Anime Profile: Shadow Star Narutaru

Better be careful, because if you're not prepared, Shadow Star Narutaru will do a number on your expectations! The series starts out all bright and cheery. Every year during her break, sixth grader Shiina Tamai flies out to the island where her grandparents live, and this is where we first meet sweet young lass, on board the plane about to land. So far, so good. Then, one day while she's out swimming, she decides to make the attempt at swimming out to some large posts sticking out of the water. The currents are strong, but she's never made it out there before and this will be her last year to try. It's an exhausting journey, but with all her friends cheering her on, she finally makes it. As she dives under to see what's below, she spots a strange yellow creature in the shape of a starfish, only it has big googly eyes staring right back at her! Soon, everything begins to go dark.

To her surprise, she wakes up on land, safe and sound. Later that night, she heads back to the beach... and who should appear, but the strange star creature. Amazed at seeing it soar through the air, it eventually swoops down and stops right beside her, still saying absolutely nothing, but apparently indicating that it's okay for her to get on. Together, they take off over the water, and high into the air! Looks like the start of a beautiful friendship! She names her adorable new pal Hoshimaru. And then something strange happens... er, something stranger, I mean. Seeming out of nowhere appears a giant dragon-like creature... and standing on it's tip is a naked girl, covered in strange red symbols. Wow, what a day!

Back at home, Hoshimaru has begun to travel with Shiina where ever she goes by affixing himself to her back like a backpack. In kendo class, her instructor asks her to help a new student, Akira Sakura, who appears to be very timid and lacking in self confidence. Before you know it, Shiina finds out that Akira also has a creature like Hoshimaru, though hers is white and red... and apparently, she has some kind of psychic connection to it as she can see and feel what it does. But now, here is where things start going from the bright and cheerful to dark and disturbing. It seems that Akira has a hard time dealing with the emotional stress that her psychic connection causes, and she's often considered suicide. Thankfully, Shiina is a true friend, which is something Akira needed very badly.

Unfortunately, matters get worse. One day while the two are out in the woods, looking down upon the airfield where Shiina's father works, they encounter another creature, and this one isn't too friendly. They soon discover that this creature is controlled by another kid who appears about their age, and this kid is a real piece of work! He says that he wants to kill, kill, kill! He wants to destroy everyone he feels like to create a world where he is in complete control... and apparently he has friends who hold similar feelings. They call their creatures the dragon's children, and they all have strong psychic connections to their creatures. Strange that Shiina does not. Anyway, about half the episodes deal with these freaks.

Then suddenly, the episodes switch to dealing first with some new girl that also has a creature, and then to the bullying of one of Shiina's close friends, Hiroko Kaizuka, by a groups of school girl who despise the fact that she always scores higher than them on tests. These girls are cruel to the bone, and Hiroko's father only makes things worse by blaming Hiroko's only true friend, Shiina, for the declining grades. All of this pushes Hiroko beyond her limits, and brings about a creature more vicious than anyone has seen before. And what's worse, Hiroku's descent into madness not only affects the girls who were tormenting her, but it spills over to put Shiina's father in danger. Does Shiina have what it takes to stop her friend before Hiroko's creature destroys her family?

Although the entire series has been available on DVD since November 2005 with the release of the fourth and final disc, on July 25th Central Park Media is releasing all four discs together as a set for only $49.95. All consumers who purchase their copy of the Shadow Star Narutaru DVD Collection directly from Central Park Media by July 25, 2006 will receive a limited edition collector's t-shirt (while supplies last, of course). Orders should be placed at [dead website] and will be shipped free of charge.