Canaan: Complete Collection

Canaan is a fast-paced-thrill-ride animated by P.A. Works ( True Tears and Angel Beats ) that will take you and won't let you go until you get to its ending credits, there are many cases where action anime have a very convoluted plot that causes its viewers to lose interest in finishing it, but not in this one, instead you'll be asking for more.

The main character is Canaan a mercenary currently operating in Shanghai who has a strong relationship with Maria Osawa a survivor of the new virus circulating the black market. The characters are superbly well written, even the villains have a special charm that makes them likable, the anime has a little for everyone, from mobsters to sexy hitwomen along with fan service, black humor and very clever innuendo scenes.

Overall is really hard to see a good anime now these days, because now everything seems to be MOE-MOE, I'm not saying that MOE is bad BUT WE need a break from it and CANAAN is a perfect option, also is great to hear Hilary Haag, Andy McAvin, Jessica Boone, Shelley Calene-Black and Rob Mungle are back in the industry and hope to hear more from them.

CONS

1Plot holes.

PROS

1Fast paced action/adventure thriller.

2Well written characters.

3Character design.

4Vivid colors with fluent animation and movie type quality.

5English and Japanese versions are topnotch.

6Fan service.

7A bittersweet ending to all the characters ( my personal favorite was Cummings )

Sentai Filmworks acquired a perfect action anime gem that if you like Gungrave, Ergo Proxy or Gunslinger Girl then by all means buy it.

The other reviews have covered what the story is about...this review is of the actual Blu-Ray release.

Unlike what is printed on the back of the case it is not 1080P, it is 1080i. Even so the visuals are excellent if not really sharp. Vibrant colors with no color banding I could detect. Nice fluid motion as well with lines well defined. The DTS-HD Master Audio track is Excellent as well (I watched in Japanese w/ English subtitles). Tried the English track and it's an excellent track as well, just couldn't take Yun Yun's dub voice. Either one has great use of surround sound and the audio is clear enough to hear the "t"s stressed in the opening.

There are 4 extras on disc 2: Minorikawa's Report, Clean Opening, Clean Closing, and Credits. Minorikawa's Report basicially just uses video clips from the show to explain what you already know if you have seen the show...AMV's on YouTube are better done than this. The Clean Opening and Closing are nice visually, but the audio is not in HD and has over a 10dB level drop over the DTS-HD Master Audio track along with less definition. The credited episode DTS-HD Master Audio opening is MUCH better in the audio department.

So to sum it up the visuals and audio is excellent in the Episodes. The Extras are good visually, but not so good on the audio end. Definitely would recommend getting the Blu-Ray over the DVD, not only because of the quality, but the Blu-Ray version costs less as well. The price I see now is a little high compared to my pre-ordered price though...$10 higher to be exact.

If you are a fan of this type of anime (action/drama/suspension) and don't mind that it's really a Mature title ( I don't see how Canaan retains a TV14 rating...), Canaan is an excellent Blu-Ray release to get.

Buy Canaan: Complete Collection Now

Bought this anime simply cause I wanted something to watch and didn't want to rent from Netflix. Read a review from Otaku USA and although the review wasn't all that great I simply liked the character design too much to care and because of the action. Turned out to be a pretty good buy as far as I'm concerned. Storyline is better than I thought and the action is where it's at. Overall, pretty interesting story and very good animation. If you like action and animation and not so much with the story this will probably do it for you.

Read Best Reviews of Canaan: Complete Collection Here

Maria was infected by the UA virus. Her father was able to create a vaccine and save her. Most are not so lucky. Those infected either die or develop synethesia; a condition that gives a person superhuman abilities. Canaan is one such girl. When Maria and her partner are researching a story in Shanghai for the paper they work for, they encounter Canaan. The 3 are drawn together into a plot that could cost many lives. Along with their cheerful and goofy friend Yun Yun, the team tries to stop the sinister "Snake" organization from spreading the UA virus. The past comes back to haunt them, and the future doesn't look bright; but Canaan shines brightly.

This anime has a killer opening and a killer ending. The middle part is up and down. Sometimes it drags, but then it will ick back up again. The plot is very well written. There are also lots of great characters on both sides. Cannan is kind of like a mix between Noir, Burst Angel, and The Third; if you can sort of picture that. It's really good. Tons of action, drama, and comedy. It's not for the young ones though. There is harsh language and almost a bit of nudity. To be honest with you, this was a 3 or 4 star series for me until the last episode or 2. It has a killer ending. I think that most mature anime fans will find this series pretty entertaining.

Want Canaan: Complete Collection Discount?

This series is actually a sequel (spinoff really) to the "428: F'sa Sareta Shibuya de" visual novel for Wii. The viewer follows friends Canaan and Maria for most of the series. The series is reminiscent of a Resident Evil style plot where some entity has purposefully infected people with a rare virus. The virus is almost always lethal, but there are those rare people who actually survive the virus but have their bodies affected in strange ways. Canaan is one of the people. Maria is her photographer friend. Though it is unnecessary to know what happens in the previous visual novel, it does help to explain some of the early plot holes and explain how Maria and Canaan know each other. Some of this is revealed in flashbacks through the anime series.

The series is short, only 13 episodes, but most of the episodes have a lot going on. The animation is very high quality and the backgrounds are lusciously beautiful. The Japanese voice acting is stellar. I watched both versions, and I have to say that Yum Yum and Maria in particular are nearly perfectly matched with their Japanese voice actors.

My negative points are few, but they are important. First, due to the short length of the series, there are quite a few plot holes and plot threads left unfinished. But probably the most annoying is a little 'glitch' in episode 8. The subtitles actually hit one off. Basically when someone is speaking, the subtitle for the next persons' audio is shown. So you see Canaan ask one of the girls if she is okay "Daijoubu ka?" but the subtitle says "Honored Alphard". Then we see the next scene Cumming's says "Alphard sama" with the subtitle for the next dialogue... awkward! But this is only in episode 8. Kind of makes you wonder if Sentai actually watched the finished Japanese audio and English subtitle version for error proofing.

The only other negative point is the finale kind of seems rushed and then we see one particular character having a very drawn out and melodramatic breakdown. I understand it is in keeping with her character, but I might not be the only person who was thinking "Hurry up and die already! I'm sick of hearing you! Jeez!" But I can totally forgive these small annoyances.

I actually checked this out from my local library, so I am quite pleased with it overall; but had I paid $42 I would probably be a bit miffed. Though it is a good series, it is short, and it's not too necessary to own. If you can stream this online or rent from Netflix or your local library (if you're lucky enough to have an anime friendly library nearby), then I would recommend that course of action before spending $42 to buy it.

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