It's beginning to look a lot like Xmas. Beyond the throngs of shoppers at the mall, the traffic congestion and the general lack of 'good will towards men', the annual traditions of lights and decorations are making the drive home a virtual winter wonderland. Why mention this example of style over substance in the review of an anime film? Read on Mac Duff, and you'll see why as the story of MUNTO is pretty to look at, but there's not enough story to support the picture.

Explosions rip the base of a pillar upon a floating island, causing the structure to plummet to Earth below. A mage - Gus- comments that if the remaining pillars fall as well, the 'magical kingdom' will de doomed. Lord Munto informs his fellow magician that he - Lord Munto -will go to Earth and restore the flow of "acuto energy" - the life force of their world that is mysteriously draining away. Munto descends from the island. Gus and the other kingdom elders, including rebellious Gunther, believe Munto has leaped to his death.

On the Earth below, schoolgirl Yumemi has seen the pillars fall from the sky; she alone can see the islands in the sky. In the magical Realm, sage Ryueri explains to acolyte Toche that Yumemi is the key to reversing the loss of acuto energy' she is the link between their magical world and the 'real' world. If Yumemi can't restore the energy, then both worlds are destined to be destroyed. Munto knows this, and has gone to Earth to find Yumemi. Ryueri tells her young ward not to give up hope. Below, Yumemi walks to school with her only two friends - the other children deride her because of her visions. But tough Ichiko and flighty Suzume believe her and stand by her side. Suddenly, Munto appears to Yumemi, but the time/space barrier separating the two worlds allow him only to beg for her to give him the power to reverse the loss of acuto. Yumemi is overwhelmed and confused, and as suddenly, Munto is gone. With the loss of energy, Munto cannot maintain contact long. Ichiko, who cannot see Munto, comforts her friend and warns her to be careful of such a man.

Back up in the heavens, Gus and the others continue to waste the precious acuto energy in their power plays. The elders blame the magicians for the loss; therefore that is why they are destroying the kingdom. They believe the lack of acuto will destroy Munto, because he is so far removed from the source while on Earth. Gunther believes otherwise, and sends a robot assassin to insure the magician fails. Yumemi and Ichiko visit Suzame's outcast boyfriend Kazuya, who wants to marry the girl because her innocence gives him hope. Munto manages to contact Yumemi again, and again demands her power to save their two worlds. But Yumemi is confused by all that is happening, and doesn't' know what to believe. Can she find the courage and power within herself to fulfill her destiny, or are two worlds doomed to destruction?

Confused yet, dear reader? The animation in MUNTO is absolutely gorgeous; I haven't seen backgrounds rendered so well since Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY. The colors are bold and dazzle the eye. However, the story behind the picture is somewhat lacking. The main problem is the plot is pretty thin, so there is an awful lot of repetitive dialogue to stretch the film. Yes, Yumemi has a lack of confidence and questions her psychic ability, and we know that because she goes through the same crisis of faith every time Munto appears. Speaking of whom, Munto comes across as a pretentious snot - instead of embracing Yumemi as the potential savior of two worlds, he is demanding and overbearing. The supporting cast is given some characterization, but their potential remains largely untapped - like what's the history between Gus and Munto? What's Gunther's plans if he succeeds in destroying the magic kingdom - that won't restore the acuto energy, only delay their own inevitable fall from grace. There are scenes of nothing but dialogue (which, as mentioned, become repetitive in their content), and the one real action scene - the confrontation between Munto and the robot - is over almost as quickly as it began. MUNTO is a case of style over substance. The picture quality is above par - the detail and color of the backgrounds are superb. The character animation is decent TV standard, and the dubbing job is appropriate. The audio is very good; clean and distinct with a decent musical score to support the visuals.

MUNTO has been released on DVD with a few nice extras included. There is a host of art gallery sketches, including the lush backdrops and individual character development sheets. There are the obligatory previews, plus trailers for both the US and Japanese release of MUNTO. Also included is a weird TV spot for Japanese TV, which uses the MUNTO cast as 'super-deforms' to warn kids not to sit so close to the TV (I think - this bit wasn't subtitled and I don't know much Japanese.) Not much, but a nice dessert for the main course.

Continuing with the food analogies, MUNTO is a holiday meringue of an anime film. It's very beautiful to look at, but there's not much substance beneath. If the film had been tightened up to reduce the repetition, or expanded to reveal more history and characterization, MUNTO would have worked better. As is, MUNTO is a joy to the eyes, but like most holiday treats, soon forgotten.