Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 31, 2014

One of the conceits of the original 1941 The Wolf Man was that fact that poor, hapless Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) was indeed poor and hapless. Talbot was a decent guy afflicted with a horrible curse that he struggled to deal with, and one of the film’s central assets was the kind of doleful quality that Chaney brought to the role. Other werewolf entries through the years often set aside this kind of sad aspect and concentrated more on the horror involved in not just the transformations themselves, but of course also in the carnage that resulted after a human assumed wolf form. There’s not really any measurable amount of melancholy in Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress, since this anime feature film is often surprisingly lighthearted in tone, but it at least offers a somewhat similar tack in presenting a so-called fuse (in this case a human-dog hybrid) who is at the very least misunderstood, and who actually may be at least a bit more heroic than is thought by the general populace. The main character here is in fact not the fuse, but a young girl named Hamaji who might almost be thought of as an anime version of the titular character Saoirse Ronan played in Hanna. Like Hanna, Hamaji has been trained in the Art of the Hunt, to the point that Hamaji feels an almost psychic connection with her prey, as is detailed quite nicely in an opening sequence that sees her tracking and ultimately killing a mountain wolf. Voiceover narration by Hamaji lets us know that there’s a certain philosophy that has been imparted to her character that makes hunting and the eventual taking of a life an almost religious or ritualistic event, one which must be honored and treated with a great deal of respect. It also is soon revealed that Hamaji’s mentor in hunting had been her grandfather, but that he had sadly been killed by a bear sometime before the story begins, leaving Hamaji to fend for herself in an isolated mountain cabin. Soon enough a new life beckons when Hamaji’s brother Dousetsu writes to her, urging her to join him in the bustling metropolis of Edo. Despite never having ventured out of the wild, Hamaji takes a gamble and journeys to the city, which is when her adventures with the fuse named Shino begin.

Lovers of Universal horror films like The Wolf Man probably shouldn’t be surprised to find out that other cultures have their own folkloric or literary traditions dealing with human-beast hybrids, and Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress plays upon one of Japan’s most iconic literary creations, the 19th century multi-volume (as in well over one hundred) novel called Nansō Satomi Hakkenden which detailed the adventures of eight samurai siblings who descended from a dog. Hakkenden, as it is sometimes nicknamed, has matriculated into all sorts of other media in Japan, including other anime and (live action) feature films and television outings. Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress overtly plays upon this history, in fact incorporating the original story into a kind of “meta” aspect hovering over the tale of Hamaji and Shino. Those familiar with this history will probably glean more content out of the feature film as a result, but even those with no knowledge of the background information will find a lot to enjoy here.

When Hamaji makes it to Edo, she wanders into a celebration of sorts commending the latest killing (and beheading) of a Fusé, meaning there is only one left. Hamaji is appalled at the cavalier attitude being displayed by the gaggle of people gathered around the display of animal heads. When Hamaji’s honor as a huntress is questioned, even laughed at, by the crowd, she feels embarrassed and ashamed, but soon enough her concern is waylaid by a skirmish between a hunter and a guy in a dog mask. The battle gets surprisingly disturbing when the masked individual slices through the eye of his predator, and almost without realizing what’s happening, Hamaji joins the hunt, though in an increasingly chaotic situation she’s mistaken as an accomplice of the masked man. That allows her a moment or two of bonding with the man, whose name is Shino. Shino of course turns out to be the “last” fuse, and part of Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress’ dialectic is the pull between Hamaji’s desire to hunt (honorably, of course) and her growing attachment to this strange creature.

Playing out simultaneously with this developing relationship is Hamaji’s also developing relationship with her brother, a kind of dunderheaded guy who had dreams of being a samurai but who has drifted in an existence that wouldn’t even qualify as being a ronin. There’s also an interesting if “insider” attempt to weave the original Hakkenden lore, along with its author and a grandkid, right into the story. This part of Fusé: Memoir of a Huntress may not be entirely clear to those unfamiliar with the original source material and so will not have all of its intended impact, but it’s rather seamlessly handled, if ultimately not all that important to the story itself.

Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress has its moments of action and even a bit of gore, but like a lot of NIS America releases, it’s ultimately a sweet and gentle rumination on one girl’s maturation process and quest to clearly establish her identity. The film is bolstered by some incredibly beautiful and detailed animation. If Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress doesn’t quite have the dreamlike fantasy elements of a Hayao Miyazaki film, it shares Miyazaki’s love of folktale and allegory, along with Studio Ghibli’s often impressive visual aesthetic.

Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of NIS America with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This film is often ravishingly beautiful and pops gorgeously in high definition. The image is crisp, stable and features downright stunning hues a lot of the time. Everything from richly deep purples and teals to bright primaries to subtle pastels are utilized extremely well throughout the presentation, and with sharp line detail and nicely varied character designs also entering the mix, there is a lot to look at here, so much so that Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress easily deserves repeat viewings. There's surprising depth and dimensionality to a lot of the shots, including some nicely rendered textures at times (see screenshot 4). There are no compression artifacts to cause any concern in this sterling high definition presentation.

Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The original Japanese language soundtrack is presented in both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0, and both renderings offer excellent fidelity and clarity. The 5.1 mix does amp up the immersive qualities of the track in sequences like the opening hunt or the hustle and bustle of Edo, and occasionally provides a bit of oomph in the lower end in scenes like a big fireworks celebration that caps the film. Dialogue, effects and score are all prioritized well and there are no issues of any kind to report.

Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This is another one of NIS America's very handsome Premium Editions which comes enclosed in a sturdy slipcase and also features a richly illustrated hardback book. The on-disc supplements are:

• Special Preview and TV Spots (1080p; 2:36)

Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress is one of the nicer surprises to appear on my doorstep recently, a tale filled with heart, a little goofy humor, and a smattering of action to boot. It's an overall gentle piece, though, and some may find its pace a bit lethargic at times, but even those folks should be blown away by the outstanding animation. Hakkenden has had innumerable adaptations through the years, and this is certainly one of the more interesting. This NIS America Premium Edition is a bit on the pricey side (as usual), but the hardback book includes interesting information and a glut of nice illustrations. The Blu-ray presentation is outstanding all around, even if the supplemental package is on the slight side. Highly recommended.