Kaidômaru

The film, or more reasonably, a short (at under an hour), harks back to the times of feudal Japan and the mysticism that surrounded political and warring factions of the time. The story itself revolves around a child known as the Kai Doh Maru, a figure of importance to a few warring parties.A good mix of action and romance ensues. Those who like Ninja Scroll and other such "sword heavy" anime may feel disappointed but that might be missing the point of the film. The short is incredibly well drawn and animated and ranks, for me, with "Blood: The Last Vampire" and "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" in terms of digital animations and sharpness. It would come as no surprise that the production team behind all three of these creations is IG Production, who created the original Ghost in the Shell. Whilst being a creation of startling visuals, the plot may leave some wanting more, as some loose ends and "legend" aspects are left unexplained, and not in a way that would be easy to figure out either! Overall though, the film presents a beautiful, if slightly too mystical slice of anime, which showcases the talents of it animators incredibly well. 8/10