Based on Rin Fujiki’s light novel series and the manga adaptation by Eiji Kaneda, this anime series is a bit of a curiosity in that it is a Japanese story about a Western religious institution, the Roman Catholic Church. The protagonists are two young priests, Josef Kō Hiraga and Roberto Nicholas, who travel the world to analyze purportedly miraculous events for possible papal action, assisted occasionally by a master computer hacker who is now a prisoner working for the Vatican. The series encompasses three arcs that ultimately link together. The first, set in Mexico, involves the reported pregnancy of a nun by immaculate conception, which morphs into a murder investigation and then a case of demonic possession that turns out to have bizarre historical implications. The second takes the men to Africa, where the incorruptibility of a priest’s corpse might provide a basis for sanctification, although this leads to a psychological crisis for Roberto and points toward a larger threat that is taken up in the third arc, which is set in an Italian village where a number of extraordinary events ultimately result in the discovery of a secret organization that has long been engaged in efforts to achieve immortality for its members. Integrated with these narratives are plot threads involving the men’s private lives, especially the fate of Hiraga’s younger brother Ryōta, who is suffering from terminal cancer and confined to a wheelchair. Marked by very dark visuals and a somber tone, Vatican Miracle Examiner has the virtue of novelty but is also likely too odd to be of larger interest. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2017 in a Blu-ray edition, in Japanese with English subtitles, rated TV-MA, extras include a bonus OVA episode. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Vatican Miracle Examiner: Complete Collection
(2017) 2 discs. 325 min. In Japanese w/English subtitles. Blu-ray: $59.98. Sentai Filmworks (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 6
Vatican Miracle Examiner: Complete Collection
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