You know, I’m really getting a lot of new anime added to my favourites list lately. Guess what just got added?

Release Date: 21/10/2009
Audio tracks: Dolby Digital 2.0: English, Dolby Digital 2.0: Japanese
Languages: ENGLISH, JAPANESE
Genre: Anime, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Subtitles: ENGLISH subtitles
Number of Discs: 2
Runtime: 300.0 mins

When you were younger, did you always wish to some degree that one (or more) of your toys would spring to life and interact with you as a person? In Jun Sakurada’s case he gets this wish granted, but not in the way I imagine he would have hoped.

Jun is a reclusive young teen when we first meet him. He refuses to go to school, and is rude to his sister Nori a lot. He also likes to buy things over the internet, but not your usual items. Things like voodoo dolls.

One odd item that he has purchased is a slip of paper asking him to make a choice by circling it, putting it back into the envelope, sticking it in the top drawer of his desk and closing the drawer. While he thinks it’s just a joke, he follows the instructions. After an interruption from his sister and a mild tantrum that sees Jun push his sister out of his room, Jun takes a trip. Over a box.

The box wasn’t there before. It actually turns out to be a case, which is well made and decorated with gold fittings and a gold rose on top. When Jun opens it, he finds a beautiful doll laying in side of it with a key to wind her up. When he does so, the doll comes to life and slaps him in the face. You must have permission to touch this lady!

Cowering against the door, Jun is frightened by the doll and even more so by the enchantment that is occurring before him. The doll informs him that her name is Shinku and that she is a Rozen Maiden doll. She requests that he picks her up so that she can inspect one of his voodoo dolls. After being taught how to do this properly, she inspects the doll and informs Jun that the doll says he is a good owner.

Suddenly an intruder appears – crashing through Jun’s bedroom window. A clown doll has come to attack Shinku (and Jun). Shinku convinces Jun that for him to stay alive he must consent to forming a bond with her – which means he becomes her medium. To do so, he must kiss the rose-shaped ring she is wearing, which causes an identical ring to appear on Jun’s left hand. Through this, Shinku has access to Jun’s energy which she uses to power her attacks. She awakens 2 of Jun’s dolls to help her fight and restrain Mr Clown.

Eventually Jun becomes accustomed to having Shinku in his life – despite his protests against being Shinku’s servant. Nori also gets introduced to Shinku and doesn’t even appear to think the situation odd. Mind you, she’s also oblivious to the fact that a guy from school is trying to ask her out.

Shinku is joined bit-by-bit by her other doll compatriots. They don’t form a bond with Jun, but they do end up living in the Sakurada residence. All of the dolls are dressed in Gothic Lolita style clothing. They refer to the man that created them as “Father”. They all have different powers.

The other dolls names are Hinaichigo, Suiseiseki, and Souseiseki. Hinaichigo is a cute doll who loves her sweets and drawing in crayon on the floor. Suiseiseki and Souseiseki are sisters who have one green eye and one red eye each. Their powers are gardening related, but they are also the only ones able to enter peoples dream worlds. The first of these two to turn up has a dislike for humans, and so likes to annoy Jun.

Another doll we meet is Suigintou. She is also similar in appearance as the others, but she is also the villain in this story. She challenges the dolls (mainly Shinku) to the Alice game in hopes she will win. Her powers consist of directing black feathers at her opponent, and smothering them with those feathers as well.

The Alice game is something all of the dolls must participate in if they wish to meet Father. For the dolls to have won, the losing doll has to hand over their Rozen Mystica to the winner. This also means they will turn into an ordinary doll. Shinku actually “plays” this against Hinaichigo early in the series and wins. However Shinku doesn’t request that Hinaichigo surrenders her Rozen Mystica, but makes her a servant instead.

One thing you may be wondering about is the whereabouts of the parental figures in this story. There’s no concrete position of where they are, but their absence is put down to being away on business. This gives the dolls the freedom to wander around the house, drink tea, eat Nori’s cooking, and watch episodes of “Detective Kun-kun” at their leisure. Well, in between fights anyway.

The last face-off between Shinku and Suigintou takes place in Jun’s dream world. While Jun is battling his inner demons, Shinku and the other dolls are battling it out with Suigintou. Who will win – on all accounts?

Special Features include:

• Textless versions of the opening and closing theme songs
• Japanese TV commercials for Rozen Maiden
• A Promo video (which is more or less a montage of the first episode with the opening theme to accompany it)
• Trailers for other Madman anime releases

You know, I’m really getting a lot of new anime added to my favourites list lately. Guess what just got added? This series was a visual delight – mainly due to the gorgeous outfits the dolls wore. The series also had plenty of humour and drama woven into it. And it was quite surprising to watch a doll call someone a “bastard” as well.

The series did contain a bit of violence and some mature moments – so this really isn’t one for kids. But if you like the whole Gothic Lolita thing as well as magical battles, then I think you will enjoy this. Watch out for that opening theme though – I’ve been whistling it since I first watched Episode 1!

Review product was provided by Madman Entertainment, and does not affect the outcome of this review.

Images (c) PEACH-PIT/Rozen Maiden PROJECT