Review of Moon Phase: Phase 2

Introduction

Hot on the heels of the first review comes this second volume of Moon Phase. The first volume heralded a curiously interesting show, a blend of cuteness and spookiness that promises to charm viewers into liking it. It`s your usual anime fish out of water premise, with a cute teenage vampire living with a family renowned for defeating supernatural phenomenon. What makes Moon Phase stand out is the way in which it blends the comedy with the story. Instead of settling for the usual harem mayhem antics, Moon Phase has one eye firmly on the overreaching story, and mood and atmosphere count for more than opting for the easy pratfall. It was certainly a striking debut, and I didn`t have long to wait for the second instalment. If the show keeps up this standard, then Moon Phase could turn out to be special indeed.

Kouhei Morioka is a psychic photographer who works for a paranormal magazine. He comes from a family of exorcists, but is unique in that he has an immunity to psychic phenomenon. His life changes when he goes on assignment to a mysterious castle in Germany, and winds up releasing from her imprisonment, a teenage vampire named Hazuki with a penchant for wearing kitten ears.

The next five episodes of Moon Phase are presented on this second volume from Revelation.

6. Heart Throbs In Kyoto
Everyone goes on a trip to Kyoto. For Kouhei`s grandfather Ryuuhei and cousin Seiji, there is important family business to conduct. Kouhei and editor Hiromi have an assignment to complete, and Hazuki, well Hazuki has never been on a train before. Sightseeing takes a low priority when they meet twin sisters Hikaru and Kaoru Mido. Hikaru has been betrothed to Seiji and Kaoru to Kouhei since they were children, which comes as something of a shock to Hiromi and Hazuki. Being of the Mido clan, they aren`t too pleased to see Kouhei consorting with a vampire. Ryuuhei and Seiji have important business regarding Haiji, the supernatural cat that attached itself to Hazuki. The cat is linked to Kouhei in an unexpected way, a fact that his grandfather wishes to keep concealed. But cut off from its true master Haiji is dying. Ryuuhei is in Kyoto to find it a new master before time runs out. Then Elfriede turns up to make another play for Kouhei.

7. …Well, I Wanted It
Nobody is sleeping well. Although for Hazuki the stiff neck comes from trying to sleep on a futon after a lifetime of comfortable beds. When Hiromi shows up with another wardrobe of outfits, Hazuki realises that there is a simple way out of her quandary. Kouhei is still immune to her charms, and Ryuuhei and the rest of the Mido clan are protected by spells of warding, but Hiromi should be susceptible to a little hypnosis. Hiromi`s wallet is soon lighter and Hazuki is sleeping better, but she didn`t expect Kouhei`s furious reaction. He accuses her of selfishness and dares her to try functioning in the real world without her powers and see how far her egotistical attitude will take her.

8. Mother Came to See Me! Happy!
Kouhei is having trouble locating his photographic equipment, troubling when he has an important assignment. Hazuki has appropriated it; a zoom lens is useful to scan the night city skyline for signs of her mother. She doesn`t hesitate when she sees her and runs off without even a goodbye. It`s a trap of course. Count Kinkel has arrived to retrieve Lady Luna where Elfriede`s gentle persuasion has failed. And now that he is here, he wants to deal with the upstart Kouhei who has developed such an influence over Hazuki. Kouhei is determined to rescue Hazuki, and with his grandfather they walk into the lion`s den.

9. Save Me From This Dream
Kinkel has turned the hotel where he is staying into a veritable nightmare that Kouhei and his grandfather will have to tame, if they have any hope of rescuing Hazuki. Fortunately they have an ace up their sleeves. Kinkel is unaware that ever since she tasted Kouhei`s blood, Elfriede is no longer under his thrall. But he has a dark plan, and he aims to waken Lady Luna, Hazuki`s dark alter ego. Ryuuhei has a few questions regarding Kouhei`s mother to ask Kinkel, so he sends Kouhei to rescue Hazuki by himself. Little does he know the danger his grandson is walking into.

10. You`re My Slave and I Won`t Forgive You
Kouhei lies critically ill in hospital and Hazuki is inconsolable. His family is at his bedside but she isn`t welcome. Seiji in particular blames her vampire nature for what has befallen his cousin. She find herself torn between her vampire instincts and general good nature, but when she catches a glimpse of Kouhei in his hospital bed, and sees the shadow of death hover over him, she realises that she is the only one who can help him.

Video

Moon Phase gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer consistent with most modern anime series, and given that it is barely three years old, there is little to complain about with the original source material. The transfer itself is adequate, there are little of the NTSC-PAL symptoms immediately apparent, and the image is clear and sharp most of the time. There are odd moments of indistinctness when the scene gets particularly dark and misty, but nothing too noteworthy. The credit sequences still suffer from aliasing though. Fortunately there are textless credits in the extras so you can see them unsullied.

Moon Phase has a toned down palette suitable for its more gothic subject matter, although the cute character designs are at odds with this. The animation varies from average to impressive, with some dynamic animation offering a different perspective on the characters, and also following through to the action sequences. While the average comedy scene will have the straightforward animation that you would expect from the genre, there is a lot of moody animation that goes with the spooky feel. I love one scene where Kouhei and Hazuki are arguing, and we see the row via the shadows they throw on the wall. There is a greater tendency to experiment with the animation style, and it certainly holds the attention.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 5.1 and 2.0 English, DD 2.0 Japanese, all supplemented by a translated English subtitle track, or a signs only track. You know you are entering cute territory as soon as you hear the infuriatingly catchy theme tune, "Neko Mimi Mode". Although when the story gets more serious in episode 9, a new theme, "Tsukuyomi Mode" takes its place, and it`s ever so slightly less cute. In my opinion, as practically always, the original Japanese track is the way to go, and the stereo track offered here has no problems. The dialogue is clear, and the action gets a decent amount of separation. The 5.1 track does offer more in terms of ambience and directionality, but it is still predominately a front-focussed affair. The English dub is accomplished and easy to listen to, although some Japanese phrases like `bento` or `neko mimi` aren`t translated, requiring a little familiarity with Japanese culture (or you can just work it out from the context).

I wasn`t too fond of the subtitle font, which appeared a little small and chunky. Also, in episode 8, there was one line that made no sense to me whatsoever, looking as if it had been translated in Google. I had to skip back and listen to the English to figure out what was being said.

Features

You get the textless credit sequences and trailers for Negima and Spiral.

Conclusion

My initial impression of Moon Phase was one of a show that would be cute, funny, sweet and with the occasional glimpse of fangs, worthy entertainment when done right, but hardly worth raving about. But there was a hint of promise lurking under the sugar coating, and this second volume proves that Moon Phase is definitely a series worth keeping an eye on. With these five episodes, it becomes clear that the story is the strongest element in the show, and while cute and funny is a nice garnish, it`s hardly the main course.

We begin the disc with a goodly amount of exposition. A trip to Kyoto gives us a chance to explore more of the Mido family heritage, and the truth about Kouhei`s mother begins to be unveiled. Haiji was her familiar, and being separated from her means that the cat is dying. Giving him a new master means the debut of a new character when Haiji`s chibi form appears. We also meet some rivals for Hiromi and Hazuki when it comes to their affections for Seiji and Kouhei. The twin sisters Hikaru and Kaoru add another dynamic to the group. Outspoken and introverted respectively, they are both capable exorcists who react just as you would expect them to when introduced to the vampire Hazuki. Opportunities for misunderstandings abound when Elfriede shows up, looking for a quick bite.

The main character Hazuki struck me as a rather unique combination of cute and infuriating, embodying the cat persona in that she will be warm and friendly when it suits her purpose, then drop you like last week`s dead mouse when she has something more important to attend to. It`s a character trait that isn`t endearing over the long term, but fortunately the second episode on the disc is where Hazuki learns some much needed humility. It`s essential character growth that makes her more likeable, and that follows on to the final three episodes on the disc.

This is where the comedy goes on the backburner and Moon Phase takes a detour into some dark territory. While there was always a larger story in the background of the earlier episodes, it comes to the forefront here when Count Kinkel arrives to retrieve Hazuki and decides to take on the Mido family as well. Kouhei`s immunity to the spirit world and his status as "vampire lover" plays a big part in proceedings, and we get a fair amount of back story and mythology when it comes to vampires in the Moon Phase universe. The serious tone takes us all the way through the final episode on the disc, but even though the light tone is restored, there is still plenty of narrative yet to reveal.

Cute and charming can only go so far, but Moon Phase makes up for it with decent character development and a compelling story. It`s found an unexpected balance between spooky and funny, and the mysteries that lie at the heart of the story make it another one of those anime that you make sure to preorder. It`s a rare series that makes you determined to know what happens next, and coupled with the impressive animation, Moon Phase becomes a very attractive package indeed.