Law of Ueki: Gift From the Sky (vol. 3)

Reviewed By: Carla Land

Geneon DVD

Review based on disk 3 (episodes 9-12)

Rating 13+

What it’s (basically) all about:  The battle for the Talent of Blank heats up as student after student is eliminated. Ueki is still determined to prove the power of righteousness, and even though he’s down a few talents, his willpower can’t be overcome. But the odds of him winning are decreasing as a power force called The Robert’s 10 starts to focus on getting him out of the competition. Will Ueki’s willpower be enough to keep him from getting killed? And what’s this about him being adopted?

Nitty Gritty: This is halfway through the series, so here’s where all the twists and turns come into play. Robert Hayden is back, and those who have sworn allegiance to him (The Robert’s 10) are out to get Ueki- first to kill him, then to join them.

Ueki’s friend Ai is as irritating as ever, but a visit to his home leads to some interesting information- Ueki was found by his dad and sister after his “mom” died, which means he’s adopted. Even more interesting is the visit Mr. K gets in the Underworld from a fellow Celestial who thanks him for finding his son and entering him in the competition. (It would appear that we can’t rule Mr. K out just yet.)

Things to make note of include the single use if the word “damn,” BJ getting a little touchy-feely with Ai, and a little boy whose overzealous wish to repay a favor include baths, haircuts, and laundry in the middle of the park.

 Special features include Japanese TV spots, DVD credits, and Geneon previews for Trigun Remix, Dragon Hunters, and Yoko Ishida Concert Para Para (a live concert from an anime pop star held at Universal Studios in Hollywood.)

Survey says: This is great for teen collections, especially now that little tidbits of information are being dropped about Ueki’s past. The mystery element of the show is picking up, and Ueki is starting to learn to think before he acts.

Personal Ad: There are five volumes of this series, and the last one comes out in January of 2007. I can’t wait to see how it ends. I am totally hooked on Ueki!