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Rozen Maiden
Collection Volume 1
Adolescent Jun is a
hikikomori , a shut in. He no longer attends school and has
disavowed all contact with the outside world, other than with his
well-intentioned older sister Nori. One day a mysterious package
arrives in the mail, containing an exquisitely formed doll. Jun is
somewhat taken aback to discover the doll is alive, and moreover quite a
sassy little thing. ‘You touched me without permission’ she chastises
him upon being taken out of her box. ‘Honestly, human males are more
vulgar than I’d ever imagined.’
Though he meets with her
strictest disapproval, a bond of sorts soon forms between Jun and the
brazen doll, Shinku, the fifth in a series of exclusive ‘Rozen Maiden’
creations. As the series unfolds more of the dolls are introduced,
whereupon meeting one another they take part in a dangerous battle known
as the ‘Alice Game’: the loser is transformed into a regular doll, the
victor increases their power and becomes less reliant on their human
‘medium’. The cruel and arrogant Suigintou, the first to be crafted by
the elusive master dollmaker Rozen, is especially keen to succeed at the
game, and provides an enjoyable contrast to the other, more childlike
dolls of the series. Through his adventures with Shinku, Jun also takes
the first steps toward healing, with his sister providing a sweet and
loving counter to his misanthropic temperament. Alternate dimensions,
dream worlds and spirits all occupy this oddly compelling and flawlessly
rendered world.
If the idea of a series
about talking dolls strikes you as a little off-putting, rest assured:
it’s superb! Rozen Maiden’s screenplay is well-crafted, its
storyline is imaginative and overall the series proves thoroughly
enjoyable. The aristocratic Shinku makes a great lead character, and
her disdainful observations and Jun’s efforts to keep her contented are
hilarious. The animation is also excellent throughout, with inventive
character designs and superbly detailed backgrounds abounding. Both
English and Japanese audio options are available, and the voice actors
do a wonderful job on each. Furthermore the score is quite beautiful,
and it’s clear that no expense has been spared in this or any other
regard. Though glossing over the more disturbing aspects of the
disease, the references to hikikomori also provide an angle that
is rarely explored in either animated or live-action releases, and allow
the action to revolve around the reclusive Jun and his psychological
development in a way that is engaging yet uncontrived.
Overall, for what it’s
worth, this is one of the best animated series I’ve ever seen, and one
that will appeal to a wide variety of age groups and viewing
predilections. There are no real deficiencies, and any effort to find
fault is largely nitpicking: the up-tempo J-Pop theme is somewhat
jarring and at odds with the rest of the score, and the subtitles
incline toward brevity on the Japanese dub. Like I said, nitpicking! I
really can’t recommend this stunning series highly enough.
Special Features
Textless Opening and
Closing
TV Commercials
Promo Video
Madman Trailers |
