Jun 15, 2011
Touhou: Musou Kakyou ( 東方二次創作同人アニメ:夢想夏郷) is an unofficial doujin anime created by MAIKAGE and directed by Tokine.
In my personal opinion, I find this doujin absolutely stunning, what made me say this is MAIKAGE's ability to craft the fictional world of Gensokyo and present the characters in the world of Touhou in an accurate and amusing way. Every single character is instantly likable and charismatic in their own way, when this all blends together, it creates a truly amazing anime.
Despite the fact that this is an unofficial doujin, it contains everything required for it to be aired on TV, it's even got an opening and closing!
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For this OVA, MAIKAGE hired official Voice actors, some of them you may be familiar with. (such as Tanaka Rie, voice actor for Maria in Hayate no Gotoku, and Nakahara Mai, voice actor for Rena in Higurashi no Naku koro ni and Sawashiro Miyuki, Voice actor for Celty in Durarara!!) The artwork are much better then to be expected, if not on par with some of the animes on the mainstream. The background music used for Musou Kakyou also helps absorb the viewer into the mystical world of Gensokyo.
As mentioned earlier, the characters and how they are presented is really what gave this anime it's high scores. namely Reimu and Remilia. (I squeeled when Reimu appeared for the first time) MAIKAGE did an excellent job of showing Reimu's character, she may look like she's very easy-going and lazy, but deep down, she's a caring girl and friendly. Her strong sense of responsibility is the main reason everyone's attracted to her. That being said, she can be instantly angered when something, or someone she holds dear is under trouble, she wouldn't hold back until said thing is back is made safe again. Remilia on the other side can clearly seen as playful and manipulative and always up to something. Remilia can be rather deceitful and tricky too. These characteristics for Reimu and Remilia is strengthened alot more in Musou Kakyou by their dynamic expressions and talented Voice actors.
The reason Touhou:Musou Kakyou inspired me to write a review about it was its talented and marvelous voice actors. Every single voice actor in this OVA makes their character appear more lively and friendly (or in some cases fearful) It just makes you want to hug every single girl!~ An exceptionally well done job to the voice actors of Aya and Sakuya. The voice actor of Aya (Fujimura Ayumi) made Aya's character appear energetic and loud, always bouncing around and shouting at people. The typical Genki-Girl you'll find. Sakuya's voice actor (Tanaka Rie) also did an amazing job for Sakuya's role, the way her voice makes Sakuya sound gentle and elegant, yet capable of being serious at the same time. There are alot more notable mentions, but for now just those two.
The art for this doujin was actually suprisingly good. Although at times it looked abit out of proportion, I think it was good, considering that it's an unofficial work. MAIKAGE did a great job of expressing the emotions of the characters, when they are enraged, suprised, befuddled....etc. MAIKAGE made very good use of the lighting and color range for this episode, It made an overall pleasant and shiny effect. In terms of the battle scenes it wasn't overly done of too flashy, it was quick and direct, with fitting BGMs and cool magic effects that wouldn't be considered as lame and childish. comparable to that of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. The concept of spell cards are also very interesting and references back to the original game series.
The way MAIKAGE creates the various atmospheres in the world of Gensokyo is also spectacular, be it the mysterious Scarlet Devil Mansion or the inviting and friendly Hakurei Shrine. These atmospheres are further strengthened by background sounds such as Cicadas, Bird chirps and bell gongs. As mentioned earlier, the lighting is unbelievable well done, and shows when things are easy going or when trouble is on it's way.
Overall, I enjoyed this episode the first milli-second and the last as well, it was a truly spectacular 20-minute for me. and I think it will be an equally stunning experience for anyone else viewing it, Touhou fan or not, this Unofficial doujinshi introduces the viewer into the dynamic and wonder-filled world of Gensokyo, it's almost as if the girls of Touhou are right next to you, waiting to share their everyday life with you. Give it a try and you'll be sure to learn more about the wonderful world of Touhou!!~
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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