serdar-5 Reviews

Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle (2000)

Dazzling and thoughtful retelling of a classic Japanese legend

[10/10 · 3 October 2002]

Sogo Ishii has taken the old myth of Musashibo Benkei and stood it on its head to produce a dark, gory, spellbinding and terrific-looking movie. Those unfamiliar with the legend won't need to be; the story explains itself nicely as it goes along. Well worth seeking out even though there are no English-language home video versions.

Sukeban Deka (1991 Video)

Smashing adaptation of a cult-classic comic and TV series

[8/10 · 30 July 2001]

An excellent anime rendition of a cult-classic Japanese comic, also rendered (not very faithfully) as a TV show. The anime goes back to the first couple of volumes of the comic for its plot and is all the better for it. Violent, funny, fast-moving, with charming heroes and a genuinely nasty arch-villain, although not for all tastes. (Note: The brainwashing subplot is kind of left-field and has nothing to do with the original story.)