Search - Darkstalkers - Battle Storm (Vol. 1) on DVD

Avoid at all costs...

Abram Lenten | Negaunee, MI United States | 01/27/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"ADV Films is trying to make this sound like something new, but it isn't. It's merely the first 5 episodes of the Darkstalkers American cartoon which is ALREADY available on their Out of the Shadows package. In fact, inside the packaging is the VERY SAME Volume 1 DVD from Out of the Shadows. The cartoon is worth less than crap anyways. Look at my review of the first Darkstalkers cartoon DVD to get details on exactly how bad this thing is, and why I want to plug a certain kid named Harry Grimoire right through his thick head."

Sorry, but *I* think this is a good cartoon series

K. T. Ong | Singapore | 10/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those who don't know, 'Darkstalkers: Battle Storm' contains the first five episodes of an American cartoon series based on characters and concepts from a horror-based Japanese video game, and an anime series different from the series reviewed here has also been produced based on this game. Now I've come across many people online who have been ranting away on how the American production totally ruins the original game concept, how much better the anime really is, and so on. Well, with all due respect for all you oh-ta-koos out there, I beg to differ.

I've watched all the five episodes, and I've found it most enjoyable. The most important reason is that this series is FUNNY. Everytime the mummy Anakaris appears, I just have to laugh at his antics. And the eternal squabbles between Demitri and Morrigan are great fun, too. The art really isn't all that poorly drawn IMO. One also finds many of the signature moves made by the Darkstalkers in the original game being faithfully reproduced in this series, particularly how all those magical beings arise from Donovan's giant rosary.

By contrast, the gore and grim seriousness of the anime simply do not appeal to me in the least bit. A serious, gory, adult-content cartoon? Can you imagine a remake of SCHINDLER'S LIST or SAVING PRIVATE RYAN in which all the characters are Teletubbies? I really don't think the art of the anime is THAT much better, either. Donovan appears to have no chin at all in the anime. And it honestly gets a bit tiresome how absolutely all females in anime have to be depicted with huge, sparkling eyes and tiny, lipless (!!) mouths.

As for the charge that the American producers have completely distorted the storyline, what I say is that the Darkstalkers are from a GAME and not from a novel. I've seen up to three different storylines by different Asian comic artists, serious. Why can't American producers come up with yet another one, then? And if the Japanese can pinch all sorts of things from Western literature (Dracula, Frankenstein, Celtic myth and legend) and twist them into anime and video games, I don't see why Americans can't reciprocate by pinching a couple Japanese video games and turning them into cartoon serials. Finally, I'd like to know why Capcom itself would give this 'atrocious' cartoon series its seal of approval, as can be seen in the credits at the end of each episode.

My final verdict is that this is an entirely fun and highly entertaining cartoon series for the family. I'm glad I didn't follow the advice of one of the reviewers here to 'avoid' this 'at all costs'. Thumbs up for the producers of this series. (Pity they've produced only 13 episodes in all and the original DVD set titled 'Out of the Shadows' is currently out of stock.)"