THERE'S an almost inexplicable mixture of the cosiness of youth and the surreality of a soothing girl who leaps out of the television screen in the first two episodes of VIDEO GIRL AI. Evident from the outset though is that this is one of the classier anime productions to go west.

Fuelled by a fantastic title sequence and an atmospheric, manic and very funny introduction, the quality of soundtrack and character design cannot be faulted. Monteuchi, the shy nice guy of the class, quiet yet unafraid to show his feelings, is coupled perfectly with the temperamental Amano Ai. Although the action begins episodically, it quickly settles into linear and the two become friends intent on a plan to hook Monteuchi up with a girl he is too shy to confront.

The humour isn't adult but in the teenage category; most laugh out louds stemming from the interaction between Monteuchi and Ai, as she struggles to come to terms with shrinking breasts and having to cook dinner. As we all know, Japanese girls are less bashful about shedding clothes than their repressed Western counterparts and the brief nudity shots of Ai make this series a little naughtier than TENCHI MUYO. A scene in the second episode of the tape, for example, begins in the kitchen. Ai dutifully arrives, whips up the pyjama top she is wearing, revealing a very flat chest, then beats Mouteuchi to a pulp because this 'deformity' is "his fault for playing the VIDEO GIRL tape in a broken VCR!".

Would we ever see such a scene in popular animation? One suspects not and one wonders whether the scene is put in for erotica (Its context doesn't lend itself well to such an assumption) or is symptomatic of the cultural differences between the US and Japan. There's also traces of Japan's continuing blatant subjection of women by the incredible enthusiasm exhibited by both Ai and the object of Monteuchi's love, Moemi, to make the hero dinner.

Despite the slapstick, there are real personalities hiding under the schoolage exuberances and the humour is very clever (Much more so than, for example, URUSEI YATSURA or even the fantastic OH MY GODDESS). Above all, it plays upon the fear of rejection and the circularity of classroom love. Moemi continuously confides to Monteuchi that she too is in unrequited love with someone who does not see her the same while Monteuchi is saying the same about Moemi to Ai. And of course Ai, who is on a limited play time (literally until the tape runs out) is desperately trying to get Monteuchi and Moemi together despite her deepening relationship with him.

This interaction admirably holds together, at least for these first two episodes, a quite intricate family of friends with the viewer's laughter occasionally choked with the realisation that it must all come to an end when Ai's time is up, rather like teenage years in general. The closing titles are done with as much finery as those which open and there are even humorous super-deformed features (approx. 3 min) tacked onto the very end which add to the series' appeal.

Above all else, get VIDEO GIRL AI for the artwork. No shortcuts have been taken with dialogue, background or animation and, when added to the amazing voice actors and actresses, they gel as well as a Disney production. The girls are cute, the boys are sweet (although one seems rather unsure of his sexuality - teen market, remember!) and the scenes at the fountain and in the bedroom are enough to bring tears to your eyes. Although for slightly different reasons.

In conclusion, it's much more than standard anime. Get it, be impressed and use it to introduce your girlfriend or boyfriend to the genre.



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older