The Soultaker - The Monster Within (Vol. 1)
This dark fantasy-adventure borrows elements fromEvangelionandGasarakiand presents them in the style ofLain. Kyosuke Date's life becomes a waking nightmare as he discovers that his mother was murdered, he is a powerful mutant, and fragments of his sister's soul have become humanlike creatures called "Flickers." The Flickers are mercilessly hunted by the cruel vice president of an infinitely powerful conglomerate, the Kirihara Group. Kyosuke takes up with the sardonic Shiro Mibu, the sworn enemy of the Kirihara, and is soon battling giant robots and screeching maniacs. Series director Akiyuki Shinbo uses all the latest tricks: rapid-fire editing, weird colors (including blood-red frames), repeated close-ups of crosses and other objects, still frames juxtaposed with battle sequences, etc. But these flashy visuals can't disguise the slightness of the familiar story. Rated 16 Up: Considerable violence, grotesque imagery, profanity, alcohol and tobacco use.--Charles Solomon