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Demon Prince Enma, Vol. 1
Demon Prince Enma Vol 1
Actor: Demon Prince Enma
Director: Mamoru Kanbe
Genres: Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
UR     2007     1hr 18min

The latest anime from the genius manga artist Go Nagai! — Hardcore Japanese horror arrives in the USA! — Enma is the Demon Prince of the Underworld, a demon "Born of Fire." His mission is to take back or destroy demons that ...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Actor: Demon Prince Enma
Director: Mamoru Kanbe
Genres: Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
Sub-Genres: Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
Studio: Bandai Visual USA
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic - Animated
DVD Release Date: 05/22/2007
Release Year: 2007
Run Time: 1hr 18min
Screens: Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Languages: Japanese
Subtitles: English

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Movie Reviews

DEMONS: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
Sesho | Pasadena, TX USA | 06/17/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Demon Prince Enma is based on an old 1970's children's manga by Go Nagai named "Satanikus" which followed the adventures of a demon child named Enma and his pals as they tracked down evil demons. The manga also spawned a much beloved anime version, which, while being targeted at kids, had its moments of adult humor. Demon Prince Enma takes the plot of the old series and matures it quite a bit. Enma is now a young man/demon who is a bit of a lecher. While his mind constantly runs in the gutter, his real purpose in being on our plane is to round up or kill demons that have escaped from the Underworld. He doesn't handle this job alone. The beautiful ice demon princess Yukihime is his partner and she uses her power to form and control ice to back up Enma's fire-wielding abilities. There's also an odd looking toad spirit that helps them out with intelligence gathering on unusual happenings in the city that might indicate a demon is involved. To blend in more with humanity, Enma and the others tout themselves as a paranormal detective agency, even though Kapaeru is a bipedal talking toad/turtle monster! He fools humans into thinking he's wearing a mascot costume for his part-time job at the "Cutie College", a hostess club for lonely Japanese men. In the first episode, Enma and Yukihime have to find out the connection between a missing girl and a recent string of serial murders in which a vampire is being blamed for the deeds. Then they go up against a murderous living doll right of the Twilight Zone.

As far as I know, the kid's anime Demon Prince Enma was based on has never been released in the US, so I came to this first volume knowing nothing about the previous series. It was only after I watched it that I did a little research. While knowing about the original series could be a tad helpful, it really won't effect your enjoyment of this sexy, violent, scary, and at times, funny anime. Demon Prince is not shy about gore or nudity and is definitely a mature title. But it's main strength is its atmosphere of dread and creepy suspense that echo the original Japanese versions of films like The Ring or The Grudge. The animation, handled by Brain's Base, is of the highest quality. The only thing that got on my nerves a bit was Kapaeru. It was a bit of a stretch because any halfway intelligent individual would figure out the dude was not wearing a costume. Also, nobody seems to think anything amiss as Enma walks around the city wearing a cloak and a sentient witch hat! So don't quite expect realism with this dvd but do expect to feel dread, horror, and to laugh a bit.

I have no idea why this first volume is retailing at $39.95 because it only contains two episodes running about 35 minutes each. This is the most expensive single anime dvd I have ever seen. So even though I really liked it, I just can't ever see myself buying it. I think I lot of people that don't have the luxury of an anime store they can rent dvds from will miss out on this good show simply from price. Apparently Bandai is stepping up the price of anime that were direct to video releases in Japan. What is driving this rationale is anyone's guess, but I guarantee this price point is going to lead to low sales. I wouldn't pay 40$ even for a volume of anime that I loved!"
`Demon Prince ENMA' is another awesome interpretation of a N
Dennis A. Amith (kndy) | California | 08/08/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you have never watched a dark anime (or read a dark manga) by Nagai Go, you're in for a treat.

Nagai was the first anime creator that I've met and I literally have his autographed artwork in my office because I'm such a fan of his work.

He has created so many manga titles and anime based on those titles which people are familiar with. Titles such as "Cutey Honey", "Mazinger Z", "Devilman", "Getter Robo" and the list goes on. The man is truly a legend.

One of his earlier manga titles "Dororon Enma" was created back in 1973 and even spawned an anime series featuring a child demon prince named Enma (born of fire) and his partners Princess Yukihime (born of ice) and a monster named kapaeru as they take back or destroy demons that have escaped to the human world.

Granted, the anime was targeted more towards children back in 1973 but here we are 35 years later with the first volume of the "Kikoushi Enma" four-part OAV series aka Demon Prince ENMA from Bandai Visual/Honneamise.

This time around, the demon prince and his partners are grown up and make their return to the human world.

Enma is more or less a demon prince who really could care less about human life. All he wants to do is bring back or destroy the demons that have escaped to the human world. He's quite brash, insensitive and also quite perverted.

His partner Princess Yukihime is a bit more caring towards human life but has short fuse when Enma gets into his lecherous ways. She is fond of Enma, has trouble discussing her feelings but is very calm and collected.

As for Kapaeru, he is a Kappa (which is a demon monster in Japanese folklore of that resemble frog, lizards, turtles in human or monkey-like form) that speaks good English and in a strange twist of situations in the human world, humans accept that he is a weird person that is wearing an outfit or someone cosplaying a kappa (when actually he is a real monster).

The fourth character assisting the team is Grandpa Chapeauji. Which is a hat demon and a hat that Enma wears. Grandpa has deep knowledge of the Underworld and can detect demons.

And in order for the team to catch these demons, they form a detective agency.

The first episode is titled "Nobusama: Rot-Pus Suck Demon" and shows the group having returned to the human world. The story focuses on Lorelai Heinrich. A woman who is born to a German father and Japanese mother.

Her father Professor Schtrolheim Heinrech thinks the world of his daughter and sees his wife in Lola but unbeknownst to him is that Lola dates and sleeps with men for money. She does this to relieve her stress from her overbearing father and one day as she takes a bath, the bath starts to fill with blood.

All of a sudden, all these men that she is with end up dead and mutilated? What is going on?

The second episode titled "Piguma: Corpseless Demon" is a story that revolves around a girl named Hata Nanami. She is a hostess at "Cutie College", a cabaret club. Her co-workers think she's a bit unusual because she holds this ningyo doll (given to her by her boyfriend) while working.

One day, she comes home from work to catch her boyfriend in bed with another woman. She kicks them out of her apartment and throws the doll out.

Her boyfriend and his new girlfriend see the doll but something is weird about it. He kicks it and it comes back. Is this doll possessed by a demon?

Watching the first volume of "Demon Prince ENMA" is almost the same feeling I had after watching "Devilman" for the first time.

Watching an intriguing yet somewhat dark and twisted anime with humor and fan service (or nudity) but a touch of gore that is genuinely a true Nagai horror story. "Demon Prince ENMA" embodies that similar Nagai style for those familiar with his works but takes the childlike manga from the past and gives it a more modern, mature and dark storyline.

Humor and a nudity is definitely included but this anime is not for the timid. There is blood, gore, violence and it's all out an animated horror series.

What I found very interesting is how the main characters of Enma and partners view humanity and how they are anti-heroes. They are not there to save humans, they just want to bring their demons back to the Underworld and if they resist, destroy them.

Even in an interview with Enma voice actor Tokumoto Yukitoshi (on the special features), he even mentions how when he played the role, he was told to play Enma as a villain. So, that was quite interesting.

So, each storyline has a dark and tragic side to it but how its done is quite interesting, involving and you do care for the victims and hope they can be rid of their demon possession.

Each episode is a stand alone story but does have a relation to the next as police are investigating the murders and are reluctant to believe that vampires or monsters are causing this.

So, after watching these two OAV's, I was clamoring for more "Demon Prince ENMA". I really enjoyed it!

The animation is pretty cool and colorful and dark when they need be. There is talent behind the directing of animation as Tanaka Ryo (known for his work on "Getter Robo", "Macross Plus", "Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie" and many others) is part of the staff as well as "Elfen Lied" director Kanbe Mamoru who is the director of the "Demon Prince Enma" OAV episodes. Animation is provided as 16:9LB and in DVD-9 format.

The audio is actually very well done. I watched this and found it cool to hear the audio use, especially dialogue with Yukihime on the right and Enma on the left and to hear the rear audio in place as well. So, I really enjoyed the 5.1 mix for the audio. Both audio mixes are encoded at 448 kbps.

The voice acting is also well done as Tokumoto Yukitoshi gets his first major role as Enma and Yukihime who has a long list of acting roles on her portfolio, does a great job as well. But I really have to give a thumbs up to those who played the victims in each episode. Komatsu Yuka as Lola and Noto Mamiko as Hata Nanami really had to showcase happiness, sadness, terror and they did an excellent job in showing various stages of emotions.

As for special features, you get a ten minute interview with Japanese voice actor Tokumoto Yukitoshi (Enma) and with Komatsu Yuka (Lola).

Included with the first volume DVD is a 16-page booklet which feature character profiles, settings and even short manga pages of "Demonic Prince" by Nagai and Dynamic Pro."