SUMMARY
In
ancient Macedonia, King Phillip is waiting for the birth of his son.
Horrified to discover that his wife, Olympas, is engaging in her pagan religion,
he attempts to stop her. During the battle between the King and her "Oracle"
(which is a giant, eye gouging snake), she gives birth. Proclaiming
that his name is Alexander, she foretells that the world will become his!
Many years later, Alexander has
become a strong and powerful leader, inspiring all those who he comes in
contact with. Educated by Aristotle, he is sharp enough to figure
out the political machinations of not only Lord Atalas, but his own
father. After a series of successful campaigns against Greece,
Alexander is two steps from ruling Macedonia.
This concerns Lord Attalas, who wants
to rule Macedonia himself. Through trickery, and deceit, he manages
to get Alexander's mother removed from the throne, and places his daughter
in her place.
At the same time, mystical forces are
joining together to combat the threat of the Platohedron. If they
can not kill Alexander, then it must be destroyed. For if Alexander
gains control of the Platohedron, the young prince will have the ability
to destroy the world!
What is Alexander? Is he the savior
of Macedonia, or the destroyer of worlds?
WIDESCREEN
REVIEW
STORY:
Based off of a novel by Hiroshi Aramata, writer Sadayuki Murai has given
us an excellent story. Despite the sci-fi trappings, this is, at
it's heart, as Shakespearian tragedy. Drama, political machinations,
and bloodthirsty battles are equally presented in an easy to follow narrative.
Basically, it kicks butt, and you don't have to watch it a bunch of times
to get it.
ACTING: The English
cast does a fantastic job. You can not mistake the voices of "Aeon
Flux" alum John Rafter Lee and Denise Porrier. Despite being
"supporting" characters in the first four episodes, their power and
vocal presence can not be missed.
The rest of the cast is wonderful, and is
right up there with "Cowboy Bebop" in acting quality.
FAN SERVICE: Quite a bit in the nudity department, which you won't see in the
broadcast version. Both men and women are equally naked. As far as
in-jokes, I would be hard pressed to find them.
CONCLUSION
Reign: The Conqueror (Alexander in
Japan), is amazing. Every aspect, from the writing to the animation
is breathtaking. This will be one series you can not miss.
Let me say from the start, this is
not the typical animation we are used to see, even on "Adult
Swim". Peter Chung's designs are radically different from
typical anime characters. There are no cute animals or even cuter
girls. Also, unlike most anime, there are no happy, wrapped up
endings at the end of each episode. Overall story is dark, moody,
and powerful. If you are new to anime, you may be shocked at what
you see. Even though I am an old otaku, and I was still surprised!
Despite it's differences (or because
of them) to traditional anime, I love it. It's very rare for anime
companies to take a risk on something that does not meet the typical
format. The fact that they brought Peter Chung on as character
designer was, in my opinion, a wise move. His designs are beautiful,
angular, and very hip. Plus, he has already shown that he can cross genres
with his very stylish "Aeon Flux". This really is experimental
anime at it's best.
TOKYOPOP
should be commended on selecting this series, and the great job they did
on the dub. Their selection of voice actors was right on the
money. All of them fit the tone and voice of the character.
The fact that they got some of the cast from "Aeon Flux" was a
clever move.The animation is fluid, and
very detailed. Not even "Hellsing" was this good. The
backgrounds are either stark in their simplicity, or breathtaking in their
design. I can't find a single thing wrong with this show.
If you liked the style of "Aeon
Flux", and enjoyed the ferocity of "Braveheart", then you
will love Reign, The Conqueror! Make sure you don't miss it on Adult
Swim, or fail to pick up a copy!
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