Bootleg Visuals, Vol. 1 (видео) (2006)

Сюжет кино: When I discovered the anime series years ago, I sought out translations of the novels and was immediately hooked, to the point where I bought the novels along with a bunch of books on learning Japanese. Needless to say, I can't provide a fully objective view here. That said, I am fully convinced that this outstanding series deserves to become popular worldwide, and I'm thrilled that it's becoming available to new audiences.
The story is about the alchemical elixir of immortality falling into the hands of a Depression-era organized crime syndicate, and the ruckus that ensues. The author, Ryohgo Narita, is fond of stories about criminals and of fantasy elements in urban settings, and this is no exception, combining the setting and tropes of gangster films with alchemy. If you have seen the anime, you'll know most of the events, but there's still plenty of additional depth to the characters and setting to make the book worth reading. For a first novel, it's remarkable how well it holds up. All the characteristics that have made the series and author successful are in evidence here: a bevy of entertaining characters, an intriguing setting, and intricate plotting. I don't want to go beyond the scope of this review too much, but I have to say that as the series goes on, it maintains plot momentum and logical coherence in a way that almost never happens in a series this long and with so many characters.
While the novel would be worth a recommendation regardless of translation, the excellent English rendition adds to the appeal. One obstacle to light novels becoming popular in English-speaking countries is that the writing often doesn't translate well. I haven't read enough 'regular' novels translated from Japanese to say if this is due to the language itself or the style used in light novels, but most translations have a stilted tone, narration that tells rather than shows too often, and generally unremarkable prose. However, great translators are able to produce writing that can stand on its own, and this version does that quite well. The effort put into period-appropriate language and terminology shows, and combines with the setting to produce a novel that feels like it could have come from an English-speaking author. The anime series was sometimes said to be a good 'gateway' series for American fans, and the books similarly should appeal even to those with no background with anime or manga.
One downside is that the art, unlike the writing, suffers from 'first episode' weirdness. The quality is notably lower than in future volumes, and the characters designs are somewhat different. The quality would improve significantly with the second/third novels, and by the fourth would reach maturity.
This is one of the finest series of fiction I've ever read, and it's been translated wonderfully. Highest possible recommendation.