Review for Rozen Maiden: Traumend - Volume 1 (Review)
Wednesday, 7th July 2010, 17:54

Page 1 Page 2

Introduction
You wouldn't have thought that an anime show about dolls would have raised my interest levels, and to tell the truth, neither did I. But Rozen Maiden turned out to quite an unexpected surprise a few months ago. Of course it wasn't really just about dolls brought to life, it was about the Alice Game, a competition where these magically animated dolls compete to become the one true Alice, by taking the Rosa Mystica of their rivals, and consequently being reunited with their 'father' the one who created them. Except it really wasn't about that at all, it was the tale of one socially awkward boy, who after a trauma simply hid away in his room, refusing to interact with anyone at all, and who through acquiring, and becoming the servant of a particularly arrogant doll named Shinku, was slowly rehabilitated into normal society. It was an entertaining and lively show, with a harem of dolls, a weird twist on an oft-visited cliché, but which had no lack of heart. That said, the central premise of the show, the Alice Game and the search for the dolls' creator did seem to get short shrift. But fortunately a second series was commissioned, Rozen Maiden Traumend (I think there is supposed to be an umlaut in their somewhere), which continues the tale in a further 12 episodes.

Jun Sakurada is a wimpy teen, who after being bullied at middle school simply came home, pulled the covers over his head, and refused to leave the house again. That's despite the best efforts of his sister Nori, who kept trying to coax him back to school. He became a shut-in, a recluse, whose only joy was Internet shopping, and only thrill was keeping the stuff for the trial period, and then sending it back before he became liable for payment. Then one day he answered an ad that was unconventional to say the least. As if by magic, a trunk appeared in the middle of the room, and within the trunk was a clockwork doll, and a key. After checking for underwear (well he is a boy), he wound up the doll, only for it to come to life and slap him. Shinku is awake now, and insolent though he may be, Jun is now her servant.

As this second series begins, things have settled down since Shinku's defeat of Suigintou. Shinku and Hina-Ichigo continue to live with Jun and Nori, while Suiseiseki has returned to live with twin sister Souseiseki and their elderly owners, but are often around to annoy Jun and toy with Hina-Ichigo. But when a new doll shop opens in town, trouble looms.

The first half of Rozen Maiden - Traumend is presented on this disc from MVM.

1. Rozenkristall
After all this time as a recluse, fitting back into society isn't easy for Jun, and his seat at school still remains empty. This time it's because he's busy in the library, revising and trying to catch up with the education that he missed. At least Tomoe is keeping him up to date with the homework he hasn't done. But there is more to worry about at home, Shinku is out of sorts, isn't sleeping well, and that is beginning to affect everyone, although when Jun tries to coax some information out of her, she's tight lipped. Before they can get to the heart of the matter, a magical light appears in the basement, and Jun and Shinku are pulled into another realm, where they meet an obfuscating trickster rabbit. That's just a prelude to the real meeting, as the seventh Rozen Maiden has arrived, a doll named Bara-Suishou who completely outclasses Shinku. It can only mean one thing; the Alice Game has begun in earnest.

2. Enju
Shinku swears Jun to silence; she knows that if the other dolls learn of Bara-Suishou's arrival, it will throw them into panic. But Jun recognises something far too familiar in Shinku's desire to run from reality, and he tries to persuade her otherwise. When that doesn't work, he escapes to the library, hoping in vain that he will be able to find something on the seventh Rozen Maiden. Tomoe meets him, and takes him to a new shop that's opened in town. Enju is a doll emporium, filled with exquisitely crafted, hand made dolls, and its owner is eager to make a good first impression. But the owner isn't Enju; it's the doll maker toiling away in the back of the shop.  

3. Kanarienvogel
There's a visitor spying on the Sakurada household. The Rozen Maiden Kanaria is plotting and scheming and working out the best way to obtain all four Rosa Mystica currently in the house, but unfortunately for her, she's hampered by an innate clumsiness. She finally manages to sneak in when Jun and Nori leave for the day, but the other dolls have been watching their favourite Detective Kun-Kun series on television, and they are up for solving a good mystery, which is just what Kanaria's hidden presence represents.

4. Vereinbarung
Despite her shrill nature and obnoxious attitude, Suiseiseki has found much to like about the dolls' current living arrangement, and she isn't too keen on pursuing the Alice Game to its ultimate conclusion. Her sister Souseiseki is being realistic, and understands that they may have to turn on each other before the game is up, but Suiseiseki swears that she will protect her sister. For that she needs power, and for that she will need a master, and you would think that the logical choice would be Jun. However the two can't help getting on each other's nerves. It's when Bara-Suishou attacks again, drawing all of the Rozen Maidens into a theatre of nightmares, that Suiseiseki is faced with having to put her pride to one side.

5. Der Brief
Shinku and Jun tend to spend a lot of time together, which is all well and good given that they are master and servant. But Jun serves two masters now, and Suiseiseki wants some attention too. She decides to impress him by helping around the house, although her familiarity with cooking utensils and vacuum cleaners is non-existent, if not downright lethal. It's made worse by the good natured, but troublesome assistance of Hina-Ichigo. Soon the dolls have some apologising to do, and Hina-Ichigo has the idea of writing him a letter. It's such a good idea that Suiseiseki has to throw a few impediments in Hina-Ichigo's way.

6. Engel
Shinku still has nightmares, this time of a vengeful Suigintou's resurrection. But this is no dream, Suigintou really has returned from non-existence, and she's not going to make the same mistake twice. This time, her first act is to enter into a covenant with a servant, but Meg is no ordinary servant. She's a young hospital patient with a terminal disease, one who is tired of life, of just hanging on, and one who is looking for an angel to speed her on her way. Suigintou appears to be that angel, and even when Meg learns of the Alice Game and the covenant with the Rozen Maidens, she's more than willing to give Suigintou her strength if it will shorten her miserable life. Suigintou has never cared about people before, but she finds that she has a lot more in common with Meg than she could have thought possible. But the question arises, how could Suigintou have come back to life?

Next Page