pfer82

Kaiba is a piece of art. This work by Masaaki Yuasa is a gem, the kind of which only few examples can be found in every art... We already owe to Studio Madhouse some of the finest animation works like Satoshi Kon's "Paranoia Agent" and "Paprika", Hiroshi Hamasaki's "Texhnolyze" and "Shigurui", Rintaro's "Metropolis" and many more. But with Masaaki Yuasa, Madhouse has discovered a true genius of this time and age.

Kaiba is a poetic and philosophical tale packed with so much emotion and brilliantly imaginative conceptual and visual ideas, it is absolutely breathtaking. The graphical style reminds of Osamu Tezuka, the father of Japanese manga, but just as in the latter's work "Phoenix", the innocent, child-like drawings serve a deep and dense reflection about mankind and human condition.

Revolving around the parallel concepts of time and loss, life and death, memories and oblivion, Kaiba succeeds in creating a whole coherent universe, characterized by its overwhelming melancholy. It is truly comforting to see that such ambitious and groundbreaking projects can still see the light of day today, regardless of their chances at commercial success. Thank you Masao Maruyama, co-founder of Madhouse studio and producer of the series, for having made Kaiba happen!

It will be so hard for Kaiba to find its public, a million miles away from commercial animated series that most of time have little to offer to the heart and mind... While art lovers have long learned to distinguish between meaningless blockbusters and personal independent cinema, Japanese animation hasn't yet achieved to be widely considered in its diversity, even in Japan.

Kaiba is pure art and emotion, a brilliant masterpiece and a unique experience that will leave an everlasting imprint in its viewers' heart.