Rave Master, Vol. 1

Rave Master features all of the classic characters of an action/fantasy bonanza: a well-meaning hero with magical fighting skills and a giant sword (the Rave), a mini-skirted female ally, and a cute magical creature (in this case, a puzzling dog/snowman combination), who together square off against a powerful villain as they embark on a mission to find all of the scattered “rave” stones and bring peace to the land. Journeying through a typical urban fantasy landscape filled with musical references--including the title “rave,” Hip Hop City, and Punk Street--the forces of good periodically face imminent danger and make narrow escapes, but ultimately, the all-too-familiar story is simply not redeemed by any originality whatsoever. To add insult to mediocrity, Tokyopop is releasing this DVD only in an English-dubbed version (wince-worthy both in style and in painfully obvious Western references sandwiched in) and in its “edited for television” Americanized form (the music involved, from the ska-inspired opening theme to the soft rock ballad to close off each episode, is also notably sub-par). Unrated, but suitable for 8-up, this nicely animated but narratively lackluster release is not a necessary purchase, especially in its disappointingly dubbed/edited form. [Note: Rave Master, Vol. 2 is also available, with Vol. 3 slated for release on Jan. 11.] Aud: P. (R. Brenner)