Soul Hunter: Volume Four (Episodes 14-17)- Despite a large cast of immortals, superweapon wielding mortals, gods, and imperial humans, the show finds its focus in Taikoubou, a young warrior with a weapon that looks like a car antenna and utilizes wind power. This series of episodes finds Taikoubou and his ragtag group of mystical warriors joining Lord Ki Shou ruler of the West. Lord Ki Shou has a sickly manner that lets you know he isn't long for this world, and as they try to formulate a plan to get the other armies on their side, they are attacked by a group of immortals enlisted by one of Lord Ki Shou's enemies. While Taikoubou and his buddies stave off the immortals attack, Lord Ki Shou and his men make their way to the North. The bulk of these four episodes (about 2 1/4 episodes worth of time) is spent with Taikoubou and crew battling the immortals who have various powers, cluster bombs, lazers, and control over water and earth. And, the battling is pretty fun, each characters personality traits really come through in how they fight, so it isn't just generic fighting. The remainder of the plot deals with Lord Ki Shou trying to convince the leader of the North, another superpowered guy with control over birds, that they should unite their forces. Typical snooty misunderstandings arise when the Northern leader thinks Ki Shou's army is an attack force moving in on his border.

Like a lot of anime, the series has self referential jokes, characters noting that they are on a cartoon, spouting quips like "I wish I had more screen time." But it is a little awkward. It isn't like such jokes are constant, instead it is pretty serious and action oriented, and suddenly turns on a dime to make some joke before getting back to the stone faced business of the battling lords. I don't mind a little genre blending, making a series be a romantic, fantasy, action, political, comedy, but with Soul Hunters the jokes just serve as a quick, jarring, shudder, taking you out of the story and making it less steady. Similarly the animation has some design that leans away from the stories more solemn elements. Some of the characters ride around on animals; Taikoubou's is a thing he calls "hippo" but it doesn't really look like a hippo. I thought it looked more like a hamster. Soul Hunter is a rather detailed series, I guess aimed at preteens who can keep up with the plot, like a little humor, and lots and lots of made up fantasy terms and such mumbo jumbo.

The DVD: ADV Films

Picture-1.33:1, Original Aspect Ratio. Oddly, the first episode looks great, a nice blend of crisp cel animation and some computer work, but the rest of the episodes were a mixed bag. The cel animation gets rougher, looking older and cheaper. While its more than watchable, its a little distracting, since a shot or two will have the crisp animation of the first episode and then go back to the rougher look. It appears like the original animation studio may have cut costs or something, and gotten a faster/cheaper animation team to finish the episodes (?).

Sound- Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Original Japanese or English dub, with optional English subtitle options (full translation or just song translation). Good audio, no problems whatsoever, mainly centered, but some music and fx fill out the side channels. The dub seems to have Taikoubou and crew with more kidlike/teen voices that I didn't get the same sense of with the Japanese voice actors.

Extras- Chapter Selections--- Voice Actor Profiles for the English dub cast--- Informative Translator Notes--- Relationship Tree, a much needed character bio list, setup like a family tree, clicking on a name leads you to both a text and voice over profile of the character (using the English dub actors voice)--- Glossary of Terms--- ADV Previews for Secret Angel Kurumi, Wild Arms, Princess Nine, Excel Saga, City Hunter: The Motion Picture and Orphen.

Conclusion: Well, if you are a fan with the subsequent Soul Hunter volumes, there should be nothing holding you back from continuing to purchase the series. DVD is pretty good, decent extras, more than fair presentation.