Tokyo Underground Volume 3: The Promise (Animé TV)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C-     Episodes: C-

 

 

Though we are picking up Tokyo Underground in its third DVD volume, The Promise offers nothing but the promise of one of the worst Animé series we have seen to date.  The show is essentially about young girls trying to be empowered and the older male figure that keeps them from succeeding.  There is something oddly perverse here, and though this has shown up in this genre before, it has never been as pervasive or forward as it is in this show.

 

This includes the male villain resurrecting dragons, at which point calling in Dr. Freud might be a good idea.  To explain the storyline is pointless, because all that does is badly decorate the actual point.  This is for ages 13 and up, but some of its thematic are more like 16 and up.  The episodes here are:

 

11) Fight To The Death – Beyond The Hatred

12) The Insubordination – Escape Into The Light

13) The Promise Of The Ribbons

14) The Assassins Of Tower Gate

 

You can tell how heavy-handed this show really is.  The full frame 1.33 X 1 image is not bad, with detail limits and both artwork and color schemes that are not very memorable.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo in either English or Japanese has some good Pro Logic surrounds.  The only extras are three previews for other Geneon titles and an artwork gallery for this show.  Try one of the other shows.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo