Spiral, Vol. 4: Sharpening Wit (2005)

A high stakes game pits Eyes Rutherford’s steely nerves against an old friend. Strategy, precision and skill are the difference between freedom and conscription by the Blade Children. But when both Rio and Hiyono are taken captive by Hunters, Ayumu, Kousuke and Ryoko must team up to track them down. Includes 4 episodes.

series review, not DVD review

ok, so, what to say about this series. the words "awesome", "outstanding", and "excellent" come to mind.
Narumi Ayumu-kun feels that he lives in his brother Kiyotaka's shadow. He doesn't try very hard at things because he feels that everything does comes out as an imitation of his brother. However, Ayumu's brother went missing two years ago, off to search out the truth behind the mystery of the Blade Children. When Ayumu meets up with the Blade Children on his own, he is tested. Why? Because according to the Blade Children themselves, Kiyotaka believes that Ayumu is the key to saving the cursed Blade Children. Can he really do it?

This series is a great detective series. Anyone who enjoys(or has even just seen) the series Detective Conan, I mean "Case Closed", will be able to enjoy this series. It covers topics like recovering from a loss(confidence-wise or other), believing in yourself and your convictions, believing in and helping others, and finding a place in the world to be happy.

Sounds sappy and sentimental right? Well, yeah, that part did, lol, but here's another part! The clues and cleverness are all there! Several times I found myself laughing because the sneaky part of my brain figured out the trick before the character did. ^_^ It was fun. ^_^ And, from a girl's perspective, the guys in this show are great-looking, or perhaps the word "hot" is better, lol. On the other hand, for you guys, the girls in this series are just a cool! I have great respect for Hiyono(go episode 7!). Her skills and personality are crucial throughout the series. ^_^

Ok, a few last details. The opening is addictively upbeat, fun, and cool. Hiyono's puppet-show episode previews are funny. And remember, for all you aspiring anime otaku's out there, it may be dubbed, but don't forget to watch it in the original Japanese(subtitled of course), at least once. The dub can be good, but the original will always be better! And for people who are already anime fans, guess what?! That whole "one outfit per character" rule? Doesn't apply! They actually change outfits, lol.

Watch Spiral! February 12, 2005

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