Self contained anime movies can be something truly special. Isolated to a couple of hours without being part of a wider universe and the limitations of live action can tell some truly bizarre stories.

After seeing Promare in the cinema I realised this is one of those brilliant examples, and now on Bluray I can keep enjoying the glory at home.

Promare is set in a world 30 years after a destructive event called the Great World Blaze took place where half the populations spontaneously combusted. A few of these people became Burnish, a people that can control a living fire and can reign destruction on a huge scale.  A group of terrorists called Mad Burnish do exactly that.

The movie kicks off with a massive fire in a building as the firefighting team Burning Rescue go to extinguish the flames. This team with the bizarre and overly excited firefighter Galo go in their mechs equipped with weapons that blast ice and find themselves face to face with Mad Burnish including their leader Leo. After an excellent fight scene we are suddenly thrust into a world where everything isn’t as simple as it seems as Galo learns a lot about Leo and the burnish people while uncovering a plot bigger than he could have expected.

There isn’t too much more to say about this without diving deep into spoiler territory. It’s a fun story that covers a surprising amount of story in the short run time. There are plenty of anime tropes and most of them are contained in Galo which can be annoying at times. It is an anime movie after all, so we can’t be too surprised.

What is most impressive is the arty style. The movie uses a lot of geometric shapes with bright bold colours to extraordinary effect. Pink and blue neon flames detailed with straight edges while pink triangles fly from it looks awesome every time I see it.

Then there are the lines used. Most of the time the lines are thin and can vary in colours, but at times like with the fire there are no lines at all. This gives the action scenes a unique design that looks fantastic no matter how long I watch it.

Unlike when I saw Promare at the movies, I was able to watch the movie with English voice acting. This was especially useful as I was able to sit there and watch the beautiful art the whole time as opposed to trying to read the plot. The voice acting itself was decent enough, though I was happy to watch the flames all movie long.

The Bluray also comes with plenty of bonus features like a chat with the voice cast and director, but the real treat is two 10 minutes features that tell the story of Galo and Leo before the movie started. It was a cracking bonus that makes the home package well worth while. The Limited Edition also comes with a sweet little art book with some more behind the scenes info and art.

If you haven’t seen Promare yet, I cannot recommend it enough. If you have, then this package is well worth picking up at home. The movie makes for a great rewatch and the new content adds to the story.

The post Promare (Anime) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

One of the best things about anime is its ability to tell bizarre and creative stories. Whether it’s a long running series or a one-off film, because they don’t require a billion dollars for some huge effects, they are able to be as chained or unchained as they want with stories that require visual design that matches its bombastic story. Promare is one of these films.

Promare takes place on earth 30 years after the Great World Blaze where half of the world’s population spontaneously combusted, a handful of the survivors mutated, becoming the Burnish, people that can create and control massive amounts of fire. This is where we are introduced to the Galo, member of the fire fighting force Burning Rescue as they respond to a fire attack. Since the fire is controlled by people, Burning Rescue aren’t equipped with the standard firefighting attire, but also with guns and swords that unleash ice attacks.

The film kicks off with this awesomeness as the team tackles an inferno and comes face to face with the terrorist group Mad Burnish. After arresting a few of them they come face to face with Lio, the leader of the terrorist group. Galo and Lio have a pretty awesome fight culminating with Lio’s capture when an elite group Freeze Force steps in stepping all-over Burning Rescues toes as they apprehend the Mad Burnish members.

This is where the plot thickens significantly as they are taken to a massive prison and it is discovered that the Burnish are being treated poorly. Meanwhile Galo and the Burning Rescue are enjoying some pizza when the Freeze Force barges in, capturing a pizza maker who it turns out is a Burnish. This is where Galo does a lot of character growth and discovers something is amiss. I don’t want to touch more of the plot than this because this is where it goes from an average anime film to a good one that uses a lot of anime tropes in a creative way.

The most striking aspect of the film is its visual style. Thanks to its use of thin lines or no lines at all, the whole experience feels familiar yet unique and wonderful. The biggest problem here is that the version I saw wasn’t an English dub, as I found myself dozens of times enjoying the action before snapping to the realisation I was missing a lot of dialogue.

I know a lot of the anime faithful have preferences for English dub anyway, but I was too in love with the animation, so will look forward to checking out the English dub so I can watch it uninterrupted next time.

The other aspect that is on point is the humour. Some anime can be a little silly or over the top, and Promare takes this running in a self-aware way. The cinema I was in burst into laughter regularly with a combination of great punchlines with over the top satirical moments. Think Galo talking about his firefighter’s soul being ablaze regularly, or the terrifying terrorist group being called…Mad Burnish. It’s on the nose, and once you realise they are making the jokes it is consistently entertaining.

Promare is the embodiment of what I love about anime. A bombastic sci-fi storyline, a good story, a whole lot of silliness, and gorgeous art design. It’s easily the most interesting anime flick I have seen in a while and well worth having a look if you are remotely curious.

The post Promare (Madman – 2019) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

NOW CLOSED – Thirty years has passed since the appearance of the Burnish, a race of flame-wielding mutant beings, who destroyed half of the world with fire. When a new group of aggressive mutants calling themselves Mad Burnish appears, the epic battle between Galo Thymos, a new member of the anti-Burnish rescue team Burning Rescue, and Lio Fotia, the leader of Mad Burnish begins.

Thanks to our good mates at Madman Films NZ STG has THREE Double Passes to see the upcoming Promare Anime film.

Promare begins in cinemas in New Zealand on the 14th of November 2019.

To Enter our Promare Double Pass Ticket Giveaway you will need to answer this Question correctly:

What caused the great calamity on Earth 30 years prior to the film?

A: Aliens

B: Mass Spontaneous Human Combustion

C: Riots

You can give us your Answer by placing a Comment below, hitting us up on Facebook, Tweet to us, or Email Us.

* Winner(s) will be randomly selected from those that Comment below / Facebook Comment / Email in accordance to the above Question.Winner(s) will receive a Double Pass for the film Promare. Promare has a PG Age rating in New Zealand. Winner(s) must adhere to the conditions on the ticket. Tickets are not transferable and can only be used once while the film is at cinemas. Competition ends on the 14th of November 2019.

The post Enter to Be in to Win a Double Pass to Promare! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.