Fun Adult Anime!
Written: Jan 03 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A fun anime ride for adults only! Crisp colors and animation!
Cons: Strong adult content, not for kids!
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| sleestakk's Full Review: La Blue Girl - 1 |
It needs to be stated up front that 'La Blue Girl' is strictly for adults only and definitely NOT recommended for kids! There's a common misconception lately (in the US) that most anime are like Pokemon or other similar watered down Japanese imported cartoons, but that is not the case. 'La Blue Girl' exemplifies that. Not necessarily high on the violent side that anime can present (as shown in the classic, 'Akira'), 'La Blue Girl' swings farther into the sexual divergence that many anime are known for.
All that being said, 'La Blue Girl' is a fun anime for adults! I knew all about the overwhelming sexual connotations going in and didn't expect any less. I'm a fan of anime and have a rather large collection of anime videos and DVDs of all types, and part of the charm of anime is that they can and will go over the edge when it comes to sex and violence. You'd be hard pressed to find American animation that's nearly as extreme as Japanese animation.
So why the all the violence and sex? Well, you have to take into consideration that the Japanese culture is a lot different than culture in the United States. Anime in Japan is regular primetime programming on network television created for all ages including adult audiences. It's not unlike 'ER' or 'NYPD Blue'. And much of it was not designed for kids.
Therefore, studios in Japan produce anime with mature themes that can be very intense at times. And although Pokemon was developed in Japan, it's intent was for kids and is not the norm. Anime possessing overtly sexual situations are classified as hentai which is the Japanese equivalent of X-rated. I don't mean to go off on a dissertation about the finer points of adult anime but I wanted to preface my epinion with some basic anime knowledge so those unfamiliar with genre wouldn't write this off as another Pokemon-type of cartoon. 'La Blue Girl' is at the opposite end of the spectrum of Pokemon or Digimon.
I bought the first two DVDs of 'La Blue Girl' since each contains 2 volumes in the series and is a better deal considering one volume of the VHS is the same price, and you won't get both subtitled and dubbed versions. For anime lovers, DVD presents a great deal getting more for your dollar. But I digress. 'Girl' stars Miko Mido, a teenage girl training to be a ninja in modern times. She discovers that her clan is caught in the middle of a longtime feud between a rival clan and the Underworld. She's the last descendent of her family so she gets the call to defend her clan and keep the world safe from the Underworld's sex demons.
There's plenty of surprises and turn of events in the first two volumes, enough to keep it interesting and not just one deviant escapade after another. The plot is adequate though not quite as thought provoking as a 'Ghost In The Shell' or 'Spriggan', two ultimate anime classics. It's more just a fun escape than anything else. 'La Blue Girl' also contains some light moments of hilarity along with its serious scenes. There's enough interaction between characters that helps to build the storyline and gives it more depth than the average hentai anime. The animation is crisp and the colors really jump out on the DVD version.
I chose this anime as my first anime epinion b/c it demonstrates the value DVDs have to offer for this genre as I alluded to earlier (although I suppose I could've easily chosen my 'Macross Plus' DVDs which are other fine examples). Each volume runs about 45 minutes but when you consider you can view them subtitled and dubbed you're actually getting 3 hours of anime viewing pleasure. Anime is best enjoyed in its original Japanese language but it's also nice to hear the dub and how they've translated it into English. The menus are easy to navigate and you also get bonus trailers of other Central Park Media anime DVDs.
I picked up my copy from CDnow.com for $23.99 but the SRP is $29.99. I give a high recommendation for this DVD for those looking for anime with strong sexual content that doesn't serve any moral messages. Stay away from this one if you're new to anime or you're used to Pokemon types of cartoons. As it states on the front cover, "Warning: Absolutely Not For Children," and this couldn't be more apparent for the 'La Blue Girl' series. Parents interested in this type of alternative animation take heed and keep this out of reach from your kids!
Recommended:
Yes
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sleestakk
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Member: Jay Stakk
Location: Chicago
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