Video Backlog: "Munto"

Publisher: U.S. Manga Corps (Central Park Media, USA)
Format: Region Free DVD, NTSC, Japanese Dialogue with optional English Dub and English Subtitles
Length: 50 minutes
Production Date: 2003
Currently in Print (as of writing): No

Story Outline: Yumemi Hidaka has been able to see floating islands in the sky since she was small. However no one else can see them. She has learnt the hard was to keep this a secret and carries a pink umbrella with her whenever she goes out so she can’t see the islands. But she starts to have new visions where a red headed boy who calls himself Munto keeps asking her to lend her power to him so his kingdom can be saved. Munto is from the Magical Kingdom which is being attacked by other nations and is in danger of falling. Even worse is the fact he is running out of a power called Akuto which Yumemi has, and she should be able to give Munto the power to save his kingdom. If Munto doesn’t succeed and convince the reluctant Yumemi to help him, not only will he die and his kingdom fall from the sky, but Yumemi’s world will also be crushed by the falling kingdom, hence the unexplained earthquakes in her world.

Mini Review: See, Kyoto Animation can produce other stuff than that sappy Key “moe girls in peril” stuff (Kanon, Clannad etc). However this OVA does contain a LOT of elements from the Key based moe anime. For the most part we go back and forth between the many well choreographed battles in the Magical World as well as some of the politics behind it, and the real world which is very much slice of life and a lot like Air or Clannad. The one plot point which really crapped me was the one with Yumemi’s incredibly childlike friend Suzume, who sounds like and acts like she has regressed to the age of a four year old. She has a boyfriend named Kazuya who performs a “marriage ceremony” with her together where they cross the river, making everyone think they’re committing suicide. But no! They’re showing that can overcome any obstacle together! Oh how heart warming... Jesus, make vomit... Ignoring this rather sickening melodramatic cotton candy fluff for the mind, the show looked fantastic and was a bit of treat. I quite enjoyed this for the most part. 6.5 out of 10.

Remaining Backlog: 21 months (it's much easier this way than listing the number of discs).