Kai Doh Maru - Great Art but for What?

 *Blog post was started on September 4, 2021.

Working Saturday mornings are starting to throw me off. It is only a monthly obligation, and after today it will be overtime for the foreseeable future, but that does not mean I am ever ready for it. Or at least, I am not ready for a day with downtime. Still, this is not something I would trade for a return to 50 hour weeks with retail thrown in there.

If anything, I blame wrestling again. ECW was on Friday nights when I was just out of high school. The friends were out to hit the parties, so I had to play catch up. Thus, my virginity was not lost till 24. AEW has must watch television during the latter portion of prime time. What am I to do with myself from 6:30 till when I prep my wings at 8:30?

Last night it was drink and watch anime. By the time I got over my calls to offer Marty Scurll another chance, there was not the time to watch "Risky Business" (Ally's Accessories Shop on Etsy gave me some too trashy "R" titles...a Hallmark movie and "The Reaping" which I saw on a first date 14 years ago. Bad movie...iffy relationship). There are always previously watched OVA's to grab at resellers, so this lead me to "Kai Doh Maru", an original video animation from renown studio Production I.G. Promise is a guarantee with that studio ("Blue Seed", "Evangelion: Death and Rebirth (My review for the Chinese Subtitled version is on the right side panel of animeruss.blogspot.com)").

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Kai Doh Maru (2001)

This tale takes place in ninth century Japan. Five years after Kintoki escaped from her uncle's coup to take over her family's region, she was raised as a warrior by defense agent Lord Raiko. Being a noble woman, Kintoki is protected from the despair caused by disease epidemics outside of the city walls, but safety is not guaranteed as bandits aim to attack the capital. Raiko and his three soldiers seem up to the task, but they are unaware of the magic the bandits have sold their souls to. To make matters worse, Kintoki's cousin who thought she was a boy aims to reclaim her beloved. With so many variables, will Kintoki be destined to the fate she avoided half a decade prior?

"Kai Doh Maru" would have been a brilliant experiment in animation if only its story was not so convoluted. This story is very hard to follow with its 45-minute runtime. Wikipedia says this OVA is "set against a background of a capital under threat from disease, outlaws, and political plots". This definitely seems to be too much to cover in three-quarters of an hour.

It is beautifully crafted animation wise. The overall pastel tone is unique and the decisions to reduce or increase tones with each scene are masterfully done. But once the scene is established, the story is so thick nothing seems to move. You sit around waiting for the next dramatic palette change, not really caring about what is actually occurring in the scene.

Production I.G is always pushing the envelope in term of style, but "Kai Doh Maru" is the first time they let it consume the substance. The experimental OVA may not have been the ideal format for this samurai tale with wizardry, but this may be a demonstration of faith or lack there of in a project. It is a pretty work, but pretty vacant as well.