Demon King Daimao Anime Review

Demon King Daimao
(The Great Demon King in the Back Row)
Sentai Filmworks
Complete Collection - 2 discs
300 mins. - 12 episodes
$59.98 (2011)
$69.98 (2011) Blu-Ray
ISBN 814131014917
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Takashi Watanabe
Studio - Artland

Synopsis: Akuto Sai is transferring to the Constant Magical Academy where he plans to study and someday become a high priest in the government.  He meets the beautiful Junko Hattori on the train ride to the academy and the two become friends.  Upon arriving at the academy all new students must visit the school nurse and stand before a magical spirit (a cigar-smoking bird) which predicts their future occupation with 100% accuracy.  The bird declares "You will be the Demon King!" and Akuto's life is changed forever.

Akuto meets Junko on the train ride to Constant Academy

Years earlier the Demon King menaced society and threatened to bring about a new world order.  He was stopped, but everyone fears for his return one day.  Akuto was left at the door of church as a baby and raised as an orphan.  Being branded as the next Demon King instantly makes Akuto an outcast and the focus of major negative attention at school.  He means well and doesn't want to be the Demon King, but his attempts to win over students get misinterpreted and they mistrust him even more.

This crazy bird foretells Akuto will be the next Demon King

Now Akuto is at odds with almost everyone at school and the government orders perpetual surveillance on him.  Some people want to kill him and some want to join him, but no one understands his intentions to help society one day.  He is particularly hurt by Junko's revocation of their friendship when she finds out he will be the Demon King.  Here is the cast of characters surrounding Akuto:

• Junko Hattori is the class representative for Akuto's class, a powerful fighter and comes from a family of ninjas, has incredible sword skills, thinks Akuto knew of his destiny to become the Demon King and deceived her when they became friends on the train ride to the academy, and constantly misjudges Akuto's deeds as intended to be evil, seems to like Akuto despite her fierce protests to the contrary
• Kena Soga is one of Akuto's classmates, has the magical ability to levitate and become invisible (however her clothes stay visible and she must strip in order to be truly unseen), loves rice, is a decent student however seems completely bird-brained, wears a special bird hairpin which she remembers Akuto giving her as a child, has feelings for him
• Fujiko Eto is the girl's dorm headmistress with a great reputation around school, openly sympathizes with Akuto, manipulates him from the shadows, her older brother passed away leaving her to try and fulfill his duties, she plans to use Akuto's power as the Demon King to her advantage, uses magical potions, is very sexual and promiscuous
• Korone is the female android surveillance agent assigned to watch Akuto, she teases him constantly about sexual situations, sleeps in the top part of his closet, has a purse filled with guns and gadgets, is ordered to seduce him by the government, and can be turned off by pulling her rabbit tail
• Hiroshi Miwa is one of Akuto's classmates who looks up to him like a big brother, is kind of a wimp, he wants to be a hero someday, disagrees with Akuto's view that society must be changed
• Eiko Teruya is from a different school and rival ninja clan to Junko, but attempts to manipulate and seduce Akuto to gain influence over his power

From left to right: Junko, Akuto, Fujiko (holding the severed and preserved
head of her older brother), and Korone

Akuto learns he possesses an incredible power to control mana (the magical substance permeating the world).  He uses this power to fend off attacks, but has minimal control over it and often causes unintended destruction (thus furthering his reputation as a menace).  His destiny thrown down like a gauntlet before him, Akuto must rise to the challenge of the Demon King's legacy!  Can he convince his friends of his true intentions and fend off a constant stream of usurpers?  What is the true, secret purpose behind the Demon King which threatens to destroy a society following magical gods powered by sophisticated computers?  Will he choose Junko or Kena, but what about all the kinky things he can do with Korone the android?

Akuto taps into his Demon King power

Pros: Comedy and humorous misunderstandings, lots of fan-service and a little nudity, a full cast of pretty girls, catchy opening theme song (ending theme is decent), magical action with a few battles, Akuto is a likable main character

Korone spies on Akuto everywhere - even in the bath

Cons: The plot ends up being terribly confusing and rushed at the end, typical harem-genre nonsense, rampant silliness turns into half-hearted attempt at serious ending, bunch of talk about 'gods' will probably offend religious types (although 'demon king' in the title should tip them off), animation downgrades a bit at the end

Fujiko lusts after the Demon King's power

Mike Tells It Straight: Demon King Daimao was a good concept, but had too much crammed into 12 episodes. I started the series expecting a harem/fan-service anime spin on Harry Potter - kid goes to magical academy and gets the ol' Sorting Hat treatment, but ends up with an evil destiny and ostracized by his classmates.  Throw in a bunch of cute girls harping over him with a constant stream of innocent misunderstandings leading to heaps of fan-service.  No problem, the first few episodes followed the expected formula.  Then halfway through the series (right after Peter Hausen, the dragon appears) the story gets increasingly complicated with talk of gods and computers.

Akuto accidentally runs into Kena while she's invisible, which
 is misunderstood by onlookers as him being lecherous

The story just gets more and more confusing until it ends with a lot of unanswered questions.  Demon King Daimao is based on a light novel series with much more happening in the story than was possible to coherently present in a 12 episode anime.  I thought the animation studio Artland did a decent job on the visuals (although the last few episodes seemed to lose some quality), the opening theme song rocked (ending theme was just okay), good cast of characters, the fan-service didn't suck (gratuitous, yes), and Akuto was an excellent protagonist (not wimpy and/or whiny).

Akuto after a particularly difficult battle

This show had a lot of potential, but ended up squandering it all by trying to be too much.  It was somewhat enjoyable to watch and I give it a mediocre recommendation.  The writers should have stuck with a lighthearted plot for this first series and then kicked in the complicated storyline in the second season.  Don't expect a sequel any time soon.


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Darker Than Black Season One Anime Review

Darker Than Black Season One
(Darker Than Black: The Black Contractor)
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
625 mins. - 26 episodes (25 + 1 OVA)
$49.98 (2011)
$69.98 (2010)
$29.98 (2008-2009) Vol. 1-6/ea.
$39.98 (2008) Vol. 1 Starter Set
ISBN 704400074592
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Tensai Okamura
Studio - Bones/Aniplex

Synopsis:  Ten years ago a section of Tokyo transformed into a horrifyingly unstable terrain where the laws of physics cannot be trusted and mysterious apparitions haunt the streets.  The site was dubbed Hell's Gate and a similar site manifested in South America was called Heaven's Gate.  When the Gates appeared the stars and moon were blocked out and replaced by a set of artificial stars.  These stars are linked to beings with strange powers called Contractors.  Each star represents one specific Contractor and glows brighter when their power is used.  In this way the activities of a Contractor can be monitored.  When the Contractor loses their life then the star falls from the sky.  A new star appears whenever another person gains powers.

Strange phenomena occur within the Gates

Contractors were once humans, but now follow a different set of rules.  They have incredible psychic powers including flight, power over the elements, body-switching, explosions and many more.  The power comes with a price as each 'contract' requires a 'payment' - something the Contractor is compelled to do after using their power.  The 'payments' are just as diverse as the powers of the Contractors.  They can include eating/drinking specific things, smoking, placing objects in a specific manner, self-inflicting pain on themselves/others, and many more.  A Contractor's 'payment' can be a curse or only a minor inconvenience, but the price must be paid or the Contractor will be adversely affected.

The mysterious Contractor assigned Messier Code BK-201
and codenamed 'The Black Reaper'

The governments of the world have kept the existence of Contractors a secret from the general public.  The Japanese government has surrounded Hell's Gate with a massive wall and a multi-national coalition called PANDORA (Physical Alteration Natural Deconstruction Organized Research Agency) studies the abnormal phenomena inside.  Contractors are completely rational beings and no longer capable of feeling regular human emotions.  They do not know loyalty or morals, but only a strong sense of self-preservation.  Many governments use Contractors as tools to perform espionage or assassinations.  Other groups calling themselves Syndicates also use Contractors, but operate secretly and often counter to government espionage agencies.

Unassuming foreign exchange student Li Shenshun arrives in Tokyo
around the same time BK-201 and the Black Reaper become active

In Tokyo the Public Security Bureau's Section 4 is charged with investigating crimes related to Contractors.  A mysterious, new Contractor nicknamed the Black Reaper has recently been sighted in Tokyo and seemingly involved in many covert ops.  Misaki Kirihara, the head of Section 4, has made it her personal mission to find the Reaper and bring him to justice.  An unassuming Chinese exchange student named Li rents a flat in Tokyo and works odd jobs to pay for school.  He is really the Contractor named Hei, 'The Black Reaper'.

Section-Chief Misaki Kirihara and Detective Yuusuke Saito

Hei works for a Syndicate in a small group with three other individuals:

• Huang - a gruff older man who receives orders (i.e. missions) from the Syndicate and organizes the team's work.  He dislikes Contractors and considers them to be less than human
• Mao - a black cat who can talk and is really a body-switching Contractor only able to possess animals.  His original, human body has been lost
• Yin - an emotionless girl who is another Gate-related entity called a Doll.  She is a medium and can use water to send a spirit form for observational purposes.  Dolls are even less human than Contractors (although no 'payment' is required), essentially having no independent will and only acting on specific instructions

Huang, Yin, Hei, and Mao

Five years ago Heaven's Gate was the site of a massive conflict between Contractors and various governments before completely disappearing.  Hei's sister Pai disappeared in the conflict and he has made it his mission to find her.  He believes investigating Hell's Gate will give him clues to finding her, but dark secrets from his past and the Heaven's Gate conflict are slowly bubbling to the surface.  Why does he keep exhibiting remotely human emotions like compassion and sorrow when they should be beyond his caring?  Various espionage agencies like MI6, the CIA, and Public Security's Section 4 are increasingly present around the Gate.  What is the secret of the meteor fragments?  How does the infamous detective Gai Kurosawa fit into the picture?  Will Hei find his lost sister or will Misaki finally catch the deadly Black Reaper? 

Mao gets hassled by Li's landlady who hates cats

Pros: Great animation quality, nice action scenes, solid characters - especially Hei and Mao, the Contractors' powers and 'payments' are neat, awesome music put together by Yoko Kanno - the first opening theme (Howling by Abingdon Boys School) is now one of my all-time favorites  from an anime, story is perfect blend of suspense/action/comedy, very good dub, I liked how each mission/storyline lasted two episodes, high death count, some romance, this DVD set includes the OVA episode Beneath the Fully Bloomed Cherry Blossoms as the 26th episode (for you obsessive completists out there!)

Hei triggers his power during a fight

Cons: Plot was a bit confusing, certain characters are never fully explained, episodic nature can slow down overall story progression, no primary antagonist or foil, they switched the opening theme song from Howling to a different song halfway through the series

Yin tries on a smile

Mike Tells It Straight:  I kept thinking to myself as I watched Darker Than Black (aka DTB) - 'Why can't X-Men be this cool?  Mutants have superpowers, but it feels like the same stories are recycled over and over again.  Someone needs to break the status quo and bring something unexpected.'  DTB was a breath of fresh air among a cacophony of stale pop culture works.  It has a perfect mix of action, intrigue, comedy, and gravity like many other great, memorable shows.  I found myself looking forward to each new episode, but mostly it was the awesome opening theme song - Howling.  Seriously epic tune and put me in the ideal mood to enjoy DTB every time!

While being held by the Evening Primrose group, Mao worries
they've noticed he's not just a regular cat

The soundtrack was excellent thanks to Yoko Kanno - prolific anime soundtrack composer who worked on Macross Plus, Escaflowne, Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain, and many more.  Visuals were top notch with two well-known studios working together - Bones (Wolf's Rain, Fullmetal Alchemist) and Aniplex (Fullmetal Alchemist, Blood+, Durarara!!).  Character designs were good and characterization definitely shined.  Hei was a cool customer, but he actually had a heart (contrary to how normal Contractors are supposed to behave).  I liked seeing the characters grow as the series progressed.

Hei takes a walk to get some ramen

I found the two-episode story arcs to be a nice change from other full-length series (i.e. 26-episodes) which tend to become episodic in the middle until the buildup to the series finale.  In DTB the first episode set up the story and players with resolution in the second episode.  Rinse and repeat for most of the series.  The only drawback - if you didn't like an arc then you were stuck with two episodes to trudge through.  Overall DTB was a great show and I recommend it highly.  It was serious, but had lots of humorous and touching moments to make you feel for the characters.  I'm looking forward to checking out the sequel.

"Just howling in the shadows!"

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Big Wars Anime Movie Review

Big Wars
Central Park Media
Movie - 70 min. - 1 disc
$9.95 (2003)
$29.99 (1998)
ISBN 014381441024
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Issei Kume/Toshifumi Takizawa
Studio - Magic Bus

Synopsis: In the early 25th century the human race is losing a war with an alien race called 'The Gods'.  These beings seek to halt human expansion and the primary battleground is the previously terraformed planet Mars.  Humanity had colonized the Red Planet several hundred years earlier, but the Gods superior technology and mental subversion tactics were slowly winning the war.

The Gods fighter craft battle a land ship

Massive anti-gravity land ships carrying squadrons of fighters are the primary offensive and defensive tools of the human military.  These giant ships roam the deserts of Mars fighting the Gods when they can find them.  The Gods possess an invincible stealth ship dubbed 'Hell' which travels under cover of an artificial sandstorm.  Nothing man-made can stop Hell and the military needs a counter-weapon to turn the tide of the war.

Captain Akuh arrives and runs into his girlfriend

The most insidious weapon of the Gods is their ability to psychologically subvert humans.  Subverted humans align themselves with the Gods and display a cult-like mentality.  One of the first symptoms of subversion is an enhanced libido or nymphomania.  Rampant terrorism has become a major concern.

It is revealed the Gods are humanoid

Captain Akuh returns to military duty after several months spent recovering from a devastating battle where his ship the Aoba was destroyed.  He is assigned to command a powerful new ship which is nearing completion of its construction.  This new ship is faster and tougher than any which has come before it. Akuh arrives in the city where the ship is being covertly built and reunites with his former girlfriend.  She is an intelligence officer who interrogated one of the Gods who was captured.

Akuh and his crew get a tour of the new Aoba with its designer

The ship's doctor has developed a detection device for subverted humans utilizing hypnosis.   As the new ship is almost complete, Akuh faces a dilemma - his girlfriend is really horny!  Will he be able to deal with her while trying to save humanity by discovering a weakness in Hell?  It's a battle to the finish on Mars!

Akuh's girlfriend reveals her alignment with the Gods

Pros: The Gods' fighter craft sound just like land-speeders from Star Wars, some interesting mechanical designs - particularly the land ships and power suits, some nudity and sexual situations, Captain Akuh's girlfriend is a nymphomaniac

The Aoba's doctor uses a hypno-ray to test for subversion

Cons: Animation is inconsistent with some sloppy/lazy shots (i.e. using camera panning instead of actual movement for characters), weak attempt to link biblical events with the Gods by showing a bunch of angels, plot resolution at the end was pretty weak

Captain Akuh starts having crazy visions

Mike Tells It Straight: I was expecting Big Wars to have more action based on the title, but it had a lot of science fiction setup and not much payoff.  The nymphomania by Captain Akuh's girlfriend was a thinly veiled attempt to gain attention by including nudity and a few sex scenes.  These were probably the best parts of the movie.  Not to say the premise wasn't good - aliens watching over humanity and attempting to halt us when we got too advanced is a neat idea.  I thought parts of the story and animation were actually pretty good.

Akuh and his crew prepare to infiltrate Hell!

The animation was inconsistent and the ending didn't finish the story adequately.  It seemed like there could have been more story to tell after the finale, but we'll never see it.  The Gods concept was interesting and could have been fleshed out much further.  Overall Big Wars was a decent movie, but neither compelling nor memorable.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Birth: A War of Two Worlds! Anime Review

Birth: A War of Two Worlds!
Planet Busters or The World of the Talisman
ADV Films
Movie - 85 mins. - 1 disc
$24.98 (2004)
ISBN 9781578132959
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shinya Sadamitsu
Studio - Idol/Kaname Production

Synopsis: The planet Aqualoid was once a prosperous planet, but now it's a post-apocalyptic wasteland due to the arrival of the Inorganics.  They have one mission - to destroy organic life in the universe, starting with the higher life forms.  The Inorganics are not unopposed and a powerful weapon is forged - the SHADE!  This weapon takes the shape of a sword and falls to the surface of Aqualoid.

Rasa and her little yellow friend Monga

Living amid the ruined wasteland of their once proud home are Nam and Rasa.  The pair scrounge a living as scavengers, mercenaries, or bounty hunters.  Rasa is a beautiful, but clumsy girl who always manages to get into yet miraculously escape trouble.  Nam is a hot-headed scrapper who discovers the SHADE in a meteor crater.  He briefly meets the astral projection of a beautiful woman named Arlia.  The arrival of the mystical sword attracts the attention of every Inorganic on the planet and soon Nam is fighting for his life.

Our hapless group (from left) - Bao, Rasa, Monga (on Rasa's shoulder),
Arlia (top), Nam, and Kim

Rasa meets up with him and they are joined by two of their mercenary friends - Captain Bao and his ship's mate Kim.  Bao is hopelessly in love with the shapely Rasa and quickly commits to defending her against the Inorganic threat.  The SHADE represents a counter-balance to the Inorganics and they will throw every resource after gaining possession of it.  This effort includes massive Inorganics the size of city blocks and even small moons.

Nam attempts to get the SHADE to work properly

The odds are quickly stacked against our small band of plucky fighters and hope seems lost when Bao remembers a doomsday device stashed on Aqualoid which could save the day.  Will our group risk destroying the entire planet as a last ditch effort to save themselves from the relentless Inorganics?  Can Nam figure out how to use the SHADE's power in time?

Nam does some deep thinking with the SHADE in his hand

Pros: High-flying action scenes with crazy camera angles - pretty impressive for animation from 1984, Rasa is shapely and shows off her butt through most of the show, Rasa's little critter friend Monga is kinda cute

Cons: Animation is rough (this was made in 1984 after all) and very inconsistent, characters are pretty annoying - especially Bao who seems like a randomly idiotic moron, dub is terrible, mecha designs for the Inorganics are pathetic - they look vaguely like shapeless Zakus (from Mobile Suit Gundam), Inorganic bikers are ridiculous - the little kid one is supremely lame, ending is totally nebulous and unsatisfying

An immature little Inorganic biker causes some major trouble

Mike Tells It Straight: Birth has a pretty good sci-fi premise, but never really capitalizes on its potential.  I love a good post-apocalyptic story versus a group of blood-thirsty machines and can dig the old-school animation style, but this show was pretty pathetic.  The characters are one-dimensional with zero development, mecha designs for the Inorganics are horrible, and the plot goes absolutely nowhere with a lame ending.  Rasa and her shapely butt seem to be the only draw for this show and be warned - it's not worth it.  I was grossly disappointed with Birth - don't waste your money.

Rasa rides on her saucer skiff while Monga holds on tight

Birth was obviously a high-concept experiment back in 1984 with some great chase scenes (the camera movement is ambitious even for today).  A lot of sketchy and interesting animation, but the story seems to be of secondary interest (or ability) to the creative team.  The plot is simple, but not well-portrayed and story resolution is fuzzy at best.  I understand the nostalgia factor for this show which was released by Harmony Gold as The World of the Talisman and later as Planet Busters.  The story, dialogue, and music were changed in the previous releases, but ADV's version is more faithful to the original.  Well, the original apparently sucked and fans of the previous releases will be disappointed.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom Anime Review

Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
Funimation
Complete Collection - 7 discs
650 mins. - 26 episodes
$74.98 (2012) DVD/Blu-Ray
$59.98 (2011) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400087745
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Koichi Mashimo
Studio - GENCO/Bee Train

Synopsis: A young Japanese man awakens in a room with no recollection of who or why he is there.  All he knows for certain is someone is trying to kill him.  He exits the room and is confronted by the attacker - a girl wearing a mask.  She tells him "If you want to live, come at me with everything you've got!" before renewing her attack.  The young man manages to survive her attacks and land an offensive move.  The girl is revealed to be named Ein and the top assassin for a powerful criminal organization called Inferno.  Inferno's top assassin is designated "Phantom" and the young man will now be trained to become a killer.  His memory lost, the young man is named Zwei by the man in charge of the "Phantom" project called the Scythe Master.

Ein gives the future Zwei a little motivation to fight back

Ein begins Zwei's difficult training and it is revealed his survival instincts and innate talents as a killer may even surpass hers.  She is an emotionless killer and brainwashed by Scythe Master to be an obedient puppet.  Zwei goes through the same brainwashing, but still clings to the hope of discovering his missing past.  Inferno is a coalition of criminal organizations and continues to grow by adding new groups.  Inferno uses the Phantom to keep their members in line and frighten opposition.  In the event a group refuses to join then Inferno convinces the second-tier members of the group to join by putting them in power after the Phantom eliminates the first-tier.

Zwei is trained by Ein to become an emotionless tool for killing

A high-ranking member of Inferno, Claudia McCunnen manages the Scythe Master and his Phantom project.  She dislikes and distrusts him due to his conniving and sadistic manner.  She plants the seed in Zwei's mind that he is not just a tool, but has individuality.  It leads to his alignment with her instead of blindly following the Scythe Master's commands as Ein does.  Claudia is attended by a tough woman named Lizzie who grew up and joined Inferno with her.  It is revealed Claudia's brother died as a street thug and she is living out his dream to become a powerful member of a criminal organization.  She plans to someday lead Inferno through cunning and manipulation.

Claudia manipulates Zwei

A power-struggle between Claudia and Scythe Master leaves Ein and Zwei on opposite sides.  Two deadly assassins with skills honed to a razor's edge.  Who will dominate Inferno?  Will Zwei regain his lost memory and can he free Ein from Scythe Master's programming?  Even if he can help Ein, will the two be able to escape from Inferno and live a normal life after spilling so much blood?  

Ein and Zwei pose as a couple to stake out a location

Pros: Slick animation style and backgrounds (thanks to Bee Train), nice CG (computer graphics) effects, music is pretty good, loved the evil masks Ein and Zwei wear during jobs, a few interesting plot twists, some fan-service (Lizzie in the first ep and plenty of Claudia throughout), adequately dark ending

Zwei takes aim during a hit

Cons: Predictable and cliche, main characters are totally apathetic and boring, too long at 26 episodes, the head of Inferno looks like a wussy version of Sephiroth from FF7 and is named McGwire, assassins in high school drama, totally lame LA street gang called the "Bloodies" (a play on the actual LA street gang the "Bloods"), the title of the series - why not just Requiem for the Phantom (instead of having Phantom twice)?, Zwei taking in a little girl

Zwei takes in this little girl after she witnesses a hit

Mike Tells It Straight: Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom is based on a visual novel game (i.e. choose-your-own-adventure) called Phantom: Phantom of Inferno.  Seems kind of silly to use the word Phantom twice in each title, but I guess it's consistent.  Requiem was not the first animated adaptation of Phantom of Inferno - back in 2004 (2006 for the US market) a 3-episode OVA (original video animation) called Phantom: The Animation was released.  The game and OVA must have been fairly well-received to spawn a full animated series.

Ein after a particularly hard day at work

Bee Train (the animation studio) helped produce this series and they previously created a pair of very similar, well-known series - Noir and Madlax which focused on assassins (although those two series starred women assassins). The studio is very good at assassin movies and this series is put together very nicely.  The action flows pretty well and the plot kept me relatively interested through most of it.

Scythe Master and his deadly puppet assassins

Unfortunately for Requiem I feel assassin shows are a bit played out in anime - Noir, Madlax, and Golgo 13 (assassin shows in general due to Hitman, Assassins, and The Specialist) have all come before .  They have all come before and Requiem doesn't add much to the genre.  I don't need to see another slow-motion assassination with classical music playing in the background.  The typical anime assassin's personality is completely apathetic and boring.  I get it - killing makes you an emotionless shell, but these are not characters I can form any emotional attachment towards.

Zwei and Ein as creepy puppet killers

If you loved Noir and Madlax then Requiem is a nice return to this corner of the genre (although no girl-on-girl romance thing happening).  I thought it was passable, but too long for a full 26-episode series.  Let's just cut to the chase and have our heart-wrenching death-duel between Ein & Zwei.  The addition of Drei (btw, ein, zwei, drei = 1, 2, 3 in German) was superfluous to the main story.  Decent action, only semi-decent plot, and pretty visuals, but drags on and nothing new conceptually.

TO BUY and Recommendations: