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Oct 12, 2009 7:43 AM

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Aug 2008
2262
Amazing animation, nice atmosphere, ok characters, dull voice-acting and a large piece of swiss cheese for a story. Not bad, far from great.
Oct 14, 2009 5:53 AM

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Jun 2009
10
To lazy to write on English ^^ На самом деле, все это можно было бы сделать и без комментариев, а добавить больше экшена и панцу шотов Судя по кадрам рекламы, которая была, то можно надеяться на продолжение. Там думаю и будет то действо, которое не доложили в "Моменте истины" А вообще, что вы хотели? Это ж аниме, а не документально-исторический фильм. Но в том то и косяк. Если это аниме, то на кой хрен нужно было вставлять комментарии историков\ветеранов?
Life is hentai
Censore is evil
Oct 15, 2009 10:50 AM

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Aug 2009
107
Just came back from seeing it in the movie theatre.

Well, thanks a freaking lot to mindless trolls-losers pouring incomprehensible amounts of shit on this movie all over the russian internets even before the premiere I managed to keep my expectations at the lowest level possible and as a result enjoyed it... a lot! No seriously, I found it pretty good - far from masterpiece, but good! The animation is simply stunning, the story is, well, fun) It did have some pretty serious downsides like, as some people pointed out, bad voice acting which most of the time lacked "acting" and was just voice - dull and uninspired, and those annoying commentary cut-scenes that seriously messed up the pacing... I'd say the whole directing was a bit weak 'cause it was what allowed those commentaries to be present in the first place.

I don't get all the trolling - all things considered it could easily be one of the best (top 5 at least) works Studio 4C ever made. Unconventional and unusual as everything they make - definitely, but that's their style and what distinguishes them from others. Whatever, but those clowns that gave it 1/10 should just go back to watching naruto and geass as they have absolutely no taste for anime at all :P

Yeah, that's it. I enjoyed it even though it's far from perfect (4/5)
Hope for a sequel (the possibility of which was hinted quite obviously) free from all the downsides of the first one.

PS: I prefer to look optimistically at the anime cooperation between russians and japanese (^^)V
Oct 20, 2009 2:51 PM
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Aug 2008
16
It was horrible, esp. these pseudo-veterans. Originally it was intended to be serial instead of movie, maybe thats the reason of such messy storyline, since it feels like they tried to fit too much in short timeframe, and as result we got dull artwork, lacking any depth.
Oct 24, 2009 3:48 AM

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Jun 2009
235
RusAnon said:
messy storyline, since it feels like they tried to fit too much in short timeframe.

Yep, and that's the biggest problem. Characters are so-so, could be better. Though animation and soundtrack are good. Pseudoveterans and historians... just let them be. 5.5/10, первый блин комом)).
Nov 16, 2009 2:35 AM
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Mar 2009
5
It was bad.

Only one moment is worth mentoning: catacombs of NKVD and "Sputnik 1". Just the same feeling as in "Omon-Ra" book written by Pelevin.

I haven't lost hope that it was as in russian proverb "первый блин комом".

LexLeogryfon said:
no matryoshka`s.
They were, in the travel over Nadya's subconscious.
QB8qVu4G9onENov 16, 2009 2:39 AM
Nov 16, 2009 4:18 AM

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Jun 2009
6
good. no comments

8/10
Nov 23, 2009 12:39 AM
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Oct 2009
193
Are there any other good russian animes??
Nov 23, 2009 4:58 PM

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Nov 2009
10
Oh, I see that most of russian people didn't like this anime O_o Heh, I am from Ukraine and I liked this anime (as you remember Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union).They showed us War from the other side. How can we know if this events don't exist? Maybe, all was more deeply, than we know. But 8/10 for some things that I didn't understand.
AlvidaNov 25, 2009 1:55 PM
Nov 24, 2009 12:45 PM

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Aug 2009
107
Noburu said:
How can we know if this events don't exist?
A just question indeed. Besides, it's a well known fact that nazis were into mythology and occult stuff despite being atheists and materialists as well as soviets, so who knows... :D
Nov 24, 2009 2:59 PM

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Nov 2009
10
Linked said:
Noburu said:
How can we know if this events don't exist?
A just question indeed. Besides, it's a well known fact that nazis were into mythology and occult stuff despite being atheists and materialists as well as soviets, so who knows... :D

No, I didn't mean this facts. I meant that, perhaps, it wasn't vision under the influence of drugs as one of the historians (or psychiatrists) said. I concede that they REALLY achieved success in researches of the other world and can really send people to it or call people from it. If that was true (I think so), they had important reasons to hide it.
AlvidaNov 25, 2009 1:55 PM
Nov 25, 2009 1:07 AM

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Aug 2009
107
Noburu said:
I concede that they REALLY achieved success in researches of the other world and can really send people to it or call people from it.
The guy, who is even now "more alive than any living", confirms from his mausoleum:
"They did, comrade, they REALLY did!" :DDD

Kidding)) Actually yes, this sort researches might really have taken place...
Dec 14, 2009 7:47 AM
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Oct 2009
193
can someone post some good russian action animes on my profile plz, i cant find one :P
Dec 20, 2009 9:08 PM
Anime Moderator
Grammar Queen

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Jun 2008
3883
that was a disappointment is an understatement.
p r o f i l e 👀
Jan 23, 2010 1:49 AM

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Sep 2008
209
OK I am not even Russian,but damn this movie was god awful.Totally wasted my time with it.
Jan 28, 2010 3:03 PM

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Sep 2009
15
I saw some awesome AMVs of First Squad and my friend told me that i have to watch it because it is soooo good.

But in my opinion, it's really not that good. I thought it's a cool WW2 anime but the zombies just didn't fit in xDD

Also Russian dub sucks hardd :DD
Bleach ga saiko ka jibun ni! (:
Feb 6, 2010 7:08 AM

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Jun 2008
203
Good. Like it.

Feb 20, 2010 3:05 AM

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Oct 2008
7710
Even though I'm not a big fan of dubbed animes.. I had to watch it because the only language was in Russian.. and I'm suprised that I actually liked it.

Watched it without subtitles as well because it totally did not match up to what they were saying.

Had good action, liked the storyline, but thats because I enjoy supernatural stuff like that. XD And mum not even being an anime fan, she watched it with me and loved it. She's disappointed with the ending though, she thinks there should be a second film.
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.~
May 9, 2010 7:18 AM
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Nov 2009
6
5 out of 5: Loved it! (your vote); .... and also DJ KRUSH !!!
May 11, 2010 3:24 PM

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Apr 2008
1245
For starters. I loved the animation. The animators paid a lot of attention to details. But I didn't like the very random and out of place references to Japan. I mean: what the hell are dead samurai doing in Russia?

Associating the Nazi's with zombies ... isn't really all that original anymore. It's been done like thousands of times. But despite the bad execution I liked the references to mythological people. Like General Below(?) Strangely I couldn't find anything about him on google.

I actually liked this anime - generally. While the plot was sorta nonsensical at times and a lot of things where different from what I have learned in my history classes. Let's not forget it's just fiction and overall it was - sorta- entertaining.

IMHO the only problem with this movie was that it wasn't a 12/13 episode series. I'm sure it would have been way better if it was... But it isn't.

So I'll give it a 7/10. I think that's quite generous.
"Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise"
Jul 28, 2010 3:35 AM

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May 2010
58
On Russian central TV, they've called up all these old historians and veterans to discuss this movie. most of them didn't like it, and blamed the creators for having awful inacuracies.

10/10 for this movie to come out! i mean, russia in a long while did something! ( well, ofc about WWII, but that's probably the first touchy subject for us)

i never completely understood the narrating part ( for these that don't know, the random people that narrate as witnesses, they are actors, producers, and were born 20 years after the war.)

wouldn't most of you agree that you still remember the movie after some time? that's what the producers want you !
Apr 2, 2011 11:15 AM
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Aug 2010
171
Very good movie 5 out 5 ...it seems that most russian people do not like the movie.

I am a Saudi *-^  and I love it so mush ,,,we need more movie about ww1 or 2 because my country do not teach any thing about the ww 1 or 2 .
Aug 26, 2011 5:49 PM

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Jan 2011
258
Anyone else find it ironic that Nadya uses a katana out of all weapons?
Nov 6, 2011 12:40 AM

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Sep 2009
1570
I liked all of it except the ending.

That was weak.

Beautiful animation, as expected of 4C.
Dec 4, 2011 3:16 PM

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Jun 2010
1873
Once again Studio 4C's excellent animation work is wasted on awful writing.

Falads said:
Anyone else find it ironic that Nadya uses a katana out of all weapons?

And here's a place where I wonder if Studio 4C failed...why is a Russian girl using a katana and doing stereotypical Japanese sword action movie things like closing her eyes and waiting for the right moment to strike? Didn't the animators know how to do anything else? Did they try? Or is it some cheap attempt to make the movie appeal to a Japanese audience? Because pandering always makes a film better.

She's even got a tiny stuffed animal hanging off of it like it's a Japanese girl's cellphone!
FronzelDec 4, 2011 3:55 PM
Dec 18, 2011 5:20 PM

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Feb 2008
81
Nice animation and soundtrack. But forgettable characters, most characters never get any kind of development so besides what the girl feels about them I don't care and the whole thing feels rushed. Although, I can forgive that because it is only roughly 50 minutes long.

But on the whole the movie just felt unnecessary and kind of a waste of my time.
Forum signatures are annoying.
Jan 22, 2012 3:23 PM
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Jan 2012
2
for some reason on the version i watched there was no 'mocumentary' interviews or anything, which i think must have made it better as a whole despite meaning the film was disappointingly short, although that wasnt the only disappointing thing about the film. could have been done a lot better, needs to be remade with a much better screenplay and script.thought it was good but mainly because i like the soviet union, action sequences no matter the context and ridiculous plots involving nazis and the occult.
Feb 8, 2012 9:14 PM

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Jun 2010
1873
Chainosaurus_rex said:
for some reason on the version i watched there was no 'mocumentary' interviews or anything, which i think must have made it better as a whole despite meaning the film was disappointingly short...

I wish I'd watched that version!

I'm curious; how long was the movie without the live-action sequences?
Feb 15, 2012 11:42 PM
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Apr 2011
240
GuroFX said:
In short

Pros:
+ Animation (sometimes too static)
+ Music (but not for everyone)

Cons:
- Shallow, emotionless realisation of story
- Soulless voice acting
- Pacing is off
- Lacking historical facts

Was it suppose to be historic? Or action anime? Maybe supernatural genere? Only thing that I know is this title was boring and unenjoyable.
3/10


^ This.

Another con was adding the fake documentaries between the animation. The fake documentaries caused disjoints and would have been better if it was told prior to the animation.
Still, I guess it won't make much of the difference since the overall movie was awful, short (many parts of the story was unexplained and should have expanded more), and forgettable. I definitely will not be watching this movie again.
Mar 10, 2012 4:04 PM

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Jun 2011
360
I have a bit mixed feelings about this anime...

First the bad things - It simply was just way too short to have any kind of character development or any even slightly deep plot to speak of. The idea for what this anime calls 'plot' was unrealistic and dull even on anime level, even though it could have been worse. The worst problem with the movie was the lack of time.
I'm sure this anime would've been way better if it was a series of about say... 6-10 episodes instead of a 1-hour movie. Now it was just a rushed story of half-random scenes and characters put together to create a short movie with shallow plot.

This anime was good considering it's lack of time for deep plot and character development, and I generally liked it quite a bit. I just can't appreciate it so much because it just lacks too much.

For so short movie I give it a thumb up though, it deserved more. I'd give it a 7/10

[Edit]
I'd also like to add that I watched the version without these so much hated 'documentaries', which is probably why I like it so much more than many others do

Fronzel said:

I'm curious; how long was the movie without the live-action sequences?

It was 57 minutes long
Pyr0Mar 10, 2012 5:06 PM
Apr 23, 2012 1:53 AM

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Feb 2012
1569
Just watched it and, I was wondering if there is supposed to be a second movie? I understand the ending but, it felt like a cliff hanger with that said I really did enjoy it and, it was different from what I expected.

I'm a fan of World War styled anime. If anyone has any and, they wouldn't mind suggesting them I would appreciate it.
Jul 25, 2012 9:49 AM

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Feb 2011
3695
OMG - Amazing movie guys , I loved the unaborded theme . I rlly liked watching an anime about european history . 10/10
Aug 30, 2012 10:15 PM
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Jul 2018
564084
I thought it was pretty good. Weird cliffhanger though. I watched the US release version and it didn't have any live action parts to it. Now i'm kinda curious as to what the live action parts are like. Oh well. 7/10
Sep 28, 2012 1:26 PM

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Feb 2012
868
This seemed really random when i watched this....there wasn't much consistency, and the voice acting was completely soulless.
It was still enjoyable for entertainment value, but aside from that this was just something to watch when bored. You don't really get anything out of it.
710
Oct 26, 2012 4:16 PM

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Nov 2011
129033
Well, I guess this movie is alright.

Nadya's memories from the beginning was chilling but her younger self was much more lively and cuter. Her interactions with Leo was fun to watch like this scene:



Poor girl though she has nowhere to go. ;.;



For some reason, I find this movie similiar to Hellboy in a way with the elements and war like themes. Weak ending though..expected a bit more besides the sword & gun action, train chase, and some of the emotional factors.

6/10
Nov 30, 2012 1:40 PM
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Jun 2012
2973
i am watching this in russian dubs and i love it.
Dec 18, 2012 10:43 AM

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Sep 2009
1214
I don't know what surprised me more; the movie's lack of coherence or the people on this thread actually giving this a good review. Seriously? If this is your idea of a quality I'd shutter to think what else you've seen.

Trust me, I'm TRYING not to hate this movie. Love the concept, but the execution was horrendous. It started off abrupt and jittery and ended the same way. The only peudo redeeming factor was the animation, as of expected of Studio 4°C. As for the characters their just as bland and empty as the story. If anything I like the First Squad character design, specifically Nadya's. Taken an instant liking the moment she appeared. Sadly that's about it, there's no progression or depth whatsoever. The story is riddled with loose ends and most of the characters had little to no importance.

This really is an odd ball. I've never seen anything miss so many marks, especially when it portrayed itself as being original and superb. Whats even more frustrating is that this movie, or concept, could of been so unique if it had undergo proper care.

Looking at the Artwork, the Manga, the official Music Video, and Wallpapers I just cant help but get angry about THAT'S what we got for a Movie. It's one thing to expect poor quality from your seasonal ecchi or harem set up, but here it like everything was already laid out only to be handed off to people who had little to no idea what they were doing.

EDIT: I wasn't going to mention this since I do no speak nor understand any Russian but from a dub point of view it seem very monotonous. Which just adds to the dissociation of the whole movie.
LordLagannDec 18, 2012 10:50 AM
Jun 21, 2013 12:43 PM

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Sep 2012
3613
That was so messed up...
Jun 22, 2013 4:10 PM

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Dec 2008
1193
I didn't like it, they tried mixing historical facts with sci-fi.
Jun 29, 2013 11:23 PM

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Apr 2009
4300
Stark700 said:

For some reason, I find this movie similiar to Hellboy in a way with the elements and war like themes.


Yeah same thing popped in my head while watching this, countering German occult efforts for war, swap the Americans with Soviets, Soviet girl with some supernatural ability and good with katana swaps with Hellboy, etc.

The only thing I liked was the animation and them some. Good enough to kill time with but forgettable after watching. 6/10
You see there's no need to wonder where your god is,
Coz he's right here! ...and he's fresh out of mercy.
Feb 2, 2015 10:36 AM

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Mar 2013
237
This movie was probably one of my biggest disappointments. It has a very nice setting which was very interesting to me. On the one hand with its WW2 setting and on the other with the girl who could see into the futur of all these peoples (who basically all are going to be killed in this war). This stuff could have made a perfect psychological, war-drama, but they failed so hard. Seeing her fight with a katana was so unecessary and clichee, the plot with summing Heinrich I (i guess.. its been a long time since i have seen it) had horrible pacing and was completly uninteresting. The characters felt flat and not well written and the ending was typical. Overall a perfect setup ruined by the inabilty to write at least a decent story and by the focus on the wrong things.

The idea with the underworld for the souls of soldiers felt nice, but they made so little out of it.
Mar 24, 2015 11:44 PM

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Nov 2013
52
I'm going to break down my issues with this film, with a short, short, list of pros first.

Pros
+World War Two anything is awesome
+Eastern Front World War Two is twice as awesome

Cons
-Everything else

Seriously though, they had an awesome backdrop idea, World War Two, Eastern Front (the most bitter fighting of the entire war), in addition to psychic powers and pseudoscience, that sounds like a grade A movie to me. Sadly, they wasted the potential they had by not keeping a coherent plot. The film jumped around far too much, and had characters appear, give a monologue, and disappear just as fast. The film felt like it was badly strung together, and so many things were glossed over that it felt like they tried to fit three films into an hour.

I wasn't a fan of the framing device using real people, it could have worked, had the plot not been about an evil SS Officer (always) trying to resurrect knights from the Teutonic Order (which was in Latvia, not the outskirts of Moscow), to use their ghost swords to fight the Soviets... who had tanks.

Honestly this film would have been better had they not done the afterlife thing at all, just made this girl be able to tell the future, and had the Germans using their own psychics.

Or just had Hitler and Stalin do a Gundam Battle, you can never go wrong with that.
I sell Panzers and Panzer Accessories.

Oct 25, 2016 10:54 AM
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Nov 2010
1937
I liked the supernatural twist to the events, minus the probably wrong location of the battle. It was not completely original, but enough. There was a bit of an abrupt change of my expectations from where the main character was guessing stuff and the second half of the movie, to be honest. Maybe there could've been a better migration or even an entirely different second half of the story.

I feel that the story didn't wrap things up well. The parents are mentioned a few times yet we found nothing about them. Even a hint of how they died would've been good. The consequences or the lack of the same for not killing the right ghost leader are not told at all.

Nadya seemed pretty lively in her memories, as well as fairly lively when she met the ghosts of her friends in the underworld (some liveliness obviously lost due to amnesia/trauma), but at other times, she sometimes felt a bit too unemotional. The rest of the characters are portrayed okay. I didn't expect more considering it's only a 1h long movie.

The music was fine and was used pretty well during the scenes. It followed the atmosphere as it should have. The art was pretty fitting except for maybe a few side characters' designs. The animation could've been better, but it was a tough challenge so it's a job well done.

Overall, I like that this was created and I enjoyed it despite its flaws.
Nov 7, 2017 6:34 AM

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Aug 2013
215
wow that is the WORST anime I've ever seen. I mean I thought this anime would be average but nope it turns out to be awful (for me atleast).

English is my second language
Feb 7, 2018 5:40 PM

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Oct 2011
20857
nice find for animation. just not something I'd call regular anime
May 1, 2018 11:11 AM

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Aug 2007
1490
I tend to like documentaries a lot, but I did not like how the anime was interrupted by people speaking or visa-verse. It created a very disjointed experience that left the story very incoherent at times. The characters were pretty terrible too. For the horrors of war and all it's worth, I felt nothing. The fantasy element hurt it even further.

There were some good action sequences and the music was decent, but that was the only thing notable. 3/10

Mar 28, 2019 10:59 AM

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Aug 2012
480
This would have made a good TV series but at just an hour long it just didn't have enough time to really bed in the characters.
May 31, 2019 9:13 AM
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May 2019
15
I think if you were to look at this just as a pure animation experiment, then there's some neat cuts in the film and overall a lot of interesting scene choices (I'm a fan of the cinema cut where Nadya is looking at her memories at the start of the film, for example). Also, I found the concept of the documentary cuts were cool, but the execution of them in the film were kind of lacking. Effectively, their purpose was to explain things that went along with the film, but as another user stated in this thread, I felt like a narrator would have been more effective. Again, the concept of it is cool and I wonder if another studio did it for one of their works (not necessarily a documentary cut, but combining real life sequences/videos with animation).

Story-wise, I wasn't much a fan, especially towards the end of the film since things felt rushed and certain plot points felt open after the fact (ex: I can't help but keep thinking how silly it must be that Nadya lost the two German operatives after the train scene when they seem to just know where she is). I like how the film starts though; it felt captivating to me at the very least. I just think the last 10-15 minutes were a bit of a dud is all. The WWII setting is an awesome idea, but I would've enjoyed a more "factual" work versus one that's fantasy. I even forgot at times that it was meant to be taking place during WWII.

Overall, a lot of cool concepts were used in the film animation-wise, but I think the film is kind of average at best really. This does get me interested in more of Studio 4°C's works and I can't wait to see another of theirs.
Nov 27, 2021 6:16 AM
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Jan 2020
1985
Well, that was a disappointment. Could've been decent but the execution sucks.
Sep 2, 2022 5:13 AM

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Jan 2021
148
Rather ambitious supernatural flick that uses WWII as a backdrop while the main character was clearly a Japanese anime girl in Russian attire for some reason.
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More topics from this board

» Japanese or Russian?

Deago - Oct 20, 2015

1 by Deago »»
Oct 21, 2015 4:58 AM

» The live-action footage

Fronzel - Dec 4, 2011

2 by Fronzel »»
May 4, 2013 9:43 PM

» Is there any review from people who have seen it ?

dtitov - May 25, 2009

15 by RaymanM »»
Dec 26, 2009 4:19 AM

» Release Date?

ShadowBlazer3000 - Oct 14, 2008

8 by Reisenfag »»
Sep 29, 2009 5:03 AM

» First Sqaud: The Moment of Truth

ZeroRaziel - May 4, 2009

6 by Boursk »»
May 4, 2009 9:19 PM
It’s time to ditch the text file.
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