Fafner: Volume Two – Ultimate Sacrifice (Animé TV)

 

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

 

 

Here we are with the continuing story of aliens invading a peaceful island and begin to take over human bodies.  To repeat from the first review, the island instantly (somehow) becomes militarized and the battle against the invaders begins.  Fortunately, the humans have robots called Fafners and those aliens are in for a fight.  It is amazing how many giant robots Japan seems to have, spending all that time and money on them.  Unfortunately, this does not extend to scripts and Fafner is a show that is more talk than action, with bad mixings of computer and hand-drawn animation and very sluggish teleplays.  These next episodes are as inept and tired.  The episode titles this time are:

 

5) Pledge (Promise)

6) Sacrifice (Soaring Sky)

7) Parent & Children (Family)

8) Koyo (Strife)

 

 

If you care at this point, Festums are the name of the aliens, as in festering, which is what all the clichés of this show do to the viewer as they watch.  The 1.33 X 1 full screen image remains mixed and never gels, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo in English or Japanese actually has Pro Logic surrounds, being the highlight of this disc by default.  Besides a set of Geneon trailers, the only extra this time is a cover art gallery, though trading cards are available in the DVD case for a limited time.  This is disappointing and only for the most diehard of fans, meant for ages 13 and over.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo