The Mystic Archives of Dantalian: The Complete Series

This anime series set in England during the post-World War I years centers on young aristocrat Hugh Anthony Disward—called “Huey”—who is heir to his grandfather's estate. As part of his grandfather's will, Huey is given a key and charged with being the custodian of the Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian. Huey also meets Dalian, a strange little girl who lives on the estate and is responsible for guarding dangerous texts known as Phantom Books. Over the course of this series, Huey and Dalian encounter various characters in possession of Phantom Books, but their inability to master the power of these tomes creates bizarre and sometimes tragic situations. This anime offering deserves credit for its focus on a genteel upper-class European past rather than a dystopian future, its Rod Serling-worthy storylines that push the boundaries of intellectual terror, and its wonderfully subversive message about the potential damage that books can create when placed in the wrong hands. Not all of the stories entirely click and some of the animation is rather quotidian, but the series' originality and offbeat personality make it well-deserving of attention. Compiling all 12 episodes from 2011 in a DVD edition, rated TV-MA, and presented in Japanese with English subtitles, extras include a bonus OVA. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)