Dagger of Kamui

Rating:
Summary: An underrated classic at last on DVD
Review: "Dagger of Kamui," like many films, is not for all taste...which can be easily discernable by the fact that it was directed by the heavily artistic Rin Taro. If you like animated films that go for an artistic mode then you will most likely enjoy this.

"Dagger of Kamui" tells the story of Jiro, a young boy who's adopted mother and sister are murdered by a ninja. Tenkai, a monk, takes Jiro to the ninja that did it and lets Jiro kill the man. Tenkai then takes Jiro to his base and trains him up to be a ninja. As a young adult, Jiro ventures off to discover his mother in the northern lands of the Ainu (the Japanese equivalent to the Native Americans). There he discovers that the ninja he killed so long ago was not the ninja that killed his stepmother and stepsister...but his own father. Things get worse: Tenkai kills off his real mother and tries to get him imprisoned, although he is hoping Jiro will help lure him to a large amount of gold so that Tenkai can help maintain the power of his prime benefactor: the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Are you following me? Good. The movie continues from this starting point on to Jiro's trip through eastern Russia to America, and then back to Japan where things get a little historical and the last of the Shogunate fight the new Japanese Imperial government. The showdown between Jiro and Tenkai takes place during the final attack by the new Japanese government on the last Shogunate stronghold in Hokaido.

Overall, this is at least worth a rental. There's a nice relief to know that the god-awful English dub this film suffered with in its first release as the heavil edited "Blade of Kamui" (the English cast sounds like it consists of four people) is no where to be seen, and it can only be watched with the original Japanese cast. Extras are...well...minimal except for Animeigo's typical piece of paper inside the DVD case, and the scene scelection lacks selection for the end credits track (although it does exist, you just need to skip to it). Overall, however, if you enjoyed this movie on video or you want to try this movie out for yourself, you should give it a shot.

Rating:
Summary: An underrated classic at last on DVD
Review: "Dagger of Kamui," like many films, is not for all taste...which can be easily discernable by the fact that it was directed by the heavily artistic Rin Taro. If you like animated films that go for an artistic mode then you will most likely enjoy this.

"Dagger of Kamui" tells the story of Jiro, a young boy who's adopted mother and sister are murdered by a ninja. Tenkai, a monk, takes Jiro to the ninja that did it and lets Jiro kill the man. Tenkai then takes Jiro to his base and trains him up to be a ninja. As a young adult, Jiro ventures off to discover his mother in the northern lands of the Ainu (the Japanese equivalent to the Native Americans). There he discovers that the ninja he killed so long ago was not the ninja that killed his stepmother and stepsister...but his own father. Things get worse: Tenkai kills off his real mother and tries to get him imprisoned, although he is hoping Jiro will help lure him to a large amount of gold so that Tenkai can help maintain the power of his prime benefactor: the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Are you following me? Good. The movie continues from this starting point on to Jiro's trip through eastern Russia to America, and then back to Japan where things get a little historical and the last of the Shogunate fight the new Japanese Imperial government. The showdown between Jiro and Tenkai takes place during the final attack by the new Japanese government on the last Shogunate stronghold in Hokaido.

Overall, this is at least worth a rental. There's a nice relief to know that the god-awful English dub this film suffered with in its first release as the heavil edited "Blade of Kamui" (the English cast sounds like it consists of four people) is no where to be seen, and it can only be watched with the original Japanese cast. Extras are...well...minimal except for Animeigo's typical piece of paper inside the DVD case, and the scene scelection lacks selection for the end credits track (although it does exist, you just need to skip to it). Overall, however, if you enjoyed this movie on video or you want to try this movie out for yourself, you should give it a shot.

Rating:
Summary: Meh...
Review: I am sorry but I did not like this movie very much. For one thing I found it really hard to follow until halfway through the movie. I'm a big fan of serious anime but this just seemed way too silly to actually be serious. I mean, what's up with Jiro being able to communicate with the people in the US? That didn't make any sense at all. There is no way he could have communicated that well. Was it "International Speak Japanese for a few Years" or something? The plot had much to be desired. I am sure the book had a much better plot than the movie. I did find it very odd that basically every time Jiro met a relative they kicked the bucket. Whazza? I do not regret buying this movie however, since I was able to get it used for five dollars, and my friends and I watch it at parties and MST it. There is one line that I misread the first time I saw it. "I looked into your father's past" became "I looked into your father's pants". That made the next few lines hilarious. This is the only reason I gave this a three star instead of a two or 1. Once again, I am sorry that I did not appreciate this movie as much as some others have. Flame on!

Rating:
Summary: Meh...
Review: I am sorry but I did not like this movie very much. For one thing I found it really hard to follow until halfway through the movie. I'm a big fan of serious anime but this just seemed way too silly to actually be serious. I mean, what's up with Jiro being able to communicate with the people in the US? That didn't make any sense at all. There is no way he could have communicated that well. Was it "International Speak Japanese for a few Years" or something? The plot had much to be desired. I am sure the book had a much better plot than the movie. I did find it very odd that basically every time Jiro met a relative they kicked the bucket. Whazza? I do not regret buying this movie however, since I was able to get it used for five dollars, and my friends and I watch it at parties and MST it. There is one line that I misread the first time I saw it. "I looked into your father's past" became "I looked into your father's pants". That made the next few lines hilarious. This is the only reason I gave this a three star instead of a two or 1. Once again, I am sorry that I did not appreciate this movie as much as some others have. Flame on!

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as everyone says
Review: I do not know where to begin to praise this film. It is the kind of Anime that I have looked for but could never find until I happened to trip over it. It may be long alright, but that is more of a benefit than a flaw. Most anime is rather short, but this is an epic. A rare occurrence in any movie is that we watch the main character grow and develop over a long period of time. As the movie progresses, we see Jiro grow from the time his mother and sister are killed, to when he meets his birth mother, when he boards the ship, when he is stranded in Russia with Oyuki, and when he ends up years later in Nevada, and back to Japan. Jiro finds out the truth about his past, his family, and himself. A story of love, truth, and adventure, "The Dagger of Kamui" is a well-made, thought provoking film, that should be regarded as a classic among Anime films.

Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: I do not know where to begin to praise this film. It is the kind of Anime that I have looked for but could never find until I happened to trip over it. It may be long alright, but that is more of a benefit than a flaw. Most anime is rather short, but this is an epic. A rare occurrence in any movie is that we watch the main character grow and develop over a long period of time. As the movie progresses, we see Jiro grow from the time his mother and sister are killed, to when he meets his birth mother, when he boards the ship, when he is stranded in Russia with Oyuki, and when he ends up years later in Nevada, and back to Japan. Jiro finds out the truth about his past, his family, and himself. A story of love, truth, and adventure, "The Dagger of Kamui" is a well-made, thought provoking film, that should be regarded as a classic among Anime films.

Rating:
Summary: excellent, epic
Review: I watched the subtitled version of this and I thought it was excellent. It was longish, but in an epic way, I thought.

The part where Mark Twain spoke Japanese and gave Kamui calm, zen-sounding advice was a little funny. Also, my brother says the ending battle was a little bit of a let-down, and I guess he was right, but it was still a great movie. It really built up. The hero gets to go all over the place, there's a lot of mystery, quest elements, and a nice ending. Kamui is really a hero. The secondary characters are engaging, as well.

Some parts of the movie are sad, ... but there's a lot of good stuff here. Deep, blah blah, watch it, you'll like it. Also, it's not real dirty!

Well, I liked it.

Rating:
Summary: Epic anime that surges with emotion and intrigue!
Review: Jiro was a foundling. Left with a note pleading for his care and a mysterious dagger that hid the nature of his identity, he was taken into a warm home and a loving mother and sister. Their murder shook his world apart. Blamed for their deaths, the other villagers drove him into the wilderness where he found his way to Tenkai, a Buddhist monk who has Jiro expertly trained in the art of the ninja. Tenkai, however, knows more than he reveals, and his benevolence hides a sinister plot to manipulate Jiro into solving the mystery of a legendary treasure. Caught in a web of intrigue with vast implications, Jiro must evade the pursuit of deadly assasins in his quest to solve a mystery wrapped within mysteries that will take him from his homeland, to the ice sheaths of Kamchatka, to the American plains and back again. This is terrific anime that takes various familiar elements and combines them to form a ingenious tale that reveals a broad canvas ripe with swashbuckling adventure and populated with a brilliant cast of characters. Although the animation is not up to current standards, the story, an interwoven mesh filled with passion, vengeance, élan, and malfeasance, more than makes up for the deficiency. Even so, Kamui still offers moments of visual spectacle and beauty as well as action. This is no ordinary anime, however. The plots and intrigue and emotions drive the tale and temper the violence rather than let it run away with the movie. In comparison to the likes of Ninja Scroll and Yotoden (both excellent in their own right), Kamui is rather more tame and features little nudity, no sex whatsoever, and a modicum of violence. Rather, the story draws us closer to sympathize with the characters while putting together the puzzle of Jiro's destiny and the tragedy of his family's fate. We are drawn to the illusion that these characters are genuine, driven by human frailties and desires. Well drawn, engaging characters and an epic, complex story make this memorable anime into something I was glad to have experienced.

Rating:
Summary: It takes thought and it is worth it!
Review: The first time I saw this video was an english dubbed version that had been shortened and I loved it then. I happened to see this video in a Japanese video store in Seattle and saw the full version (Japanese with no subtitles...ouch) and it was even better! I have loved this show from the first time I saw it and would recommend this to anyone willing to watch the show several times and really understand the twists and details of the plot. I seem to find a new detail that ties the plot even tighter every time I watch it. WATCH IT...AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN!

Rating:
Summary: All hail Kamui!
Review: This remarkable Japanese film stands on a plane above all other anime. It is a rich artistic masterpiece, underlain by universal archetypal themes; which make for an intricate, yet flowing plot with an inumerable number of pits and twists. Some people criticize this work, saying it is too long and boring and such. These small minded folks need to use the mature part of their brain, rather than waiting feverishly for sex and impossibly stupid violence (which are entertaing, but lack substance).