Amazon.com

The "Mihoshi Special" and three OAVs play like extended versions of thefantasies Washu's Dimensional Cause and Effect Controller produced inTenchi Universe. The familiar characters take unlikely roles inbubble-brained Mihoshi's account of her early career, which introducesSasami's alter-ego, Magical Girl Pretty Sammy. In the three OAVs, Tenchi isSasami's older brother; their karaoke-crazed mother owns a music store whereMihoshi and Kiyone work. Tsunami is the favored candidate for Queen of themagical realm of Juraihelm, but she needs a representative on Earth to winadditional points--and makes Sasami her agent as Pretty Sammy. The second ofthese spoofs of the "Magical Girl" genre is the funniest: Bill Gates-likevillain Bif Standard attempts to conquer the world with (rather slow)software. These shows rank as the lightest entries in the popular Tenchicontinuity. (Rated 13 and older: violence, alcohol use, brief nudity, minorprofanity, mild risqué humor) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Two stories in one...
The first story is set in the Tenchi Muyo universe. Galaxy Police Mihoshi tells about one of her adventures to prove she is one of the best officers in the galaxy. It seems that she, and her unhappy partner Kiyone, have to solve a tough case together. In the telling of the tall tale Mihoshi casts each of the Tenchi gang into one of the characters in her story. And they're not happy about it at all. The story is funny and a tad mixed up, but that's what you get when Mihoshi is the story teller!
The second story is a three episode series about Magical Girl Pretty Sammy. It's the Tenchi gang's version of a Magical Girl universe. Sasami ends up Tenchi's sister, Ryo-Ohki ends up a male cabbit, Sasami's mother runs a CD shop and things just get weirder after that! Sasami is selected by the Lady Tsunami(from the Magical Kingdom of Juraihelm) to help make the Earth a better place. Think Sailor Moon with Tenchi characters. Don't confuse this OVA with Magical Project S the TV series.
I had to take a point away because, frankly, this two shows in one DVD was not as interesting as the other Tenchi DVDs. Sure, the Mihoshi Special is set in the OVA universe (and I love her character), and allows us to see Kiyone within the OVA setting, the fact is that the DVD lacks any extras and I'm not a fan of the Magical Girl shows.
BUT if you like Tenchi Muyo, Mihoshi or Sasami, I would suggest buying it. IT can be pretty funny at times and with a 165 minutes it's a great buy used or brand new.

Two alternate Tenchi Muyo stories
The first episode on this disk should be divorced from the other three. The "Mihoshi Special" episode actually takes place in the origonal Tenchi Muyo O.A.V. series. (Between episodes 6 and 7, I think, definetly after the Kagato story arch.) I actually think it should have been included in the regular Tenchi Muyo O.A.V. DVD collection. But anyway. It takes place on a hot summer day. Mihoshi wakes up from sleeping while (almost) everyone eles has been working. Ayeka mentions out loud how Mihosh never seems to be any help and wonders how the blond ever became a cop to begin with. This promts Mihoshi to tell everyone about one of her past cases. However, she seems to have forgotten some of the details, so she casts the other characters in her story-completly against their will, of course. Their pesonalities, relasionships, and roles are still mostly the same in Mihoshi's story; Ryoko becomes a space pirate who steals ultr-energy matter, Tenchi becomes a male Galaxy Police officer who is captured by Ryoko and whom Ryoko falls in love with, Ayeka is a burocrat who is engaged to Tenchi, and so on. This story was a lot of fun to watch, but what I love best about it is that it's the only time in the O.A.V. series that we get to meet Kiyone, Mihoshi's competent, intelligent partner who's cursed with being stuck with Mihoshi. (Kiyone is one of my favorite Tenchi characters, along with Ayeka.) Also, Pretty Sammy and her sidekick the talking Ryo-ohki make an appearence in Mihoshi's story.

Next is the regular Pretty Sammy O.A.V. series. It takes the characters from the orginal Tenchi Muyo series and re-casts them in different roles, although their personalities stay the same. Sasami becomes the protagonist, and she (like most of the other characters,) becomes an ordinary Earth girl, from the Kawai family. Tenchi becomes Sasami's older brother, and the two live in the city, this time with their mother Chihiro, an ex-pop singer who still likes to sing karioke. Ryoko and Ayeka become two high school students. Ryoko has no super powers but is a tough delinquent who can take on multipule enemies in a fight. Ayeka is a rich girl and the class president who has her own clique of followers (much like B-ko from Project A-ko,) and who is an excellent martial artist, so she can hold her own against Ryoko. Mihoshi and Kiyone become two college students who work in the Kawai family's music shop, CD-Vision. One day Sasami is paid a visit from Tsunami, a woman from the magical world of Juraihelm. Tsunami is first in line to become her world's next queen, but for that to happen Tsunami must select a girl to become a magical girl and help make the Earth a better place. Sasami is picked for this role, and she becomes Pretty Sammy. She will be aided by Ryo-ohki, who in this story can talk. However, Ramia, the woman who lost out to Tsunami, isn't going to take defeat lying down, and she gets her younger brother Rumia to select another girl to become a magical girl and try to foil Pretty Sammy. This girl, in an ironic twist, turns out to be Sasami's own best friend Misao, a shy, frail latch key girl who loses her memory and her personality changes whenever she becomes the magical girl Pixy Misa (another favorte character of mine.) The really great thing about Misa is that she also LOOKS different when she transforms, so it's easy to believe that nobody could tell that Misao and Misa are the same person.

If you like Pretty Sammy, it is continued by a two-part story included in the graphic novel "No Need For Tenchi Vol.3. There is also a Pretty Sammy T.V. series, "Magical Project S", however it does NOT continue the "Pretty Sammy" O.A.V. series, but rather goes back and re-tells the story, and there are some differences. Sasami is an only child with a different mother and living with both her mom and dad, Mihoshi and Kiyone are teachers at Sasami's school, and so on.

Finally, the voice acting is great in both Japanese and English. The characters returning from previous shows are spoken for by the same voice actors, which is always nice. (However, in episodes two and three of the "Pretty Sammy" series Kiyone's origonal voice actor Sherry Lynn is replaced with Wendy Lee. Ms. Lee does a nice job, but it takes a little getting used to.) And I really love the person who does the English voice of Misao/ Pixy Misa. In the English version Pixy Misa uses lots of French expressions in her speaches, which are fun to hear. Overall, a great buy.

A pretty good disc
Well, I haven't seen much Tenchi, but I think that this is good, except for the Mihoshi Special. I know how much Ryoko likes Tenchi, but trying to literally hold him down for herself got creepy. Too much sake at her secret apartment made her more then a little flirtatious ^_^; But, other than that the disc had lots of good spots. The third Pretty Sammy movie was absolutely beautiful! Wait 'til you see Ryo-Ohki in human form! Of course, the original song during the bus ride was a bit odd... I thought that overall the Pretty Sammy movies 1 and 3 were the best, but the 2nd was pretty weird. If you put on the subtitles during the end of the 2nd movie, you see the odd lyrics in "Defeated Battle of Love". WARNING: DON'T confuse the movies with the Pretty Sammy OVA like I did! My suggestion to you: Think about it before you buy and don't trust the package's summary!
Thanks!

It's a DVD about Sasami! What more could one want?
To answer my own question - nothing! :) This is a very light hearted cutesy show with Sasami (the little girl from Tenchi Muyo) who in the typical magical girl genre acquires magical powers whenever she utters an incantation in order to make the world a better place - or to ward off the monsters her arch-enemy Pixy Misa creates :). Episode 1 of the OVA series is the best and Episode 2 is the funniest and unique because it has someone who pretty much resembles a very important software industry leader (mentioned by name in another review). This show is not meant to be deep (if you want deep watch The Decalogue also available on Amazon) but if you want funny, cutesy and charming do buy this disk. My only complaint was the transformation sequences - I think we see a bit too much of Sasami - but this is corrected very well in the Magical Project S series which I also recommend to Sasami fans!

Has Its Moments But ...
Fans of the anime series TENCHI MUYO (NO NEED FOR TENCHI)
know it to be a bit of affectionate and pleasing silliness.
This DVD takes some sidetrips off the main Tenchi storyline.

The first of the four episodes focuses on Mihoshi, the
infamously dumb-blonde Galaxy Policewoman. It begins with
a dream sequence that recasts Mihoshi in some fun ways, and
then leads to Mihoshi reminiscing about one of her typically
bumbling and disastrous investigations.

The following three episodes then focus on "Magical
Girl Pretty Sammy", a complete retelling of the Tenchi
mythology that recasts cute little space princess Sasami
into a fourth grader, with Tenchi as her high-school
brother and most of the other characters as high-school
students and faculty.

The first episode involves Sasami being recruited by
Tsunami, candidate queen of the magic kingdom of Juraihelm,
to become "Pretty Sammy", Tsunami's champion on Earth.
Of course, an evil rival arises as well, in the form
of "Pixy Misa", who is the Jekyll-and-Hyde manifestation
of Sasami's sweet, shy, frail friend Misao.

This first episode is cute and charming, sort of a satire
of SAILOR MOON and the like, but the second Pretty Sammy
episode falls completely on its face. It concerns a
Bill Gates clone trying to take over the world, and is so
poorly-done and empty-headed that it's embarrassing to watch the
scriptwriters bumbling through it.

The last episode, involving Pretty Sammy's adventures on a
trip to the seashore, is at least watchable, if not much
more than fluff. Still, it's pretty obvious after sitting
through this that the Pretty Sammy idea is cute, but that
cutesy only goes so far.

The Mihoshi Special and the first Pretty Sammy episode
are silly and fun, and I would give them three stars.
Unfortunately, the second Pretty Sammy episode gets
one (only because the scale doesn't include none) and
the third gets two, which pulls down the average.

Some other comments: the production / artwork values are
competent if nothing special. The worst technical feature
is that the DVD menu is unusually hard to use, since it's
difficult to see what entries have been selected, and not
too easy to navigate. Also, just for pacing yourself,
the Mihoshi special is a half hour (25 minutes or so
in practice) while the Pretty Sammy episodes are an hour
(45 minutes or so).

Oh, and another thing -- I almost forgot to add that the
Mihoshi Special has a nice little extra feature, in that
the closing credits include a little Pretty Sammy
"mini-adventure" without dialogue that features a
junior-high Tenchi as Sasami's "guy in distress" and
Kiyone as a cackling, scantily-clad villainess. It may
not be enough to raise the overall grade of this disc,
but in itself it's an entirely endearing take on the
Tenchi mythology. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

80's cyberpunk rock video mecha girl classic
Future post-earthquake Tokyo has all-powerful corporation Genom taking complete control, were it not for interference from a vigilante mercenary super hero girl group called the "Knight sabers".

This is one of the best anime series projecting beautiful, sexy women in a non-degrading way. The Knight Sabers leader (Dr. Stingray) is a super-genius who designed (and keeps improving) the hard suits which are the only thing that can defeat Genom's android fighting units. Anime pinup idol Priss, the toughest one, is as daring on a motorcycle as she is beautiful. Linna is a great athlete while Nene is a computer hacker. Inter-personal relationships between these 4 are done really well.

There are lots of fighting scenes for those into that, but the story is really about the state of society (a possible future for us) and why the girls put their buts on the line and try to change what they can.

The music is like what MTV used to play, back when they actually played music videos. Those really into this (Or fans needing to see more of the Knight Sabers in action) will love the "Hurricane Live" bonus DVD. Kind of nostalgic, but not obnoxious as some 80's revival stuff tends to be.

Overall this MegaSeries is a great value with all 8 "OAV" episodes in this box set. The animation is a bit dated compared with more recent releases, but the story line is still better than most recent releases.

Anime doesn't get much better than this. A must for "best of class" collectors. (Word on the 'net is that this OAV series is superior to later derivatives).

Must-have '80s Anime!!!
This DVD presents the first three episodes of the Bubblegum Crisis series. The first episode presents the post-earthquake world of MegaTokyo in 2032, with Genom Corporation's Boomers wreaking havoc in the city, and a band of four women (the Knight Sabers) in hardsuits protecting the innocents. The second episdoe focuses on one of the women, Linna, and a close friend who is targeted by a Genom executive. In the final episode, the conflict between Genom and the Knight Sabers escalates.

The series, inspired by Blade Runner and itself a tremendous influence on following anime, is full of fast-paced action and incredible music. This DVD provides anime newcomers with an excellent introduction to the world of anime.

GREAT
This is one of the pioneering shows of Anime! I remember shelling out $35 to $40 for ONE tape! Blech..what a rip off! But it got me hooked on the "Knight Sabers"! This show is fun and shows it's age with the clothes they wear etc but is a GREAT show and is the BEST in the series. If you are a fan buy THIS edition, the casing is junky as its a big clunky box with plain ol jewel cases etc but its well worth the price alone for fans of the show. The characters were done very well in this show amidst some sillyness, but not as silly as the new show 2040.

Blade Runner Anime Style
Takes place in the same universe "Bubblegum Crisis", but before Knight Sabers existed. Robots called Boomers, look just like humans, are very intelligent and work in the cities for the humans doing a variety of tasks such as construction, cleaning and even sexual services. Sometimes these robots malfunctioned and ended up killing innocent people. The A.D. Police force was created to destroy malfunctioning boomers. What I liked about this series was the good quality of animation, action, sound fx, and tense story telling, it has all the makings of a great anime. With its futuristic cities and noire over-tone it has a similar look and feel like the movie, Blade Runner. The Boomers are robots that look and act like humans; they are like the Replicants. In a way, the A.D. Police are like Blade Runners. I also enjoyed this anime because the cop, 'Leon' is a good character, and I always wanted some background on him. Blood and gore, nudity, for adults only. Each episode is self contained so you can watch any of them and not feel lost in the story. Ends on 3 then connects with the anime Bubblegum Crisis 2030

I want my bubbleguMTV
As you should know, most of J-pop and MTV music video are worthless. Then, how surprising that Hurricane Live, which features songs in music video format with images culled from the series Bubblegum Crisis, comprises some of the best pop songs and cool visuals ever.
For admirers of Bubblegum Crisis it's a well-known fact that the series is great on many levels, not least in its musical department. Songs range from hard rock to love ballads, from catchy pop tunes to elegiac lamentations. Also, the singer for the first Hurricane Set, Omori Kinuko, had a truly rare quality, almost extinct in today's pop music culture: a quality simultaneously tough and vulnerable, fierce and gentle.
Songs like Mad Machine are as thoughtful and complex in laying out sci-fi themes of technology out of hand; other songs are about being lonely in a faceless crowd, the irrepressible life spirit, the romance of rebellion, sad love for a lost friend, the power to overcome hopelessness and face the new day.
Comparable to Beatles' Rubber Soul, Stone's Between the Buttons, and Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

80's cyberpunk rock video mecha girl classic
Future post-earthquake Tokyo has all-powerful corporation Genom taking complete control, were it not for interference from a vigilante mercenary super hero girl group called the "Knight sabers".

This is one of the best anime series projecting beautiful, sexy women in a non-degrading way. The Knight Sabers leader (Dr. Stingray) is a super-genius who designed (and keeps improving) the hard suits which are the only thing that can defeat Genom's android fighting units. Anime pinup idol Priss, the toughest one, is as daring on a motorcycle as she is beautiful. Linna is a great athlete while Nene is a computer hacker. Inter-personal relationships between these 4 are done really well.

There are lots of fighting scenes for those into that, but the story is really about the state of society (a possible future for us) and why the girls put their buts on the line and try to change what they can.

The music is like what MTV used to play, back when they actually played music videos. Those really into this (Or fans needing to see more of the Knight Sabers in action) will love the "Hurricane Live" bonus DVD. Kind of nostalgic, but not obnoxious as some 80's revival stuff tends to be.

Overall this MegaSeries is a great value with all 8 "OAV" episodes in this box set. The animation is a bit dated compared with more recent releases, but the story line is still better than most recent releases.

Anime doesn't get much better than this. A must for "best of class" collectors. (Word on the 'net is that this OAV series is superior to later derivatives).

Must-have '80s Anime!!!
This DVD presents the first three episodes of the Bubblegum Crisis series. The first episode presents the post-earthquake world of MegaTokyo in 2032, with Genom Corporation's Boomers wreaking havoc in the city, and a band of four women (the Knight Sabers) in hardsuits protecting the innocents. The second episdoe focuses on one of the women, Linna, and a close friend who is targeted by a Genom executive. In the final episode, the conflict between Genom and the Knight Sabers escalates.

The series, inspired by Blade Runner and itself a tremendous influence on following anime, is full of fast-paced action and incredible music. This DVD provides anime newcomers with an excellent introduction to the world of anime.

GREAT
This is one of the pioneering shows of Anime! I remember shelling out $35 to $40 for ONE tape! Blech..what a rip off! But it got me hooked on the "Knight Sabers"! This show is fun and shows it's age with the clothes they wear etc but is a GREAT show and is the BEST in the series. If you are a fan buy THIS edition, the casing is junky as its a big clunky box with plain ol jewel cases etc but its well worth the price alone for fans of the show. The characters were done very well in this show amidst some sillyness, but not as silly as the new show 2040.

Blade Runner Anime Style
Takes place in the same universe "Bubblegum Crisis", but before Knight Sabers existed. Robots called Boomers, look just like humans, are very intelligent and work in the cities for the humans doing a variety of tasks such as construction, cleaning and even sexual services. Sometimes these robots malfunctioned and ended up killing innocent people. The A.D. Police force was created to destroy malfunctioning boomers. What I liked about this series was the good quality of animation, action, sound fx, and tense story telling, it has all the makings of a great anime. With its futuristic cities and noire over-tone it has a similar look and feel like the movie, Blade Runner. The Boomers are robots that look and act like humans; they are like the Replicants. In a way, the A.D. Police are like Blade Runners. I also enjoyed this anime because the cop, 'Leon' is a good character, and I always wanted some background on him. Blood and gore, nudity, for adults only. Each episode is self contained so you can watch any of them and not feel lost in the story. Ends on 3 then connects with the anime Bubblegum Crisis 2030

I want my bubbleguMTV
As you should know, most of J-pop and MTV music video are worthless. Then, how surprising that Hurricane Live, which features songs in music video format with images culled from the series Bubblegum Crisis, comprises some of the best pop songs and cool visuals ever.
For admirers of Bubblegum Crisis it's a well-known fact that the series is great on many levels, not least in its musical department. Songs range from hard rock to love ballads, from catchy pop tunes to elegiac lamentations. Also, the singer for the first Hurricane Set, Omori Kinuko, had a truly rare quality, almost extinct in today's pop music culture: a quality simultaneously tough and vulnerable, fierce and gentle.
Songs like Mad Machine are as thoughtful and complex in laying out sci-fi themes of technology out of hand; other songs are about being lonely in a faceless crowd, the irrepressible life spirit, the romance of rebellion, sad love for a lost friend, the power to overcome hopelessness and face the new day.
Comparable to Beatles' Rubber Soul, Stone's Between the Buttons, and Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This sequel offers little of the Blade Runner-influenced vision of a despotic future that made the original OAV and previous feature so popular. After living peacefully under assumed names on Mars, Naomi Armitage and her husband Ross Sylibus are drawn into a standard anime plot involving a sinister corporation's efforts to create artificial humans. The curvaceous Naomi is actually a "Third," the most formidable type of cyborg. (She's even borne a child, which suggests just how sophisticated her circuitry is.) Naomi takes on the duplicates of her that the evil Demetrius Mardini has created, in a series of gunfights, fistfights, knife fights, and explosions. Despite the film's promising origins, clumsy storytelling and director Katsuhito Akiyama's tendency to stage many of the battles in dim dramatic lighting hurt its impact, as it's difficult to follow what's happening. Rated 16 Up: Graphic violence, violence against women, nudity, profanity. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Reply to previous poster
Everybody is entitled to their opinions and I respect it, but I just want to clear some misunderstanding from the previous review.

Yes, the Armitage:Poly-matrix was edited from the OVA to make a single movie. But here is more fact that you might have not heard. Polymatrix movie had scenes edited out, but it also had several scenes added in (ala Macross Plus movie). Also they never recorded Japanese language for those extra scenes, so the Japanese language couldn't be included with the DVD.

The Armitage:Dual Matrix is Uncut and have both original Japanese and English language. And Pioneer had stated that they WILL release the individual Armitage:Poly Matrix OVAs later with Original Japanese Language and Uncut.

As for Green Legend, this was one of the first DVDs that Pioneer made, when DVD was still in its infancy, and nobody really knew what to expect from its format. Now Pioneer had never done that since, and made quality releases with menu in all of them.

As for Akira, I never listen to English when watching anime but I know where you are coming from. It would have been nice to include the former English version, but that could have been difficult with licensing issue, disc space, etc. Now I am one of those people who think that Pioneer doesn't listen to their fans, but in this case Pioneer did great job Remastering this release. They have cleaned up the video and remastered the audio with better translations. Also the extras are the best and most extensive for Anime releases. I know several people who didn't like the former English too, this is just matter of opinion, and I think Pioneer tried to release the best product possible with this release.

As a person who owns over 400 anime DVD releases, I don't think its fair to judge the company with only two purchases. I think Pioneer is greedy and don't listen to fans, but they do make quality releases. My only complaints, Make the DVDs with Higher episode counts and Make the BOXES Separately!!!!!!!!!

Oh dear...what a shame
The original Armitage series (not the hacked to pieces Poly Matrix movie version) was a work of art. A gritty cyberpunk thriller raising serious questions about the future of our society when technoloy loves, hates and fears. This sequel is almost unconnected. The characters of Ross and Armitage have become all but manequins, Ross stumbles around with nothing much to do, his police background is all but forgotten and there even seems to be no mention that he has an artifitical arm and leg, as his same hand gets injured.

Armitage, a very strong and quite deep character has been rendered one dimensional, running around avoiding robots of different shapes and sizes, her motivation in the whole plot is shallow and unintersting.

A weak plot and script can sometimes be saved by good animation and design, but Armitage Dual-Matrix just looks uninspired, CGI is used throughout and sticks out like a sore thumb, looking out of place and [inexpensive]. The characters themselves don't look quite right, Armitage seems to have bizarre lip growth most of the time and she's just lost her charm and grace.

The dubbing is OK, though Juliette Lewis gives a wooden performance as Armitage (and you thought Elizabeth Berkley [was bad]?The original OVA voice was better than both movie versions. Japanese vocal is far superior.

If you want cyberpunk anime, pick up the original series (now available on DVD) and avoid this cliche.

Not as good...but growing on me.
The first time I saw this DVD sequel to one of the best animes of the '90's on the shelves, I was skeptical. When I saw that Juliette Lewis was doing the voice for super-sexy robot ...Naomi Armitage, my feelings were mixed, knowing her to be a competent actress with a sexier voice than Elizabeth Berkeley (and certainly sexier on screen). When I finally watched it...I was disappointed. And yet...I watched it again, and I liked it a little more, despite the flaws.

As a sequel, it's pretty standard. It acknowledges the events of the first movie (except of course for the funny plot hole of why nobody on Mars recognizes Ross or Armitage when they figured to be such prominent characters in a government conspiracy in the original). The sequel expands (not answers, but expands) on certain questions from the first, like how does a robot have the ability to conceive human children? The action is pretty good, almost as good as the original, and it wrap things up nicely in the end.

The major flaws with this sequel are inherent in the animation. It's just not nearly as good. The animators went a little overboard with the use of CGI for some of the vehicular chase scenes (which were pretty cool, but obviously out of place with the rest of the animation). The panning is far less smooth than in the original, probably another result of CGI...it just doesn't look the same. The character design is updated slightly to give a sense that the characters have matured slightly. The backgrounds and setting aren't all that great either, but...it is mostly on Earth, not Mars. Maybe they just didn't want to go too far with it. There's also a problem in the plot, which is almost a direct rehash of the original, only instead of the government being behind it, it's the big robot-producing corporations that have a lot to lose if robots are allowed to be treated as human. Politics come into play a little more this time around, but that hardly helps the case the plot is pretty much the same. Also, the cliched plot devices of taking the child hostage and of a mother protecting her child is played out in perfect form here. Armitage could take out an entire army to protect her child...and she pretty much does (well...two ultra violent clones of herself, which is pretty much the equivalent of an army...and those clones laugh way too much, you just wanna bash their heads in).

The pros of this movie are that in spite of these little details, it's still a far better sequel than most Hollywood sequels attempt to be. As I said, the action is really good. The extended fight between Armitage and Ross and her two clones is pretty good, especially considering that the clones are more than just programmed soldiers...they seem to have a sadistic side, laughing almost every time they think they're about to kill someone...which was annoying, but it does helping you to hate them. The additional characters like the daughter Yoko and Mouse the Repairman are pretty enjoyable too. Yoko plays out like a typical kid in anime movies, but she's far less annoying than you'd expect. The little twist near the end when we see what makes her more than just an ordinary human is well integrated, especially after the villian made a big deal about not finding anything special about her. Mouse is just funny. The music by Julian Mack is different...still electronic-based, but more orchestral elements are introduced, and the presence of a female voice in the theme is rather interesting.

All-in-all, the sequel did what it sought out to do, and while it's certainly not as good as the original, it does at least hold a candle. I hated it at first, but the more I watch it, the more I enjoy it, and the more I feel it's actually a pretty good sequel. This is just my opinion, so feel free to disagree, but I think "Armitage: Dual-Matrix" is pretty good.

Not Bad, but not as good as the original.
Let's face it, the story, animation and character development was better in the first Armitage film. BUT, this film is a decent sequel. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being anything related to Pokepuke, I give this film a 6.5.

A Great Combo
Poly-Matrix:

Armitage has long been one of my favorite animes. It's hard to describe much of the story without giving away at least small bits of the plot, I'll be rather brief. The basics of the story is about a cop, Ross, who travels to Mars and meets a female officer named Naomi Armitage. They get involved in solving a murder case involving a famous country singer.

The singer is found to be, shockingly, a machine. Issues are brought up about robots and the rights of machines. The robots are divided into various types, Seconds and the rumored mysterious Thirds take center stage. Many questions are raised and debated as the story progresses, it's very well written and thought out.

Ross himself is pretty much a normal Earth cop. He's calm and calculating where Naomi is quicker to act and fight. They make quite a great team. Ross pretty much gets dragged into the whole mess and keeps things well grounded. He stays cool under pressure and generally makes for one tough cop. Naomi is from the very outset a hardcore energetic fighter. She gets the job done using her own methods and lets no one stand in her way. If you make it through this movie without a soft spot for Naomi, you need to watch it again.

As the story progresses, clues appear and we dig deeper into the backgrounds of Ross and Naomi. The characters forge a friendship with new characters and enemies become clear and yet mysteries shroud everything. It will keep you guessing all the way through.

All in all, It's a very interesting anime that has managed to stay one of my absolute favorites for many years. It's well written, has plenty of action, and very memorable main characters. If you've never seen it, give it a shot. You'll have a great time.

Dual-Matrix:

Be warned, this will spoil some of the story to the original movie, Poly-Matrix. If you haven't seen that movie, I recommend you watch it first. Now, moving on the sequel we have Dual Matrix. Dual Matrix is set many years after the events of Poly-Matrix. Ross and Naomi did indeed have a child and named her Yoko. She's about 7 years old by now and completely unaware of her parent's past. They've changed their names and identities and are living on Mars trying to keep peaceful lives.

However, a horrible attack occurs killing several humans and robots. One of them contact Armitage before death, sending her its memories. She then quietly goes on a mission to find out just what's going on and take care of those responsible.

Ross in the mean time is dealing with his own issues on Earth with Yoko. Suffice to say when the action gets started it's just as good as old times. There are twists and turns that keep it interesting throughout, as well as a few new characters. Almost all the old favorites return and keep things interesting.

Naomi has changed a bit and isn't as hyper as she was the first time around. However, what she's lost in nubile cuteness over the years is more than made up for in experience. She's more of a hardcore fighter than ever before. Dual Matrix starts off somewhat slow, but quickly picks up into a very worthy sequel to the original movie.

The highlight of the movie is the ending and I assume its namesake. Naomi and Ross must survive a brutal fight against two enhanced Terminator style Armitage replicas while protecting Yoko. It's a dramatic and power set of scenes that will have Naomi fans beside themselves. If you liked Poly-Matrix, give this one a shot as well. You may enjoy it just as much or even more.

- Rirath.com ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Ever wondered what went on in the Terminator future?
In this direct sequal to the original GALL FORCE trilogy, the story has fast forwarded to the year 2085. The remains of the Solnoid probe sent thousands of years ago has been found and used to create a new type of cybernetic robot. But the machines have now taken over and nuked most of the human population. Aside from a colony on Mars, most of the people on earth have dies. Only handfuls of survivors fight to stay alive. The two warring factions of humans who originally created the robots unite in a joint effort to send thousands of refugees to the Martian colony. Leading them is Sarah McDougal whose father originally found the alien artifact with the lost technology. They succeed in their mission, but this is merely the prelude for their final fight with the robot army in the next series: GALL FORCE-EARTH CHAPTER. All of the characters from the original GALL FORCE movies are reincarnated witn new names. The animation is pretty good, but the best feature is Keichi(GUNSMITH CATS)Sodana's character designs. Although this was basicly a straight transfer of the RHEA GALL FORCE video on to DVD with no dubbed track or subtitle-free function, this is still a must for the average GALL FORCE fanatic.

Humanity battles robots in a post-apocalyptic Earth.
Set in post-apocalyptic Australia, the last remnants of humanity on Earth battle the MME, a robot race whose goal is the elimination of all human life. Sandy Neuman and the remaining Earth forces fight a delaying action to allow a massive evacuation to Mars. This Japanese anime is reminiscent of the scenes of the future from the movie "The Terminator." It has some brief cartoon nudity and is pretty violent. All-in-all, a great story well presented. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The barriers between Earth and the parallel world begin to break down in the final episodes of this adventure-comedy, threatening to destroy both planets--and what remains of the story line. When he's on Earth, Kazuki worries about his friends on the alternate planet; in the parallel world, he finds the war with Rara going badly. Dr. Sanada makes it clear just how confusing the links between the planets have become when he asks Kazuki to send his greetings to himself. The battle for the parallel world crystallizes around Ayuko and her pursuit of ever more power. Kazuki agrees to sacrifice his beloved mecha, and the explosion somehow creates a new Earth that preserves elements of the parallel world. It's not clear why Kazuki's wishes have the power to transform space, time, and matter. Many of the artists who created the series worked on Tenchi, but Tenchi is the long-lost crown prince of the planet Jurai and commands extraordinary powers; Kazuki is just a whiny teenager from Earth. The story really ends in episode 13, "The World"; the following episode, "Final Frontier," is a sort of coda that suggests a sequel is in the works. Rated 13 and up for mild profanity, sexual humor, and robot versus robot violence. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Another solid series produced by pioneer.
Has I have watched more and more dvd titles produced by pioneer,I have come to expect one thing, it being solid. There is nothing wrong with being solid. While Pioneer hasn't produced anything spectular like Cowboy Bebop, or Neon Genesis, I am constantly amazed how much I still enjoy title's by Pioneee, like Trigun, Tenchi Muyo, serial Experiment Lain. Dual Trouble Vision is no different. In the final dvd One Vision the series comes to an end at episode 13, but it has an extra OVA in episode 14. In this installement of the series finally some question on answered about why Kazuki is in one world but not the other, and some answers about the orgin of D. Overall the animation is what you would expect from something produced by Pioneer, solid. Noticing a common theme. But haveing said that the more important parts of the the series are well done so the viewer can get the full extent of what the characters are going through. So if you seen the first three installements this is a must buy.

Great movie
This movie is great it has action and adventure i encourage anyone that likes anime to see it. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

80's cyberpunk rock video mecha girl classic
Future post-earthquake Tokyo has all-powerful corporation Genom taking complete control, were it not for interference from a vigilante mercenary super hero girl group called the "Knight sabers".

This is one of the best anime series projecting beautiful, sexy women in a non-degrading way. The Knight Sabers leader (Dr. Stingray) is a super-genius who designed (and keeps improving) the hard suits which are the only thing that can defeat Genom's android fighting units. Anime pinup idol Priss, the toughest one, is as daring on a motorcycle as she is beautiful. Linna is a great athlete while Nene is a computer hacker. Inter-personal relationships between these 4 are done really well.

There are lots of fighting scenes for those into that, but the story is really about the state of society (a possible future for us) and why the girls put their buts on the line and try to change what they can.

The music is like what MTV used to play, back when they actually played music videos. Those really into this (Or fans needing to see more of the Knight Sabers in action) will love the "Hurricane Live" bonus DVD. Kind of nostalgic, but not obnoxious as some 80's revival stuff tends to be.

Overall this MegaSeries is a great value with all 8 "OAV" episodes in this box set. The animation is a bit dated compared with more recent releases, but the story line is still better than most recent releases.

Anime doesn't get much better than this. A must for "best of class" collectors. (Word on the 'net is that this OAV series is superior to later derivatives).

Must-have '80s Anime!!!
This DVD presents the first three episodes of the Bubblegum Crisis series. The first episode presents the post-earthquake world of MegaTokyo in 2032, with Genom Corporation's Boomers wreaking havoc in the city, and a band of four women (the Knight Sabers) in hardsuits protecting the innocents. The second episdoe focuses on one of the women, Linna, and a close friend who is targeted by a Genom executive. In the final episode, the conflict between Genom and the Knight Sabers escalates.

The series, inspired by Blade Runner and itself a tremendous influence on following anime, is full of fast-paced action and incredible music. This DVD provides anime newcomers with an excellent introduction to the world of anime.

GREAT
This is one of the pioneering shows of Anime! I remember shelling out $35 to $40 for ONE tape! Blech..what a rip off! But it got me hooked on the "Knight Sabers"! This show is fun and shows it's age with the clothes they wear etc but is a GREAT show and is the BEST in the series. If you are a fan buy THIS edition, the casing is junky as its a big clunky box with plain ol jewel cases etc but its well worth the price alone for fans of the show. The characters were done very well in this show amidst some sillyness, but not as silly as the new show 2040.

Blade Runner Anime Style
Takes place in the same universe "Bubblegum Crisis", but before Knight Sabers existed. Robots called Boomers, look just like humans, are very intelligent and work in the cities for the humans doing a variety of tasks such as construction, cleaning and even sexual services. Sometimes these robots malfunctioned and ended up killing innocent people. The A.D. Police force was created to destroy malfunctioning boomers. What I liked about this series was the good quality of animation, action, sound fx, and tense story telling, it has all the makings of a great anime. With its futuristic cities and noire over-tone it has a similar look and feel like the movie, Blade Runner. The Boomers are robots that look and act like humans; they are like the Replicants. In a way, the A.D. Police are like Blade Runners. I also enjoyed this anime because the cop, 'Leon' is a good character, and I always wanted some background on him. Blood and gore, nudity, for adults only. Each episode is self contained so you can watch any of them and not feel lost in the story. Ends on 3 then connects with the anime Bubblegum Crisis 2030

I want my bubbleguMTV
As you should know, most of J-pop and MTV music video are worthless. Then, how surprising that Hurricane Live, which features songs in music video format with images culled from the series Bubblegum Crisis, comprises some of the best pop songs and cool visuals ever.
For admirers of Bubblegum Crisis it's a well-known fact that the series is great on many levels, not least in its musical department. Songs range from hard rock to love ballads, from catchy pop tunes to elegiac lamentations. Also, the singer for the first Hurricane Set, Omori Kinuko, had a truly rare quality, almost extinct in today's pop music culture: a quality simultaneously tough and vulnerable, fierce and gentle.
Songs like Mad Machine are as thoughtful and complex in laying out sci-fi themes of technology out of hand; other songs are about being lonely in a faceless crowd, the irrepressible life spirit, the romance of rebellion, sad love for a lost friend, the power to overcome hopelessness and face the new day.
Comparable to Beatles' Rubber Soul, Stone's Between the Buttons, and Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Ever wondered what went on in the Terminator future?
In this direct sequal to the original GALL FORCE trilogy, the story has fast forwarded to the year 2085. The remains of the Solnoid probe sent thousands of years ago has been found and used to create a new type of cybernetic robot. But the machines have now taken over and nuked most of the human population. Aside from a colony on Mars, most of the people on earth have dies. Only handfuls of survivors fight to stay alive. The two warring factions of humans who originally created the robots unite in a joint effort to send thousands of refugees to the Martian colony. Leading them is Sarah McDougal whose father originally found the alien artifact with the lost technology. They succeed in their mission, but this is merely the prelude for their final fight with the robot army in the next series: GALL FORCE-EARTH CHAPTER. All of the characters from the original GALL FORCE movies are reincarnated witn new names. The animation is pretty good, but the best feature is Keichi(GUNSMITH CATS)Sodana's character designs. Although this was basicly a straight transfer of the RHEA GALL FORCE video on to DVD with no dubbed track or subtitle-free function, this is still a must for the average GALL FORCE fanatic.

Humanity battles robots in a post-apocalyptic Earth.
Set in post-apocalyptic Australia, the last remnants of humanity on Earth battle the MME, a robot race whose goal is the elimination of all human life. Sandy Neuman and the remaining Earth forces fight a delaying action to allow a massive evacuation to Mars. This Japanese anime is reminiscent of the scenes of the future from the movie "The Terminator." It has some brief cartoon nudity and is pretty violent. All-in-all, a great story well presented. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The broadcast version of the adventures of champion athlete/Cosmo Beautywinner Akari reach their conclusion in these episodes. The Nerilians, theevil aliens mentioned at the beginning of the series, suddenly arrive. This gang of interstellar warriors challenges the inhabitants of other planets toathletic contests, then enslaves them when they lose. Headmaster Grant Oldhampersuades Akari to reenter competition to save the Earth; together theyrecruit the other Cosmo Beauty competitors--Ichan, Jessie, Kris, Lahrrie,Mylandah, Tanya--to form a special team, with Mr. Miracle as their trainer.

Although the Nerilians are half-human, half-machine hybrids, the Earthgirls hold their own in the initial events. The plot takes a decidedly weirdturn when the aliens bring Akari's mother, legendary Cosmo Beauty TomoeMidoh, back from the dead--as a 17-year-old! Akari must face her mother inthe final race, the 4,000-meter relay. Naturally, she comes from behind to win theday for humanity.

With her racing days behind her, Akari settles into life on Earth with areborn mother her own age and Mr. Miracle, who turns out to be her father,Daizaemon Kanzaki. His morning newspaper announces the mysteriousdisappearance of Oldham, so a sequel may already be in works. (Ages 13 and older, due to minor violence and suggestions of lesbianrelationships) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Surprising end to a fun and heart warming series...
After thinking the series ended quietly with the 7th dvd, the events in the 8th and final dvd are truly surprising and a bit disturbing as well. All the major characters make their appearances, and the true function of the Cosmo Beauty competition is revealed, when humanity is threatened by an alien race. Mr. Miracle's identity is revealed, and our main heroine Akira Kanzaki is up for the shock of her life. This volume focuses more on action and less on drama or humor. I did not care too much for the alien plot, and while the girls do get back together, I felt this volume wasn't as good as the previous ones, mainly because it didn't focus enough on any girl's personal drama. Still, Battle Athletes Victory is a wonderfully uplifting, melodramatic and funny series, and you owe it to yourself to get this volume and complete your collection! The dvd video and audio is quite good, and the english dubbing is very decent as well, although the best way to enjoy any anime title is still to watch the subtitled version.

Well worth the money
Talk about a wild ride. Though the DVD series comes to a close 3 months after the VHS version, I have to say I'm glad that it made the journey to DVD since otherwise I would have missed it entirely. Other than a couple of minor instances of line shimmering, this volume looks just as good as the previous versions. There are several extremely fluid pieces of animation throughout this episode and they simply look gorgeous on this release. Colors are vibrant with little hint of any bleeding and the darks look quite good. Visually, this is a great looking disc.

As expected, there were no surprises with the audio on this disc. The stereo soundtrack sounds clean and clear throughout on the Japanese side and some spot checking on the English track didn't reveal anything odd there. The majority of the dialogue and sounds end up coming through my center channel, but there is one sequence where there is a great throw to the rear speakers that really surprised me. A solid disc in the audio department.

The final cover to the series is definitely a great one, with Tomoe Midoh gracing it. This series has been fortunate in having some great artwork to draw from the Japanese releases and have produced some very eyecatching (if not spoilerish) covers. The back contains the usual amount of good and useful information as well as a listing of all the episodes on the disc and their episode number. Definitely the way TV series discs should be done.

The only downside to this release, other than the lack of openings and endings, is the menu system that is just very sluggish on anything other than a really good DVD-ROM drive. The language selection is very good though in that it leaves the selected options in a different color so you know exactly what you're going to end up with. Otherwise, this menu is pretty much identicle to the previous releases.

This final disc is very hard to review in terms of content, as practically everything about it is a spoiler based on the last disc. Since it contains the last four episodes, there's more oppurtunity to clean up the outstanding minor plots in addition to the one glaring big plot as revealed in volume seven. There's a lot of truly great writing and moments in this disc.

This is one of those series that you hope keeps up the same pace it started with and never stops. All eight volumes are a treasure and contain some of the tightest anime writing and plotting that's up there with Vision of Escaflowne and Neon Genesis Evangelion. The characters are all very fleshed out and in these final episodes, what has gone before isn't betrayed at all, but rather built upon and provides some truly great moments from just about every character.

Fans of the first seven volumes will be amazed by what transpires within. It's been a wild ride and I'm sad to see it's over. Battle Athletes Victory is a world I'm definitely going to revisit many times in the years to come. ... Read more

Description

Cosmo Beauty Showdown! Lahrri's mechanized training method gives her a perfectly consistent performance which is quite the opposite of Mylandah's method of unleashing her awesome rage. However, both of them enjoy a comfortable lead over Akari and Chris in the semi-finals. Fortunately, Chris reminds Akari to relax and to try harder, so they renew their efforts. With this new confidence, their skills improve drastically and they experience a resurgence! The winners will face the final event - the 100 meter dash. Who will claim the final crown? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Surprising end to a fun and heart warming series...
After thinking the series ended quietly with the 7th dvd, the events in the 8th and final dvd are truly surprising and a bit disturbing as well. All the major characters make their appearances, and the true function of the Cosmo Beauty competition is revealed, when humanity is threatened by an alien race. Mr. Miracle's identity is revealed, and our main heroine Akira Kanzaki is up for the shock of her life. This volume focuses more on action and less on drama or humor. I did not care too much for the alien plot, and while the girls do get back together, I felt this volume wasn't as good as the previous ones, mainly because it didn't focus enough on any girl's personal drama. Still, Battle Athletes Victory is a wonderfully uplifting, melodramatic and funny series, and you owe it to yourself to get this volume and complete your collection! The dvd video and audio is quite good, and the english dubbing is very decent as well, although the best way to enjoy any anime title is still to watch the subtitled version.

Well worth the money
Talk about a wild ride. Though the DVD series comes to a close 3 months after the VHS version, I have to say I'm glad that it made the journey to DVD since otherwise I would have missed it entirely. Other than a couple of minor instances of line shimmering, this volume looks just as good as the previous versions. There are several extremely fluid pieces of animation throughout this episode and they simply look gorgeous on this release. Colors are vibrant with little hint of any bleeding and the darks look quite good. Visually, this is a great looking disc.

As expected, there were no surprises with the audio on this disc. The stereo soundtrack sounds clean and clear throughout on the Japanese side and some spot checking on the English track didn't reveal anything odd there. The majority of the dialogue and sounds end up coming through my center channel, but there is one sequence where there is a great throw to the rear speakers that really surprised me. A solid disc in the audio department.

The final cover to the series is definitely a great one, with Tomoe Midoh gracing it. This series has been fortunate in having some great artwork to draw from the Japanese releases and have produced some very eyecatching (if not spoilerish) covers. The back contains the usual amount of good and useful information as well as a listing of all the episodes on the disc and their episode number. Definitely the way TV series discs should be done.

The only downside to this release, other than the lack of openings and endings, is the menu system that is just very sluggish on anything other than a really good DVD-ROM drive. The language selection is very good though in that it leaves the selected options in a different color so you know exactly what you're going to end up with. Otherwise, this menu is pretty much identicle to the previous releases.

This final disc is very hard to review in terms of content, as practically everything about it is a spoiler based on the last disc. Since it contains the last four episodes, there's more oppurtunity to clean up the outstanding minor plots in addition to the one glaring big plot as revealed in volume seven. There's a lot of truly great writing and moments in this disc.

This is one of those series that you hope keeps up the same pace it started with and never stops. All eight volumes are a treasure and contain some of the tightest anime writing and plotting that's up there with Vision of Escaflowne and Neon Genesis Evangelion. The characters are all very fleshed out and in these final episodes, what has gone before isn't betrayed at all, but rather built upon and provides some truly great moments from just about every character.

Fans of the first seven volumes will be amazed by what transpires within. It's been a wild ride and I'm sad to see it's over. Battle Athletes Victory is a world I'm definitely going to revisit many times in the years to come. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Watching Magical Project S is like seeing the cast of Tenchi Muyo! perform in a formulaic "magical girl" show (a blatant rip-off ofSailor Moon) that doesn't really suit their talents. Tsunami is chosenover Ramia to become the 208th Queen of the distant planet Juraihelm. Butbefore her power can be confirmed, she must forge a bond with an Earthlingand make her into a magical girl who will re-establish peace and a propermoral order in the universe. Furious,Ramia turns Sasami's best friend Misao into Pixy Misa, an evil magical girl.In each episode, a talking version of Ryo-Ohki persuades the reluctant Sasamito transform and defeat whatever creature Misa has summoned. The episodes are all predictable and repetitive, with lots ofreused animation. Bubble-brained Galactic Police Officer Mihoshi makes anunlikely teacher for Sasami's fourth-grade class (the real Mihoshi would havetrouble passing fourth grade). Washu appears as a child prodigy/science teacher, although she looks no younger than she did in TenchiMuyo. The series will probably appeal to Sailor Moon fans, butMagical Project S lacks the nutty charm, romantic contretemps, andsci-fi adventure that made the Tenchi franchise so popular. (Rated 3 and older:cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Blows most comedy anime out of the water!
~I don't exactly know what a "send-up" is, (nor do I care to use the term regardless) but I know a parody (an actual genre) when I see one. This series has everything you love and hate about "magical girl" anime, but never takes itself too seriously in that respect. There are many references to how lead character Sasami's magical baton looks "crummy", her Pretty Sammy costume being "lame", and innappropriate outfit not making much sense... ("her mini-skirt is one of her charming points"). They creators even go so far as to knock such sacred ground as transformations and magical girl poses. Almost nothing is held back within parodying that genre, but you'll be laughing so hard and so much that you'll hardly care. ~True that this tv series has nothing to do with the 3 part Pretty Sammy OVA, but that series itself was disjointed and nonsensical. Here the nonsense is given the spotlight, almost as the writers were saying that there was no way to tell this story with a straight face. If you are of the crowd who think that some shojo (girly) animes take themselves too seriously... Magical Project S is for you. ~The typical Tenchi Muyo women fighting over one guy scenerio was getting in the way of Sasami's life, so old favorite like Ayeka and Ryoko are pushed far into the background (and given name changes) by necessity. So gone is the confusing school for all ages, in favor of a full on elementary school where our heroine has more friends than 1, and an interesting school faculty with special cameos from Tenchi. I belive this was done to hone in on Sasami's younger fan-base from Tenchi Muyo. Her best friend is still Misao, but her being sick all the time in the Pretty Sammy OVAs seemed a pathetic attempt to make the viewer feel sorry for her. Instead she is given a more believable setting of her parents being too busy with work to spend a lot of time at home. Japan is in a major recession after all. Plus it creates a great contrast to Sasami's parents, who are surrounded in mystery as to how they met but are near perfect seperations of Sasami's new personality. ~Yes it's true! Sasami is given a real personality instead of the stereotypical "Japanese demure pre-teen housewife in training" guise. She is given "faults" to make her more human, can one really complain about that? She gets angry and silly and even lazy, with tomboyish hints (see how excited she gets when reading Shonen "boys" comics). ~For the uninitiated the premise is familiar, but never predictable. A young girl Sasami is given magical powers by someone from another planet Tsunami in order to become queen of her planet and restore balance to both worlds. Her rival in queen candidacy Ramia tries to smite the attempt by forcing another girl (and coinicidentally Sasami's best friend) Misao into stopping Tsunami from becoming queen. And although the story-telling point of view may originate from the perspective of young girls, like most good anime it never glues itself to that genreic formula enough to make the male viewers gag. For instance we aren't forced into seeing Bishonen (long-haired pretty boys) showing off how sensitive yet handsome they are. This is not typical shojo, but isn't shonen as much as Tenchi (which some may argue isn't shonen at all, but I beg to differ). There are some more serious scenes involving girl friendships, but they aren't totally beyond the reach of any guy with a heart lurking somewhere in his chest. And the drama certainly isn't forced, but feels very real. I tell you this anime is a complete surprise, and had American cartoons hit that close to home when I was Sasami's age I'd probably be less like her shy best friend Misao and more like Sasami. ~I do give both of these DVDs a perfect score, but there are some issues that needed addressing. Although well drawn the level of detail found in the OVA is not nearly as eye pleasing, (costuming in particular is more generic). The animators seemed to be content with a more cute look. And while I longed for this series to be dubbed in English with the Tenchi USA seiyu (voice actor) regulars, it isn't truly missed. besides which the group has "disbanded" (as you might have noticed watching the OVAs in English how voice actors changed). Besides real anime fans don't watch butchered English dubbed versions anyway, but the subtitling here has it's flaws. For instance, my main gripe is the actual title of this US production. Why wasn't this called Magical Girl Pretty Sammy like it's OVA counterpart? I wonder if anyone at Pioneer even remembers what Magical Project S is supposed to mean. ~Anyway if you need a laugh or a hundred from your anime, I dare call this one of the most consistantly funny animes I've seen since Rumiko Takahashi's (Ranma ½, Inu Yasha, Maison Ikkoku) original Urusei Yatsura.

An O.K. Pretty Sammy series. Some may like it better than I.
Two complaints I had about this anime. One is that it was never dubbed into English. I for one prefer not needing to learn Japanese or read subtitles, so this was a big downside for me. The other is that this is a retelling of, not a sequel to, the three part OAV Pretty Sammy series. (The OAV series Pretty Sammy can be watched in ether English or Japanese, by the way.)

Here's a rundown of the origonal Pretty Sammy series (which is continued by a two-part manga short story which can be found in the graphic novel No Need For Tenchi Vol. 3, by the way): Sasami Kawai is a seeminly ordinary girl from earth (most of the characters returning from Tenchi Muyo are semi-ordinary earth folk here, though their personalities are still pretty much the same) who lives with her mother Chihiro, a blonde ex-pop singer who still loves to sing karioke, and her older brother, Tenchi. Sasami goes to school with Tenchi and her best friend, shy, frail latch key girl Misaou. Tenchi is at the center of conflict between filthy rich high school student body president Ayeka and tough school girl delinquent Ryoko, and the two are always fighting over him, much to his chagrin. (Ayeka is highly skilled in martial arts, so she can hold her own against Ryoko.) The Kawai family owns a music store, CD Vision, where college students Mihoshi and Kiyone work. Anyway, Sasami's life is drastically changed forever when she is visited by Tsunami, a woman from the magical world of Juraihelm. Tsunami is first in line to become Jurai's next queen, and her first assignment is to select a girl from earth to turn into a magical superheroine and help make the world a better place. Sasami is chosen to become Pretty Sammy, and she is givin the talking Cabbit (a rabbit that mews like a cat, basically,) Ryo-Oh-Ki as her guide. However, Ramia, the other candidate for Jurai's future queen who lost out to Tsunami, won't take her defeat lying down, and she drafts her younger brother Rumia to find another girl to change into a magical girl of their own to cause trouble and humiliate Sasami. In a twist simular to Greek tragadies and superhero comics, Sasami's own best friend Misou is picked by Ramia to become Pixy Misa, Sammy's arch-nemesis. (Pixy Misa becomes a seperate personality, so that she doesn't remember ever being Misou and Misou never remembers being Pixy Misa. Pixy Misa also LOOKS really different from Misou, so it's easy to belive Sasami couldn't tell the two are the same.)

Anyway, now here's a description of Magical Project S. Or, more specifically, what's different about it: Sasami has no siblings and lives with her mother and father. Her mother, who this time is pink haired, spends the days playing videogames. Her father resembles Tenchi but is called Gemini (I think). Her father drives her and Misou to school every day. Ryoko and Ayeka are no where to be seen, though I think Ayeka appears later in the series. Mihoshi is Sasami and Misou's teacher, and Kiyone teaches the class next door. We also get to meet some of Sasami and Misou's other classmates. (Not all changes to the show are bad; character richness is usually a good thing.) We start back at the beginning of things with Tsunami being elected number one candidate for next queen of Juraihelm, Sasami first meeting Tsunami and Ryo-Oh-Ki and becoming Pretty Sammy and Misou being turned into Pixy Misa by Ramia and Rumia.

Anyway, those who aren't bothered by a show that re-tells the Pretty Sammy OAV series instead of continuing it which can only be seen in Japanese with subtitles will probably enjoy this well enough.

PRETTY SAMMY MAGICAL PROJECT S
This anime is pratically base on the tenchi episode. Most of
the character are from tenchi. I recommend you to get it even if its in japanese laguage. its really worth it. the extra on the dvd is really funny. It has 2 disc.sammy is a funny show, bet you'll love it if you give it a try. this dvd only cotain the frist 13 episode,total is 26 episode. the last 13 episode is in the pixy final. My favoirte character was the evil magical girl pixy misa, she's really funny.it just makes you laugh every time you watch her battle against sammy.

It may be satire, but it's great fun nonetheless
Magical Project S, originally known as Magical Girl Pretty Sammy TV, is a satire on the magical girl genre, mostly Sailor Moon, using the cast of Tenchi Muyo. There is an alternate universe to the OVA, however it's a full 26 episode series.

The main character is Sasami Kawai (a human as opposed to a Jurain), who gets recruted by Tsunami from the magical kingdom of Juraihelm to help her become queen by performing good deeds as her avatar. She beomces Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, and has a talking sidekick Ryo-Ohki. Tsunami's rivel, Ramia, recruits Sasami's best friend Misao to become the Magical Girl Pixy Misa, however Misao does NOT realize this, nor does anyone else.
The show is mainly the standard monster-of-the-day formula, however there are many things that help it stand out. First of all, it IS a satire, so there are plenty of moments where things are simply over the top -- such as Sasami's finishing attack which charges up in space and creates a bright display seen for miles. There are also a great number of wonderful characters from the Tenchi-originated Mihoshi, Sasami's teacher (who still gets on poor Kiyone's nerves), and Sasami's next door neighbor and chemestry teacher Washu (who plays a guitar!), to her classmates -- the braty teacher's pet Eimi who tries to always enforce the rules, the lust driven Haida, and jock-like Hiroto who does NOT return Haida's affections but seems to have a thing for Misao -- to her parents, including her father Ginji who seems to have done and been anything you can think of!

As the series goes along, the good humor never lets up. One of my favorite episodes is #11, where Sasami somehow accidently throws her wand away and thus can't transform. Haida finds it and manages to transform into Magical Girl Funky Connie, and tries to seduce Hiroto with her powers and STILL doesn't succeed.

The extras on the DVD set are great as well -- the main thing being three little humourous bonus shorts, including a silly take on the Cinderlla story. The video is pretty good, there plenty of wonderful vocals, and the Japanese cast is excellent. The only down sides is that the background music isn't all that good, and there's no dub (however, the cheapness makes up for it). I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good laugh and doesn't mind the over-the-topness.

Great DVD!
The Pretty Sammy TV series(aka Magical Project S)is on DVD at last! The first disc has episodes 1-7. The second disc has episodes 8-13 and the extras(by the way, the extras are cool!). The extras are an art gallery(in color), the non-credit opening(Yume Mireba Yume Mo Yume Janai), the first non-ending(PERSONA), and three bonus theaters which are Cinderella Misa(a funny verison of Cinderella starring Misao/Pixy Misa), the 26 secrets of Sammy(a little presentation showing Sammy's magical attacks), and the Secrets of the Kawai Family(a tour of Sasami's house and family). This 2-disc DVD set also comes with a pencil board(while supplies last)! Get this if you like Pretty Sammy and/or Sasami(this also is a great addition with the Mihoshi Special and the Pretty Sammy OVA). ... Read more

Amazon.com

Magical Project S takes some very odd turns in its second half. Bywinning her struggles with Pixie Misa and assorted other villains, Sasami/Magical Girl Pretty Sammy succeeds in restoring "Gemini to its properbalance." Misao realizes Ramia has been turning her into Misa and using heras a pawn in her bid to usurp the throne of Juraihelm. Everything appears to be ending happilyfour episodes too early, when the villain Romio (Princess Ayeka) appears. Shere-inflames Ramia's desire for power, and when their agents attack Sasami'sschool, space-pirate Ryoko arrives as royal guardian Overly-Splendid Oryo.The story builds to an off-kilter climax as Romio steals everyone's magicalpower and tries to use it to destroy the Earth. Although it includes comicreferences to other anime shows, Magical Project S isn't funny enoughto work as a send-up of "magical girl" series, but it's too silly to acceptas an example of the genre. The character designs are lifted from TenchiMuyo!, but the story has nothing to do with that continuity. The resultis an unusual but not particularly entertaining program. (Rated 3 and older: cartoonviolence) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Hilarious & touching. A must-see for any magical girl lover!
At first my opinion of this show was so-so for two reasons: it's a retelling of-not a sequal to-the Pretty Sammy OAV series. More importantly, this is a show that was never dubbed into English, so the only language track is Japanese (with optional subtitles.) As someone who prefers watching anime in English, this was a real bummer for me.

However, the show has grown on me over time. This is a wonderful, well told story with lots of great humor. Who cares if it's a story that's been told many times before? Same thing's true for pretty much any genre.

Those of you who've seen the first volume already know the basic story. In the second half the Pretty Sammy Vs. Pixy Misa story arch comes to a conclusion. Then we get one quiet episode where Misao is about to play piano for the school festival and Sasami wants to get Misao's father, who's down in South America, over to school in time to hear his daughter play.

Next is the concluding story arch. It's much shorter, but like any climax to a story should be, it's the best part in the series. Tsunami has now been officially declared the next queen of Juraihelm, and Ramia is naturally devistated. But then she meets another rejected candidate, Romio. (Think of an evil version of Ayeka from the regular Tenchi Muyo series.) Romio says she wants to help Ramia become queen by causing really bad stuff to happen on Earth and make the Juraihelm council take back the crown from Tsunami. If this sounds like a retread from the past episodes, rest assured, it's not. You see, Romio has her own hidden agenda...

What I love best about this second volume is that we eventually get to see Pixy Misa fight along side Pretty Sammy and help save the day. (This time Misao remains in control when she turns into Pixy Misa, although Pixy Misa's wilder personality stays the same.) Even better is what ultimately happens to Eimi, the class president who is always lecturing the other students to follow school rules. But I don't want to say what. Just see it for yourself!

Wonderful DVD!
This 2-disc box set has episodes 14-26(the second half of the series). The first DVD has episodes 14-20. The second DVD has episodes 21-26 and the extras(like Volume 1, the extras are great). The extras are an art gallery & the second non-credit ending(the second half of the show has a new ending!).It also has the Bonus Theaters Magical Girl Lyrical Amila, Video Jack Misa, Pretty Sammy Murder Mystery, and the Pretty Sammy Movie Trailer. The episodes are only in Japanese with subtitles, but don't let that stop you.

Second Half of a Good Magical Girl Parody
This DVD set contains the second half of the Magical Project S TV series. A character that looks remarkably like Ayeka plays an significant but unexpected role in the last part of this series. Just like many animes targeting young girls, the series has a happy ending.

It should be noted that the only audio track on this DVD set is in Japanese. English subtitles are available. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The adventures of nerdy Kazuki Yotsuga and temperamental Mitsuki Sanada in a parallel world continue in three episodes marked by odd shifts in tone. Injured in one of the stagy battles fought against General Rara, Kazuki is found and cared for by his daughter, Mitsuki--the counterpart of the abrasive girl from Earth. She arranges for Kazuki to escape; after he beats her in a high-stakes battle, she defects to the opposing side. Although she was a leader of the enemy forces, Mitsuki Rara moves into the house of the head of the Defense Forces with Kazuki, Mitsuki Sanada, the semicatatonic Dee, and battle instructor Yayoi. Without her, Rara's squadrons repeatedly lose to the Defense Forces, as Kazuki's new Core Robot crushes everything in its path. Rara's steely wife Ayuko, who is really waging the war, takes matters into her own hands, and Kazuki literally goes down in flames at the end of "Repatriate," although mecha pilots are notoriously difficult to kill. Reluctant warriors have become a feature of many mecha series, but Kazuki lacks both the complex motivations of the melancholy Shinji in Neon Genesis Evangelion and the self-deprecating humor of Akito in Martian Successor Nadesico. Rated 13 and up for mild profanity and robot vs. robot violence. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent third volume
This volume of Dual! gives an up-close and personal look at Miss Ra. All three episodes are pretty devoted to plot development and an exploration of the parallel world and the artifact. We learn a lot more about the Rara army and family. And, once again, there's a cliff-hanger ending. Overall, an excellent volume. Highly recommended.

Finding Its Own Way...
"Dual" is a very hard series to classify. In the first DVD of the series, I found myself comparing it constantly to "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and the first "El-Hazard" OAV series - so much so that I could describe each character based on one from each of those series. In the second, I found myself thinking throughout much of the disc that it was falling back on the old AIC (the company that produced Dual, Tenchi Muyo and El-Hazard among others) plot device of "many girls living with one boy" and the difficulties that ensue.

In this, the third disc, I think the series is starting to find its own path with an interesting plot and a new romantic lead. For the third volume, Kazuki (the main male character) is caught behind the Rara lines and is nursed back to health by the parallel world's version of Mitsuki. After various romantic entanglements, Kazuki is sent back to the Sanadas and we start to see a romance blooming between Kazuki and the parallel Mituski left behind in Rara-land. To say much more would be to give away the point of the entire disc, but the star-crossed lovers theme seems to be what was aimed for here. It actually succeeds fairly well, too. Firm romance between two characters is not something we see a lot with AIC (the only other notable exception that comes to mind is Makoto and Ifurita in the original El-Hazard OAV) and I'm glad to see it again. It's something the series definitely benefits from.

Technically the