When Tsukasa Iba, president of Astral—a sort of magicians' crime-fighting operation that goes after supernatural monsters and other threats—mysteriously vanishes, he is replaced by his mild-mannered teenage son, Itsuki. Unfortunately, Itsuki is unfamiliar with the full scope of Astral's operations and boasts no great magical skills of his own. Facing internal dissent from an increasingly agitated staff, as well as growing turf encroachment from the rival Goetia operation, Itsuki must learn the family business quickly. Complicating matters is Itsuki's “Glam Sight,” which enables his right eye to see his opponents' magic powers—except he hasn't quite mastered the technique. Trying to help is Honami Takase Ambler, a witch who has her own history with Itsuki (erased from his memory). Rental Magica is somewhat more complicated than most anime offerings and populated by a surplus of bizarre characters. But its weird combination of wizardry, psychological drama, offbeat comedy, and corporate concerns results in a somewhat confusing if handsomely produced effort. Compiling the first 12 episodes from 2007 on four discs, in Japanese with English subtitles, suitable for 13-up, DVD extras include character bios and a 128-page book with director's comments, interviews, and background information about the series and its mythology. Optional. [Note: Rental Magica, Part 2 is also newly available.] (P. Hall)
Rental Magica, Part 1
(2007) 4 discs. 525 min. DVD: $49.99. The Right Stuf International (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-57032-762-9. Volume 26, Issue 2
Rental Magica, Part 1
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