One word: INTENSE. From the opening battle sequence up to the after-credit shot, this anime is a full-tilt adrenalin rush that will leave you breathless and wanting for more.

Set in modern-day Japan, Karas is the story of how ex-Yakuza hitman Otoha saves his comrade and in the attempt, gets shot and falls from a building, leaving him in a comatosed state. His spirit eventually gets called upon by a Yurine, or the spirit of the land, who gives him the ability to transform into Karas, the defender of the land. As Karas he gains godly sword fighting skills, incredible strength and the ability to move at supersonic speeds. He is so fast that everything around him seems to slow down to a stop. He also has the ability to fly and transform into a cybernetic jet, allowing him to hunt down the Mikura, demons heightened cybernetically by the former Karas, Ekou, to serve him in his grand dream of a “new world”.

Karas is Japanese for “crow”, which probably alludes to the movie “The Crow”, which supposedly has the power to resurrect dead spirits, which is similar to Otoha’s “awakening”. The movie also makes references to Dante’s Divine Comedy, where cats are supposedly the guardians of the underworld. In the anime, the Yurine or the will of the land, is a feline. In the anime, cats were present to “fetch” the Karas upon his death and rebirth.

The last time I saw animation this good was probably when the Hellsing Ultimate OVA was released. This definitely tops them all with superior CG and musical score. The motion capture used in the film is a sight to behold. It is very realistic and very well played.

My only complaint in certain scenes I often found the need to increase the volume to hear the conversation, only to have my eardrums shattered later on by booming sound effects. Not bad if I were watching this in a cinema and not through a headset.

Preview video:

Below are captures from the movie (click on thumbnail for larger view):

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