Shadow Skill
Shadow Skill: Vol 1 Fight For The Ones You Love by Andromeda In Karuda, the grea-*test*-('") fighters are given the title of Sevalle. Elle Ragu, also known as Shadow Skill, is one of these great fighters to have recently appeared. She is the 59th named Sevalle in Karuda and she has the attitude to go with it. Not to mention, the self proclaimed Queen of the Deadbeats. In her spare time, she likes to drink and avoid work. Not to mention causing the occasional ruckus that results in something getting destroyed. The only problem with that is she has racked up quite a debt, being a month late on the rent as it is. But don't let this fool you. Her strength and mastery of the Shadow Skill is what awarded her the title of Sevalle. Her brother, Gau Ban, is following along right behind her, honing his skills as well. But unlike his sister, he knows they need to work to pay the debts that they owe. He is full of determination and has this hidden drive that shows itself when the time is right. Like the young teenager he his, Gau aspires to be like one of the grea-*test*-('") Sevalle's that came before Elle, Scarface. He is legendary among the people. With her mastery of the Shadow Skill, the spoken martial arts, Elle combats against others in the coliseum to prove her worthiness of the title. And when the need arises, she fights demons that threaten the peace of the land. But these aren't the only two things she has to face. There are those who want to assassinate her, even going as far as to threaten her brother. Little does she and her brother know that there are more problems on the way for her hometown, Karuda, and the friends she has made. Shadow Skill comes across as a combination of Slayers and Fist of the North Star. There's plenty of comedy with Elle's drinking, fighting and property damage, much like Lina Inverse's talents at handling things. With Elle's red-hair and attitude, I was instantly reminded of Lina. The artwork is more reminiscent of Fist of the North Star with the design of some of the characters and scenery, but with brighter tones and more definition. The first couple of episodes are there to set up the characters more so than to tell of the storyline. Hints are dropped here and there though, giving you something to look forward to, intrigue to bring you back for more. To me, for any story to be good, knowledge of the characters is always a plus and helps to bring everything together. I'm not much for the Kung-Fu like anime's, but Shadow Skill has me intrigued because of the comedy side to it. It's not something I'd buy, but I'd definitely borrow or rent it. I also like how the fight scenes aren't over done. No matter how good the comedy or drama is, if the fight scenes take too long, I'll loose interest. Shadow Skill doesn't focus on just the fighting and integrates it well with everything else it has to offer its viewers. Extras include clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.
Shadow Skill: Vol 1 Fight For The Ones You Love by Andromeda In Karuda, the grea-*test*-('") fighters are given the title of Sevalle. Elle Ragu, also known as Shadow Skill, is one of these great fighters to have recently appeared. She is the 59th named Sevalle in Karuda and she has the attitude to go with it. Not to mention, the self proclaimed Queen of the Deadbeats. In her spare time, she likes to drink and avoid work. Not to mention causing the occasional ruckus that results in something getting destroyed. The only problem with that is she has racked up quite a debt, being a month late on the rent as it is. But don't let this fool you. Her strength and mastery of the Shadow Skill is what awarded her the title of Sevalle. Her brother, Gau Ban, is following along right behind her, honing his skills as well. But unlike his sister, he knows they need to work to pay the debts that they owe. He is full of determination and has this hidden drive that shows itself when the time is right. Like the young teenager he his, Gau aspires to be like one of the grea-*test*-('") Sevalle's that came before Elle, Scarface. He is legendary among the people. With her mastery of the Shadow Skill, the spoken martial arts, Elle combats against others in the coliseum to prove her worthiness of the title. And when the need arises, she fights demons that threaten the peace of the land. But these aren't the only two things she has to face. There are those who want to assassinate her, even going as far as to threaten her brother. Little does she and her brother know that there are more problems on the way for her hometown, Karuda, and the friends she has made. Shadow Skill comes across as a combination of Slayers and Fist of the North Star. There's plenty of comedy with Elle's drinking, fighting and property damage, much like Lina Inverse's talents at handling things. With Elle's red-hair and attitude, I was instantly reminded of Lina. The artwork is more reminiscent of Fist of the North Star with the design of some of the characters and scenery, but with brighter tones and more definition. The first couple of episodes are there to set up the characters more so than to tell of the storyline. Hints are dropped here and there though, giving you something to look forward to, intrigue to bring you back for more. To me, for any story to be good, knowledge of the characters is always a plus and helps to bring everything together. I'm not much for the Kung-Fu like anime's, but Shadow Skill has me intrigued because of the comedy side to it. It's not something I'd buy, but I'd definitely borrow or rent it. I also like how the fight scenes aren't over done. No matter how good the comedy or drama is, if the fight scenes take too long, I'll loose interest. Shadow Skill doesn't focus on just the fighting and integrates it well with everything else it has to offer its viewers. Extras include clean opening animation, clean closing animation, and previews of upcoming ADV Films releases.