Soul Hunter, Vol. 3: The Spoils of War (1999)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Original Story by Ryu Fujisaki
Directed by Junji Nishimura
Character Designs by Masashi Kojima
Music by Ryo Sakai
Japanese Voices by Ikihiro Hanawa, Yoichi Masukawa, Yumi Kakazu, Tamio Ohki, Kentaro Ito, and Akira Ishida
English Voices by Jim Canning, J. Shanon Weaver, Steve Fanagin, Craig Saper, Claire Hamilton, and Stephanie Swenson

Features:

• US teaser
  
• Relationship tree with character descriptions
  
• Glossary of terms
  
• Translator notes
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• Really and for true evil villains
• Genre mix-a-lot
• Evil jubblies
• Hero lotus and hero bat
• Souls going missing...'tis a bit alarming

Released by: ADV
Region: 1
Rating: 12+
Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Get it.

This disc begins with Dakki and Zhou in search of the princes, who are on their way to "safety" with Kou Hiko. Meanwhile, a new Immortal, this one with a penchant for good ol' boy blues, appears on the scene. He looks like an ally, but is he?

The series continues to mix genres with abandon. Scenes displaying the deadly peril of two young boys are interspersed between scenes of goofy humor and "peculiar" new characters. We also get a tale supposedly from Chinese history, but where a new character plays a tune worthy of Stevie Ray Vaughan on an acoustic "guitar." It's odd, it's disconcerting, and it's fun.

The audio quality is as crisp and even as ever. With the new volume comes a new ally for Taikoubou--Kou Tenka, he of the Vaughan vibe. The English voice, performed by Jeremiah Ocañas, has a gentle twang that is absolutely perfect for the character, giving him almost a completely rounded character from his very first scene. As ever, the music and sound effects are also nicely balanced with the dialogue; unlike some other series, you won't find yourself constantly changing the volume between battle scenes and the bits that are solely characters interacting. The video, which allows for hard and soft subtitles both, is similarly strong. Some scenes have a misty look, while others are crisp and sharp--depending upon the needs of the scene.

Some viewers may be irritated by the continued anachronisms in the show, such as the very 1990s outfits on the evil sisters. However, it might behoove such viewers to have a little faith and give the show's creators the benefit of the doubt; there might yet prove to be a reason for this blending of historical tale and modern drama.

The features, similar to those on the previous volumes, are nice indeed. We get another set of names detailed on the ever-present relationship tree (the Soul Hunter fan's best friend). We also get the US teaser of the show, which is fun. The glossary of terms and the translator's notes are illuminating and entertaining as always; be sure to read over them, as they're well worth the time.

Overall, Soul Hunter continues to be one of the best, if also one of the strangest, series to come along in a while. Each volume just gets better and better. Given that there's a little bit of everything in this show, just about any kind of anime fan will find something to love here. Only those who like simplistic plots will be displeased, as the complexity of this show cannot be denied. How can you not love a show that has a character exchange that goes: "You're strange." "Yeah, I get that a lot."