Leave it to the Japanese to reinvigorate and re-imagine two iconic America comic book characters and still remain true to their roots and personalities.
I'm taking about Sony Pictures two new DVD releases: Blade Anime and Wolverine anime. Both series are guided by writer Warren Ellis-so you know they pack a punch!
As with most of Japanese 'mature' anime, there is plenty of graphic violence, incredible animation and striking scenes and character confrontations. This is the way both Blade and Wolverine should be depicted as: driven individuals who let nothing and on one stand in their way, regardless of the consequences.
Both DVD include featurettes about the re-imaging of each character, creator interviews and more. Both run over 280 minutes with internationally well-known actors voicing the characters.
In Blade, Eric Brooks (Blade) is in search of the vampire Deacon Frost who killed his mother when she was pregnant with Eric. Eric now possesses he abilities of vampires without their weaknesses. While on his search he travels to the Golden Triangle where he discover a vampire plot that threatens the whole world.
In Wolverine, Logan falls head-over-heels for Mariko Yashida, the daughter of a high-ranking Japanese crime lord, Shingen. Back in Japan she is forcibly betrothed to Kurohagi, a criminal associate of her father, to stabilize their criminal exploits.
Logan is determined to rescue her and in the process crosses blades with the Japanese underworld with the aid of his new ally, the young assassin Yukio.