Search - Samurai Deeper Kyo - TV Series Perfect Collection on DVD

Solid Series for those who care more for character developem

Michial A. Green | Richmond, CA USA | 02/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Samurai Deeper Kyo isn't an anime for the Action Junkie, lovesick, or those that suffer from ADD. That is because this anime was adapted from a manga that isn't complete, and at the same time they had to finish it in 26 episodes (not an easy task) the story is quite natural in the begining, first all the root characters are introduced and the ambitions of those revealed. this seems to set you up for a story that makes you ask these questions: 1) How did Kyo end up in this predicament? 2) What purpose could Yuya play in Kyo's story? and, 3) How is a wacky story like this supposed to end? haha, all these questions are answered. one review said that the way kyo and kyoshiro ended up in the same body was never answered. He wasn't paying attention, it was dead obvious.

Now, don''t get me wrong, its not the best anime ever, but its far from bad. Pay attention, and listen to what the characters say and their relationships. Don't be one of those people who rag on a good series because of your lack of attention. If your the type who gets distracted easily or doesn't do a recap inside their own head may have to watch the series more than once to put all the pieces together. It is an anime of an unfinished manga series, so the perceptive can tell that toward the end they had to force a solid definate ending that would more than likely be better or different if they weren't limited to 26 episodes. In my book its a buy, not a must buy, but definately worth the sit down. I liked it and i'm sure if you just watch and listen, you'll like it too, or at least be satisfied. It won't make your top ten list but will be enjoyed.

Its a solid anime if your a patient person, the impatient will be too busy complaining about how much they don't know during the series(you won't truly know whats going on completely until the very end.) and many abstract concepts and ways of thinking are added to the anime.
If your familiar with Japanese history(story revolves around real life people events around the Tokugawa era.) or are a samurai fan, you'll enjoy it more than others. Its not an anime thirst quencher but it gets really close, this was an uphill batte for the developers and my respect for doing a feat such as this as well as they did makes me like the anime more. well take care people."

Overated by almost all online reviewers

V. Correa | CA | 07/29/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not an anime hater, infact I think that anime is very underestimated in America because when people think of cartoons they don't think about and engrossing drama with well thought out characters and animation that's artistically drawn with more time consuming details than most people would think.
I purchased Samurai Deeper Kyo hoping to be surprised by another anime, but I was let down, the animation is horrible, in every scene the picture stops and all you can see is the lips moving, or you can see one character striking a pose and thats dragged all over the scene, now that's just plain lazyness due in part to the artist, now I know what you're thinking, you're thinking that that's how most things are in anime, but you won't undestand it til you see it, it's almost as if they just show you pictures and someone's acting it out on the side. Another aspect that makes this series dull is that you never really care for the characters, if something happens to any of them you could care less, now I know this was a manga before and the producers had to cut the story short, but this series goes nowhere, there are too many characters and sometimes I felt forced to watch the episodes just to finish the series, this way I wouldn't think I spent my money on trash. The story is simple, two legendary swordsman: Demon Eye Kyo and Kioshiri Mibu, fight four years ago, then a meteor hits that makes many humans into kenyou(humans that can transform into monsters)Kioshiri re-appers and is now a medicine sales man whose personality turns into Demon Eye Kyo when faced with difficulties. Like all other anime we meet the supporting characters and of course they have to go on some quest, of what I can't tell you as to not give away plot lines but if your easily amused then this might be for you but this has nothing that'll make you ever see it again."

The slayer of a thousand men

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 05/01/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"At the battle of Sekigahara, the infamous Demon Eyes Kyo fought against Kyoshiro Mibu. Then a CGI meteor hit, samurai turned into monsters, and Kyo and Kyoshiro ended up being roommates in the same body.

Unfortunately, the adaptation of Akimine Kamijyo's "Samurai Deeper Kyo" doesn't really improve after that. That the scriptwriters threw out most of the manga's storyline, shuffled around what was left, and threw in a bunch of ugly shapeshifting monsters. The result is a bizarre, strangely scattered anime that's riddled with plot holes and bizarre action scenes (porn nurses? Space ninjas?).

Four years after Sekigahara, bounty hunter Yuya Shiina nabs a minor criminal, the harmless wandering medicine man Kyoshiro Mibu. But she soon finds out that Kyoshiro has another personality inside him -- Demon Eyes Kyo. And though Kyoshiro is usually the dominant personality, it doesn't take long for Kyo to come out (seemingly for good).

Oh, and unsurprisingly Kyo wants his body back, but doesn't know where it is. He and Kyoshiro also seem to have a connection to a young woman named Sakuya.

But it turns out that there are a lot of people (and monstrous shapeshifting kenyou) entangled with Kyo/Kyoshiro as well -- along with the femme fatale Okuni and ambitious ex-general Yukimura Sanada, Kyo and Yuya venture into the deadly Sea of Trees to find a mysterious man known as "His Majesty," but must fight a group of superpowered kenyou who guard him. And from there they set out to attack the powerful Mibu clan, who have their own plans for Kyo's powerful body.

For the record: an anime adaptation doesn't have to be slavishly faithful to the manga for me to enjoy it. But it DOES have to make sense. And unfortunately "Samurai Deeper Kyo" doesn't make sense -- it's like the writers crammed the manga into a blender, threw in a bunch of generic monsters, and never bother to actually make one thing logically follow another.

The first half of the series is downright lazy -- everytime something interesting happens, it turns out to be the fault of the kenyou. Then suddenly the entire focus shifts to the Mibu clan... just in time for the series to get hastily wrapped up in the most absurd manner possible. As a result, the series is a surreal, clumsy mess, full of gaping plot holes, hit-or-miss fights (a deadly fighter just STANDS there while Yukimura sprints several yards and stabs him?), and half-baked political tangles. Even the humor is wrong -- funny moments like Yukimura's gleeful "the plan... is a secret!" are always a beat off.

It also seems like the animators were either clumsy or lazy -- the episodes are crammed with still shots (especially for simple stuff like talking and walking) and dismally obvious errors. On the other hand, the outtakes are brilliant -- Dan Green is especially fun ("I gotta pee!"), but almost everybody produces some hilarious stuff ("Mizuchi is blowing from inside you..." "Excuse me, I just had a burrito")

Even the characters don't work, though they're fascinating in concept. Kyo is introduced as a bloodthirsty, terrifying man... but not only does the "thousand man slayer" hardly ever kill anybody, but he becomes a sentimental mushball at random times. The same thing happens to the fight-happy goofball Benitora (I thought he hated his dad?). Yukimura is a far more interesting character -- a laid-back nobleman who always seems cheerful and flirtatious), but can be as deadly as Kyo.

"Samurai Deeper Kyo" had plenty of promise, but for some reason the writers went out of their way to squander every shred of it."