I....uh....we got a weird one fellow Otaku & Metalheads. I’m serious, this one’s weird! Kinda like that level of weird that you can only get from a certain period of time (1998 in this show’s case). The kind of weird that leaves you wondering what the hell happened, yet at the same time leaves you with that desire to go through that experience all over again. This OVA has put me through the wringer, yet for some reason I don’t mind that it did. I’ve watched this a bunch of times before I did this review, and I have a feeling I’ll watch it a couple more times for the hell of it. Let me not waste anymore of your time, and lets get to the review of the strange & obscure Crimson Wolf. Prepare for plenty of WTF!
Story/Setup
Normally I’d talk about the story, but I think the back of the DVD tells it much better:
“The fate of the world rests in the ability of these untested warriors to defeat an unearthly army of darkness. Sorcery, martial arts and unrequited love, spanning the centuries, explode in an epic battle at the gates of the forbidden city.
Mysterious deaths befall the members of an archeological expedition which uncover the ancient tomb of Genghis Khan.
These deaths are preceded by a bizarre prophecy which foretells the end of the world-unless three people with a Hong Lang (Crimson Wolf) birthmark are found and destroyed.
Amid a backdrop of international intrigue and contemporary political unrest, three unsuspecting heroes are forces to challenge destiny in a monumental struggle to keep the world from plunging into chaos.
Crimson Wolf is an unusual departure for the anime genre-rooted in real world reference, it makes the fantasy all the more believable.”
On the surface, this seems like an pretty impressive idea for a story, and unique as well. Mixing the mystical, with real-life history, and political intrigue really sounds like an original & clever idea, and all in all it is! Sadly, Crimson Wolf really only seems to scratch the surface of this idea. This little taste is nice, but I want to be bombasted by real-world politics & fantasy at the same time. I don’t want to be teased the whole time. Well, almost the whole time. There are moments where it delves into this idea more than others, but on the whole seems a little timid about getting knee-deep into this story. That said, I still appreciate it on the concept alone!
Animation
Crimson Wolf is definitely a product of the 90s. 1993, to be exact. That means no computers, no CGI, no modern animation methods, etc. Because of that, there’s an old-school feel to the movie, something that rarely felt now in today’s shows. Despite that, Crimson Wolf doesn’t necessarily hold up well. There’s plenty of moments where the design of the character can seem weird for a moment, whether it’s because of a scene’s angle, or because of something strange that you can’t quite explain.
Apart from that, there are some moments where some of the scene take a turn for the surreal, thanks in part to the mystical side of the story coming through. You have a trip into the past of two of the characters (Through the act of sex...have I mentioned that this movie isn’t a hentai?), and then there’s the final 10 to 12 minutes of the movie itself. I can’t spoil what happens, as it would ruin the end of the story. What I can say is that it’s the most out-there thing you’ll ever see, and you probably won’t forget it for quite some time.
Voice Acting
Right away, you can immediately tell that this is a Streamline Pictures dub. Their at-the-time stable of voice actors comes out in full force in this movie: Bob Bergan, Barbara Goodson, and Dan Woren are instantly noticeable when they speak. Dan Woren is especially noticeable when he speaks, as he has that particularly deep voice that just sticks in your head after you’ve heard it. That said, the script for Crimson Wolf is one of the cheesiest, hokey, and downright absurd things I’ve ever heard. Despite how serious the voice actors sound when they’re playing their roles (And they sound rather serious 9.5 times out of 10), a good chunk of the lines just sound so far out there it’s hard to believe that you heard what they said. Two lines in particular caught my attention, and they’ve become my favorites. They are:
“Give me a second, I’m almost done.” (Spoken by Dan Woren as his character, Brukodan, is partaking in a orgy filled with nothing but women)
“The spirit of humanity cannot be crushed by armies or tanks, my fist is imbued with the spirit of all those who have been oppressed, from Tibet to Tiananmen Square!” (Spoken by Bob Bergan as his character, Kai, punched/laser blasted a tank in the final climax)
I’ll let that 2nd line sink in for you. Apart from these two, everything else is a goofy collection of absurd lines that you probably wouldn’t hear in real life. Only in Crimson Wolf, and perhaps some other 90s anime, will you ever hear things this ridiculous!
Characters
For a story that tries to have a deep story, the characters in Crimson Wolf are rather shallow. A massive majority of the cast is nothing but throwaway characters, both in terms of good guys (Few as there are) & bad guys (Plenty of good guys to go around). They’re all so forgettable, it’s not even worth paying any attention to them. There really isn’t any clear villain in the movie, as it’s only until the last 14 to 16 minutes we’re actually given one. Even then, the villain’s plot is rather basic, despite how grandiose it sounds. I will say that the villain himself is surprisingly original, but to describe him would ruin a part of the story.
As for the main good guys, they have problems with character development like everyone else, but there is at least some (They’re good guys. Of course they’re gonna have some development!). Kai, voiced by Bob Bergan, is a very punky individual at the beginning, and throughout a good majority of Crimson Wolf, he still has a cocky attitude. By the end, he’s matured somewhat, yet still has a “Bite Me” state of mind. Barbara Goodson’s character, Mizuo, at first is just a girl that gets into trouble. By the end, she becomes Kai’s lover, and has a tiny amount of kick-ass juice injected into her arm. The most intriguing of the three was the character that Daniel Woren voices, Brukodan. Taking more of an anti-hero stance, Brukodan is a black marketeer that hates the system, but often provides services to the government when they come crawling to him. By the end, he still has that tough guy attitude, but has learned to maybe give a damn once in a while.
Availability & Pricing
If you thought looking for an ADV Films title was tough, prepare for the frustration that is looking for a release from Streamline Pictures. The only store I can think of that would even remotely have a copy would be FYE, and even then it would only be available as a used copy (If they had a new copy available, they made a deal with the devil for sure). Only Amazon has readily available copies of Crimson Wolf available for purchase, but at this moment in time there are only 11 copies left (5 Used/6 New). Used copies start at 37 dollars, while the new copies begin at 53 dollars in price. Buying Crimson Wolf is definitely an expensive proposition, with the used copy being at least a little more reasonable.
I managed to buy a used copy back in June of last year for a measly 5 dollars. The condition the box was in, not to mention the actual DVD, was shockingly good. Apart from some scratches, everything looks alright for a release of it’s age!
Other
I don’t know if I was hallucinating, but I could have sworn that I saw Chun Li in a quick scene. Zoom to the 55:23 mark of the movie, and you’ll see what I mean!
Overall Impression & Rating
This is a stupid movie, with a stupid premise, with a stupid script, and all around is just goofy. However, there’s cleverness within Crimson Wolf. There’s a definite spark of originality underneath all the WTF that’s thrown at you. Like the back of the DVD says, the movie mixes fantasy with real-world politics & international intrigue. It’s not a perfect mix, but the idea alone won me over. All I can say is that if you need to kill an hour, Crimson Wolf can do the job.
I’m personally giving Crimson Wolf 7.5 to 8 out of 10, simply because of it’s charm. According to a 5-star system, I’ve seen this anywhere from 2 ½ stars, to 3 stars, and I think I’ve seen at least one or two 4 stars for Crimson Wolf.
Well, that’s Crimson Wolf. A bizarre title that really should be watched instead of forgotten, and in your collection at some point. See you soon, when we’ll look at something a little more normal.
***
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