Nobunaga the Fool: Collection 1

Japanese anime often plays with "what-if" scenarios of alternative histories and cultural mashups. Nobunaga the Fool serves up a mix of mythic heroes of old Nippon, along with Leonardo da Vinci, Joan of Arc, a sort-of Julius Caesar, and a sinister and shadowy King Arthur, for a Renaissance/Edo-era epic—with big robos, of course. Nobunaga Oda is a brash warrior-prince determined to unite the warring nations of his feudal-Japan-like planet, Eastern Star. Da Vinci defects from the more technologically advanced adjacent planet, Western Star, bringing Nobunaga both the gift of awesome, giant mechanized battle-armor and bosomy maiden Jeanne d'Arc, who has visions of the future war between the two worlds. Also adding a mystical collection of all-powerful gemstones, tarot cards, and conspiracies-behind-conspiracies, this sprawling saga sometime threatens to go off the rails, but the combination of vivid characterizations and a compelling overall story hold it together. Presenting the first 13 episodes from the 2014 series in separate dual-language DVD and Blu-ray editions, rated TV-14, this is recommended. (C. Cassady)