Legend of the Dragon

Although not actually a Japanese anime, this animated series airing on Toon Disney deals with similar themes, offering a hodgepodge of Chinese zodiac traditions and martial arts shenanigans as it follows the story of a pair of dysfunctional siblings in a contemporary China that's curiously free of any sign of Communist authority. Ang and Ling are twin brother and sister born in the year of the dragon, who from childhood on are engaged in rivalry. At the age of 15, Ang is chosen to become the next Golden Dragon (sort of a Grand Pooh-Bah in this mystical environment), which upsets Ling because she assumed she would be the natural choice for that role. Swearing revenge against Ang and Master Chin, her martial arts teacher, Ling becomes the Shadow Dragon, thanks to the machinations of the Zodiac Master (if Darth Vader had a Chinese cousin, this would be him). Secondary characters include Xuan Chi, the Monkey Guardian, more of an annoyance than a fleshed-out character, and Wang Lee, a phony martial artist/Hong Kong movie actor adored by Ang—until Ang has to save his life. Not surprisingly, coherence is not the series' strong suit, but the episodes serve up enough noise and color to be diverting, and the sheer sense of lunacy is often hypnotic. Compiling the first four episodes of the series, this is a strong optional purchase. [Note: Legend of the Dragon, Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 are slated for release on Jan. 30.] Aud: P. (P. Hall)