Hakuouki Movie 1: Kyoto Ranbu

i apologise in advance; my reviews are not as detailed as others... essentially this story is about the rise and fall of the shinsengumi. it's a historical action drama (with a supernatural element). i much preferred this film version the the series. as 12 episodes had to be condensed into 95 minutes, the pacing is better, although the drawback is that there is less character development and some of the incidents that lead the characters to act as they do, such as when 2 members of the shinsengumi left, had to be glossed over. some of the wonderful humour of the first few episodesis missing also. however, i feel that these losses are compensated for by some excellent sword fights, and most significantly, the portrayal of Chizuru here, in comparison to the series, is a breath of fresh air. no longer is she an annoying child who's talents extend to fainting and making tea. she is resourceful, smart, passionate, and a fighter. although we sadly don't get to see her fight here, they way she gets her sword out tells you that she means business. the animation, as with the series is of a very good standard, very clear, very bright and fluid. the plot is easy to follow, if a little rushed. i am not sure the storytelling would be a completely satisfying experience if you have not watched the series first. however, i would recommend that any one who is a fan of samurai style anime to give this a try.

[I posted this review only under the second movie at first, until I realized it would be smarter to put it under the first one :) ~ I wrote this shortly after I watched the second movie, it thus refers to both movies together. ~ This is my first review. It also isn't that detailed and mostly contains my personal view.] The Hakuouki series is one of my all-time favourites, so I was looking forward for the movies. But I have to say that I was pretty disappointed at the beginning, because you don't get to know the characters well enough. There were several scenes where I found myselfthinking if I would have understood the situation if I haven't watched the whole series before. Some important parts (for me) were just missing. But there weren't only bad things about it, for example, did I love the way they edited the fighting scenes and the way Chizuru transformed. I also was very pleased to see some good Kazama time, although in contrast to the others it was probably too much. I was really sorry for Saitou when he had to see 'it' two times in a row (You'll know what I mean if you watch it). I was really a cry baby during the series, but the movies didn't make me cry at all. This was probably because of the things I mentioned above and the fact that the end is a bit different. In the end, I would say that the movies alone weren't that good and sometimes confusing, but if you watch them as a addition to the series it was well made, to see some new (also very sweet) things.

Let me start off by stating that Hakuouki is one of my favorite animes. Because both the television series and the movie are based off the otome game, there are many similarities between the two, but also many differences. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. The movie can be watched by itself, however, watching the series would help you better understand the characters. I really enjoyed both the series and the movie. The tones of each are complete opposites. The movie has a very serious undertone, with almost none of the comedic relief of the series, depending on your taste. The main thingthat made me love the movie was that it stuck pretty close to the otome game plot. With out spoiling the endings of either I was more drawn to the movies ending. It wrapped everything up very nicely and did not leave me with the disappointment the series did. The art in the movie is definitely softer then the television series. It is very easy to look at, and really allows you to into the movie with out any eyestrain. Overall, I have give the movie a solid 8 for entertainment. Even though I knew what was going to happen the movie still managed to keep me enthralled. It kept the most memorable parts from the game/television series, but still was able to throw fresh scenes so it did not bore the audience. I would definitely recommend this movie to those who are fans of the franchise.

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