Everything about him is shrouded in mystery. The mask he can t remove a past he can t unravel and the very survival of the people who have chosen them as their leader. But what Hakuoro doesn t know is this: He was gravel... more »y injured in the forest and left for dead. A kind young girl named Eluluu found him and nursed him back to health. Welcomed into a barren land where strange creatures roam an angry god seeks vengeance and an oppressive government slaughters the innocent a bloody war looms on the horizon. Will the masked hero be able to liberate the people who saved him? Can he unlock the memories that elude him or will he remain a stranger even to himself. The answers are right before your eyes (or are they?) in the thrilling killing and pillaging first volume of Utawarerumono!System Requirements:Run Time: 125 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM Rating: TV-PG UPC: 702727161223 Manufacturer No: DUM/001« less
"Utawarerumono is a beautiful series accessable to fans of many genres. First couple episodes are slow to build a connection to the earthy villager, but the action comes quick and darker themes are explored not long after.
This series was adapted from a hentai action game, but like Fate/Stay Night, does not contain sexual scenes. Only the plot and subtle references remain. Eruruu's (or Eluluu as credited for the dub) reaction to having her tail touched, remains for instance, but the androgenous twin archers are portrayed as feminine.
I have not heard the Dub yet so can give no opinion on the quality, but good VAs have been cast by ADV, including Kira Vincent-Daivs, Greg Ayres, and Monica Rial."
Got Tail?
J. Adashek | Milwaukee, WI | 03/15/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Utawarerumono" translates roughly as "The Ones Who Are Sung Of." It's a descriptive title (not to mention a hard one for English speakers to pronounce--ADV initially announced the series as "Shadow Warrior Chronicles," though fan reaction prompted the company to revert to the original name) and an apt one for a series whose storyline wastes little time in reaching an epic scale. This first volume plunges the heroes into a nationwide revolt; later installments will only see the conflict spread further.
The artwork for this series is gorgeous, with detailed character designs, smooth and effectively animated battles (of which there are more than a few) and music to match. As with any great series, though, the real appeal of Utawarerumono lies with its characters. Hakuoro, Eluluu, and company are distinctive and likable, and their interactions with one another are both memorable and often more than a little lighthearted (the title of this review refers to one scene in particular from the first episode, which does a pretty good job of setting the tone for the series; also included on this disc is a short bonus episode about a snack hunt gone very, very wrong).
The English dub of Utawarerumono is serviceable--not particularly bad, but not outstanding, either, especially in comparison to the original Japanese. Hakuoro's and Eluluu's Japanese voice actors in particular outshine their English counterparts by an order of magnitude.
Utawarerumono is well worth a look; it's off to an excellent start, and should only get better."
For a dub, I'm pleasantly surprised
J. Hughes | Sacramento, CA USA | 01/25/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Even though it seems to start slow, this is a wonderful story that just gets better and better as it goes along. The plot leads through a seemingly twisted path, with an ending that you never see coming.
I watched the Japanese episodes of Utawarerumono as they came out on TV and, I must say, I was cringing with the thought of how they would dub this series.
When I received the first disk, I was pleasantly surprised. Hakuoro's (shortened to Hakuro for the dub) voice could be a bit deeper to fit the character but otherwise it's alright. Oboro, Benawi, Nuwangi, Yuzuha, and the archer twins are nailed dead on for personalities and voices.
The translation is also pretty close to the original Japanese.
Overall, this is a dub that I can truly say I am happy with, having seen both versions.
"
Unexpected Find
Mamzelle Bee | Michigan, USA | 01/11/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I was able to catch what appeared to be the first or second episode of Utawarerumono (what a mouthful!) on On Demand, the other day, and was nothing but pleased. The animation is good, and the designs are beautiful. While I definitely prefer subtitles, the dub wasn't bad at all. Despite her lackluster performance as Nyu/Lucy of Elfen Lied, Kira Vincent-Davis does a great job with Elulu. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this as it comes out.
A note on the rating: While it seems like a good show, Utawarerumono fails to impress like some other anime. Only time will tell if Uta' turns out to be as good as its start."
A riviting must-see anime series!
Dennis A. Amith (kndy) | California | 08/10/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A mysterious man, a village and the war that cometh.
This is the story of "UTAWARERUMONO", a 26-episode anime TV series which aired in Japan in 2006 and is based on a PC and PlayStation 2 video game from Aqua PLUS and LEAF.
The story revolves around a man who wears a mask.
Found wounded and left for dead in the forest, an apprentice healer named Elulu brings the man to her village and helps nurse back to health.
The man has no recollection of his past and is not sure why he wears a mask but he does have images of destruction that comes and passes into his memory.
At first glance, I actually thought this series would be something along the lines of a "SLAYERS" wannabe series. I was definitely wrong with that assumption.
As much as the series has its times of humor, the storyline is very well-written, smart, violent and at times serious.
In a way, you can say that it reminds me of the time I watched the popular series "Record of Lodoss War" for the first time.
The first episode introduces us to the man with the masked who will later be named Hakuoro. Also, apprentice healer Elulu and her little sister Aruru and their grandmother.
You learn about the village and their fears of the forest god who wreaks vengeance against the villagers until one night the god or beast attacks the village.
Episode 2 features the village contemplating what they can do to appease the god or to destroy it.
Episode 3 introduces us to a careless fighter from another village named Oboro and his sick sister Yuzuha and what he will do to save his sister.
Episode 4 deals with the repercussions of Oboro's actions, a major character death and the beginning of the war that the villagers will have to face against the oppressive government and its selfish and maniacal king who wants the villagers destroyed and massacred. And the villagers look towards Hakuoro to lead them.
The series is definitely action-packed and definitely intriguing. It has an Akira Kurosawa "Seven Samurai" type feel that you root for Hakuoro and the villagers and hope they are able to stand up against the evil government and its soldiers.
The DVD features the first four episodes. The animation is very well done and both Japanese and English dubbed voice acting are very well done.
DVD extras include an omake theater, extended episode reviews, character art gallery, glossary of terms and a booklet featuring an interview with the screenwriter and voice actors for Oboro and Yuzuha.
"UTAWARERUMONO" is riveting, must-see series which each episode ending with somewhat of a cliffhanger that you want more.
Not only is it a series about friendship and caring but it's also a series about the price of war and how people are brought together through unfortunate circumstances.