Underneath the latex and thongs, Witchblade is a compelling, thoughtful series.  Looking at the box, I didn't know what to make of Witchblade.  The itty-bitty sci-fi erotica costuming featured on the front is bound to bring a little disappointment to those looking for violent, sexy fun, once they see the series itself.  Witchblade does present violent, sexy fun, but not to the extent one may be led to believe by the front of the box.  The series offers so much more, and is better for that fact.  

Masane Amaha is a single mom who returns to Tokyo with her daughter, Rihoko, in hopes of beginning a stable, new life for them both.  Six years ago, Masane was caught in a catastrophic earthquake that leveled Tokyo.  She was found at the epicenter holding an infant, and the only proof of her identity and that of her child was in the form of a baby diary found near them.  With no recollection of her life before the earthquake, or even of being pregnant or giving birth, Masane does her best to provide for her daughter.  

Just before the earthquake, Masane came into possession of the Witchblade.  Passed down from woman to woman over thousands of years, it chooses its bearer and grants them a huge amount of strength and power, a skimpy latex costume, and a massive blade.  Masane doesn't remember ever receiving the Witchblade, and has no clue why she transforms into this incredible warrior until she meets Reiji Takayama of the Doji Group, a multi-national corporation specializing in weapons and bioindustries.  The Doji Group, in partnership with the National Science and Welfare Foundation (NSWF), had been studying the Witchblade when it was stolen and subsequently lost in the earthquake.  Takayama jumps at the chance to employ Masane to round up rogue human-appearing mecha weapons, called Ex-Cons, that were accidentally released during the earthquake.  In this manner, the Doji Group has found someone to clean up their mess, and get the Witchblade back into their possession.  Sort of.  Masane isn't the most willing employee, but she puts up with Takayama and fights for the sake of her daughter.

Now a major rival of the Doji Group, the NSWF has developed Cloneblades, exact replicas of the Witchblade, and genetically altered women, Neogenes, to wear them.  Unfortunately, the Cloneblades are breaking down, killing their bearers, while the NSWF works frantically on a new generation of Neogenes.  This can't be good for Masane and the Witchblade.  She has her hands full trying to protect her daughter while attempting to learn the NSWF's secrets, with the help of her photographer friend and neighbor, Yusuke Tozawa.

Volume 4 continues with the same quick pacing, interspersed with moments of family fun and neighborly interaction to break the tension.  Masane and Rihoko have settled nicely into their apartment, fitting in with the other misfit tenants.  Drawn to Masane's liveliness and her daughter's enormous cute-factor (as well as her great cooking skills) everyone has become very protective of the newest tenants.  So why is the Child Welfare Agency, which is a division of the NSWF, knocking on the door wanting to take Rihoko away?  Several startling revelations uncovered by Tozawa culminates in a showdown in the woods, leading to the downfall of yet another Neogene.

This is a very stylish series with great fights.  It's well-animated, and the action is smooth and easy on the eyes.  For all the sexy violence, I'm most drawn to the characters themselves.  The main characters are well-rounded, and the relationship between Masane and Rihoko is touching and believable.  A lot of time was spent building the connections between the characters, so we feel the friendship between Masane and Tozawa, and the grudging respect Takayama has for his unique employee.  There is a warmth among the tenants of the apartment building, even as they bicker and argue.  The fleshed-out characters and believable relationships are a striking counterpoint to the violence.  Masane struggles to balance her devotion to her daughter and the warmth of these new friendships with the harsh reality of the Witchblade and what she has to do each night because of it.

For all my going on about the latex, the character designs really are nicely done.  The Witchblade and Cloneblade costumes border on the ridiculous--honestly, why hasn't Masane gotten concrete burn on her derriere fighting and skidding across the cityscape in that tiny thong?--but on the other hand, they're intricate, and in a sci-fi way, beautiful.  I still prefer the designs of the regular folks in this series, though.  Each character is unique, and their design nicely reflects the personality.

My preference usually leans toward subtitling, but the English dub for this series is great.  It sounds so natural, and is one of the best I've heard, kind of along the lines of Cowboy Bebop and Wolf's Rain.

Another nifty aspect is the packaging.  Yes, I've whined and moaned about those tiny little costumes, but the box is cool.  Witchblade is based on an American comic of the same name, published by Top Cow.  Each cardboard sleeve, which houses the plastic box, is adorned by artwork from a Top Cow artist who has drawn for the original Witchblade comic.  Showing the costumed characters from the anime drawn in such varying, non-anime styles was a very clever idea.  

This is the kind of series I'd buy.  It's smart and fast-paced, with a satisfying mix of warm fuzzies (without getting too sappy) and sexy violence.  The relationships keep me happy, and the mystery that is being revealed keeps me coming back for more.  I am definitely looking forward to the next volume.

A note: Witchblade is rated TV-MA for a reason.  The violence is, well, violent, and there are adult themes.  It's not for the little ones.

Details: Runtime 100 minutes, contains episodes 13-16.  Extras include a leaflet with an interview with the assistant animation director and animation designs, and on the dvd, there's a making-of vignette, a Japanese cast interview with the voice of Reina Sohou, textless songs, and trailers.