DOGS: Stray Dogs Howling In The Dark - Episode 1
Stray Dogs Howling In The Dark
Weepy Old Killer
Studio: David Production
Year: 2009
Genre: Action, Science-Fiction
Length: 4 OVAs
Director: Tatsuya Abe
Screenplay: Kiyoko Yoshimura
Sound director: Satoshi Motoyama
Original Creator: Shirow Miwa
Character Design: Kumi Ishii
Synopsis: Sometime in the future, where a certain European city extends far underground. There lye secret, dark levels that have the key to the past. Ex-assassin Mihai has returned and is living with Kiri, who now runs a restaurant. Sword-wielding Naota, Haine, a mysterious product of genetic engineering and his partner Badou, not to mention the scary but cute twins Luki and Noki, hang around plying their dangerous, and often deadly trades.
(adapted from Anime News Network)
Well, I’ve been wanting to read this manga for a long time. And now an OAV gets released :). So, the manga is actually two series. The first one, is comprised of just one volume. This OAV is based on that one. The second series that continues the plot is called Dogs: Bullets & Carnage. Not sure if they will adapt the second series too. Anyway, I may start reading the manga in the near future. I’ll be able to compare it better then. By the way, decided to leave some links on the info section above. It’s all to animenewsnetwork.
So, Mihai an ex-hitman comes to visit Kiri, owner of a bar. When he was younger, his boss forced his own son, Ian, to become his apprentice. So, Ian became a hitman too. Kiri, along with Milena, Mihai’s past love, were prostitutes in that same bar. At some point, when Ian was a little older, he snapped and killed Milena for some unknown reason. Ian and Mihai both attacked each after that and Mihai was fired. Now, some years later, Ian has killed his father and took over the family business.
Anyway, Ian learns of Mihai’s coming and decides to "meet" him. Some of his "employees" take this chance to try and kill Ian, probably so they can lead the organization themselves. Kiri, also goes, fearing for Mihai’s safety. Things go south and everybody shoots at each other. In the end, Ian is about to die and finally talks to Mihai. He killed Milena, because he was afraid he would lose Mihai to her. It’s kind of stupid but, he was a very troubled child, and was even being trained as an assassin, it’s complicated lol
The action scene wasn’t much. It’s like it was a little hard to look cool, and the kind of low budget didn’t help. It reminded me of Cowboy Bebop for some reason though.
After all this, something strange happens. A boy goes deliberately against Mihai, on the street, and says "now everyone that knows the secret will die". Not sure if he did something to Mihai or if was bleeding just because of his wounds from the past encounter. It was a nice cliffhanger to end the episode.
Overall, nice episode, not much exciting but, I’m expecting it to get better. Although Ian’s story was kind of strange, and his personality had some inconsistencies. They probably condensed a lot of manga material into this episode, and things got rushed and lacking in development. But, as I said, I’m expecting everything to become better with the next episode.
(I swear I had this screenname ages before I read DOGS. Bawww, as awesome as DOGS!Kiri is. She is still an ex-prostitute, lmfao.)
Interesting to read about the impressions of the OAV from someone who hasn’t read the manga. I agree about the inconsistencies in Ian’s personality, though honestly, they’re only slightly expanded upon in the manga. Most of it is focused on Mihai’s perception and feelings towards Ian, which makes sense, since it’s supposed to be from his POV. Mihai’s chapter is probably the third most interesting of the lot, following Heine’s and Badou’s, the former of which I’m really, really looking forward to since it was the one least touched on in the trailers.
Comment by Kiri — June 5, 2009 @ 11:08 pm
Ian’s a psycho . . . that explains the inconsistencies. LOLz
Have you seen episode 2? IT’S HILARIOUSLY BADASS xD
Comment by Sapphire Pyro — June 8, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
haven’t seen yet, probably in the next 2 days
Comment by Darknives — June 8, 2009 @ 5:01 pm