XxZeroeZxX

The Matrix given anime form

This actually might be the first stand-alone OVA series I've ever watched, and it surely didn't disappoint. I'd have to imagine that this is one of the all-time great OVAs. It's definately the sort of an anime you could imagine having legendary cult status way in the future. Amazing visuals (though a little too over-the-top for my tastes). Some great music throughout. Violent, disturbing, mindf*%k; probably a good way to describe the majority of this series. There's no need to be longwinded with something like this, it's an epic in-the-moment type series. You want something to get into for a few power hours, I say go for it. The original knock in the overall score is that I didn't think the interplay of the characters was as good as it could have been. Everyone sort of has their own agenda and they don't all intertwine. I did at one point have Karas rated much higher, but my impression of this series has kinda faded over time largely because I can't help thinking if that much was really accomplished. I mean 6 extended episodes should have more content than a movie right? And I feel like this really doesn't. They definitely could've done more, so while this is a tremendous aesthetic experience, it just doesn't have the staying power you'd want out of this sort of an epic. So I guess I'm judging a bit by comparison, but that's kind of necessary to keep things consistant. All an all, I'm gonna say an 8 out of 10 for Karas. Maybe a bit harsh with such a great initial impression, but there are actually more and more strong anime movies/ movie series/ extended OVAs out there which dilutes the market a bit. But I'm not complaining, I'm perfectly happy with a lot of really good/ entertaining things like this (and others) even if individually they struggle to stand out from the pack.