 |
   
| 3. Avenant
Soultaker opens with Kyosuke (yes, our hero) as his
dying mother kills him. Indeed, from the very beginning, the series is something
different. The art stands out, and the entire series is drawn from abstract angles
with dim lighting and dark, cold colours - very heavy on iconism, too - this,
together with the dark stroyline (which is slowly revealed) creates an exellent,
dark atmosphere of mystery. Music is seldom used, but doesn't particulatly stand
out when it is. Not much can be said about Soultaker
- especially its storyline - without spoiling it. But all in all, I found the
pace pleasant, the mystery appealing and the artwork fascinating. It's a good,
solid series - definitely worth watching. |
| 2. Iodine
The first thing you'll notice about Soul Taker is the
utterly incredible visual element of the series. High quality graphics obsessed
with symbolism and iconography make even the most unimportant conversation scenes
something special. The direction isn't afraid of experimentation, and the resulting
animation is a true work of art. Sadly, all the brilliant artistry can't quite
hide the average sci-fi story or the familiar contrivances that go with them.
A solitary boy named Kiyosuke is forced to transform into the superpowered Soul
Taker and fight an evil organization, in order to find his missing sister, Runa,
and learn the truth about his identity. In the meantime, he keeps running across
Runa's doppleganger "flickers," who must be rescued and protected. Add
a standoffish ally, unhealthy family relationships, and some cute-girl comic relief,
and what comes out is a plot that tries very hard to be deeper than it actually
is. Though our hero may wax philosophic, he always winds up back in battle mode
and beating up no-name baddies by the end of the episode. Aside
from the visuals, the show's technical elements are ambitious, but fairly average.
The music is suitably gloomy, though an especially cringe-worthy piece of J-pop
serves as both the show's title song and Kiyosuke's battle theme. The dialogue
is repetitive, and the characters don't bother to grow beyond their assigned archetypes.
The premise does have its strengths, and provides more than enough material for
the artists to play with, but the writing never manages to live up to the animation,
and thus never fulfills its own potential. |
| 1. Dunpeal
Different, and yet at the same time, oddly familiar. That's
the best description of Soultaker that I can give, which is the anime equivalent
of Evangelion crossed with a good old-fashioned super-hero tale. Kyosuke
Date is the Soultaker. But what is the SoulTaker? A being of another world? Perhaps
a mutant? And what's the deal with the Hospital: A sinister agency out to kill
Kyosuke while also hunting his sister? And how do flickers, fragments of his sister's
soul that exist as their own beings, fit into this? Keep watching, and over the
course of this 13 episode series all of these questions, plus more, will be answered.
How well they are answered depends on how well you are at interpretation I guess. Either
way, SoulTaker is a beautifully animated series, using the best of it's
seemingly huge budget. Everything about this show looks OVA-quality, and if you
get lost in the convoluted story, at least you have beautiful visuals to keep
you entertained. Personally, I loved it. Both the intro and ending theme are excellent,
and the in-show music isn't par for the course either, having some very good themes.
Overall, an above-average anime with an impressive ending. |
| 
 |
