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Jing, King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven
Anime DVD Review
There's been talk that we're sending convicts to prisons in other countries. In Jing, King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven, it looks like we're sending convicts to prisons in other realities.
 Don't let the name fool you. Seventh Heaven has nothing to do with the Stephen Collins TV series. It's really a prison, and not just any prison. It's a magical prison. It's a fantastic prison. It's a veritable Hogwarts of a prison. It's like the bathhouse in the movie Spirited Away, only it's a prison. The warden keeps bats. The guards have wings. The prisoners break open like pinatas (games and candy spew out of their bodies). This is the sort of prison Bo-Bo-Bo, Bo, Bo-Bo-Bo might wind up in, should he break the law.
 But who winds up there? Jing does, that's who. That's right, Jing, King of Bandits. Jing, the star of the highly popular manga by Yuichi Kumakura. Jing, the young hero of the famous anime series. He and his bird-brained pal, Kir (who still doubles as Jing's secret weapon), spend three totally wild OVAs there. These OVAs (Lost In Heaven, Dream In Heaven and Awake In Heaven), have been scooped up by the good people at ADV Films, and collected on one extremely trippy (and highly entertaining) DVD for you to enjoy.
 You think Jing can escape this prison of horrors? In your dreams!
No, seriously. In your dreams.
And dreams of others as well. You see, Seventh Heavens holds the magician Campari. He stole the dreams of others. He holds them in crystallized orbs,and contols them. Now, Jing must challenge Campari's magic and brave some errant dreams in order to fly over this cuckoo's nest, and save the day.
Jing, King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven was directed by Hirochi Watanabe. It adds a dollop of Revolutionary Girl Utena and a pinch of Tim Burton to its mix. It churns up a fast paced foray that'll leave you breathless. A tip of the hat is given to Jim Henson's movie, Labyrinth. If you've never heard of Jing before, this DVD is as good an introduction as any to this character and the far-out world he steals from. It's lively; it's scary, and altogether wonderful. Yes, Kir is going to remind you of that parrot from Disney's Aladdin. I still like him, and the egg he hatched from.
Reviewed by Lawrence Sufrin, March 2008
Below: Scenes from King of Bandit Jing.
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