Search - Kamichu! - Little Deity (Vol. 1 + Collector's Box) on DVD

If Miyazaki turned to television...

Margo DeCuir | los angeles | 04/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an incredibly endearing little anime. It stars a young girl by the name of Yurie who quietly remarks one day to her best friend that she became a god last night. A classmate of hers overhears (who happens to be a priestess at the local temple) and sets about trying to help Yurie use her powers (and promote the temple in the process). And it also has a dab of romance, just for giggles. It's a very sweet anime, a lovely story. I can't forsee anyone really disliking it - it has an almost Miyazaki quality to it. Also, great animation, very likable characters and humor all add up to make it an excellent anime. The only deterents are that a few of the episodes are kind of way outside the box, though cute in and of themselves."

An Amazing All-Around Anime

Antonio D. Paolucci | Beaver Falls, PA | 06/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before I had purchased Kamichu, I read all I could on it and found that a lot of critics agree that it's a Spirited Away for TV. Spirited Away was a masterpiece, that's for sure, but in Kamichu's case I expected a episodic copy of Miyazaki's Oscar winner. That, for me, was all I needed to purchase this DVD, and what I honestly expected was something wholly different than what I got. Kamichu itself is a masterpiece; it covers all the grounds of a great anime, and while it does share a lot of similarities to Spirited Away and many other Ghibli films, it still has it's own little style that separates it from the Ghibli bunch.

To me, an anime needs four things to make it great: animation, story, characters, and music. Kamichu excels in every field. The production value of this tiny little series in excellent. You can actually see the money that was put into this anime; every head movement is fleshed out, the leaves on every tree in the background shakes in the wind, and there are sunspots and shadows dotting places so insignificant as to seem wasteful, yet it adds to the overall excellence of the animation.

As for the story and characters, it follows a timid little girl named Yurie who recently found out she was a god. In the episodes on this volume, Yurie, with the help of her friends, goes about figuring out just what her powers are, or even if she has powers. But eventually word gets out to the public that Yurie is a god, and the attention is turned directly on her. Yet she must also go about being a little girl as well, and that includes school, a bratty older brother, taking care of her cat, and finding a way to get the attention of her crush.... The cast of Kamichu is so small and intimate that it's virtually impossible not to like. All of the characters have their little nuances that separate themselves from the others.

The music is great as well. It matches the simplicity of the series and story well, and adds all the right emotions to scenes it backs. Anyone who finds they love this series should also get the soundtrack from Geneon.

One thing is certainly true about the early comparisons to Spirited Away: Kamichu the series matches the Spirited Away movie in sheer excellence. Whether you buy the special edition box set (which I highly recommend) or the regular edition of this volume, just find a way to get this anime. It's just short of perfection, and well beyond brilliance. I recommend Kamichu to anyone who just enjoys anime, and especially for anyone who is seeking an avenue into the world of anime. This has become the new ambassador to anime for newcomers."

A Joygasm to Behold

Margo DeCuir | los angeles | 05/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Charles Solomon is nuttier than a squirrel's pantry. But, that being said, let me inform you about Kamichu. When this anime first became available via a subtitle download thing (before being licensed here) I was watching this show. And, Charles got it right in it being Miyazaki-esque (except not in the way he meant). It has a real feel for light-heartedness and you feel younger watching it. You think you're watching a TV show that Miyazaki had a huge hand in. This story, though maybe sounding like something that would interest younger girls has quite a bit of depth to it that make it a great story for all ages (hey, if you like Miyazaki films, which people of every age enjoy, this show has some merit). It deals with just finding yourself and who you are and how you go about being that way.

The story centers around a young girl, Yurie, and one day she turns to her friend during lunch and says, quite casually, "I'm a god."

And her friend, just as casually "Oh? A god of what?"

This show mostly centers on Yurie finding out what type of god she is and attempting to gain the attention of a calligraphy-obsessed young fellow. It has great animation, well developed characters and a deligtful story all around. Honestly, a joygasm to behold. *cough* charles solomon sucks *cough*"

Exciting and a lot of fun...

Janet L. Nolan | Chandler, AZ | 06/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The series begins with Yurie announcing to her best friend that the evening before she'd become a goddess. Not a typical school lunch converstion, but the beginning of a wonderfully entertaining anime series.

Now to add to the usual challenges a middle school girl has, Yurie has to deal with her newly discovered godhead. Getting used to this isn't easy for her and her first experience ends up with her creating a typhoon in a failed attempt to express her feelings for a certain boy.

The animation art quality is high, better than most TV series and as good as most movie anime. The stories are interesting and entertain without getting mushy. Yurie, while sometimes uncertain, has the courage to venture out and deal with the challenges she faces. She is a reluctant heroine, but she doesn't whine about it as some other anime heroines have done in the past.

Some have equated the quality of this series with the work of Hayao Miazaki. This show certainly comes close in my opinion.

This is a must see for everyone.

(This review is based on the Japanese release.)"