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R2 DVD Reviews
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Friday, 05 February 2010 00:00 |
 After a first volume that didn't make a whole lot of sense, X TV tries to make amends in volume two by spelling the show's basis out in words of one syllable. Despite that, I'm still not entirely sure what's going on - but at least it's a little more enjoyable to watch now...
5 - A Destiny
A girl, Nekoi Yuzuriha, with a dog who no-one can see, and a destiny that will draw her closer to Kamui. The dog, Inuki, is something of a family curse and blessing, all in one - born to be her protector, and only visible to those who will play a part in the coming war. The only others who can see Inuki are those tied to the coming battle between the Dragons of Heaven and Earth, and Nekoi's beginning to realise that there are a lot of them around. Kamui, meanwhile, is being taken to see Princess Hinoto, the Dreaming Princess, who has the power to see the future - in a limited sort of way. If Kamui has questions he wants answered, then now is the time to ask them...
6 - Kouya
The shrine at Kouya is home to the Shingon sect - it's also been home to Sorata for many years, and the place where he went through his training - which wasn't entirely about standing under waterfalls and being serious. Sorata has always had a funloving nature, and even now that the end of the world is potentially at hand, he's still trying to have fun along the way - much to Arashi's annoyance. But Sora has also come to the attention of the Dragons of Earth, who are looking for ways in which he can be exploited. Kamui, meanwhile, having for now turned his back on Princess Hinoto's pleas to join the Dragons of Heaven, has matters of a more down-to-earth nature to deal with...
7 - Cyber
Satsuki: a Dragon of Earth, controller of one of the most powerful computers on the planet and responsible for gathering whatever information her colleagues may need. She's also got a rather tangled relationship with Kanoe, which may introduce a level of conflict into the Seven Angels. After seeing Kanoe with her current lover, Satsuki leaves, jealousy burning, and while working off her frustration by cycling around Tokyo's streets meets Nekoi and Inuki. As well as the problems of the present, though, Natsuki is also having to deal with the problems created by her past...
8 - Gemini
It's always a good idea for the bad guys to work in high places - Kanoe certainly is, working as an aide to a prominent politician, while Yuto's job in a government office gives him access to records that otherwise my be hard to reach. He's used that access to track down the one person he'd seen capable of entering a barrier field: Fuma Monou, classmate of Kamui's and son of the keeper of the Divine Sword - or former keeper, now that he's dead. On the day of the funeral, Kamui receives a note, purporting to be from his aunt Tokiko, giving him a time to meet her at which point she'll hand over the Divine Sword - but before he has a chance to meet, he comes under attack by one of the Seven Angels...
Right. The explanations we've been waiting for come in the first episode of the disc, courtesy of Hinoto, the Dreaming Princess. She has the power to see the future, in a limited way, and has seen the destruction of the world - as well as Kamui's ability to prevent that destruction. Here's the theory: Tokyo is surrounded by artificial barriers that protect the whole world. The Dragons of Heaven (the Seven Seals) protect those barriers, while the Dragons of Earth (the Seven Angels) would like to break them down - so, at least from Hinoto's point of view, the Seven Angels are the bad guys, and the Seven Seals are the good guys. If the barriers are destroyed, the world will be destroyed with them - and Kamui is all that stands in the way of that fate. Kamui's mother knew this, which is why she was willing to give up her own life to let him live.
But to every tale there are two sides, and the Dragons of Earth are represented by Hinoto's younger (but older-looking) sister Kanoe, who would very much like to put her side of the story to Kamui - if she can be given the chance. Knowing that there's that other side that he has yet to hear in full seems to be what puts Kamui off joining the Dragons of Heaven just yet - that, and a healthy dose of selfishness. As pointed out by one of Hinoto's bodyguards, Kamui truly is one of the most self-centered characters I've seen in anime - all he's interested in is getting his hands on the Divine Sword, and on being able to do with it as he pleases. Joining with either side in the coming war would seem to work against that, and so there's genuine doubt about what he's going to do next. There's also still the confusion around the 'other' Kamui that exists to resolve - but not just yet, apparently.
With the explanations given, the show moves on to a string of episodes that serve mostly to introduce some of the other main characters - what they're doing now and where they came from. These are interesting enough, particularly in Satsuki's case where it explains how she came to side with the 'bad' guys, but despite having a full episode pretty much devoted to each character, they still end up feeling rather shallow at the end of it. No, I can't explain why that's the case, and it's a little on the disappointing side, all things considered.
Still, the main thing to take from this volume is that the two sides in the coming war are now defined, the dividing line between them is clear, and Kamui's choice has been set before him, ready for him to choose his destiny once he loses a little of his trademark selfishness. That's a much better situation than we were in at the end of the last volume, and there's hope that the series may turn out to be enjoyable yet. Not much hope, but some. One for the rental pile for the moment, but showing promise.
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