Final Fantasy Unlimited - Vol. 3

Starring: Elena Carrillo, Grant James Director: Mahiro Maeda Dvd Release: 19th July, 2004 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: Animated, PAL, Subtitled, Region 2 Encoding Subtitled In: English Dubbed In: English

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Final Fantasy: Unlimited is a Japanese anime series based on Squaresoft s popular Final Fantasy video game franchise. It was released in Japan in October 2001 & while it was originally scheduled for 52 weekly episodes, low ratings resulted in the series to be cut to 25 episodes. Unlimited was intended to bring in a new audience base & attract new interest in the Final Fantasy realm. Unlimited incorporates both 2D animation & 3D graphics & takes elements from every Final Fantasy game with Easter eggs, some obvious, others obscure. It was licensed for the US by ADVFilms. Ai’s twin brother & the son of missing scientists Mary & Joe Hayakawa. The steadfast & resolute Yu & his sister Ai boarded the Ghost Train to the mysterious world which lies beyond the pillar of darkness, in hopes of finding their missing parents. Yu definitely comes off as the more passive of the twins. He has a special connection with the mysterious Kaze, to whom he looks up to as almost a savior type figure.

Twelve-year-old twins Ai & Yu Hayakawa take a mysterious subway to Wonderland to look for their missing scientist-parents. Wonderland is a hostile place, ruled by the petulant Earl Tyrant & his assorted hench-creatures. Ai & Yu are attacked by monsters & saved first by Lisa, a practitioner of the Kigen Arts, then repeatedly by the taciturn, gun-totting Kaze. The first episodes are cluttered with characters who appear briefly then vanish. Although Ai, Yu, & Lisa do a lot of traveling, the series doesnt really go anywhere: the filmmakers seem more interested in showcasing the elaborate CG effects at their disposal than in coherent storytelling. The effects are very flashy, but they never meld satisfactorily with the drawn animation. Based on the popular videogame franchise, Unlimited borrows from Matsumotos Galaxy Express & Miyazawas Galactic Railroad, but offers none of their mystery & magic.

Mahiro Maeda is one of the preeminent Japanese anime creators working today, having worked as director, character designer & animator for many of Japans top series. He has been one of the top contributors at GONZO Digimation for many years, having directed Blue Submarine No. Unlimited & Gankutsuou. His design work ranges from the Angels in Neon Genesis Evangelion to production & mechanical design for such series as Last Exile & The Vision of Escaflowne. His earlier years were spent mostly at the famed Gainax animation studio, where he helped animate classics such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky & Porco Rosso. Maeda is one of the few Japanese directors to actively collaborate with non-Japanese on various projects. He provided key animation for the animation sequence in Quentin Tarantino s Kill Bill Vol. 1. He was also one of the few selected to direct a portion of The Animatrix - The Second Renaissance Parts I & II, respectively. He has also visited the American Anime Expo convention in 2000 & 2003. Posters Of The Animatrix

Editors Choice: The Animatrix, The Ultimate Matrix Collection, Final Fantasy Unlimited, Vol 4, View DVDology

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