El Cazador de la Bruja is the third installment in Bee Train’s “girls-with-guns” trilogy, following Noir and Madlax. Although I cannot say I’ve seen either of the two aforementioned titles, I will say that the term “girls-with-guns” is what appealed me to this show. It’s recently become one of my favorite subsets of anime, because [...]
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El Cazador de la Bruja Released By: Funimation Set 1 Set 2
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Available from Amazon Available from Right Stuf El Cazador de la Bruja Set 2 Released By: Funimation Released: 12/15/09 Reviewed: 2/8/10 Related Reviews Rated: 15+ Abandoning the format of the first half, the second half of El Cazador de la Bruja begins with a bang and ends with a sunset. In episode fourteen, the history of Ellis explained as viewers are taken [...]
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Medium: TV Anime (26 episodes) Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy Director: Koichi Mashimo Studio: Bee Train Original Run: Apr. 2 - Sep. 24, 2007 (TV Tokyo–Japan) Release Date: Dec. 15, 2009 (FUNimation–N.America) Rated: Not Rated Read our review of Part 1! There’s definitely a division between the last box set and this one, an accelerated (though far from rushed) pacing and linked plot advancement, that makes episodes 14-25 a little more interesting, if only at some slight expense of the series’ sense of patient humor. Sight gags and the female leads’ charm remain but are relied upon far less often to carry the series, which now leverages viewers’ existing investment in Nadie and Ellis to bring weight to the involvement and interaction of ancillary characters such as Rosenberg, LA, Blue Eyes, and Ricardo. The formulaic town stops are also given a tweak to develop relationships between Nadie, Ellis, Ricardo, and Lirio. You might get sick at the predictability of Ricardo encounters, but formulaic does not mean boring. There’s a gradual (if only predictably episodic) humanization budding beneath the naïve Ellis that blossoms quite believably. Her foil, the downright creepy gothic tween LA (the other human-created witch/stalker/assassin), likewise gets a chance to be more than the ruffles of his shirt and empty intimidations. His character, like Ellis, grows via confrontations with his guardian figure on a journey of self-realization. A friend once noted that every comedic anime had its mandated hot springs episode, and I had to laugh at how brilliantly Bruja works its in (as well as the fun the writers evidently had in doing so). This is in addition to other cliché episodes, such as the hotel that turns out to be an abandoned (and now haunted) house as well as what I’d like to refer to as the bounty hunter code of ethics concerning the pseudo-ending. None of these detract from Bruja, because this series relies upon nothing but its characters to sustain itself. Thus there is no storyline too out there, no episode impugnable, because the only way the series can fail is if the characters do not develop. That is what I mean by pseudo-ending, because Bruja actually has two. The first serves to wrap up plot and journey, while the second completes the characters. Unlike most extended finales, there’s an unsaid sorrow that should permeate the viewer’s consciousness. This is due to nothing short of the love developed between Nadie and Ellis throughout their experiences and the culmination of so much time on the road. In short, the series makes it evident that these characters know each other and are sacrificing for each other, even though neither would ask the other to do so for them. The result, if you like character-driven anime, is a bit of a tearjerker, as you realize that everything ends up exactly as it should, and you’ve been privy to some pretty intimate feeling captured though the two main characters’ realistic dialogue and some extraordinary situations. This anime may not be for everyone. But if you like lighter stories that develop their characters with charm, humor, and a bit of subtlety, Bruja, if for nothing else, is a trip worth stealing a jeep for the privilege of taking friends of similar interest along for the ride. This review is based on a FUNimation box set purchased by the reviewer. fair. Post a Comment!
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Medium: TV Anime (26 episodes) Genres: Action, Adventure Director: Koichi Mashimo Studio: Bee Train Original Run: Apr. 2 - Sep. 24, 2007 (TV Tokyo-Japan) Release Date: Dec. 15, 2009 (FUNimation-N.America) Rated: Not Rated Eru Kazado – El Cazador de la Bruja (English translation: The Hunter of the Witch) – is Bee Train’s finishing move to their girls-with-guns trilogy (after Noir and Madlax), a bounty hunter-and-prize buddy pic that spans 26 episodes spread over 2 FUNimation box sets. Episodes 1-10 are formulaic and inexplicably slow-paced, but there’s an innate charm that I blame on the original writing and talented English dub that warrants a committed run through. The fact that I laugh, literally, out loud despite myself three to four times per episode is enough to make me dispute the conclusion reached by Anime News Network’s Shelf Life (though not by dissention on any of its points). Early-20s Nadie (the bounty hunter) has come into town to capture a pre-teen-ish Ellis (the bounty) while defending herself and the bounty from the myriad other bounty hunters on her tail. Nadie is over-accommodating, inexplicably acting most of the time like an over-protective sister instead of a bounty hunter, and Ellis is like a tweeny female version of rain man with unexplained “abilities” and a case of (dum-dum-dum!) amnesia. The sources of Ellis' abilities and Nadie's passive nature are explained in the last few episodes (Eps 11-13) of the first box set, which also serve to catapult the plot into high gear without losing the charm that you’re "forced" to linger through during episodes 1-10. There’s also a plot about a top-secret experiment and the man behind the bounty as well as interactions between those in contact with Nadie and those who are observing her. Even when you’re watching the action sequences, you might find yourself asking where the action actually is. Whether this is intentional or not, El Cazador really forces you to concentrate on the characters. If this was a more shallow series, this concentration would be a great downfall, but the writers have come up with some decently three-dimensional characters worth your interest and time. It’s not that the characters are particularly deep, but there’s enough kept unsaid that a viewer is forced to wonder. As proof of this, in episodes 11-13, when most up-in-the-air mysteries are more or less explained or have some light shed on them, the series seems to move into high gear. But high-gear pacing does not mean value, and, if you want to look at the series in terms of geography, the southern US, Mexico, and Latin American countries tend to be significantly slower-going regions. The series never really identifies where it takes places to my notice, though one would assume Mexico. The fact that the series manages to evoke this sense of timelessness is a testament to, not a condemnation of, its direction. It would be impossible to recommend this series without the English dub. This is due in general to the actual use of Spanish (in a Spanish-titled anime, go figure). While used sparsely and sporadically, the lobbing in of occasional simple and familiar Spanish words and phrases makes the dub more sincere. In particular, though, the dub would not be what it is without Maxey Whitehead as Ellis and Trina Nishimura as Nadie. Whitehead offers up a very clueless naiveté that borders on monotone and lends great punch to the character’s antics and expressions, while Nishimura’s performance, which is overwhelmingly warm and only justified somewhere in episodes 11-13, is indispensable because of the sarcastic asides Nadie makes to herself and her travel companion during their trip ever further south. Both actors lend a humorously endearing intimacy, seldom seen in dubs, that is the drive of this series. If you’re not laughing by episode four, call it a day. But if you noticed a smile creeping up on your face or your gut suddenly aching for breath due to sucker-punch lines, stick with the rest of the first half of this series. The writing and voice acting make for a wholly enjoyable journey that, while not anything spectacular, is too well-executed to pass up. This review is based on a FUNimation box set purchased by the reviewer. fair. Post a Comment!
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It all began when the Bee Train studio released the Girl with Guns Trilogy: Noir, Madlax & El Cazador de la Bruja, then others anime followed the same yurish formula. Related posts:Encyclopaedia Yuri
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Available from Amazon Available from Right Stuf El Cazador de la Bruja Set 1 Released By: Funimation Released: 11/25/09 Reviewed: 1/13/10 Rated: 17+ In a small town in Mexico, a young girl named Ellis is living with a fortune teller while performing on the streets to make a little money. What she doesn’t realize is that she’s actually being hunted by [...]
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Yay, it's 2010! ^^ Whether you kicked off the new year with a jump-start on one of your resolutions, a hangover, a hatsumode, or all three, I hope everybody's having a good start to the new year/decade. Here's a list of my top 10 yuri anime of 2009, followed by a list of my top 10 yuri anime of the past decade. My Top 10 of 2009: 10) A tie between Ikki Tousen (Funi's re-release of the first season and Media Blasters' release of Dragon Destiny) and Nanoha (Funi's release)- Once I gave Ikki Tousen a shot, it turned out to be stupid fun (with yuri!). Nanoha season 1 (that's all that I've watched up to this point) deserves mention for how much it improved by the end, with some cute subtext to boot. 9) Saki (streaming on Crunchyroll)- What began as a boring high school comedy/drama quickly developed into a fun tournament-style title with a likeable, yuri-riffic cast of characters. My top couples are still Momo x Yumi, Nodoka x Saki, and Hisa x...uhh, Mako or Mihoko (whichever ^^;;). 8) Maria-sama ga Miteru Season 3 (RightStuf's release): I absolutely love Marimite. And RightStuf, for licensing it. :-) 7) Blue Drop- A very good, low-key sci-fi romantic drama that I didn't expect to see released in English on DVD. Go, go Sentai! 6) CANAAN: I know, I know. Besides Liang, the only yuri in this series is subtext/wishful thinking. But what yummy subtext it is. Plus, yay for having another good seinen action series revolving around an primarily female, non-school aged cast that doesn't moe-fy or "Queen's Blade"-out its characters. 5) Maria-sama ga Miteru Season 4- The fourth, possibly (imo, probably) final season for one of my all-time favorite shows. More wonderful subtext (and friendships) between wonderful characters in a wonderful story. 4) To Aru Kagaku no Railgun: For simply being a fun sci-fi action title with a canon yuri lead. (Although Saten's skirt-flipping ways and Uiharu's fascination with Tokiwadai have both pinged my gaydar as well.) 3) El Cazador de la Bruja (Funi's English DVD release): The final, most yuriful series in Bee Train's "girls-with-guns" trilogy, finally available in English! XD Yay, Nadie x Ellis! 2) Sasameki Koto (streaming on Crunchyroll): It didn't have the budget or, frankly, the same level of direction as Aoi Hana's adaptation, but it was a joy to see Sumi, Ushio, and the rest of the Joshibu finally animated, and it was simply a fun show. Plus, it was cool to not only see this series stream on AE, but also get picked up by other lesbian media sites. 1) Aoi Hana (streaming on Crunchyroll): Surprise. ^^; From the opening episode, I loved this series. The characters, the story, the art, the music, everything, pulled together by Kenichi Kasai's brilliant direction, with Ikuhara Kunihiko's beautiful OP as the cherry on top. I couldn't have been happier with this adaptation- aside from the fact that it needs a second season (like so many other shows on this list). Plus, it was very cool to see a yuri anime streamed on Afterellen for the first time. Honorable mention goes to Shin Koihime Musou (for the sheer number of yuri characters) and Kanamemo (for Yume and Yuuki, even if Haruka...well, everybody who reads this blog already knows how I feel about Haruka). My Top 10 of the Past Decade: 10) Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito: This is a crappy title with a crappy, tear-your-heart-out-and-stomp-on-it ending (although I've heard that the manga and game both have yuri-friendly endings). But it was the earliest yuri-centric title to air during the past decade. For helping to get the yuri ball rolling, Yamibou deserves a spot here. (Plus, I like Hazuki. She deserves a better series.) 9) Magical Girl Lyrical  Nanoha- I've only seen the first season, but since I know that StrikerS features Nanoha and Fate living together as adults, sharing a bed (when they could easily sleep in separate beds), and raising a kid who calls them both "mama", I'm listing it. 8) Mai-Hime- For being a popular action title that gave rise to a popular yuri couple, among numerous other potential pairs. It spawned even more yuri in its spin-off, Mai-Otome, and in the two OVAs that branched from Mai-Otome. Not to mention Mai-Hime Destiny, Mao-Hime (I think that's what it's called...I haven't really bothered with reading it), and the upcoming Mai-Hime EXA. (I'm trying to forget the first Mai-Hime manga.) 7) Strawberry Panic- For further cementing Marimite's influence and the pervasive "all-girls' school" trope in yuri, for better or for worse. Plus, it's a fun show. 6) Simoun: An absolutely excellent fantasy title from beginning to end that any anime fan would do well to try. Plus, the plot is wrapped up very satisfyingly (but not too neatly or happily) within its 26(!) episode span. 5) Noir: Subtext only but worth listing for its influence on the subtext-rich "girl-with-guns" subgenre, including Madlax, El Cazador, and (probably) CANAAN, among other titles. 5) Sasameki Koto- Just an enjoyable yuri-centric title that gently pokes fun at (and at times, subverts) yuri tropes and stars a likeable cast. Mega-points for not taking place at an all-girls' school (and for pointing out that Ushio tried her darndest to get into one), and continuing the trend of featuring characters who aren't simply "in love with this particular, exceptional person who happens to be a girl." 3) Kannazuki no Miko- First anime title centered around a canon yuri couple with a happy ending. (At least, I see it as a happy ending.) I'll admit my bias- even though I'm not fond of the angsty moping that makes up a sizeable chunk of this series anymore, this was the first title that I recognized as "yuri", and I was head-over-heels in love with it for quite a while. Plus, thanks to the enduring popularity of Chimeko (and Kaishaku's perennial fondness for them), we can likely expect a new yuri action anime- an adaptation of Kaishaku's Zettai Shoujo Seiiki Amnesian- within the next few years. :-) 2) Aoi Hana- Simultaneously the best and most realistic title centered around a canon yuri protagonist in the past decade. 1) Maria-sama ga Miteru: Because no other yuri title that aired from 2000 through 2009 has been as influential or as heavily-referenced as Marimite. And that's it. ^^
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So I decided that I had to pick this up, due to several facts: Bounty Hunters Girl with mysterious past/power who is pretty much retarded Mexico Mexican bounty hunters rule. In fact, this show inspired me to create a great premise for a movie, which I’m not going to get into much, and instead I’ll just say that a [...]
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Kalafina’s “I have a dream” has been announced as a theme for the the movie cut of this online animation which opens in March. No CD release announced. News courtesy of presepe.jp (through elcazador of cpm).
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