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Wanna Be the Strongest in the World (anime review)

Wanna Be the Strongest in the WorldTitle: Wanna Be the Strongest in the World complete series

Director: Rion Kujo

Studio: Arms

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: June 2nd, 2015

Format: DVD / Blu-ray / 300 minutes / 12 Episodes

Genre: Echii (serious fan service), Sports (not really), Comedy

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: C-

Synopsis:

The eye-popping world of women’s professional wrestling is sweaty, sadistic, and savagely sexy. Famous Japanese pop idol Sakura Hagiwara is better suited for the dance floor than the wrestling ring, but this ravishing songstress is about to put her body to the ultimate test.

When she and fellow idol Elena are assigned to pose as wrestlers for a very special show, a vicious lady brawler by the name of Rio decides to teach the girls a lesson they won’t soon forget. Rio unleashes a flurry of ferocious of attacks on Elena, contorting her divine female form into an array of very naughty positions. Shocked by the blush-inducing beating taken by her friend, Sakura vows to get her heavenly curves ready to rumble and redeem the good name of idols everywhere by becoming a bona fide diva of the pro-wrestling world!

Commentary:

It has been some time since I sat through a series of this caliber, but Wanna Be the Strongest in the World should be called Boobies on Parade. There are plenty of series out there that try to blend a story with fan service and may of them succeed. In the case of of Wanna Be the Strongest in the World the plot is so simple it just tells you from the very beginning that it will be all about showing the exaggerated female form off.

Now I don’t have anything against wrestling or even pop idols. I just take issue with anime that is only in the game to show off their sexual body parts. There is also the typical attempt to make the female anatomy unbelievably over inflated and this too ends up turning me off. As someone who was educated as an artist I love the human form but the way it is depicted in WannaBe the Strongest in the World just makes me sad.

Overall Grade: C-

As a reviewer I have to take into consideration who the audience in mind is and that is why I did not fail this series completely. I understand the intent and the specialized demographic that Wanna Be the Strongest in the World is going after and that is why I gave it a C- rather than a D- or an F. In fact I would think that the fans that they are making this for will most likely give it an A for the level of echii/Fan Service that is provided.

I wish I could have at least enjoyed the plot line of the series but it was just too mean spirited and misogynistic for me. That is the world of anime and it covers plenty of genres and I can appreciate it for what it is. I know this series will be liked by its fan base.

Unbreakable Machine Doll (anime review)

Unbreakable Machine DollTitle: Unbreakable Machine Doll 

Director: Kinji Yoshimoto

Original Story: Kinji Yoshimoto

Anime Writer: Yuko Kakihara

Studio: Lerche

U. S. Distributor: Funimation Entertainment

U. S. Release Date: March 3rd, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / DVD/ 12 episodes and 6 OVAs / 390 minutes

Genre: Echii, Action, Fantasy, Romance, Harem, Moe

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Raishin Akabane and his beautiful companion Yaya enroll at Walpurgis Royal Academy to study Machinart: a dangerous blend of magic and technology. Raishin is a puppeteer capable of using magic to power up Yaya, his automaton, for ruthless battles no mere human could survive.

In the wrong hands, Yaya is a deadly weapon, but the honorable Raishin, despite his mysterious quest for vengeance, takes no pleasure in killing for sport. Instead, he joins forces with a harem of gorgeous classmates to unmask those responsible for a rash of heinous human experimentation. If new enemies and terrible grades don’t spell doom for Raishin, he and Yaya might live long enough to conquer the school where magic meets machine!

Commentary:

Unbreakable Machine Doll followed a week worn path of magic users and the vessels that they use to wield their magic. At times I could feel the series channeling Harry Potter and at other times it felt more like Madoka Magica. None-the-less it still had the impact that I’m sure it was after.

From the very opening I knew this wasn’t going to be a simple magic users series, it was really going to be about the fan service and how often they can play off other sexual tension created between Raishin and the other women in his life. Not to mention his magical doll/weapon, Yaya.

Over the course of the 12 episodes I saw the plot develop and strengthen to appoint that made me some what sad that the series relied on sex appeal to draw in the viewers. There is enough story here without having Yaya take her cloths off and try to bed Raishin every other episode and to then present one character that for all of her innocence she still manages to make her breast more prominent than her sweet character. It almost pained me to watch the story unfold through the bouncing bounty that crosses the screen.

Overall Grade: B

For as much as I thought the breast parade got in the way there was still a plot line that was coherent and impelling. I really want to see Raishin grow in strength and come to the point where he faces his brother in battle and also manage to weed out the unethical magic users that wish to become god. I see Raishen and Yaya as something else that manages to elevate themselves above the shackles of lust and greed to help the other discover their own goodness. Unfortunately, this side of the story is not given the ability to grow and prosper and we are left with just another echii series that leaves us wanting for more.

Unbreakable Machine Doll not only has potential to be a fun series to watch and own, but it could have finally brought the two worlds together in a way that justified the silliness that goes on in each episode and the lack of completion that is yet to follow.

I sincerely hope that the funding is found to help complete this series and bring this potentially epic story to an end.

Extras:

Along with the 12 episodes there are also 6 OVAs. Now it has been know that sometimes the OVAs manage to pick up where the series left off, but in this case they follow the other age old path of just being silly reasons to show off the characters boobs. I was really hoping for some closure, but alias not this time.