Advance Review of Shadow Skill TV Volume 1 DVD

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Oct 26, 2005

Shadow Skill the TV series Volume 1 promises a lot of what has been missing from martial arts action series in anime these current years: pure martial arts action. ADV Films brings back the unadulterated action series in Shadow Skill the TV. A number of years ago, another company had released the Shadow Skill OVA mini-series but now you have a full 26 episode saga spanning 6 volumes. And the first shows a lot of promise.

Synopsis from ADV: The kingdom of Kuruda has known many warriors, none greater than the Sevalle, an elite breed whose mastery of martial arts has made them legendary. But for the 59th Sevalle, Elle Ragu, a.k.a. Shadow Skill, being a legend is shaping up to be something of a drag. After all, adventure alone doesn't pay the rent, and living check to check takes its toll on even the fiercest warrior. Strong as an ox and stubborn as a mule she may be, but it's drinking like a fish that usually gets Elle in trouble. And as she travels alongside her brother Gau, leaving property damage and unpaid bar-tabs in their wake, a new threat looms on the horizon: spies from the kingdom of Solfan have entered the picture, and Kuruda seems to be headed for war...

In reviewing this title I was impressed with the purity of it. Set in a fantasy adventure setting, its untainted martial arts anime formula is as good as it ever has been. There's lots of martial arts action with moves being shouted out in the heat of duels and all out battles. Sometimes the fights are between human fighters facing off. Sometimes there are battles against huge demon beasts with the lives of whole towns at stake. Through it all, there's the nobility of the fighter, in this case Elle. For despite her heavy drinking, incorrigible gambling, and brash social (dare I call them?) skills, Elle remains a noble spirit. She is an honorable fighter. And it should be noted that this is one of the first, if not the first, anime that was courageous enough to feature a female lead in a martial arts anime series. Sure there was Chung Li in Street Fighter but she was only a supporting character and there more often for eye candy than story. In Shadow Skill, you have a strong female character that happens to be good looking but doesn't have to bare a lot of skin to prove it. And her flaws add depth to the character as well as moments of humor to ease up the intensity now and again as needed. Another interesting thing about the series is that it goes from fight to fight, adventure to adventure, challenge to challenge while slowly building an underlining plot to drive the entire series. Certainly it is an older anime just now being released but it stands up. The animation style is dated mildly but still enjoyable to look at. This series earns a respectable 7.5 out of 10 kendo swords and shows promise.

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