can create a bit of a nervous, questionmark-popping impression. Blades, blood, and falling carcasses can be seen in extremely stylish fashion, yet there's something missing in the middle that leans more towards visually poetic motives instead of clarity of outcome.
From start to finish, it's stunningly animated. Bleak, undersaturated images, like the derangement of the Kogan dojo's leader and the slicing of a bean on a forehead, retain striking visual presence through rather dark atmosphere. Though we're working with a completely (almost) human cast, the art style has an easy time in showcasing which of the characters are heroic and villainous. This especially crops up with the Seigen Irako and Gennosume Fujiki, which remain largely natural in our eyes until subtle, sharp shifts lean our attention otherwise. A few moments of tranquil imagery pour into the image, handled with subtle beauty; then, much in line with something from the Silent Hill series of video games, the grain structure and visual aesthetic grows highly damaged and unstable -- yet another tactic used to communicate discomfort.
Staying lyrical amid all of this tension is a tough balance to strike, but "Shigurui: Death Frenzy" starts to get the hang of it as it soaks deeper into the narrative. It remains bizarre, unnerving, and -- surprise, surprise -- rather violent throughout its twelve episodes, but it becomes a semi-pleasurable experience once it starts to shoestring the story together. As the epic conclusion comes within reach and all the pieces start to click together, the surreal feel continues to heighten -- but there's a gravity about it that swells as it sprints beyond its foreseeable conclusion. And, with a smattering of blood-soaked evisceration and cyclical dramatic prose -- along with an incredibly gripping conclusion -- "Shigurui" justifies its beautifully unsettling rhythm, though it likely would've been just a hair better if it had taken a few more steps towards literal exposition.
The DVD:
"Shigurui: Death Frenzy" comes in a slick, matte finish boxset from FUNimation, containing all twelve (12) episodes on two discs in thinpack cases. With the cases opened up, you can see the nice reversible artwork; one side showcases an artistic-sepia-stained illustration of muscle structure, while the other features the two lead characters on a black background.
Inside the case for Disc One is a rather sizable Booklet. It's separated into three sections: "From the Books", "Historical Notes", and "Interviews" -- with interviews from director Hiroshi Hamazaki and Series Designer and Script Writer Seishi Minakami, as well as with author Takayuki Yamaguchi and Mitsuko Horie.
Video and Audio:
"Shigurui: Death Frenzy" has it easy in the visuals department. By design, it showcases low color saturation levels and a generally hazy disposition, all of which makes it difficult to gauge quality-wise due to the rough nature of its artistic intent. In that, the anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer still looks rather attractive, hugging contours of the animation with plenty of detail concentration and low amounts of distortion along edges. To try and make heads or tails of this, a few moderately saturated scenes were cherry picked from the mix. When it needs to, the color levels -- especially red, of course -- showcase a pleasant blast of solidity, while detail stays fresh and identifiable in some of the more tranquil sequences. It's a pleasant transfer from FUNimation, preserving exactly what needs to be preserved in its visual design.
On the audio side of things, an English 5.1 Dub and a Japanese 2.0 Stereo track are available. Though one sports more channels than the other, there's not a whole ton of difference in dynamics between the two. "Shigurui" is a rather affective show in the audio department, so preserving the sound elements is key. In that, both tracks show off a nice robustness in sharp blade swipes and thunderous punches. Of course, in the more bombastic, bass-heavy portions, the English Dub takes the cake in the bass department. Still, both support clean dialogue and maintain a sharp presence with the nerve-grinding musical accompaniment, coming together in a nice marriage of elements. For reference, the English subtitles are NOT dubtitles and, in most sequences, showcase slightly more comprehensible dialogue.
Special Features:
Marathon Play:
Though it's not really a supplement, some value is definitely added with this option. Instead of watching all the episodes with the show's title cards at the front and back, Marathon Play removes these to allow for a steady, cinematic stream of content for the viewer's pleasure.
Commentaries:
Two English language commentaries are available here, one with the episode "A Children's Song" and the other with "Kengyou's House of Punishment". Christopher Bevins and a handful of the vocal actors for the characters make appearances in both tracks, discussing the sparseness of the dialogue, how different "Shigurui" is compared to some of the other work they've tackled, as well as some theory and character dissection. Both tracks are high-energy yet casual, keeping a mid-ranged level of depth and staying entertaining.
Also available are Production Artwork galleries for Character Descriptions and Settings, Textless Songs from the opening and closing credits, and a few FUNimation Trailers.
Final Thoughts:
Gore, sex, and tradition clash with poetic visual composition in "Shigurui: Death Frenzy", and it's certainly an entrancingly bizarre experience. Largely a visceral exercise in unsettling tension, it utilizes a relatively low amount of dialogue to emphasize the lyrical nature of its aesthetic design. All twelve episodes are largely surreal, funneling everything above into each that make it into an experience that ... well, can be pleasing, compelling, and downright odd. Though it leans harder against artistic communication that it likely should, it's a singular experience worth seeking out -- just don't expect a lack of traditional anime elements due to its diluted, semi-historical concept. FUNimation offers up clear visual and aural qualities for the set along with a few nice supplements, which makes this a firm Recommendation for genre fans and maybe just a little bit less so for those not typically interested in the genre.
Thomas Spurlin, Staff Reviewer -- DVDTalk Reviews | Personal Blog/Site
"Lyrical bloodshed" can best summarize the television adaptation of "Shigurui: Death Frenzy" -- lyrical, visceral, twitchy bloodshed with a shake of sexuality and a dash of traditional anime bizarreness. It wraps it all into the framework of a seemingly mundane Japanese tale during 1600's Kanagawa, and then begins to tap into its primal nature as passion and vengeance being to cloud the future of a powerful samurai dojo. Though hyper-stylized violence and erotic overtones take away from giving it the accessible nature that it possibly could've had, it's still a bizarre poetic display that tries its hardest to find a middle ground between traditional anime violence and historical perspective. Specifically, "Shigurui" zeroes in on two swordplay masters, Seigen Irako and Gennosuke Fujiki, as they're brought before onlookers for a swordplay tournament. In a setting where honor is everything, their condition is a little unsettling: both are crippled, one being blind and assisted onto the battlefield, the other one armless. Whispers in the crowd begin to rustle the atmosphere with their disgrace, but as they being to posture their unique, adapted stances with real blades instead of boken (wooden swords), it's obvious that they're in for a whopper of a duel.
Just as we're getting geared up for their battle, "Shigurui" takes a clever direction and goes back in time to before the two men were disfigured. The rest of the episodes guide us through their mythos, showing how their rivalry builds over Seigen Irako's desire to master the Kogan fighting style -- Gennosuke Fujiki's primary technique -- as well as over their standing as the male "seed giver" to the dojo master's daughter Mie, lovingly referred to as a "vessel" throughout. Since we're aware that the men will be handicapped by the time of their duel, there's a sense of suspense in waiting to see how they'll reach their current state -- and how their determination to gain renown ebbs and flows with their setbacks.
Yet, since we're shown both the climax and the beginning of the full narrative at the forefront of "Shigurui", focus on a developing story isn't exactly the most important thing. Instead, it becomes a show of low-dialogue politics and ambient carnage, handled in a very tense atmosphere that aims to unnerve its audience. A thickness fills the air that's almost unbearable to handle at times, accentuated by jerky, literally "twitchy" moments from its characters. With pulsing veins and stilted movements, it gets its point across. If there's one thing that's obvious, it's that it doesn't want us to feel comfortable for even one second.
 |  |
At the forefront, director Hirotsugu Hamazaki clearly wants to retain a poetic nature about his fierce adaptation of Takayuki Yamaguchi's original manga series. Because of that, "Shigurui" stumble a bit with a lack of coherence amid artful concepts at the beginning. Very little ties the first handful of episodes together, reflecting to the histories of the two primary swordsmen in a way that can be rather confusing. It's beautiful to behold due to the slick, bleak animation design, but also damn hard to make heads or tails of at the beginning. A more intelligible rhythm is found after a couple of episodes, especially with the second half of the show; it's as if the creators realized that they weren't incorporating enough interconnectivity to hold attention to its evocative imagery, so they leaned more on traditional tactics to stitch together the story.
Though violent, "Shigurui" also has a tough time with making swordplay an interactive viewing experience. Gauging by the first episode, you'd expect the blade-crossing to be relentless, but the violence largely steers our vision away from actual duels. Yes, one swordsman poises himself against another repeatedly -- largely focused on Seigen Irako -- but their battles are stiff and, many times, incoherent. Mix that with the overall tone that the creators are going for, and it can create a bit of a nervous, questionmark-popping impression. Blades, blood, and falling carcasses can be seen in extremely stylish fashion, yet there's something missing in the middle that leans more towards visually poetic motives instead of clarity of outcome.
From start to finish, it's stunningly animated. Bleak, undersaturated images, like the derangement of the Kogan dojo's leader and the slicing of a bean on a forehead, retain striking visual presence through rather dark atmosphere. Though we're working with a completely (almost) human cast, the art style has an easy time in showcasing which of the characters are heroic and villainous. This especially crops up with the Seigen Irako and Gennosume Fujiki, which remain largely natural in our eyes until subtle, sharp shifts lean our attention otherwise. A few moments of tranquil imagery pour into the image, handled with subtle beauty; then, much in line with something from the Silent Hill series of video games, the grain structure and visual aesthetic grows highly damaged and unstable -- yet another tactic used to communicate discomfort.
Staying lyrical amid all of this tension is a tough balance to strike, but "Shigurui: Death Frenzy" starts to get the hang of it as it soaks deeper into the narrative. It remains bizarre, unnerving, and -- surprise, surprise -- rather violent throughout its twelve episodes, but it becomes a semi-pleasurable experience once it starts to shoestring the story together. As the epic conclusion comes within reach and all the pieces start to click together, the surreal feel continues to heighten -- but there's a gravity about it that swells as it sprints beyond its foreseeable conclusion. And, with a smattering of blood-soaked evisceration and cyclical dramatic prose -- along with an incredibly gripping conclusion -- "Shigurui" justifies its beautifully unsettling rhythm, though it likely would've been just a hair better if it had taken a few more steps towards literal exposition.
| | |
| Disc 1: Episode 01 -- Sword Match a Sunpu Castle Episode 02 -- The Yodare-Azuki Ceremony Episode 03 -- Kamaitachi Episode 04 -- A Children's Song Episode 05 -- Secret Swordplay Technique Instruction Episode 06 -- Birth Cry | Disc 2: Episode 07 -- Fangs Episode 08 -- Chorus of Cicadas Episode 09 -- Tiger Cubs Episode 10 -- Kengyou's House of Punishment Episode 11 -- Moonlight Episode 12 -- Mumyo Sakanagare |
The DVD:
 |  |
"Shigurui: Death Frenzy" comes in a slick, matte finish boxset from FUNimation, containing all twelve (12) episodes on two discs in thinpack cases. With the cases opened up, you can see the nice reversible artwork; one side showcases an artistic-sepia-stained illustration of muscle structure, while the other features the two lead characters on a black background.
Inside the case for Disc One is a rather sizable Booklet. It's separated into three sections: "From the Books", "Historical Notes", and "Interviews" -- with interviews from director Hiroshi Hamazaki and Series Designer and Script Writer Seishi Minakami, as well as with author Takayuki Yamaguchi and Mitsuko Horie.
Video and Audio:
"Shigurui: Death Frenzy" has it easy in the visuals department. By design, it showcases low color saturation levels and a generally hazy disposition, all of which makes it difficult to gauge quality-wise due to the rough nature of its artistic intent. In that, the anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer still looks rather attractive, hugging contours of the animation with plenty of detail concentration and low amounts of distortion along edges. To try and make heads or tails of this, a few moderately saturated scenes were cherry picked from the mix. When it needs to, the color levels -- especially red, of course -- showcase a pleasant blast of solidity, while detail stays fresh and identifiable in some of the more tranquil sequences. It's a pleasant transfer from FUNimation, preserving exactly what needs to be preserved in its visual design.
On the audio side of things, an English 5.1 Dub and a Japanese 2.0 Stereo track are available. Though one sports more channels than the other, there's not a whole ton of difference in dynamics between the two. "Shigurui" is a rather affective show in the audio department, so preserving the sound elements is key. In that, both tracks show off a nice robustness in sharp blade swipes and thunderous punches. Of course, in the more bombastic, bass-heavy portions, the English Dub takes the cake in the bass department. Still, both support clean dialogue and maintain a sharp presence with the nerve-grinding musical accompaniment, coming together in a nice marriage of elements. For reference, the English subtitles are NOT dubtitles and, in most sequences, showcase slightly more comprehensible dialogue.
Special Features:
Marathon Play:
Though it's not really a supplement, some value is definitely added with this option. Instead of watching all the episodes with the show's title cards at the front and back, Marathon Play removes these to allow for a steady, cinematic stream of content for the viewer's pleasure.
Commentaries:
Two English language commentaries are available here, one with the episode "A Children's Song" and the other with "Kengyou's House of Punishment". Christopher Bevins and a handful of the vocal actors for the characters make appearances in both tracks, discussing the sparseness of the dialogue, how different "Shigurui" is compared to some of the other work they've tackled, as well as some theory and character dissection. Both tracks are high-energy yet casual, keeping a mid-ranged level of depth and staying entertaining.
Also available are Production Artwork galleries for Character Descriptions and Settings, Textless Songs from the opening and closing credits, and a few FUNimation Trailers.
Final Thoughts:
Gore, sex, and tradition clash with poetic visual composition in "Shigurui: Death Frenzy", and it's certainly an entrancingly bizarre experience. Largely a visceral exercise in unsettling tension, it utilizes a relatively low amount of dialogue to emphasize the lyrical nature of its aesthetic design. All twelve episodes are largely surreal, funneling everything above into each that make it into an experience that ... well, can be pleasing, compelling, and downright odd. Though it leans harder against artistic communication that it likely should, it's a singular experience worth seeking out -- just don't expect a lack of traditional anime elements due to its diluted, semi-historical concept. FUNimation offers up clear visual and aural qualities for the set along with a few nice supplements, which makes this a firm Recommendation for genre fans and maybe just a little bit less so for those not typically interested in the genre.
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