Copyright © CLAMP/Kodansha Polygram TMS

Way back in Issue 2.7 (has it been that long?), EX covered the three-volume RAYEARTH OVAs, an alternate universe version of the MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH TV series by CLAMP. The OVAs, while not very satisfying in the somewhat hastily thrown together conclusion, were still a godsend to enthusiastic RAYEARTH fans. Apparently the series did well enough that Kodansha commissioned a re-edited version, one which would include extra footage to shed new light on Eagle's actions as the misguided villain behind Cephiro's invasion of our world.
The result is the COMPLETE EDITION - WINGS OF HOPE, containing all three OVAs edited together into one LD at less than half the price. Billed as "And now, the mystery dispelled. Director's Cut Complete Edition!" it seems the perfect buy for someone who did not buy the previous releases. Even those who do own them might be tempted to pick this LD up.
Well, whatever temptations you are feeling, squash them now because this really isn't worth your money no matter how good a deal it looks. How could it have been possible to make such an inferior product from something which was quite decent in its own right? I am not sure what the director was thinking, or if he had already fled the scene when it came down to production, because this video is simply terrible—slapped together on a shoestring budget in the hopes that unsuspecting fans would fall prey.
Where did they go wrong? Perhaps the first blame lies in the very idea of milking a project for all that it is worth (Did I mention that the trading cards went on sale in March?). Or we could go further back and point fingers at the original storyline, which in the end wasn't that great at all. The art, inconsistent but yielding some gorgeous scenes, and the sheer amount of property damage made the RAYEARTH OVAs a good watch in their own right, but it did not have much more to offer. A proposal to expand upon Eagle and Emeraude could be taken as a good idea, until one realizes that no piece of animation has the excuse of being released "incomplete" or "edited against the director's judgement." It's not as if they drew a whole lot of footage and picked through it for the best parts or anything.
Let us turn to the new sequences then. There is about 10 minutes worth of new animation. Make that 10 minutes worth of very, very badly drawn and animated new animation. In general, there are a few new scenes of Emeraude and Eagle, which actually turn out quite well and give the story an interesting spin. I would have had little cause to complain if it was simply that; in fact, this would have been a rather different review. No, it was the other scenes that caused me to cringe and curse.
Mokona. Yes, instead of being the tree fairy that appears only to Hikaru, Mokona is now a major part of the three girls' awakening to their powers. Mokona is not only there when Umi and Fuu receive their orbs, he/she/it has also been inserted not so subtly into all the non-Mashin scenes that were appropriate, and also a few that were not. This means, of course, that several parts were reworked and redrawn, and some key things happen differently in this version. Not only do I personally object to tinkering with what were well-presented sequences to force a cute fuzzy white creature into the picture, I protest highly when the aforementioned tinkering is so clumsy that mistakes show up in the flow. The cafeteria chapter, where Umi and Fuu try to get over the loss of Hikaru, is now a haphazard splicing of old and new footage into a confusing mish-mash. As Umi stares out the window, it cuts to Fuu walking in with Mokona on her shoulder. Umi steps towards her and they speak, then the scene cuts away to Umi turning away from staring out the window. After this glaringly obvious error, Umi and Fuu have a long conversation while Mokona makes helpful "puu puu" noises, and it cuts back again to the original footage of Fuu handing Umi a tray of food. Whereupon Umi suddenly notices the orb on Fuu's hand, which should have been visible way before then.
After this mishandling I had little patience left for the rest of the video. Perhaps someone who has not seen the OVAs might be more tolerant than I. Certainly, the untouched mecha sequences with the Mashin and the copious amounts of fan service (which I have no complaint about, incidentally) are quite enjoyable if you go for that sort of thing. But if that was what I really wanted to see, I would be watching other, less wholesome, stuff. RAYEARTH is supposed to be a story of three girls whose friendship and trust in each other give them the strength to overcome all obstacles. That part of the original storyline had to be cheapened and jumbled up for the sake of a "Director's Cut" is a very sad thing. Spare yourself the bad taste in the mouth and watch the three volumes instead. I would be willing to bet that those are what the director intended this series to be.

Released by POLYGRAM
LD / 120mins
POLV-3184 / ¥8800
Available now in Japan
Where to buy