Human Crossing Volume 3 – Message In White (Animé TV)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Episodes: C+

 

 

An anthology series is not exactly an anthology series when the stories eventually cross paths, no matter how separately they initially play.  Human Crossing is such a show and we join the series in its third volume DVD release. This is more dramatic and melodramatic than expected, very much so considering this is an Animé series.

 

Though the idea is clever, it is more like a bad soap opera that drags.  That’s a shame, because this had potential, but it feels like Animé ethnically cleansed in some respect.  After the title tale, The Smile has a happy family doing well until the father’s mistress shows up and City is about a painter reawakened.  As I watched, I kept hoping this would pick up, but it never did.  It is flat, but at least it tries to be something different.

 

The full frame 1.33 X 1 color images are more solid than usually rendered for a typical TV Animé show to bring out the serious intent, but this is still not as sharp or as clear as the best block style Animé DVDs, though it sometimes comes close.  The occasional whiting-out is annoying.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo surprisingly has no surrounds and is here in English and Japanese.  Extras include translated opening and closing credits, plus previews for three other Geneon Animé series.  Take Human Crossing as a curio at best.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo