Karas - The Prophecy
(Vol.1)
(dr.
Keichi Sato
- 2006)
published in Empire No.68, Sydney, 2007
Over the last decade, anime has been investigating marvellous ways to integrate CGI for unreal effects. Karas is a recent entry that places its aesthetics firmly in the PS2 zone. Young Otaka awakens with the potential to battle the resurgence of the all-evil Karas and undergoes psychic training from Yurine so he can save Shinjuku. Yadda, yadda, good, evil, etc. - it's there if you need it plot wise, but Karas feels like you're looking over someone's shoulder as they play a hi-res game with unknown rules and graphic conventions. This first volume borders on the abstract, making it a deliciously difficult series.
Karas
- The Revelation
(Vol.2)
(dr.
Keichi Sato
- 2006)
published
in Empire No.82, Sydney, 2008
As suggested in a review of the first volume here last year, Karas has indeed turned into a deliciously difficult series. In fact I had to re-watch the first volume because this second volume’s story arcs spin out further and more wildly than one can take in a single setting. The warping between dimensional states – the demonic, the human, and various mystical being realms – overtakes the world as we know it, and in this second volume, the cosmic becomes very frightening as Otoha battles it out with Eko. Stunning visuals, superb draftsmanship, and some of the best destruction scenes around
