Karas: The Prophecy/The Revelation

Karas: The Prophecy, the six-part, 40th anniversary production of acclaimed Japanese anime developer Tatsunoko Production (Speed Racer, Samurai Pizza Cats) is a beautiful, bizarre, epic journey into the world of the robotic demons who share our cities. "Karas” is the title given to the secret guardian protector of Japanese cities. This crow-like, half-human, half-robodemon, who can transform into a futuristic jet plane, is charged with keeping the balance between the world of man and the world of the "ghosts.” The inhabitants of the city cannot actually see their Karas, nor can they see the secret world of demons that exist within their city, but the two worlds have always existed side by side. When the Karas of Tokyo’s Shinjuku District vacates his post to pursue the destruction of the human world, a new Karas is chosen from the amongst the city’s occupants. This new Karas must prove himself by stopping the former Karas’s evil plan and destroying an army of roboticised demon followers who feed off the blood of the innocent. The Karas series is beautifully animated, uniquely blending traditional 2D style with stunning 3D battle sequences. The visuals are so engrossing that they will keep you interested when the story begins to twist and turn in a most confusing manner. Anime fans will, of course, be able to follow the strange rollercoaster of a story but non-initiated viewers will quickly find themselves lost amongst the unfamiliar reality that Karas explores. Anime fans will enjoy the visual style and story of Karas and I’m on the cusp of recommending it to non-anime enthusiasts. Everyone will be able to appreciate the beautiful artwork of the series but the story doesn’t really explain itself until the second disc and those who are easily frustrated or confused will most likely not make it that far. If you have the patience to endure a little bit of impenetrable Japanese narrative content for the reward of some great animation, check this series out.