Karakuri no Kimi

Quite frankly, it's worth watching. Not a masterpiece by any means, but the animation is beautiful, specially in the way it transmits motion and movement; on the case of some of the characters, it's a astonishingly unnerving in a way that I haven't really seen before. The pacing is brisk and surprisingly never drags nor gives whiplash, which should always be commended. There is also a very interesting dynamic between its main characters; despite ignoring the source entirely, and thus being wholly ignorant on how accurate they were portrayed, I would like to see more of them if they are this way. Individually they are quitefun, as a duo they are a riot. The dainty princess (Rangiku) with her can-do attitude, unassuming innocence and overall merry disposition also has a secondary layer of darkness that never quite strikes you as edgy nor does it break the first attributes I have described, but rather, reinforces them, because even in her eeriest sequences she still retains that emotion, without ever stepping into a sadistic role. As for the ninja (Yasaburou), he holds the line between comedic and cool by following the characterization of a man who attempts to be suave, yet is constantly dragged into situations that he'd much rather avoid. There is a scene that will probably break him for some people, in regards to what he seems he's about to do, but the punchline is effective and only reinforces the impression that he's playing a role of bravado fitting his circumstances rather than being himself. That leads us into the main theme, which can be surprisingly profound, if only it were given the time to be properly explored, as well as if it were the main concern of the story. As it is, I suspect it's not. But there is a general idea of "control" that shows throughout the narrative, in particular, that of being in control of other people through various means. Very appropriate for a story about puppets. It all does tie together at the end, as several ideas regarding how a "puppet master" would operate are demonstrated throughout the backstories of its characters and specially in how they fight. That's what, in my opinion, keeps the story from being meaningless fluff. Nevertheless, there rests the question, "is it fun?". And the answer is yes, this is a fun OVA, with very enjoyable animation, some characters that hint at being intriguing despite the limitations of the format, and overall, really great action that subject to the hand of competent direction and animation. While I am reluctant to refer to it as a hidden gem, I very much enjoyed my time with it, and its mere 39 minutes of footage are worth spending with it.

It's short and has charm, so watch it if the premise appeals to you. But don't go into it thinking it'll be on par with series like Ninja Scroll, the Kage OVA, or Vampire Princess Miyu in terms of either fights or beautiful animation. It's got style, but at a fraction, but it's definitely got some things going for it that make it a classic. Animation was alright, and I'm not just saying that for the time this came out. It feels like, surprisingly, despite this OVA being an almost 1:1 shot of the one-shot it was based off of, that the manga did it better.Fights were decent, with cool moments of violent blood sprays accompanied with great choice of music. The final fight was its best fight and most well choreographed. Sound design was mediocre, however, with sound affects for a few of the scenes being a little off. Overall, it's a decent short that I rated as a 5 because it's got one heck of a fun concept and an alright execution. It feels lacking. When reading the one-shot, the art felt more consistent throughout, the darker, thick lines and the scenes flowing better than something that has movement—biggest exceptions being where they barged through the enemy and the final battle, which the OVA completely excelled at. Watch for a quick fix of 90's (despite coming out in the early 2000's) styled anime set Feudal Japan, but keep in mind that it's nothing phenomenal.

Rate of 7 (good) Seen via english dubbed Likes A true classic approach to tales much like the anime about Frankenstein i reviewed in the past. Some stories just plain start while others like this build you in. Rather than providing you a buffet of food you have a sampler dish placed in-front of you. Eat how you will but at least you can have an idea of what to is to come. Intro does not stop there. After sampling the dish the waiter instructs the chef to come out and explain his dish. What makes it flavorful. What makes it savory. What not to expect. You getthe idea. At the end of your meal the chef reappears for questions and final remarks. Now, the idea of food/chef was my fancy feast for you. The message behind it is what your tasting. Top that childhood actors *wink wink* In terms of the character they were structured in such a manner that i was not asking any questions about them. Each back story was known. Each flaw and strength was apparent. The only time you were mystified was when you had to be build the suspense. Dislikes You are already aware my like of the overall structure to the plot and character development but in a manner of speaking i did find one thing unsettling. The detail/element of kids that factored into this story. Granted i understand there must be some evil element to a story but the kid flare left me a touch burnt. I am not saying the plot needs to be changed(would be nice if it was) but just the film approach. I think more audiences could reap the benefit from this had the creative spin of blocked ecchi. Maybe the camera falls down when the children are mentioned. Maybe smoke grenades go off. Understandably these examples wont work given the idea but the idea is to play from a more gentler approach. Not to take you from viewing the movie. Sure, it is not kid friendly for what en-tales but the message is kind. Like never go with the flow or don't be pulled along.

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