The plot: Masame has not had an ideal life to say the least. Not only did she mysteriously survive a massive earthquake (with her daughter) that gave her a strange memory loss, but now she is on the run from Child Welfare Services because she is said to be an unfit parent. As if things couldn’t get more complicated, Masane soon finds that she can transform into a powerful ass kicking warrior that wields the Witchblade. Knowing of her abilities, a corporation employs her in order to fight mecha villains known as X-Cons. This first volume of “Witchblade” contains four episodes titled: “The Beginning,” “Bewilderment,” “Defiance,” and “Movement.”

The “Witchblade” anime series is not what I expected at all. Being fairly familiar with the comic book series, I thought the show was going to center around NYPD detective Sara Pezzini who comes across the Witchblade, but that story and character are nowhere to be found here. It’s a shame as the REAL story is infinitely more satisfying than the one in this anime. I just can’t buy into the Lifetime esque mother/daughter story that we have seen one hundred times before. Sure, it allows for viewers to connect to the characters on an emotional/relatable level, but that doesn’t mean it’s what people want to see. I’m also rather baffled by the whole X-Con subplot. It seems completely out of place and rather unnecessary. Perhaps there are more story arcs in future episodes, but in these 4 episodes, all the Witchblade wielder does is kill X-Cons. Is seeing a variety of villains too much to ask?

The widescreen picture quality is sharp looking for an animation series, especially on an upconverted DVD player.

Viewers can choose Japanese (with optional subs) and English 2.0 tracks or an English 5.1 audio track. Obviously, the 5.1 track has more oomph to it, but the dub is rather annoying. I would recommend sticking with the original language track instead.

Extras:

* A booklet containing an interview and character profiles.

* 10 Funimation trailers, textless songs and a promo video.

* A 9 minute Japanese cast interview with the voice of Masane Amaha.

* “A Tour Of Top Cow Studios With Marc Silvestri” (14:00)- This is the best extra as we get to see inside the offices, see a few employees, and learn about plenty of titles and merchandise that the company has to offer.