Soul Hunter - Taikoubou's Mission (Vol. 1)
Based on amangaadaptation of a Chinese ghost story, this offbeat adventure-farce recallsSlayersin tone. Zhou, the emperor of China, is bewitched by the evil Dakki: he neglects the empire and its people to indulge her whims. Genshitenson, one of the Taoist Immortals, decides to restore order and assigns disciple-in-training Taikoubou to imprison the souls of Dakki and 364 other demons in Houshin Mountain. An engaging ne'er-do-well in the Captain Tylor/Carrot Glace mode, Taikoubou searches for "powerful allies" on his put-upon steed Sibuxiang and finds the reincarnated warrior Nataku. The filmmakers create a quirky, appealing story by scrambling unusual characters designs, an ancient Chinese setting, and modern technological devices--the aloof demon Shinkohyo watches the other characters via the "Thousand League Eye," a sort of video monitor, complete with push-button remote control. This volume contains the first 5 of 26 episodes. Unrated; suitable for ages 14 and up: Violence, brief nudity, minor profanity.--Charles Solomon