An unsteady family painstakingly built will crumble at the whim of unyielding authority, this time leaving Masane alone and frozen by the harsh results of their icy grip. Little Rihoko's become a pawn in an experiment to dissect love. But our walls do not a home make, and shared blood must be weighed against the bonds of real life...

Adapted from the hit Top Cow comic book series, that inspired the live-action TV show starring Yancy Butler, the animated Witchblade series relocates the action from present day New York to a near-future Tokyo, where a new bearer has been chosen to wield the awesome power of the Witchblade.

An ancient, supernatural, sentient weapon of unparalleled destructive force that also holds a seemingly limitless potential for protecting its bearer, the Witchblade has been coveted and sought throughout history by countless men eager to control it. But for reasons unknown, this fearsome artefact can only be bestowed upon a woman, chosen by the blade itself and one whose fate will forever be scarred by the burden of its power.

Volume 4 of Witchblade contains episodes 13-16:

Separation: Unhappy with the the way that Masane is treating Rihoko (leaving here alone all the time and generally not being a very good mother) the NSWF’s Child Welfare Division gets involved and discovers Masane isn't really Rihoko's biological mother. Armed with this information, the division makes plans to place Rihoko with her real mother. Not wanting to be split up, Masane and Riko decide to run away.

Family: Tracked down, Masane realises that she and Rihoko can't hide forever. Rihoko is placed with her real mother, Reina, and the two try to adjust to their new life together. Meanwhile, Masane is taken back to her home town to see if she can remember who she really is. Meanwhile Maria is trying her hardest to complete her cloneblade training as she has been promised that her mother's identity will be revealed to her once she can equip the cloneblades effectively.

Bond: Maria escapes from the facility and sets off to find her mother. However, when she arrives at Reina's home and discovers that Rihoko is there she flips her lid. Maria and Reina battle it out, with Maria promising to kill Rihoko when she's finished.

Relaxation: Masane and Rihoko are reunited and go on a short holiday to the seaside with their neighbours. Mr. Cho is up to his usual perverted self, chasing after women young enough to be his grand daughters, and when Masane walks onto the beach in a tiny bikini his eyes nearly pop out of his head.

Extras include The Witchblade Forged: Part 2 (17 min, 20 sec featurette that interviews the comic book's creators); Japanese Cast Interview - Voice of Reina Sohou (8 min interview with Japanese voice actress Mie Sonozaki); Textless Songs; and Trailers for other shows.

This volume has another great balance of episodes, from the all out fight sequences in Bonds, to the laugh a minute Relaxation.

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Nick Smithson