"Cleopatra" falls into the category of action with some sci-fi elements mixed in.
Parental Guidance:
There are a few very brief scenes with female semi-nudity. The dialog includes some profanity. There is also a significant amount of violence, but nothing graphic. Overall, the content is roughly on par with what one might see in a typical summer action movie rated PG or PG-13.
Story: 7/10
The series includes three episodes, the last of which is almost as long as the first two combined. All of the episodes are quite good, and they are able to stand on their own and be viewed separately. In each, the main story revolves around the actions of Cleopatra (Cleo) Corns, who is the leader of a powerful financial group known the Corns Group.
Several of the scenes are located in the U.S. while others occur in different regions of the world. Given that so many anime works tend to be based in Japan, this is a refreshing change, and it would be nice to see more stories set in other parts of the world.
As the plots unfold, there are a lot of action sequences, some of which reminded me of scenes from some successful 80’s action films. In addition, there are elements of spy thrillers and some interesting sci-fi plot devices sprinkled in along the way. At various points, Cleo seems a lot like a female version of James Bond but without any romantic interests thrown into the mix.
Characters: 6/10
Cleo is charming and sexy, and she seems to be quite capable in combat as well. However, she seems rather non-plausible as the leader of a huge organization like the Corns group, even if it may be her birthright. She is a bit naïve at times, which reinforces her youth and inexperience. Overall, she is a very likeable character, despite a few flaws.
One of the more prominently featured supporting characters is Suen. As Cleo’s personal assistant, her wisdom helps provide somewhat of a counter to Cleo’s brashness and naivety in various scenes. Unfortunately, this character is not explored much further, which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Other supporting characters and villains are fairly well done. Some of them appear in each episode, which helps develop and strengthen their impact.
Art / Animation: 4/10
The art and animation are the weakest part of “Cleopatra DC”. Starting with the character designs, some of the faces seem a bit odd, sometimes uneven, and at the very least, rather outdated. In particular, the noses seem problematic from various angles. Another oddity is that Suen’s hair covers one eye, yet the eye shows through. While this isn’t the only anime character to have this style, it’s simply unnecessary, and a better approach would be to cover the eye completely or change the hairstyle to allow it to be seen.
Meanwhile, the animation is generally fluid. However, it tends to look very dated by today’s standards.
Sound / Voice: 6/10
Soundtrack and background music and is good. Sound effects were generally good. I can’t judge the voice work since I don’t speak Japanese and that was the only audio option available.
Enjoyment: 6/10
Between its story, action scenes and characters, “Cleopatra DC” strikes a good balance making for an enjoyable watch.
Other info:
The “Cleopatra DC” DVD is very sparse. It only has one language option (Japanese with English subtitles), and virtually no other extras beyond a couple of previews. I don’t generally consider the other DVD contents when judging an anime, but in this case, the lack of additional contents is somewhat glaring and hard to overlook.
Final Verdict: 6/10
For anyone looking for an action anime, and that is willing to overlook the somewhat dated animation and character designs, “Cleopatra DC” is a decent option to consider. Despite the relatively short length, the three episodes pack a lot of action.
