Soul Hunter - The One That Got Away (Vol. 6) DVD

 This zany comedy-adventure series reaches an appropriately off-kilter conclusion as all the characters, even the hippo-like Sibu and the aloof clown-demon Shinkohyo, fulfill their roles in a conflict that pits Taikoubou and his bizarre cadre of friends against the Immortals of Mt. Kunlun. The battle evolves into a debate over human free will versus predestination, illustrated with a mixture of fantasy, reality, flashbacks, and farce. Taikoubou learns he has been a pawn in a much greater game; but by remaining uncorrupted yet flexible, he discovers the significance and desirability of a straight fishhook. Based on a manga adaptation of a Ming dynasty novel set during the fall of the Yin (Shang) dynasty in the 11th century B.C., Soul Hunter offers a winning mixture of high adventure, slapstick humor, and strikingly original designs that will delight otaku weary of Evangelion clones. Rated 12 Up: Violence, brief nudity, minor profanity. --Charles Solomon