Search - Moon Phase - Phase 2 on DVD

HAZUKI FINDS HER MOTHER

Sesho | Pasadena, TX USA | 01/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kouhei, Hazuki, Seiji, and Gramps have gone to Kyoto to consult with the Mido clan about the dangerous weakening of Haiji, the cat familiar sent by Hazuki's mother. While there we are introduced to Hikaru and Kaori, two little shrine priestess girls who are supposedly the arranged brides of Kouhei and Seiji. Of course, they have an automatic dislike for Hazuki, who they regard as a demon and a threat to their love matches. Hazuki still has a long way to go in terms of social interaction because she's still using her hypnotic abilities to get her way. She might have gone too far though when she uses her mind control on Kouhei's best friend and editor Hiromi. Behind the scenes, Count Kinkel has arrived in town after Elfriede's failure to persuade Hazuki to return to her imprisonment. He will use an illusion in the form of Hazuki's mother to lead her away from her friends and into danger.



The first thing that stands out about this show is its beautiful colors, which are bright but always have the feel of being filtered through a twilight curtain, giving a somehow earthy and organic feel. Moon Phase is also extremely well animated. It also does a good job of mixing drama, comedy, action, and horror, along with a bid dose of cuteness in all the female designs. What gives this anime a poignant twist is that Hazuki is just looking for a place to belong, and she sees that place as near her mother, who she is desperately looking for. Kouhei too, is missing his mother, and we learn in this volume that Haiji actually belonged to Kouhei's mom originally, so perhaps they can both get some closure later in the series. Count Kinkel makes a great villain as he delights in causing people suffering. The only annoying thing is when Haiji changes from cat form to a little doll sized talking cat girl which bordered on overkill in the cuteness department. This is a great looking show which is also well written"

Gothic Trumps Humorous

W. Moody | New Mexico | 02/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"MOONPHASE has always had one major problem- its heroine, Hazuki, seems a bit too young to be involved in any kind of a relationship (even just a neck-biting one) with a twentyish fellow like Kouhei. This problem is compounded in this second disk by the introduction of two distant relatives who are supposedly "betrothed" to Kouhei and his cousin Seiji. OK, I might grant that Hazuki might POSSIBLY be as old as 14 (if small for that age), but Hikaru and Kaoru, who are supposed to eventually marry Seiji and Kouhei respectively, look to be no more than 12 at most. And on top of that, Seiji definitely got the better of the two; Kaoru falls down a lot, barely speaks, and seems to offer little to the series at all. Kaoru is, in fact, one of the most annoying characters in anime, and the main reason I've deducted one star here.... Well, and also for the slapping of Hazuki in Episode 7 (for something she was guilty of) AND in Episode 10 (for something she wasn't.) Even granted that she was doing something pretty bad in Ep. 7, slapping a woman doesn't cut it in the U.S., though this is a rather common scene in anime.

The good news is, except for these lapses, these 5 episodes would rate 5 stars. We get a good deal more information about Elfreide (one of the most intriguing characters in anime, effectively combining sexy and mysterious), and the introduction of the best villain in the series: Count Kinkel, a vampire who can play tricks with your eyes. Episodes 8-10 detail the the Mido's first encounter with Kinkel, who has lured Hazuki into his lair with an illusion of her mother. Episode 9 has a rather gruesome thing happen to one of our heroes, though it isn't shown explicitly, and it leads to a crisis over the acceptance of Hazuki by the Midos.

The series continues its notable "arty" look and sound (including its wonderfully bizarre opening "song"), and does a great job of being both Gothic and comical, though Gothic is in the ascendant in this chapter.

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