Includes episodes 1-4. 120 min. Standard; Soundtracks: Japanese, English; Subtitles: English.

Reign The Conqueror, Vol. 1: Ascension BRAND NEW - STILL IN ORIGINAL FACTORY SEALED PACKAGE from Hibiscus Express ..Comes with a NO QUESTIONS ASKED REPLACEMENT OR REFUND WITHIN 7 DAYS OF RECEIPT IF NOT SATISFIED.

Average Customer Review: ( 22 customer reviews )
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Yes, this is very much an adult-oriented anime; for reasons other than the nudity, etc. Although obviously based on several factual/historical elements of Alexander's life, it deviates in many ways that I'll leave for the viewer to discover. This imaginative reworking and time-forwarding of Alexander's life is still completely captivating. It manages to place all of the elements that made Alexander the larger-than-life historical figure into a completely different context, yet still preserves the essence of his life that has drawn readers to the story of "Alexander the Great" for centuries.

Reign is another beautiful facet in the growing collection of world-class anime on DVD that should rank favorably among the other greats like Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Hellsing, Vampire Hunter D. It's a highly imaginative and inspiring anime!!!

9 of 12 found the following review helpful:

gorgeous animeFeb 28, 2003
By verbminx
I don't have the DVD yet, and like the last reviewer I am basing my review on the episodes which have aired on Cartoon Network (unusually for anime, the show has had its US premiere on television, rather than video).

This is not stereotypical anime. It's closely based on the story of Alexander the Great, who was tutored by Aristotle, and deals with a prophecy that he will "destroy the world." The usual big-eye style is not in evidence, because characters and general designs have been done by Peter Chung, who did the gorgeous and strange AEON FLUX in the 1990s. His art resembles that of the great fantasy illustrators of the early 20th century, such as Kay Nielsen, as well as more recent illustrators like Michael William Kaluta who were influenced by the earlier greats. Figures tend to have a lush facial beauty and an elongated form. Costumes in REIGN will be familiar to AF devotees, as they are a slightly ancient Grecian take on the cyber-fetishistic-armor clothes worn by characters in the earlier series.

But all the visual awe in the world can't save a series with a weak plot or a lack of dramatic tension, and fortunately, REIGN doesn't suffer from those problems. The story involves the attempts of the Pythagorean Cult, supreme mathematicians, to assassinate Alexander before he can "destroy the world," the reasons for this prophecy (which have to do with a secret ritual attended by Alexander's parents on the island of Samotrace), a lost jewel of unimaginable power called the Platohedron, the evil plans of Alexander's witchy mother Olympias, plotting among courtiers, and Alexander's rivalry with Persia's great king Darius. There is excellent tension and drama, and some fantastic combat scenes. My only real complaint here is that the character of Roxanne, Alexander's love interest, is weak and underdeveloped. One more episode in the series could have done more with her. The real Roxanne was supposed to have been very intelligent and learned, but REIGN's Roxanne mostly just sits around looking demure and/or perturbed.

So, if you love animation, or are interested in history but won't mind the great liberties taken with Alexander the Great's life story, this is a must-see...

4 of 5 found the following review helpful:

The first volume is the best of the seriesOct 12, 2005
By Jessica Levai
A bit about my background. I like some anime, but I'm no otaku. Fact is, I rented this because I am getting a PhD in Egyptology, and at the time I saw this, was heavily studying Alexander the Great and his successors.

That said, I liked this movie. I liked how it took the story of Alexander and tried to make a fantasy space-opera out of it. It works a lot of the time. They didn't even have to exaggerate too much. I laughed when they got things wrong and laughed harder when they got things right. It rewarded my scholarship and entertained me. The art direction and character design are ridiculous, I got used to it. Besides, don't tell me that androgyny and flexible sexuality has no place in an Alexander story.

The later volumes of the series are not as entertaining, and they waver from what I like about the historical character too much for me to ignore, and I was dissapointed in the ending. But if I find this volume on sale for a discount somewhere, I probably will pick it up.

I can't recommend this to anime fans. They might hate it, they might like it, but I just don't have enough background. And I can't recommend it to the casual observer, because the plot is kooky even for someone with graduate-level knowledge of the subject.

I will recommend it to anyone who knows a thing or two about Alexander the Great and has an open mind to see what Chung and his associates did with the story. Listen with the Japanese-language track and sing along to the ludicrous J-pop love song theme, or use the English track with its slightly more appropriate theme song. Either way, rent this at your local video store before you buy.

3 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Excellent Series!! Great Animation and Music!!Mar 06, 2003
By Marcus N. Hanks "drkainn"
I caught this series on Cartoon Network from day 1, and loved every minute of it. I immediately bought this dvd the day it came out, and have enjoyed it even more. I saw 2 reviews complaining about it having only 4 eps, but that is standard for anime. Ok complainers, do you buy the Dragonball Z dvds that have 3 eps on it, and is about 86 vols long? I don't, but this series I think is worth it. Anyway, there is a lot of weird situations in it, and the art is different, which it is nice to see a change, but this series is not for everyone. Watch it on CN or rent it first, then if you like it, buy it if you want. I can't wait to own the whole series.

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