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Planet Chimera is a place for the most violent of criminals, a place where plant life is carnivorous and rules the world. Thor and Rai, twin brothers, are dumped on the planet after the murder of their parents. Rai is soft and gentle, but Thor is strong-willed and determined to find the truth about what happened to their parents, and get off the planet of plants.

It’s not so easy. Upon their arrival on Chimera, they immediately fall in with a band of misfits, young kids led by Zagi, who explain to them how the world works. There are four groups, called rings, and each has a leader called the top. When one top defeats the other three, he is crowned the Beast King, and can leave the planet. Thor immediately is determined to become the Beast King. While looking for water after Rai has spilled the outcast group’s supply, Thor threatens to abandon Rai - only Rai is attacked by a plant and killed.

Thor tries to save his brother, but a group of men try to keep him away. Thor, consumed with guilt, attacks the men, killing one of them. The dead guy turns out to be the second in command of the Ochre ring, and they take Thor back to their headquarters.

The plot really picks up from here on out. Thor meets Tiz, a girl, who falls in love with him; he becomes head of the Ochre ring; he ages to fifteen; he finds out why his parents were killed, and by whom. In eleven episodes we go through an epic’s worth of plot, sometimes booking along so fast it’s dizzying. Though I must say, the expediency of the plot was something of a blessing, as I found it to be less than entertaining. Characters repeat themselves frequently, and then contradict themselves. Their motivations, though plainly stated, were highly unbelievable, and most characters only had one emotion, making them flat and dull.

As far as bonuses go, pickins are slim. Original commercials (which are in Japanese, and as far as I can tell, the same commercial repeated over and over), staff commentary, textless songs and trailers. There just isn’t a whole lot here, but that’s okay, because the show just isn’t appealing enough to warrant extras.

Though the art is very pretty (as are the men – not so much for the women), and the concept shows some promise, the show just doesn’t follow through.

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