Title: Ah My Buddha!!
Director: Keitaro Motonaga
Studio: Studio Deen
U. S. Distributor: Nozomi / Lucky Penny
U. S. Re-Release Date: June 3rd, 2014
Format: DVD / 26 Episodes / 650 Minutes
Genre: Comedy, Harem, Supernatural
Age Rating: 16 +
Overall Personal Rating: B
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Ikkou Satonaka has raging hormones that make every other boy’s look simply weak in comparison. When he gets turned on, he’s literally turned into a super-powerful Buddhist monk capable of vanquishing the most evil of spirits! Ikkou’s parents send him to the Saienji Temple to train to become a proper monk under the watchful eye of his grandmother. One of his first challenges is to learn to control his lusty desires – but that’s easier said than done when he’s surrounded by a bevy of beautiful nun trainees who keep losing their clothes! Can Ikkou pull himself together, or will his pervy nature win out?
Commentary:
Following behind some other great Harem series like Ah! My Goddess and Ai Yori Aoshi, Ah My Buddha!! stays true to the sexy comedic format that made these harem anime so very popular. In this case it plays off the heavy use of a simple young man who is plagued with a very special spiritual ability that helps drive away demons and spirits who aim to cause harm. The only thing is that his awakening is brought on by his natural perversion and inability to control himself when flashed by a young women. Of course this leads to plenty of humors situations, but it also limits the series to a continual stream of some rather uncomfortable situation for the other young sisters in training.
For the viewer it comes across as an inevitable event, but after a while it becomes a little sexist in nature. It was nice to see this become a condition that Ikkou, our hero, is forced to learn how to control and something less of a prop and more of serious plot device.
The animation is still fresh looking today, almost 9 years after first released and the writing is strong enough to keep us entertained throughout the series. I do have to admit that all things being equal, this series is full of fun and sexy young women. It is classic in its depiction of young ladies and their full development that is clearly idealized.
Overall Grade: B
Ah My Buddha!! is very easy to watch and stays light enough to keep you coming back for more. One thing about Ah My Buddha! is that it is a perfect example of the style of series that had it height of popularity from the late 1990’s thru the mid 2000’s. There are still plenty of new harem series being produced but they tend to have a darker side and some what more cynical outlook. The one that has a very similar premise to Ah Mt Buhhda! is the more recent release I Can’t Play H where a young mans simple perversions make him a savior of humanity and the demon world. So, if you want some fan service and a relatively fun harem then Ah My Buddha!! would be a great choice. Thanks Nozomi/ Lucky Penny for bring this back to life for the next generation to experience the fun ans simple approach to telling a story of this nature.
