Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set [Blu-ray] | ![Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518fwboSgJL._SL160_.jpg) | Director: Christopher Bevins
Actors: Laura Bailey, John Burgmeier
Studio: Funimation
Category: DVD
List Price: $44.98
Buy New: $23.32
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Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 15842
Format: Box set, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Unknown), Japanese (Original Language), English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: Blu-ray
Region: 1
Discs: 2
Running Time: 300 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 5.4 x 1
MPN: FMABRFN08298
UPC: 704400082986
EAN: 0704400082986
ASIN: B001ON57N2
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Funimation Prod Inc Release Date: 03/10/2009
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 38
 "What does the demon's smile herald?" March 31, 2009
trashcanman (Hanford, CA United States)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
"Shigurui Death Frenzy" is among the most twisted anime I've ever seen and an outstanding vengeance tale from a culture stuffed to the gills with similarly-themed works. It is based on true events (whatever credibility you give to that) and takes place in feudal Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate. It's spectacularly graphic in both the sex and violence departments, but features extremely beautiful artwork and a pace and tone that is almost Kurosawan in it's meticulous and thoughtful storytelling and features a very gorgeous traditional Japanese soundtrack. But as artistic as it is, there enough mayhem, nudity, and general psychosis here to rival any Asian grindhouse flick I've ever seen. This one is not for the kiddies.
In the opening sequences the audience is treated to a retainer pleading with his daimyo to allow a tournament to use wooden blades rather than steel ones lest their most talented samurai die needlessly. He then opens up his slit belly and pulls his entrails out with his bare hands, telling his lord that that would be the only result of a tournament using real swords. His final plea falls on deaf ears and bloodthirsty eyes that have more than a hint of madness in them. As the tournament begins we see the first two samurai face off. It is a one-armed swordsman versus a blind samurai. While the audience mocks the pair, it is soon obvious that the two are not only skilled warriors, but have a past together. The story of "Shigurui" is that past.
Rewind to a few years back in time and we meet earnest sword pupil Gennosuke Fujiki and Seigen Irako, a stranger to the Kogan dojo who seeks audience with the sensei. The two clash, leaving Fujiki embarrassed and possibly stripped of his status as the heir to the deadly techniques of the sword school. Kogan Iwamoto is the deranged sensei whose advanced age regularly leaves him in a state of vulgar dementia with a string of neverending drool in the corner of his mouth and a habit of urinating on himself even as he performs feats of swordsmanship. Even more disturbing, the man still has a sexual appetite when in his glassy-eyed stupor. As Kogan's concubine Lady Iku, she gets to bear the brunt of that, though the sensei's own daughter gets a taste as well. The children of the town sing a song about Iku's body bringing misfortune and death to all of her lovers, but that doesn't deter Irako but getting a piece of the action. This is something that he will regret as he seeks the title of heir to the secrets of the Kogan style. And eventually, each and every character will regret the chain of events that forms.
As I said before, "Shigurui" is not for kids even if it does seem like a typical samurai anime on the surface. There's plenty of viscera, eyeball abuse like you wouldn't believe, decapitation, and dismemberment. In fact, the Kogan school seeks to spread it's name not by killing those who challenge it, but by "giving them a new look" which is to say the cut off various facial features so all of Japan can see their prowess rather than hear about it. Then there's the graphic sexual content which includes watching Kogan's drool fall upon his daughter as he "inspects" her suitability for breeding, a rather explicit but brief glimpse of cunnilingus -which I've NEVER seen in an anime (and no, I don't count hentai as true anime)- and a woman getting her nipple sliced off then watching her attacker pick it up and lovingly place it upon his tongue. Yeah, this is twisted stuff. Kogan is among the most intimidating and disgusting villains ever and the rest of the cast are more tragic victims then heroes. In fact, I think it's safe to say that there are no heroes here at all; just brutality, cruelty, and selfish deceit.
I really wish I could give this a perfect score because it is so harsh and uncompromising but still manages a plethora of beautiful and artistic flourishes that give this anime a credibility that few examples of the genre have anymore. But there is a fatal flaw that left me feeling less then thrilled at the conclusion in spite of the fact that the final kill is quite possibly the most impressive I've ever seen animated. While it is the best samurai anime I have seen in a long time, at only 12 episodes "Shigurui" becomes a victim of it's own slow pacing during the second half and the viewer can't help but feel a bit cheated at the lack of resolution in the story. After the amazing setup of the first episode, we never see it revisited for a fitting conclusion. It's almost like the staff got bored and just decided to move on before the story was done. A few more episodes -even one- could have easily garnered this show an unapologetic five star rating. But frankly, it's close enough. This is an anime that will absolutely warrant repeat viewings.
I am very pleased to say that this anime has been released in a full boxed set right off the bat. None of the month(s)-long waits and customer-gouging
while each disc is released individually. Thanks, Funimation! While there is not much in the way of extras on the discs, there is a "marathon play" feature which means that the discs will play as a continuous film rather than making you fast-forward through the opening and closing credits every 20 minutes. I hope to see more of these things in the future. They are reason enough to buy this set. If we support more quality anime releases that take the fans' wishes into account, maybe we'll see more of this kind of thing.
"Shigurui: Death Frenzy" is an outstanding adult anime that stops just short of all-time greatness, but is still an absolute must-own for fans of animated sex, violence, and chanbara films. The soundtrack, animation, plot, and characters are all first-rate. It's some of the best of classic Japanese arthouse cinema with all the cheap thrills of the grindhouse. Buy, buy, buy!
4 1/2 stars, rounded up for treating the fans right.
Everything typical has been addressed and made better May 15, 2009
Kurt Ackerman (Westchester, IL United States)
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set [Blu-ray]
This is a title that seemed to come out of nowhere, and it was great from the start. How could this have been passed up by me?
Yes, the story revolves around early dynasty Japan and Samurai, but it is not what I expected, or have really seen before.
First off, unlike most Anime, the music is absolutely excellent, and makes this story dark, brooding and mysterious. It is deep and effective. No goofy J-pop teenager whailing her head off here, just dynamic and powerful, as soundtrack should be.
Second, the figure detail is better than the box lets on. There's a wealth of art in this story, and the stylization of the drawing, painting, and even 3D varies regularly, without jumping around so much you get dizzy.
Really, they may use only subtle 3D techniques, but they are gorgeous.
Lastly is the story. I actually read a review here that said it was "slow". Perhaps it could be seen that way, but only if you're looking for a sword fighting frenzy. This is so much more than action. I just have to say that these writers know how to do what is missing from most anime, and that is how to create depth without needing a saga of episodes to successfully develop the characters and plot. From the very first episode, I was hooked. I've been watching anime since the beginning, and this is one that I'm buying on Blu-ray. The dialogue and sets, the tension, the darkness, and the violence all have space to breathe, and flow together very well.
Put all these elements together and you have a viewing experience that no anime fan will easily forget. This is going on my top 20 list, and certainly is my favorite Samurai anime of all time. (Yes, better than Samurai 7, and better than Sword of the Stranger, just to name a few.) It's simply darker, deeper, and more mature on many levels. Sound like your style? Good, then buy it and help the industry.
The Beauty of Swordplay and the Thrills of the KILL April 2, 2009
Woopak (Where Dark Asian Knights Dwell)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
With a backdrop of true events and based on the manga series written by Takayuki Yamaguchi, the anime series "Shigurui Death Frenzy" is a very violent tale of lust, dark ambition and vengeance that takes place during the 1600's in the Tokugawa period. Yamaguchi took his ideas from the novel called "Surugajyo Gozenjiai" and with director Hiroshi Hamasaki, the two have put together a harrowingly beautiful anime series that pretty much took my breath away. The series is about the famed Kogan school of Japanese swordplay, which became famous in the Kagegawa region, mainly because of the tutelage of a mysterious swordsman named Iwamoto Kogan. Unlike the chambara films we've seen in the past, this is not a series about honor, loyalty and duty; it is a melodrama about a school, its sensei and his apprentices. IT IS NOT YOUR KID'S Anime.
The series begins with two scarred warriors facing off against each other in a brutal contest to satisfy the bloodlust of a cruel lord Tadanaga Tokugawa; a blind swordsman named Irako Seigen (voiced by Nozomu Sasaki) and a one-armed swordsman called Gennosuke Fijiki (voiced by Daisuke Namikawa). These two warriors carry the scars of a very violent and twisted past. They were bitter rivals under the tutelage of sword master Kogan Iwamoto (Seizou Katou); the two aspired to attain the mastery of the Kogan style secret techniques and to be worthy of their sensei's beautiful daughter Mie (Houko Kuwashima). This is the story of these two warriors who had mortally wounded each other--physically, emotionally and psychologically, all for the honor to become the heir to the Kogan school. Now they must gird themselves for one last battle...
"Shigurui Death Frenzy" is a series divided into 12 parts (2 discs). The presentation contains beautiful animation, visceral and violent swordplay, and has been noted because of the amount of graphic sex and nudity. The screenplay and direction are both beautiful and ugly. It is beautiful because it utilizes superb style in its cinematography. The colors lean towards the use of earth colors, and a little muted which adds to its brooding, intense mood and gloomy style. This has been done to reflect on the bleakness of its subject matter which brings us to its ugly face. The ugliness I speak of hover mostly around in its disquieting storyline. The subject matter is about the darkness within the "way of Bushido". I wouldn't say that these men are true samurai who follow the ideals of that code--these men are very human, full of lust, greed, betrayal, and ambitions. Unlike other chambara features we have been privy to, they are NOT men to be admired for their character; they may be admired for their skills but they are mostly to be feared.
The screenplay by Yamaguchi is quite intense, taut and very moody. In the school, we see the workings of its inner circles, and the rules that apply to the Iwamoto residence. The feature also utilizes some very effective use of metaphors and symbolism. The Cicada is an insect used to signify apprenticeship because of its noisy, vibrating qualities. The dragonfly represents unrelenting totality because of the straight direction in its flight. The Butterfly is used to signify beauty and the unpredictable nature of one's future. I thought it was wise direction to use the "flashing" naked effect when one engages in swordplay--I think when fighting, one's nature is utterly exposed and one is unprotected. Sure, it also displays the movement of muscles in engagements but it was a lot more than that. The direction relies on some fragmented sequences, to further give its characters their dimensions in the story. Quite clever and ingenious, the proceedings manage to maintain its intensity in not just its graphic violence.
The action sequences aren't really your run-of-the-mill choreography. Slow-motion animation, freeze frames and close-ups are utilized. The swordplay is very graphic and it never holds back. Eyes and limbs are severed, beheadings, bowels and entrails are graphically shown, and looks very reminiscent to Japanese effects we've all been privy to. Dismemberments are done quite often, as well as "skinning" and faces and bones being smashed in. The thing is director Hamasaki does the Blood and Gore in a very artistic kind of way, it was impressive--not too repulsive but certainly shocking. The combatants imagine just how they would react to an attack before the actual combat begins which serves as a sort of a teaser to the viewer.
The feature does have its share of graphic violence towards women, but I don't think it glorifies it at all. It uses those actions to display the cruelty of its characters, most specifically sensei Kogan; who manhandles his daughter and has a lot of sex with his mistress, lady Iku (Emi Shinohara) when he is in a state on dementia. Oh, this feature has a lot of graphic sex and nudity. There are some very twisted displays of torture and violence; castrations by fire, cut-off nipples and burned breasts are what you are in for. Incest and sick desires are also hinted at. Yes, this is one disturbing anime feature and not for the weak of heart.
The characters are for the most part very human, in a way they give in to their carnal desires, pride and blind obedience--it does have certain undertones about curses and karma. Irako is the prideful apprentice, who almost whose goal is to attain fame and fortune--he is also a womanizer and proves to be his main weakness. Mie is the daughter of the master swordsman, Kogan; she is dutiful and becomes imbalanced in a way. Lady Iku is the beautiful mistress of Kogan who is always taunted at by children and believes her body to be cursed. Iwamoto Kogan is the sensei who becomes demented from time to time for reasons unspecified; probably due to his very violent ways. I suppose if a hero is to be had from this feature it would be Gennosuke, the stoic pupil, ever obedient to his sensei who carries a grudge against his rival--Gennosuke is driven to master the art. Let's not forget Gonzaemon Ushimata (Yosaku Yara), his one flaw may be his blind obedience.
The animation is fluid and very beautiful and it was almost photorealistic. There are no bulging, over-expressive eyes and the facial expressions speak a lot for their emotions and manner. I thought it was wise for the animators to give its characters certain features quite unique to one another. Each separate scene have a use of one color hue to express its mood, but stays within earth colors--to signify its worldly workings in its environment. If there are some flaws, it would fall on some minor details undefined and it does lack some closure.
"SHIGURUI DEATH FRENZY" is one twisted and brilliant animated production. It successfully reaches a plateau that surprisingly mixes beauty and repulsive qualities. It is so beautiful that one would be hard-pressed to say that it is all about disturbing imagery yet NONE can deny its visceral, brooding tone. It does efficiently represent what it is trying to say and gets its message across; The beauty of swordsmanship can lead to one's damnation when wielded irresponsibly. "Shigurui Death Frenzy" is beautiful, and magnificently executed, but it also leaves a repulsive taste in your mouth. I am very impressed as to how it managed to balance beauty and artistry with ugliness and repulsive nature. I almost didn't want the show to end.
Highly Recommended! [4 ½+ Stars]
Note: Please use the original Japanese Language track as it preserves the mood and emotions.
Greatest, (and probably the most historically accurate) samurai anime of all time April 30, 2009
Icarus88
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Anime is jam-packed with all kinds of romanticized, sometimes even watered-down depictions of samurai. Shigurui, however, is the most historically accurate samurai anime that I am aware of, and is also truer to history than the vast majority of samurai movies. It's not 100% accurate, but it's very close.
Shigurui is also the most beautiful anime that I've seen as far as its art is concerned. The animation is very realistic (sometimes horrifyingly so) and depicts the darker side of the Edo era samurai class. The tale is extremely engrossing, and highly enjoyable if the veiwer has the stomach for it.
While the plot is exciting, the anime often moves at a slow (but certainly NOT dull or boring!)pace. It tends to draw moments out to create a feeling of tension and often contemplation. Add in the eerie traditional Japanese music, and the show feels almost more like a traditional Japanese play than an anime... I believe it was designed to feel that way. It is unique, and a very haunting experience.
Note that while the anime does have an intense and unforgettable final confrontation between two of the show's most skillful samurai and does provide a staisfying conclusion, the ultimate conclusion of the story (the duel between Irako and Gennosuke) is never resolved in the anime because the manga is still ongoing in Japan. In the guide booklet that accompanies the DVD, the staff states that they did not want to invent their own ending and slap it on, but they hope to get the opportunity to make a second season of the show someday, dealing with the manga's second story arc.
I cannot recommend this show enough. It is worth every penny you spend on it. Heck, even if the set was $100 dollars it would STILL be worth every cent.
Please, please don't miss this. Anime like this are one in a thousand.
Artistic and gory anime May 8, 2009
Skyler Brown (AMERICA!!!)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
I dont get why people would give it anything less than five stars. I've only watched 1 disk and i could not watch the other one and still be happy with this purchase. It is a beautifully done anime with intense visuals. Both artistic and gory. At first i didn't understand what was going on because it starts at the end. But once it goes into the real story you are so caught up in what is going on that i couldn't stop watching. I watched the entire first disk in one sitting after dinner. By far one of my new favorites. If you like more complex and mature anime, you will love this.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 38
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