I only have a short list of shows that I actually collect --  I watch a lot of DVDs for research purposes and if I kept every disk for every show ever saw, I would run out of space for the cats. However, Le Chevalier D'Eon is one series I'll be holding on to. This really is a wonderful show.

While it was a bit disjointed in the beginning, Le Chevalier has pulled together into a coherent, interesting story of magic, mystery, and political intrigue all wrapped up in a nicely done historical setting. This is a very creative, richly detailed world with compelling characters that is a joy to watch.

The real history is fudged around a bit -- I caught a number of impossible things. Historical figures are the wrong age in scenes, or are associating with people they probably didn't know at the time the story is set. However, it's clear that the writers did know the actual history and made the changes deliberately, for plot's sake. I won't go into any details in this review because unless you're a history nerd like me, you're not likely to care and it really doesn't matter much. And this is ultimately a fantasy story with sorcery and uh, zombie-like gargoyles, so I will cheerfully forgive and forget where the failings of historical accuracy are concerned.

I am vastly amused by the way they are playing out the whole D'Eon/Lia de Beaumont relationship. In the actual history, D'Eon didn't have a sister -- he was one of history's most famous transvestites. (Or he was a transexual. Or he was a poor, unfortunate soul punished by Louis the 15th in very creative ways for trying to blackmail the king. The actual interpretation depends on how you view the facts of the matter.) He was also noted for being very pretty and for being able to pass as a woman even under close scrutiny. It was in Russia where the first stories of D'Eon, as a spy, assuming the role Lia de Beaumont surfaced.

In the anime, of course, his sister Lia is a real person, not a persona he invented, and she was murdered in Russia. He is sent there by the king and dresses as her at a masquerade in order to speak to the Russian empress. The twist works, it's a great nod to the history involved, and I am in love with the character designs -- D'Eon is equally convincing as a young man and a pretty young woman, while still remaining himself. And yet, when the soul of his sister possesses his body, he moves differently even though his appearance does not change.  

Disk two introduces some malicious plotting by various political figures; much of this is loosely based on actual history. I am certain we will see much more intrigue in future episodes and I am eagerly looking forward to it.

As I noted in my review for disk one, this is a series that is largely well drawn, but it does have some minor issues with character design. The quality of the animation is variable, and the faces bug me. In some cases the eyes of characters seem far too close together, and jaw structure is just off in some scenes. Somebody needs to give a few animators some anatomy lessons -- the proportions are wrong, and the style of animation is 'realistic' enough that it's noticeable when things aren't right. Or maybe it's just the artist in me coming out, I dunno.

The audio on this series is also notably good -- few anime (or few TV shows, period) are done with this level of detail to the sound.

The case and packaging and extras are worth mentioning. This is one of ADV's major series for 2007 and they are putting quite a bit of time and money and care into the presentation. The DVD has a beautiful slipcase with gold foil lettering, there's a thick booklet with all sorts of details in it, and there are tons extras on the DVD as well.

Overall, this is a series I solidly recommend and which I will continue to watch.