Spirit Warrior: Revival of Evil

Ages ago, when the gods of Light defeated the gods of Darkness, the power of the Regent of Darkness was sealed in the Dragon Orb, now guarded by Tantric Buddhists. Raised by the priests, young apprentice exorcist Kujaku learns that he was born the child of Darkness, with the ability to release the power of the Orb. But a group of neo-Nazis want the Orb to usher in a new era of Darkness--and they have Kujaku's twin sister, who can wield the Orb's power as well. While the flashback revealing Kujaku's history is compelling, and the animation is generally good, most everything else here is subpar, including the derivative writing, the underdevelopment of many characters, and the overly melodramatic English dub (the original Japanese version is also included). The running time is skimpy as well--the disc should have included at least one of the four remaining episodes. Originally known as Peacock King in its VHS release, this series includes some bloody and grotesque violence, plus brief nudity, earning its 16-up age rating. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (S. Raiteri)