TorontoSun.com - Hey, get anime-ted about it! - Fri, February 15, 2008

North American fans of Japanese anime treat the genre as a cultural phenomenon and almost a religion.

Anime, rooted in manga comics, works with iconic images and sci-fi or supernatural stories.

Despite exceptions, such as the unique work of anime master Miyasaki, most contemporary series follow similar design patterns. Characters are westernized. Male heroes or villains are usually shaggy-haired pretty-boys while heroines are big-eyed and often sexualized.

Yet the genre has sub-genres. Three new box sets show just how different anime series can be. Each is a complete TV show. Each plays in either the original Japanese, with English subtitles (my preference) or in English dubbed versions with western voices. All are in widescreen-only:

TACTICS: THE COMPLETE SERIES: This five-disc set features gorgeous animation and a complex story based in ancient mythology. It is filled with demons, powerful goblins and a moody human hero trying to maintain a balance with the spirit world. It is difficult to follow, at first, so pay close attention. The DVD extras are odd because, among other offerings, the two leads do a manic TV interview that is the polar opposite of their calm voice work on the show.

NOEIN: TO YOUR OTHER SELF: THE COMPLETE SERIES: Offered on five discs, this sci-fi story is most child-friendly. Yet the plot is still complicated and worthy of Freudian analysis. The destiny of the lead characters plays out in fractured time and multiple dimensions. The artwork is breathtaking and dramatic. Extras include on-set interviews.

TOKKO: THE COMPLETE SERIES: This three-disc set is skewed older -- definitely not a cartoon for kiddies. The genre is splatter-horror. The zombie-monster story combines a bloodbath with fetishized sexual overtones. It is stylish, interesting but profounded disturbing. Limited extras focus on music and images.