Fantastic Children

Publisher
Beez Entertainment
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes aprox. 25 minutes each
Year
2004

Fantastic Children - Volume 2

By Joseph (Joe) Wood
4th Jan 07

It is normally a bit of a problem when the first volume of a series impresses to such a degree that it gives you an overly high expectation for the rest of the series and subsequent volumes. Often the second volume disappoints and leaves you wondering if the rest of the series will ever manage to top that first volume, fortunately volume two of “Fantastic Children” is not one of these disappointing instalments, and is just as good, if not better than the first.

There are five more amazing episodes on this disc. “Kokkuri Island (Part 2)” continues where the previous volume left off, with Chitto having disappeared and Thoma accusing Helga of being too self-absorbed before beginning a search for the missing orphan. Finding Chitto in a clearing Thoma finds Chitto unconscious, and surrounded by killer bees of which Thoma is terrified. With Thoma unable to do anything Helga rescues Chitto, increasing Thoma’s fascination. In “Children of Befort” we learn more about the history of these mysterious white haired youths, curtsy of Detective Cooks, he also mentions the Ged Group who were originally formed to investigate the children of Befort. “A Warm Family” sees Thoma’s mother and Father find out about Helga and Chitto, and they are invited to stay at their house, after the orphanage refuse to take them back. In “Orsel” the children of Befort encounter one of the escaped prisoners from the previous volume, who is infused with a mysterious energy the children seem too know well. In “The Ged Group” Detective Cooks visits the former laboratory of the Ged group only to find its facilities are still in use.

As more and more of the various story elements are revealed in this second volume, the intrigue just builds and builds. There’s plenty of tension, Thoma’s search for Chitto, The Children of Befort’s continual encounters with their strange shadowy enemies, and Detective Cooks’ investigation into the Ged Group all build the tension higher and higher, and letting it go at just the right moment. There are still plenty of lighter moments and it will be interesting to see if all these elements will continue throughout the series.

The English dub’s poor quality becomes a bit more noticeable in this volume, there are moments where emotions are running high and the dub just doesn’t quite manage to catch the right tone, and most of the voices seem somewhat flat. The only other problem with the second volume happens to be the killer bees, which for some reason are rendered using CGI, and quite obviously so, for no apparent reason. The only reason for mentioning the CGI killer bees is because its nigh impossible to find anything else wrong with this superb second instalment.

Fantastic Children has kept it’s high standards of storytelling, animation and entertainment in its second volume, and hopefully will continue to do so in the remaining volumes.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English/French/Japanese audio, English/French subtitles, Clean Opening and Closing Animations, Trailers.

Release information: Publisher - Beez Entertainment Running Time - 125 min Classification - PG Release Date - November 27th 2006

Notes: Their aren't many extras on the disc, but then when the episodes on the disc are this good who needs extras.

-- Joseph (Joe) Wood 4th Jan 07

Fantastic Children Images