Code: Realize—Guardian of Rebirth: The Complete Series

Anime fans with a better-than-average knowledge of European literary classics may enjoy this wild and loopy series set in 19th-century London. Cardia Beckford is a young girl who has become a pariah because of her ability to melt everything that she touches. Confined to her family mansion and abandoned by her father, she is rescued by the legendary French thief Arsène Lupin, and together the pair embark on a madcap adventure that brings them into contact with Victor Frankenstein, Abraham Van Helsing, Count Saint-Germain, and Queen Victoria. A private detective known as Herlock Sholmes also turns up, and the Royal Army joins the shenanigans as the characters dart around London engaging in larceny while searching for vampires—all while Cardia seeks an explanation for her most peculiar health problems. Almost immediately, the series throws logic to the wind and rushes about with happy lunacy. But the animation is richly detailed and the mix of literary and historic figures affirms that a great deal of time and thought went into this mad romp. Compiling all 12 episodes from 2017 in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-14, extras include a bonus OVA episode, promo videos, and a "twinkle" music clip. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)