STORY - 7
Dead Leaves cares very little about its backstory. It claims to, by having moments of exposition or mystery, but these moments are for the most part talked over or interrupted by moments of cacophony and insanity. Nevertheless, it does have a story. It's not a bad story by any means, but obviously this part of Dead Leaves was not what was intended to be interesting, which makes moments of exposition within this explosive hour-long OVA a tad boring and the attempt at some sort of message seem rather out of character for the tone of the OVA. I was also a little peeved at how quickly it ended.
ART - 10
Is this really a question? Imaishi's trademark, unique style is as brain-melting and adrenaline-inducing as it always has been and always will be, but the genius in Imaishi's work on Dead Leaves does not stop there. Dead Leaves has something interesting or fun to look at on every single frame. It is an artistic marvel that always has something unique to look at, from the fun fight scenes to the uniquely portrayed sound effects to the silly and weird characters within chaotic crowds splayed across the screen. The character designs are as fun, wacky, interesting and cartoonishly over-the-top as possible, making them all a joy to look at.
SOUND - 8
The soundtrack is pretty good, with lots of songs that keep the pace adrenaline-pumping and extremely interesting. There are a lot of genres pumped within such a short little OVA that it keeps the music fresh and interesting, along with a few little gems that make the OST worth listening to in its own right, especially the catchy and ridiculously fun to listen to song titled "Mamu Saibou Mamu Saibou". I also have to commend this OVA for having a dub that isn't godawful, which I was surprised about.
CHARACTER - 8
For a short Imaishi work that cares not about logic or character development, it is imperative that the characters we follow are at least fun, and they are in spades. Whether they have one hilarious quirk, such as the man with a Giga Drill Dick, to the thuggish and fun protagonists Pandy and Retro who give about as few fucks as the people on this website do about my reviews. The characters may not be deep or exactly interesting, but they're fun as hell.
ENJOYMENT - 10
There is so much to adore about Dead Leaves that I couldn't possibly rate my enjoyment as anything lower. Whether it's the bustling, insane animation that gives you no time at all to rest, the ridiculous plot that moves like a shuttle train to the Docking Bay, or the hilarious banter between the inmates and the protagonists, there was never a moment during this movie when my mouth was at anything but a goofy, crooked grin. It's a joyride from beginning to end.
OVERALL - 9
While not exactly deep and sometimes a little misguided, Dead Leaves is fun, fantastic, depraved, and hyperviolent. Besides the few little dips when things get slow, every frame of Dead Leaves is absolutely ridiculous and fun. Whether you watch it in Dub or Sub, Dead Leaves is sure to keep you interested.
