Search - Yukikaze - Danger Zone (Limited Edition 2-Disc Set) on DVD

All in all, pretty good science fiction (4.5/5)

Sporanox | Western New York | 10/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Yukikaze is the tale of a forgotten war on another planet, connected to Earth by an anvil-shaped cloud in Antarctica. Apparently around thirty years ago an alien race known as the JAM invaded via said cloud, but made little headway before being beaten back into their home territory. Currently the war is being fought by a number of rejects from across the world - and for one of them, Rei Fukai, the line between the JAM and humanity is increasingly blurred as he finds himself the target of a plane identical to his. There's also another problem - his onboard AI, Yukikaze, begins to exercise an almost hypnotic control over him. However, its seemingly crazed actions may be the only thing capable of winning the war.

Yukikaze's plot is deep, and there are several substories and additions that one may find quite interesting. As the characterization goes, I find it (as one other reviewer said) a tad effiminate regarding the two main characters, the main reason being the animation style they are drawn in. The eyes are sometimes too feminine, the hair at times appears too smooth/wavy, and for some reason the animators have an annoying penchant for drawing the legs TOO long and willowy. However, as these things go, they are minor complaints and don't detract too much from the overall product.

For, as one will perceive from both the limited edition and the normal box covers, Yukikaze is an action-laded anime, the centerpiece of which is the fighter jets. Being an avid fighter buff, this is the primary reason I bought the movie. I do realize that some would prefer the seamless CG integration to be used in fantasy genre endeavors instead of "pointless" jet fighters, but this is a ridiculous complaint (especially when considering that fantasy is the dominant form of anime nowadays and airplanes are a niche). The designs of the airplanes are very well done, with some resemblance to the F-35 and some experimental jets. The combat sequences, as some have already said, are masterpieces (I do have one gripe though - there's no music. WHY?). There are also several VERY memorable action scenes separate from the dogfights. This is a great effort on Gonzo's part.

There remains one error, though - the dubbing. I'm normally an opponent of rabid "subbers" as far as anime goes, having no problem with most dubbing jobs, but the work done here is undeniably sub-par. Some of the sentences are extremely convoluted, and the voice actors (in keeping with the dark feel, a little TOO much) are often monotonous. At times this effect is almost comedic, such as when Rei and his boss have a "party" of sorts, or when the latter says "no. I'm...happy..." in a borderline catatonic tone. However, the subbed version is always available.

Overall, Yukikaze is a great anime for any science fiction fan, and for the rest, very entertaining."

Macross Plus, plus a whole lot more!!

Ken Shin | The Hellmouth, CA | 07/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"WOW!First Macross, Area 88, Macross Plus and now Yukikaze. The story is similar to these prior anime series focusing on the planes and the pilots troubles. The show graphically is beautiful, albeit a bit dark with muted colors. Some of the shots of the sunset/sunrise skies are just gorgeous. The CGI is well done.The story is not overly original, man vs. machine, but the execution of the story is what makes it great. The characters are likeable and you feel sympathy for those who get shot down.The action sequences are just great. It is a blast watching the planes turn and bank, shoot and get shot down, kick in the afterburners and do other arial acrobatics.There was a scene in episode 1 that almost made my jaw drop, sort of something like Tony Hawk would, but with a plane.I cannot wait until the rest of the series is out!Carpe DMwww.xanga.com/Rander"

Pretty good!

M. Randall | Allen Park, MI | 08/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I first watched this anime.. I wasn't very interested. It seemed well, rather boring. I've watched it 3 times now total and i'm starting to understand it alot better. Things you miss, or maybe just didn't care to notice before.. Become more clear after additional viewing. This is an intelligent anime that requires patience from the viewer. The episode length very. The first episode is nearly 50 minutes long while the 2nd one is only about 30 minutes. There are 2 more episodes for this series but the 4th one just recently came out in japan so i woudlnt expect to see it here until late this year/early next year. Bottom line if you like good story animes this is for you.. if you're into mindless slaughter then this won't be your cup of tea"

Worth every penny..........

hornettec | Atsugi Naval Air Station, Japan | 06/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Im an electrician for the new super hornet currently. This film totally blew my mind with all the superb aircraft inovations. The acronyms, the radar altimeter sounds effects, the aero combats scenes, were down to a "T". Not to mention the ending theme song is pretty hip.If you love jets and new aerodynamic technology this series has it. This series is worth every penny. Now i hope Amazon can get there hands on "Macross Zero"...USA....u haven't seen nothing yet........."