Search - Witch Hunter Robin - Arrival (Vol. 1) With Series Box and Collectables on DVD

Witch Hunter Robin, best since Cowboy Bebop!

Courtland J. Carpenter | Fort Wayne, Indiana United States | 08/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes everything can come together when crafting a good anime. It has happened again with Witch Hunter Robin. This is definitely not your fan boy's anime. You won't find any beauty contests, beach episodes, goofy pets, or other lighter anime standards. What we do find here; is a solid storyline, beautifully drawn, well animated scenes, excellent music, and interesting characters. It's difficult to create the dark tone of an anime, without looking like its been forced. There is seriousness to the story, that's rarely seen in an animated show. In fact, it may be a small flaw, that it lacks sufficient comedy relief. The first few episodes, play like something out of early X-Files. Its important to stay tuned. As the show starts to heat up, it becomes a "must have more episodes now", by about mid-series. One word of warning, for buying later episodes, you may want to wait till they are all obtainable. You may not be able to stand the wait, for the final chapters.On the story itself, it unfolds as characters are developed working within the context. This is not one of those series that wastes time doing mind-numbing introductions. The characters, and their roles become apparent, as the story plays out. This is the best way to learn about them, because it keeps the viewer involved, and does not pander to overly casual viewers.The full series of Witch Hunter Robin spans 26 episodes, and does a nice job of completing the story. That is significant, as many anime designed for multiple seasons, have very poor endings. It appears this series was designed to start, and reach completion, within the 26 episodes made. I cannot speak for the dubbing, but the voice work on the Japanese track is quite excellent. Hopefully the dub will be just as good."

Different Yet Good Quality Anime

David Sound | Huntington Beach, California United States | 09/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Witch Hunter Robin is probably one of the best Anime I've seen yet. I'm usually a tradition oldschool Anime kind of guy. I'm also a picky b*stard. I was always a Bubblegum Crisis, Dangaioh, Megazone 23 kind of guy. It was probably the great music in them. Even though the music in Anime today isn't as rememberable as some oldschool Anime, the story lines are way great. Well there are exceptions, and Witch Hunter Robin had some great music. Remember guys, Witch Hunter Robin was by the makers of Cowboy Bebop, and you probably will be expecting a lot out of it. Don't expect too much, because Cowboy Bebop was the best (1998). But still, even when my expectations were high, Witch Hunter Robin was still great and overall quality, and it deserves five stars. The dialogue and everything is detailed. Beautiful animation, Well it was made in 2002 :) If you're the type that likes to discover new Anime and like taking risks to buy Anime that you've never seen and hope to love, this is the right one. Telling you this kind of defeats the purpose of taking risks. :P Well yeah, it's awesome, again music is awesome, and characters are cool. This release is l33t!"

Alternative Anime

L. Mintah | USA | 09/21/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Witch Hunter Robin (it's so cute the way the Japanese voice actress pronounces 'Robin'). For some reason, I can't get out of my head the French pronunciation, Ro-BAHN. This character, however her name is pronounced, is such a refreshing change from the typical fifteen year-old heroine of Japanese anime. Robin Sena has left a nunnery in Rome to join with STN-J, a secret Japanese police agency that fights witches. She has been brought to replace someone who was killed - we do not find out on this volume who they were or how they died.



Robin is very natural and believable. No huge bishoujo eyes, short skirts, and long hair; Robin has a somber, Puritan-like black dress and a quirky hairstyle. There are hints she will probably develop a romantic interest in a fellow officer: hey, it's anime - this nun thing can't be carried for too long! But you hope she will stay the special person she is and will not change too much.



In volume one, Robin arrives but is ostracized by Amon, the unofficial leader of the STN-J agents. She quietly and determinedly seeks to prove herself. A place of refuge for Robin is Harry's, a lovely restaurant run by the sympathetic yet mysterious Harry. No other customers ever seem to be in Harry's. Who is Harry?



In Volume One, the agents fight four witches - all male except for one. This is interesting, as "witch" connotes a woman. There are four episodes: 1. Replacement, 2. Addicted to Power, 3. Dancing in Darkness, and 4. Stubborn Aesthetics.



The music on the intro is fantastic. The animation is exceptional, one of the best I've seen in anime. Interestingly, the Sci-Fi Channel, which brought us the series Stargate, is producing a live action version of Witch Hunter Robin. It will air sometime in 2004 or 2005."

Striptease

Doc Agony | Wilmington, DE USA | 08/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

""A cross between 'La Femme Nikita' and 'The X Files'", as another reviewer put it. 4 stars, worth the price of admission.



Well, now that we've gotten the "synopsis" and the "conclusion" out of the way, read on to see why I feel that way, and why I've titled this review 'striptease'.



A long time ago, after the Dinosaurs but before TV, there was something called "Burlesque". One of the more earthy components of a good burlesque show was the Strip Tease. A woman would come out, fully clothed, and strip to next to nothing. Look for References to Gypsy Rose Lee, who brought this form of entertainment to an art.



What we have here is an intellectual strip tease. DVD #1 starts with our world "fully clothed", and the music begins to play. We see the dancer's moves. Ah, but we know more is comming, don't we (yeah, I've read the other reviews)?



Things that I liked:



THE CHARACTERS: quirky, without being too over the top. Robin shows more composure than I would expect a normal 15 year old to have, but then again she was raised by Italian Roman Catholic Nuns. Anyone who's ever been to parochial school will tell you that even six hours a day with these "brides of Christ" was a special hell (bitter? who, me?). Is Robin all *she* seems to be?



THE ART: a very interesting combination of CG and cel animation. Most interior shots are CG "backgrounds", as well as some external shots (Harry's Bar). Animation is very well done and sytlish.



THE LOOK: Bounces around between Art Nouveau, "2 Ton Gothic", and indeterminate modern. Hey, *I* like it.



THE WORLD: 'Day After Tomorrow' Sci Fi. The agents wander around with PDA's that I would kill for. Nobody uses CRT's any more. Witchcraft exists but is suppressed to the point where the Normal Human Beings are convinced it's tabloid stuff.



THE EXTRAS: The usual stuff, including a glossary of the magical "tools" used. As another reviewer mentions, the series seems to be well researched.



THE STORY: Episodic in volume 1, with a hint or two of the "larger world" dropped in each story. By the end of Volume 1 you are left with several questions: is Robin a spy; why does the Japanese branch capture witches, and what do they do with them; Harry the bartender seems to be more than he appears. etc, etc. Nice set up.



Ah, good anime at it's finest: the first 4 or 5 epsiodes get you to the top of the hill in the roller coaster. The Big Drop has to come soon. I can't wait for Volume 2."