Search - Rozen Maiden, Vol. 1: Doll House W/Box on DVD

Rozen Maiden slips a bit in the dub, but it's still good

skyhack | Colorado | 07/20/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A fine series in the fansub, Rozen Maiden could have been better in the American release. Geneon and Bang Zoom combined for this one, so I expected a bit more.

Geneon is well known for packaging decent extras that are related to the series, but you won't find them here. No character galleries, making of, or staff interviews, which was disappointing. The DVD case covers are reversible, with anime character art on one side, manga on the other.

Bang Zoom did a great job with Shinku (she sounds very "proper"), and creditable jobs with Hina and Suigintou. The jury is out on Suiseiseki until I see the "Stairs" episode on disc 2. Nori's voice actor is finding her groove.

Some of the pronunciations of the character names sound strange, with accents on odd syllables, and differs from actor to actor. This is probably due to trying to "Asianize" the pronunciations, but seems out of place in an English dub.

Suiseiseki's vocabulary takes a bit of creative license in referring to Jun, and gives a harsher edge to her character. She is "Tsunderella", after all, so I guess that's o.k.

The story and characters are what this series is about though, and Bang Zoom's vocal cast has done a very good job with the dramatic scenes.

SPOILERS

Jun Sakurada suffers from hikikomori, a phobic disorder that causes him to fear any social contact. Upset by some sort of failure at his school, he apparently had an episode prior to the series in which he alienated his teachers and classmates through his behavior. He now spends his time in his room, ordering strange items on the internet, and returning them just before the trial period ends.

His big sister, Nori, bears the brunt of Jun's condition, dealing with his odd hobby, and his frequent tantrums. She nevertheless remains steadfast in her concern for him, and is trying in her own way to help him.

Jun completes a form asking if he will "wind or not wind" and "submits" its by placing it in his desk drawer. Shortly after, he chases Nori away after she mentions school. Turning to go back to bed, he trips over a large, ornate case that wasn't there before. Opening it, he finds a beautifully crafted doll (Shinku) dressed in Victorian era clothing. He winds her up, and she comes to life. She immediately slaps him for touching her, and proceeds through an odd series of events to make him her servant.

Shinku later explains that she is the fifth of seven dolls in a series called the Rozen Maidens. Their sole purpose is to fight and eliminate one another in a series of battles known as the Alice Game. The last doll standing then becomes "Alice", a perfect human girl.

More dolls are introduced (Hina Ichigo, the spoiled one, Suiseiseki, the devious one, Suigintou, the "evil" one, who has a particular disdain for Shinku, Souseiseki, Suiseiseki's tomboyish twin, and Kanaria, a self proclaimed genius), allowing ample character introduction and development.

Rozen Maiden is an interesting and entertaining mix of light comedy and dark drama. The storyline and plot are solid and tight through the first half, and reaches the conclusion of Jun's bout with his condition. The second half (introduced in Japan as a second season) deals more with the Alice Game and its terrible consequences.

The transfer is very clean, and the dolls look terrific. All in all, even though I miss the extras, this is still a worthwhile purchase for this series' many fans.
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