This poorly written, tediously over-melodramatic horror series is, to quote Herman's Hermits, "A Must to Avoid." Based on a 30-year-old manga by Go Nagai, whose work is notorious for being explicit, the story revolves around Ryo Utsugi, whose dreams are haunted by demons. Satanists steal the Holy Grail, kidnap a virgin, and attempt to revive the fearsome demon Dante, but a heavily-armed religious militia led by Ryo's father crashes the unholy ceremony. Meanwhile, Ryo, who has some kind of strange power, is drawn to the Himalayas, where he's forced into freeing Dante, who turns out to be Judas Iscariot turned into a demon (so, naturally, God appears to Ryo's dad to warn him that Dante is loose). Except for a few modern effects, the embarrassingly limited animation and retro character designs make this recently-created show look as old as the manga, and even hardcore anime fans are unlikely to be satisfied since the show has been edited, with some of the most explicit nudity and gore now hidden in added shadows (though there's still enough of both that the 16-up age rating on this dual-language disc is well warranted). Not recommended. [Note: Demon Lord Dante, Vol. 2 is also newly available, with Vol. 3 slated for release on Sept. 28 and Vol. 4 coming Nov. 30.] Aud: P. (S. Raiteri)
Demon Lord Dante: Dante Resurrects, Vol. 1
(2002) 100 min. DVD: $24.98. Geneon (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 19, Issue 5
Demon Lord Dante: Dante Resurrects, Vol. 1
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