Batman: Gotham Knight

As a big fan of Batman and an obvious fan of anime, Gotham Knight was definitely something I had been looking forward to. While fun to watch though, this series of shorts kind of left more to be desired... then again, considering it's to lead into The Dark Knight, that may be a good thing.

STORY - It's kind of hard to review six standalone works all at once while simultaneously trying to be succinct, but I don't think I have the attention span right now to detail each one individually (and I'm long-winded enough as it is). The shorts collected within Gotham Knight are supposed ... to take place in between the events of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight; to that end then, they work okay, avoiding major villains and touching on various lesser themes within the Batman franchise. Each short sort of reminded me of a summarized version of an episode of Batman: The Animated Series, especially the first one, Have I Got a Story For You, which I swear was the exact premise for a TAS episode. Each story is self-contained, but vague, and even though it was possible to draw connecting threads between some of them (always nice), such as In Darkness Dwells and Working Through Pain, I wasn't really wowed by any of them. At best, they were just decent episodes, not good enough for real praise, but not bad enough to trash.

The final short, Deadshot was probably my favorite, if only because it had all the elements of a classic Batman -- action, mild suspense, and a demonstration of Batman's awesome skill (though he is never without weakness). Working Through Pain and Field Test are runners up because they contribute at least a little bit to Batman's very complex personality and psyche, and as morality and the mind in general are very prevalent themes in Batman, those two shorts felt rather necessary in helping to further develop and prepare the character for The Dark Knight. Bruce's line at the end of Field Test is especially memorable: "I'm willing to put my life on the line, but it has to be my life."

CHARACTER - There seem to be two central goals in Gotham Knight: one, describing Bruce/Batman's progression as a character in between the two live action movies, and two, detailing the public's perception of the Batman as he rises in both fame and infamy. Each of the six shorts meet at least one of these two goals, though I'd venture to say that none of them do it particularly well. The complexity of Batman's character is one of the main reasons I've always been a fan. Sure, his backstory is one tragedy in a world of many, but the determination he has to both make up for his weakness as a child and to grow up past the sadness is admirable. It's incredibly interesting to see him in conflict with everything that stands in his way -- criminals, the police, Gotham's society, and of course, himself and his own mind. Batman has always been a great character, but the real question is whether Gotham Knight do him justice. The nature of the shorts -- basically, the fact that they are indeed short -- limits the depth of exploration; they do okay with what they're given, but they had so much more potential that it just ends up being a little disappointing in the end.

The other characters that make appearances, Gordon, Fox, Ramirez, and Cassandra, get even less time for development than Batman, so it makes sense that they don't really get any depth. Still, the shorts establish or re-emphasize their relationships to Batman, and for Gordon and Fox, this is valuable as material leading into The Dark Knight since they only just made allies out of the Batman in Batman Begins. It's passable.

ARTSTYLE & ANIMATION - Each of the six shorts employed their own animation style, but I wasn't really impressed with any of them. Have I Got a Story to Tell had some gorgeous urban backgrounds, but the characters were depicted in that rounded, lazy-looking style that really contrasted with the detail of everything else. It isn't bad, per se, but I'm personally not a fan. For Field Test, it was actually kind of disturbing to see Bruce Wayne as a generic bishounen. It's perfectly understandable, seeing as he's supposed to be a playboy and all, but that didn't stop it from being disturbing. Especially with Lucius Fox winking at him every other scene. D8 Other than that, the only real thing to note artwise is the variety in costume design. Batman's suit does from having actual heavy armor to looking pretty true to its movie design; once again, none of them really struck me as particularly impressive, but none were flat out hideous either.

MUSIC - The usual Batman theme stuff for the most part. Awesome, but nothing really to note.

VOICE ACTING - I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was psyched to see that Kevin Conroy was going to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman for Gotham Knight. His is easily the most definitive and recognizable voice for the character, and it just wouldn't have been the same without him. For those who don't know, Conroy started as the voice for the role in The Animated Series, and then went on to play almost every animated appearance of Batman, including roles in the Batman Beyond, the Justice League, subsequent movies, and guest appearances in Superman:TAS and Static Shock. In any case, Conroy does a great job once again; he sounds exactly as he had ten years ago, and that familiarity is really great.

The rest of the cast, while not from TAS, seem to mimic their predecessors very well. For me, since TAS played such a big part in my Batman fandom history, I've come to view most of the voices done in the series as "canon," and so when the cast in Gotham Knight seem able to pick up their parts so well, I was happy.

OVERALL - Gotham Knight was good as filler material between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and it's always great seeing these grand collaborations between American and Japanese companies. But as a standalone work, I would consider it a little disappointing. The technical aspects were all on the high ends of things, but its very specific timeframe gave it little wiggle room as far as story goes, which is really too bad. So yeah, in the end, I guess it just depends on how you look at it. In either case, it's worth a watch.

Gotham Knight is the best North American and Japanese collaboration in the production of an animation. It is neither an anime nor a cartoon, but a perfect blend of the two. After watching this it created even more anticipation for The Dark Knight live action film that will soon continue the story. The DVD has Japanese directors, American writers, Japanese and American Artists (who are also writers and directors, but also do animation and character design), and American Producers. One cool note that I found was that Emma Thomas one of the producers is Christopher Nolan's wife, and she produces most of the films that ... he directs. It is surprising that he did not direct at least one of the short stories. I guess he was too busy with The Dark Knight. My skin feels alive just thinking about the upcoming film, since Nolan happens to be my favorite director. Maybe animation is not his style, since he is so good at directing live action.

The story is not really a bunch of short stories, but instead they are actually just different chapters for the entire story that covers the span of chronological events between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. But each story has it own style of direction, since each story was done by a different Japanese director and worked on by different American writers. Here is a break down of the short stories or "chapters" or episodes:

Have I Got a Story for You
Four youths describe their perspective of what they see as Batman. Each set of eyes see a different side to the being behind the mask. They each tell of their encounters with Batman, and argue over their observations, and each encounter happens to be contiguous with the next story told so it provided an interesting dynamic for the direction of the short story.

Crossfire
The perspective of two detectives under the command of James Gordon which is directed in third person. Local gang wars put some of Gotham's finest in danger, which is something the Bat does not like. One of the detectives was recruited from another city by Gordon, and he has his doubts about whether he can trust Batman, while the other detective grew up in Gotham, so she has a polar perspective to that of her partner. It situates excellent conflict between the opinion of the partners, and even with the superior officer.

Field Test
An excellent depiction of the good or "light" side of Batman. Normally his dark side is the one portrayed, but this story shows the truth of the man behind the masks and his kind heart. It also has some insane progressive technology!

In Darkness Dwells
The story features Croc and Scarcrow. Not as much depth as the other stories, but it has excellent action sequences.

Working Through Pain
The best of all six short stories. It is a flash back of Batman's past where he travels the world and seeks out some Hindu philosophy or Psychology to learn how to bend his pain to his own will. It is an excellent illustration and articulation of the inner conflict within Batman.

Deadshot
Another super villain, Deadshot, is assassinating the commissioners in Gotham. In the episode, Batman protects his social and judicial defender, and link to society, Commissioner Gordon. There is an amazing transition from the previous short story into this one, where Batman comes to a realization about his life as a superhero and the deeper meaning behind his surface motives for defending Gotham city.

A really cool comment on the show is that Kevin Conroy came on to do the voice of Batman. For those who do not know him, he was the voice actor for the original Batman in Batman: The Animated Series. He is a legend among North American voice actors, and his voice is the perfect match to the archetype that is Batman.

Overall the DVD or OVA or "whatever" is one of the finest animations I have watched. The very first scene blew me away with its phenomenal animation and artwork. It starts with a pan across a fog sodden bridge somewhere in Gotham to the top of a building where Batman awaits. Some of the best creators in the world came together for an avant garde production. Avant garde literally means the group of soldiers who would lead an army into battle. It is normally lead by the army's finest battalion. The figurative connotation of my use of the word, means to push boundaries. The perfection that is Gotham Knight is the result of some of the best production in the world. The task to bring all these brilliant minds together is arduous and costly, but with the perfect hierarchy that is their entire production team, they have been able to produce a taste of perfection in this Anime, Cartoon, Animation, whatever. The whole time as I watched I had inner conflict turmoil inside of me as to whether or not I consider this show to be an anime. But after watching the show, I came to the conclusion that is is neither an anime nor a cartoon and instead is a neoanimation. Whether or not that is actually a word, I could care less. I simply used a modifier on a noun and the semantics work to describe my meaning. All I really know is that this show deserves a place here on MyAnimeList along side of some of the greatest animation of our time.

So, the much-anticipated series of animated batman shorts are finally upon us, and if you think it's just merely an excuse of the animators to flex their muscles while riding on the upcoming film's popularity, don't -- Batman: Gotham Knight is a great synthesis between visual artistry and storytelling, making it spectacle not to be missed.

The story of the six shorts follow the life of Bruce Wayne after he takes up the task of Gotham city's shadowy protector. Some of the them are closely connected chronologically, while others are temporally isolated from the events of the other shorts. While our hero still has to stop ... street gangs, old foes, and new enemies alike, the main conflict throughout Gotham Knight is the struggle within Bruce Wayne's mind between the anguish he suffers both physically and mentally, as well as his faltering belief in what he does under guise of the black mask. These inner struggles paint a image of a hero that is ultimately a vulnerable human being, despite the smoke and mirrors of his strength and heroics. This allows viewers to get a different view of Batman in his lowest moments, reminding us of his humanity. While Gotham Knight could have easily taken the easy route and presented only a shallow action-oriented spectacle, fortunately it delivers a great overarching story that bring to life the inner character of one of the world's most iconic action heroes. However, it should be noted that not all of the shorts contribute to the overall emotional depth, namely Deadshot and Crossfire, but they are still very entertaining to watch -- after all, batman is still a superhero, and having a couple of shorts dedicated solely to the accomplishments of his fists cannot be avoided. However, for a series of shorts only around 12 minutes in length each, Gotham Knight still pulls off an amazing job.

Batman: Gotham Knight is not slouch in the visual and audio department, either -- each animator managed to produce slick and stylish imaginations of batman's characters and the city of Gotham. Though some may find the style employed by Studio 4C in the first short not to their tastes, like the rest of the short it is very well-animated, featuring fluid movements in the action. Throughout the six shorts you'll find imaginative takes on the aesthetics of batman, haunting takes on Gotham's streets in the forms of background art, as well as musical pieces that build upon the suspense. Going back to the beginning of the review: yes, the various animation studios certainly do flex their muscles in Gotham Knight, but not at the expense of storytelling.

Be sure to check out Batman: Gotham Knight. The emotions evoked by the powerful yet vulnerable hero and the splendid presentation will leave you entertained and satisfied at the end of the hour long jouney, as well as get you thoroughly pumped up for the upcoming film "The Dark Knight".

It's the goddamn Batmanime!

Just some quick comments here -- the first episode is probably the weakest of the lot, the art style is a 50/50 gamble. It's either gonna make it or break it for you. This is especially true you watch it with friends who don't see much anime.

Anyways, if you DO hate it, just keep watching -- you won't be dissapointed. It gets much better the more you watch. Each episode runs for about 12 minutes, done by a different art studio. My fave episode was probably the 5th one - "Working Through the Pain". Most of you will probably think the same. ... But really, all of the stories are well done.

7/10 -- anticipating The Dark Knight even more now!

If you have ever wanted to see anime-esque Batman, you'll get your wish with Batman: Gotham Knight. Produced as a combination-collaborative project between Japanese and American animation studios, Batman: Gotham Knight is collection of six short animated segments/stories each with their own unique art style and interpretation on the caped crusader. The film is extremely similar in comparison and format to The Animatrix (2003).

Might I also add that this film once again features Kevin Conroy as Batman. He is known as the man who has been coined the character's most iconic and long-lasting voice. He has been playing the caped crusader ... since 1992 and continues to this day in multiple media forms. (Check out Batman: The Animated Series if you haven't ever seen it. It is, in my personal opinion, the greatest American cartoon series out there.)

Have I Got A Story for You (Studio 4°C):
A group of street kids meet up in a ghetto skatepark and discuss the Batman and their encounters with him from earlier in the day. Each has their own variation on who Batman is and how he operates, creating a mythos of fear and mystery surrounding him. The art in this segment is very "messy" and that can ultimately be a strength or weakness due to viewer subjectivity. (6/10)

Crossfire (Production I.G):
Two partners under Lt. Gordon's Major Crimes Unit are assigned to transport "The Man in Black" (the high-tech criminal from the previous OVA) to prison after Batman turns him over to the authorities. One of the partners is skeptical of Batman and believes he is a dangerous vigilante. After an argument with his partner, the duo finds themselves in the middle of an all-out turf war between large rival gangs. This short has some solid art and some great action shots. It also introduces and establishes us to the characters of Crispus Allen and Anna Ramirez (two characters that are throughout the remaining segments). (8/10)

Field Test (Bee Train):
Lucius Fox, head of Wayne Enterprises' prototype weapons technology, gives Bruce Wayne the technology to deflect almost all gunfire he will encounter as Batman. He takes the tech on a night trial. Ultimately, this has to have the strongest anime Batman out of all the segments. The way Bruce Wayne appears (looking Light Yagami of Death Note to me) and the batsuit looking like an armored falcon-bat from some angles. It is definitely the most bold interpretation of all the productions in the art department when it comes to defining Batman. (6/10)

In Darkness Dwells (Studio Madhouse):
After learning that a priest has been taken into the catacomb sewers beneath his church by a lizard-like monster, Batman takes pursuit and finds that Jonathan Crane (aka. The Scarecrow) is somehow involved. The plot of this segment is very basic and just gives an excuse for some great action sequences. The art is reminiscent of Afro Samurai, another anime that thrives on energetic fight-animation above all else. (7/10)

Working Through Pain (Studio 4°C):
After being shot in the stomach by a thug hallucinating from Scarecrow's fear toxin, Batman stumbles to find a way out of the sewers and back to safety. While he fights the pain of his wound, his memories echo to his travels before Batman where he sought the secrets to deal with strife and pain of the body. Definitely the most story-depth in this portion compared to the rest. (8/10)

Deadshot (Studio Madhouse):
After a Gotham gang hires the marksman-assassin Deadshot to kill Lt. Gordon, Batman must find the shooter before he finds his target. Definitely one of the most memorable action pieces from the entirety of the shorts. The art is solid in this one. (8/10)

In the end, this series of mini-films was ultimately intended to be set in Christopher Nolan's Batman universe between the first (2005's Batman Begins) and second film (2008's The Dark Knight). Though loosely weaving some elements in (such as Scarecrow still being at large since Batman Begins) and connecting some segments together through minor plot points (1-2, 4-6), Batman: Gotham Knight doesn't really have to connect to anything and can fit into any basic Batman continuity or anthology if one decides to view it as such. If looked at as an artistic piece with foreign studios trying their hand at one of the most famed superheroes of all-time, then by gosh, it's a very simple great time in my opinion. Mindless fun with an artistic flare (and a few thoughtful moments). Definitely worth checking it out if you are a fan of Batman.

Excuse me, I don't usually write in English. If you want you can read my review in Spanish.

After Animatrix (2003) and Genius Party (2007), the next famous anthology is the one dedicated to the bat man. Surely more than one of them will find his existence curious, but it makes sense when you realize the popularity of the hero in the second half of 2000 with the Cristopher Nolan films like Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008) ). We are facing an American and Japanese co-production. On the one hand, these shorts were produced by various Japanese studios such as Bee Train, Madhouse, ... Production I.G and Studio 4ºC. Additionally, each of these short films were directed by Japanese professionals such as Shojiro Nishimi, Hiroshi Morioka, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. On the other hand, the script was the task of American writers such as Greg Rucka, David S. Goyer or Brian Azzarello.

The link that unites these six shorts would be the presence of Batman, but each one focuses on different aspects of the hero: the myth, his work as a vigilante, his ideal of not taking other lives (no matter how criminal they are), etc. Most simply put the issue on the table up front and then, through a confrontation or dangerous situation, come to a conclusion about it. To be honest, they don't tell us anything special. They do a little zoom, which gives us a clear idea, but they don't go very far. The only short film that really points far is "Have I got a story for you."

This first work was created by Studio 4ºC, a studio more than known for its experimental and creative side. Anyone who has seen a few of his anime will be able to notice his style in the character designs, the use of color, etc. Leaving that aside, the subject of this story would be the myth and reality of the Batman character. As many of you know, several ancient heroes such as Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar were greatly mythologized by later historiography for their great military feats and deeds. The same could happen with the most famous heroes of fiction. For example, Superman, Batman or Spiderman. Not a single one of them has a single image, but various authors have represented them in multiple ways.

Hence, everyone has their own image of the hero, as shown by the three skaters in history. When the three of them meet at the skating rink, with a friend of his who has not seen Batman, they tell him the version of him. Although they have the fundamental actors in common, that is, Batman and the Man in Black, each one places his story in a different place and time. But the most important thing would be that this Batman has very different abilities and powers depending on the version. In one they describe him as a living shadow capable of appearing and disappearing. In another he takes the form of a giant bat endowed with claws and the ability to fly. In the last one, the boy opts for the strange idea - you can tell it came to a Japanese man - of turning Batman into a combat robot capable of launching lasers and jumping great distances.

As you can see, the stories can be a bit crazy. They point it out themselves, correcting themselves on more than one occasion because they tried to make it too spectacular. The truth does not surprise me because people like to exaggerate and create incredible stories to praise someone's figure, attributing unusual qualities or enormous feats to them. This is how great legends are born. However, behind all those myths that portray a heroic character, there is a real person. That man would be the Batman of the last story, when we are really sure that he is authentic because he starts fighting with the Man in Black in front of them. There we can see a weaker Batman, without special powers or amazing gadgets. Someone who goes through a lot of difficulties to win and capture the criminal. Even this one manages to win thanks to the intervention of the boy, who, unlike the others, was not a mere spectator.

You can read my review here: https://elarmarioanimados.blogspot.com/2018/09/batman-gotham-knight.html

No spoiler review!

Batman: Gotham Knight is a mixed bag. While the animation style is visually striking, the stories in the anthology film are hit-or-miss. Some segments are engaging and well-written, while others feel underdeveloped and lacklustre. The voice acting is solid, but the overall experience is underwhelming. It's worth a watch for die-hard Batman fans, but it's not a must-see for general audiences.
The film's anthology format allows for a variety of different styles and perspectives, which is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, it keeps the film fresh and allows for different takes on the iconic character of Batman. On the other ... hand, it makes the film feel disjointed and uneven.

Some of the segments stand out, such as the one directed by Shojiro Nishimi, which features a unique animation style and a tense and thrilling story. However, other segments fall flat, such as the one directed by Futoshi Higashide, which feels poorly written and rushed.

The voice acting is good overall, with Kevin Conroy reprising his role as Batman. However, the film's soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't add much to the overall experience.

In conclusion, Batman: Gotham Knight is a decent watch for fans of the character, but it's not the best representation of the Dark Knight. It has its moments, but it also has its shortcomings.

Additionally, the film's anthology format is not without its drawbacks. It can be jarring to jump from one story to another and not all stories are equally strong, making it difficult to fully invest in any one of them. Furthermore, some of the segments feel disconnected from the overall Batman universe and lack the depth and complexity that the character is known for.

The film's animation is impressive and the character designs are faithful to the comics. However, the animation quality varies between segments and is not consistent throughout the film.

In summary, Batman: Gotham Knight has its good points, but it also has its fair share of flaws. The animation is visually striking, and the voice acting is solid, but the storytelling and overall cohesiveness of the film are lacking. If you're a fan of Batman and anime, it's worth a watch, but don't expect a masterpiece. It is just there. 3/10.

It wasn't the best anime of Batman which I've seen to date, but I think that this anime was far better than the Chris Nolan Batman movies in comparison. The stories were all independent in my opinion. While the overall character development in this anime was interesting to watch, it didn't really hold that much value for me because I just felt in a transition.
The artwork was passable, if not average. On the whole, I think it was just able to keep my attention, but not such that I would watch it a second time.

This anime gives a better portrayal of batman,not just as a crime fighting knight but also the very essence of bruce wayne. The awesome thing about this anime is that,the looks of batman changes and so his mentality.some of it's episodes reveals the beginning of batman and how he managed to become the greatest hero of all time .the story is great and so is it's animation.for an avid otaku Gotham knight is a must watch because it changes the perspective of what we call anime.it has potryed batman as the most badassed hero of all time.no other anime character could ever reach ... the level of how awesome he is.
story is great
art is very good
sound-though there is no opening or ending theme song,yet the original motion picture soundtrack and original Batman animated series music find it's place in somewere middle of the episodes.
character-it's BATMAN(do i need to say something more)
overall-good
a must watch anime

What can I say? I'm a Batman fan. Though the "real" fans might run me over the coals for saying so. I like the movies, the animations, and have read my fair share of the more popular graphic novel compilations, but I don't have the gall to dedicate myself to the entire mythos. Regardless, Batman is runner-up to Spider-Man for my favorite western superhero, and the important thing is he maintains that status through the sheer great concept that's kept him going. More so a modern take - the gritty neo-noir detective stories set in a city as black and grimy as tar. I'm sure ... I don't need to explain Batman to anyone, but I'm left with a bit of a high after watching Gotham Knight, since it was better than I was expecting and reminded me of why I find the hero's stories so engaging.

This anthology movie contains contributions by several different Japanese directors, with each injecting their own style into their short. They're chronological and loosely connected, but satisfyingly enough to make the movie format feel worthwhile but also not beholding any of the directors to adhere to a specific narrative. Gotham Knight was commissioned as a sort of promotion for the upcoming movie, The Dark Knight. Gotham Knight released a mere week before the first public airing of The Dark Knight, so it got fairly overshadowed by the main event other than that niche of Batman and animation fans. They do exist, however, since the 1990s animated series is still fondly remembered. Since I still have a predictably difficult time getting Batman fans to watch The Big O, this other anime that bears its influence will be an easier recommendation.

I'm not wholly in the mood to go over each of these shorts individually, but on the whole I can say those expecting something grand beyond the anthology concept can scrap that thought. Gotham Knight is fairly close to the ground, perhaps a bit surprising given the Japanese direction, but that's how I like my Batman. The hero's rogues gallery sees little use, and instead the stories are focused on an eventful, but not particularly life-altering night for Batman. As normal as you might imagine things get. The shorts take a variety of perspectives from the people and police who watch him on the streets, as well as the fear Batman inspires and even his vulnerabilities. It covers the basic beats for Batman, but the modesty keeps it engrossing and almost calm as the unpredictability of the style changes bring their own excitements. The quality consistency is commendable, and there was no segment I felt to be a drag. Nonetheless, no anime are created equal and I have my preference: Working Through Pain > Deadshot > Field Test > In Darkness Dwells > Have I Got a Story for You > Crossfire.

I particularly enjoyed Working Through Pain for it breaking the mold somewhat on conveying an established character and his setting for specific character development. It's the only segment here that looks at a Batman theme deeper than the common interpretations, and as such it feels appropriately personal and the most emotional. Deadshot's second place is clear when you consider it's directed by my man Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Granted, his usual darkness can be hard to pick out in a series that thrives on such, but the most telling mark of his absurdity is when it turned out Kawajiri gets credit for Gotham Knight's infamous bullet punching scene. God bless. His section was visually a treat as well, with the heavy sharp angled outlining and realistic character detail felt the most similar to a standard comic book design. It reminded me the most of the 1990s animated series, though nothing here truly captures that spirit. It doesn't need to, though, because it captures the broader spirit of Batman that's been so ingrained in public perception that even this smorgasbord of different visions all capture what makes the world of Batman engaging while adding subtle, delightful differences. There's nothing extremely impressive, but it's a suitable and familiar ride through the dark streets of Gotham through stylish animation, and that's worth some weight in gold.

No spoilers (or only very minor)

Batman: Gotham Knight, seems like a very western cartoon but if you look closely and feel, you will quickly realize why this one is still an anime (besides the fact it is created by Japanese staff).
3 major things has to be taken in consideration when deciding to watch this one no matter of big or how little fan you are of batman.
- It is only 6 episodes and every episodes is 12 minutes long which is going to affect the series at whole (lesser frametime, lesser time for plot)
- This anime is somewhat a promotion for the movie Dark knight ... returns, released few weeks prior.
- Every episode has a different animation style (mainly the first is vastly different from the fifth others, the others are more similar but still different)

I am myself not a very big batman fan, I am much more of a Joker girl. But I must say this anime was quite interesting and I think it did a very good and interesting job of portraying batman even though there lack depths. You cannot deny that even with the different animation styles it really captured Gotham city and the mystery surrounding batman, I must praise the first episode for being quite a jolly ride and a very different and original way of presenting batman.

the rainbow faeces of the Unicorn - the good things
- I love the fact that they used different animation styles, it really gave a experimental fell to it :) (also making it somewhat more tolerated that it lacked frametime, and needed a better plot and character development.)
- it is batman? That makes it also less needing for that character development because we already somewhat know the main characters.
- The dub was great (can´t speak for the sub, haven´t heard it)

The flip coin - either cons or pros depending on your taste.
- I liked it for being somewhat short and not that character/plot developing because that is already taken cared of with all the movies, western cartoons and the comics. So I liked it for being this more experimental kind of series showcasing batman in different ways. I was indeed entertained ^^
- Either you hate or love the changing animation style for each episode.
- The animation of the first episode of the characters.... I both loved it and hated it. I definitely loved the design of the scenery, that was fucking eyecandy, but it was a very weird animation for the characters XD

All the hurtful.... cringe! - The cons
- Yes it is short, lacking plot and character development, I want to watch more, without any doubt :3
- The music/music effects... For me I didn´t really notice it at all o.o or maybe it was just me. I only noticed it in the second episodes where it did a great job :P

It was more presenting batman as a concept instead of being original stand alone complex itself. But they could have been more experimental with the animation style, I loved the first for its AMAZING urban scenery and the second for its whole execution but the last 4 was very similar (I would have loved batman in a really classic anime animation style, maybe corpse party ish for a more darker feel, haha XD))

okay when i first heard about this I was really looking forward to it. I mean I love batman but i have to say this really let me down. I mean these are some of the best writers of our time (or at least thats what they kept telling us) and this was the best tehy could come up with

Ayy, Go watch: Batman Gotham Knight

Batman Gotham Knight is a 6 part OVA produced with the collaboration of 3 household names: Production IG, Madhouse, and Studio 4C.

I'm not going to spend time summarizing the show, you can find that on Myanimelist or on someone else's blog, but I am going to tell you why I believe Gotham Knight is indeed worth the watch.

Due to the show being made by 3 different studios, there's an insane amount of budget and artistic style put into each story. The animation specifically of episodes 1 and 4 are absolutely phenomenal, and are almost on movie levels of fidelity. The ... artstyles also give great personality to each story and make it fun to try to figure out which studios did what episodes. That makes for a pretty fun guessing game believe it or not.

The tone of Gotham Knight also very consistent. Never did I feel that there was an abrupt tone switch that took me out of the mood, or a moment ruined by comedy. It was dark the entire time, and when it wasn't dark...aka only the first episode, it was consistently mysterious but fairly lighthearted in tone. The atmosphere of Gotham Knight is also another thing that deserves praise, especially in episode 5, which is easily the best episode in the series. At many times, specifically towards the beginning, I felt as if I was watching a horror movie. I felt the terror that this hobo on screen felt. This is not the only case of a great atmosphere, however this is the best example I personally felt in the series.

The characters aside from Batman and the woman he meets in episode 5 don't have much depth, however it's just a short Batman flick so I don't really see this as an issue. Characters however are well defined even if it means they're just villain or just cop. The duo in episode 2 felt like real people because aside from being cops, that's all they were. They're realism made them relatable, which added to the feeling to suspense later in the episode.

One of the best things about Gotham Knight is believe it or not, its theme expoloration which is once again, most prominently seen in episode 5. I know just said that Gotham Knight is mainly an action flick; however, dont go into it thinking that's all you'll be getting. Gotham Knight covers themes of dealing with pain, heroism, and the idea of masking your pain with heroism.

Overall, Gotham Knight is definitely worth the watch just for the action sequences and the budget alone. The theme exploration is nice but the show isn't extremely thought provoking. What it is however is a very fun ride, to the point that even I, someone who has fallen asleep in every other attempt in trying to watch a Batman film, can enjoy the experience. HEY DONT JUDGE ME!

So AYY YOU, GO WATCH BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT! WHY? CAUSE I TOLD YOU SO, AND IM ALWAYS RIGHT!

I went in with an open mind due to the mixed feedback and I can say this little mini-series was pretty good.

The story for each episode varies in quality but overall there was nothing overtly bad, completely serviceable Batman stories.

The cast was pretty standard Batman stuff. You had Batman, Alfred, Lucius Fox, the works. You also had some underappreciated Batman villains like Deadshot and Scarecrow mixed in there. The characterizations were pretty accurate and a fair chunk of the episodes had nice little character bits.

The art was pretty well done overall although I wish more of the bits were as visually interesting as the 1st ... episode, that was the best looking one of the bunch. Everything else was generic anime style, but still perfectly fine. On the last note for this section of the review, some of the fights were pretty kickass as expected from any animated DC movie.

The soundtrack was pretty generic in all honesty. While it wasn't really terrible it felt like royalty free action movie music was slapped on and felt like one of the weaker parts of the movie.

Overall, if you're a big fan of Batman or are just looking to be entertained for an hour you should check it out. However, not every episode is gonna be your cup of tea, just bear that in mind.

As an avid Batman fan, I've heard of this anthology a long time ago but always thought it was a cheap promotional project for Nolan's Dark Knight. I had my doubts and never bothered to look it up until this day. And I have to say that I'm very surprised.

This film manages to encapsulate the very essence of Batman. Every story is independent from each other and each of them focuses on a certain aspect of our Caped Crusader.


When you look at every story altogehter, you can see that Batman is more than a hero. He represents something different for every part of ... the community in Gotham.

For the civilians, he is a mythical entity, like an urban legend. They find him very mysterious but also fascinating. People are having a hard time to describe him but they trust him dearly because of his work. Behind his enigmatic and dark facade, he is a beacon of hope for the people of Gotham. You get to see this in the first story.

For the criminals, he's like a creature of the night. He's relentless and inevitable. He's watching all of them day & night. If you're doing something wrong, he will get you eventually. He won't kill you but he will hurt you really, really bad.

When it comes to the authorities, Batman is a contoversial and divisive figure. He's a righteous man who's devoid of any personal gains and ambitions. His moral code is beyond any authorities and he cannot be stopped. He cannot be tempted by any powerful and influental people in Gotham. He is totally incorruptible. Even though trustworthy and virtuous men like James Gordon believes in him, his reckless and independent nature scares the authorities.


Aside from these qualities of Batman, the film also explores Bruce Wayne, especially in the fifth story which is also my favorite one. Bruce Wayne is a man who can't overcome his tragedy in his life. He is scarred forever and the pain he suffers from is unbearable. He goes on a long journey to find out how to bury this pain but he finds out that the only this he can do is to become one with the pain. He cannot escape this eternal suffering and the place he belongs to, Gotham. Hence, the sad story of our Dark Knight begins.


I see that the art style is a bit mixed bag for the viewers. I personally liked every single one of them. They're pretty unique and fit their respective stories like a glove. Especially in the first story, Batman's vague urban legend like status is portrayed perfectly with hip-hop like fluid and abstract animation and colors. Also, since the first story is told by bunch of skater dudes, I think this art style fits the narrative and characters.


Overall, this film will be a great experience for open-minded die-hard Batman fans. It's like a Batman 101. Highly recommended.

Speaking as a Batman Fan, this is horrid. Speaking as an anime fan then this is brilliant. Batman animated movies and anime are worlds I personally would appreciate to be kept away from each other. So I am going to review the parts which an Anime would normally cover.

The art works were different amongst each section of the movie but overall well drawn for each. A personal favourite would be the second section of this.
The sounds were well placed and well covered for each situation in between the fights and action scenes.

I'd strongly recommend staying away if you are a very strong fan of the ... batman animated film series.

Growing up as a diehard Batman fan, this might have actually been my first anime. I watched it several times before knowing what anime even was. To me this is essential viewing for DC fans and anime fans should enjoy it as well. It consists of six stories produced from Studio 4 °C (Memories), Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell), Bee Train (.hack//) and Madhouse (Death Note). Although they range in quality, there's no bad one per se. I don't love the animation in the first story, Have I Got a Story for You, and the ending to the fifth one, Working Through Pain, admittedly ... has me puzzled. The rest are spot-on though. As usual it's great to hear Kevin Conroy's voice in this movie, which was his first outside of the DC Animated Universe started by Batman: The Animated Series. I might be biased towards this movie because it was one of my favorites to watch growing up but even in my college years I find myself revisiting this time to time and always getting a thrill out of it.