The Thrasher's Word
Kai Doh Maru
Director: Kanji Wakabayashi
Original Creator: I.G/Aniplex
Format: OVA (40 minutes)
Genre: Historical, Samurai, Drama, Fantasy, Action
Let’s make this clear straight off the bat: “Kai Doh Maru” is confusing. Really confusing. As in, “Blood: The Last Vampire”-level confusing. Seriously, unless you have virtually preternatural powers of concentration, there is absolutely no chance of you being able to understand “Kai Doh Maru” on first viewing, and it will take multiple, attentive viewings before you have even a vague idea what’s going on. So, unless you’re prepared to accept that you will be confused, stop reading right now and seek out something more accessible.
Still here?
You’re sure?
That’s good, because once you finally get into “Kai Doh Maru,” you will find yourself enjoying a very good anime indeed. The story is set in the Heian era of feudal Japan, following the exploits of a young woman named Kintoki, a.k.a. Kaidohmaru, rescued from a cruel fate at the hands of her murderous uncle by the Lord Minamoto Raiko, a samurai sworn to defend the capital. Raiko then proceeds to raise Kintoki as a soldier and as a man. The story picks up with Kintoki at the age of seventeen, with a growing romantic attraction to Raiko. However, a threat to the relationship exists in the form of a sorceress named Ohni Hime, Kintoki’s childhood lover who remains unaware of Kintoki’s actual gender (go with it people, it’s good stuff, honest!) and who is prepared to kill anyone in her path to get her back. The result is an innovative, atypical and powerfully moving tragic drama, while admittedly flawed, still holds plenty of substance in its 40 minute running length; more than most OVAs of such length can manage.
“Kai DohMaru”’s main problem is basically that it tries too hard to be progressive; the story is revealed little by little in very abstract ways, and the viewer will find that it is necessary to read between the lines of dialogue in order to get the plot. While this approach works well for some shows, as “Kai Doh Maru” is a human drama at heart, I can’t help but think the story could have done to have been told in a more accessible manner, and that the “progressive“ approach only serves to dilute it. In the grand scheme of things however, anyone who’s willing to put in a little time should overcome these barriers with relative ease and get to the soul of the film. The story is intricate and complex, with a large cast, but still retains it’s edge of humanity and intimacy thanks to the superb characters. Kintoki comes across as a strong willed fighter, the polar opposite of the saccharine, hyperactive anime archetype, and Ohni is marvellously creepy, her gentle femininity only serving to emphasise the bitterness of her actions. And Raiko… Raiko now has to be one of my favourite characters in all of anime, his outwardly gentlemanly demeanour concealing a romantic of the highest order and a hero with balls of steel. Add to the drama several short and brutal but gloriously realised fight scenes, and you will find yourself intrigued, whether or not you understand it.
Strangely, I didn’t find myself enjoying “Kai Doh Maru”’s main selling point; its unique watercolour animation. If you’re an aesthete looking for an alternative style, you’ll likely be drooling all over it, but personally I saw it as another example of the film’s over-stylisation, the various different colour schemes often garishly contrasting. Thankfully, the same can’t be said of the score; the folksy Japanese tunes alternating with swelling orchestral numbers, complimenting the film’s dramatic and atmospheric nature perfectly.
Ultimately, one’s enjoyment of “Kai Doh Maru” comes down to one’s willingness to persevere. To a certain extent, it falls victim to it’s own ambition, the aesthetics it revels in working against it. However, if you’re willing to tolerate that, then you have a beautiful, gripping story on your hands. It’s flawed, there’s no way around that, but I can still think of many worse ways to spend 40 minutes.
-Thrash Til' Death
LAA Rating: ***
Rating System:
* - Horrible
*½ - Very Bad
** - Bad
**½ - Good
*** - Very Good
***½ - Excellent
**** - Masterpiece
by: Thrash Til' Death
