Karas
[ 0 Comments ] Written by Kappa on 09/05/09 @ 12:30PM. Located In Anime, Karas, News and Updates
Spanning six episodes across two DVDs, Karas: The Prophecy and Karas: The Revelation is the latest and perhaps greatest creation by Tatsunoko Productions, the legendary studio behind such titles as Speed Racer and Gatchaman.
Maintaining a mature and serious tone throughout, Karas tells the story of (you guessed it) the Karas warriors – superhuman agents capable of incendiary levels of combat. Traditionally, the Karas serve as guardians to the various cities of Japan: one per city, much like Batman with Gotham. However, balance and tradition are soon thrown into chaos when Eko, Tokyo’s resident Karas, becomes jaded with the role of protector and resolves instead to enslave humanity.
Enter Otoha, former Yakuza enforcer and angsta gangsta. Fleeing from his troubled past, Otoha is soon “chosen” by the city of Tokyo to don the black armour of the Karas and bring an end to Eko and his ghastly ambitions. Along the way, Otoha encounters numerous Mikura, horrific machine-like predators that serve as Eko’s minions. The jaw-dropping duels that ensue border on photorealism – one of the hallmarks of this mini-series.
Following Otoha via a trail of dead Mikura are Minoru Sagisaka and Narumi Kure, a team of supernatural investigators rendered in similar fashion to Mulder and Scully. This less-than-dynamic-duo has its own agenda. Sagisaka is bent on vindicating his daughter, Yoshiko, who has been committed to a mental hospital for claiming she has seen the Mikura, something the general populace believe to be nothing more than fantasy. Fortunately, their determined search leads them to discover the secret war between Otoha and Eko. Unfortunately, however, they learn that such a discovery must come at a price.
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Be warned. Karas may have the visuals, but the story-telling leaves a lot to be desired. With numerous flashbacks and scene-cuts flying around like leaves in an updraft, simply trying to gather your bearings becomes a task in itself. Despite all these quibbles, it cannot be denied that Karas showcases a new generation of battle sequences. If you love your action, you cannot go past this landmark creation.