3x3 Eyes
Three eyes, two personalities, one cute chick
Review by: Craig "O Positive" Norris
Length: 7 episode OAV
Genre: Horror, action
Watched: 1-7, subbed
Before tentacle rape became fashionable, there was monsters ripping things apart in 3X3 Eyes. What seriously demented individual thought to combine that element with sex and schoolgirls is still unknown to me, but it is fairly apparent that much inspiration was drawn from this OAV. Even though there is about a four year gap between the first four and last three episodes of this OAV, I feel it only right to group them together, as the main plot runs through all seven episodes. And that plot turned out to be more involved than a huge bunch of tentacle rape animes put together.
Plot synopsis: On his way to work one night, Yakumo Fuji nearly runs over a young woman from China named Pai. Pai reveals that she is actually the last survivor of a race of demons called Sanjiyan, and was sent by Yakumo's father to find Yakumo and use an ancient artifact to help her become human. Unfortunately, due to an accident with Pai's pet demon bird, Yakumo becomes fatally wounded, and Pai is forced to join his soul with her own to save him. Thus, Yakumo becomes a Wu, an immortal servant to the Sanjiyan. Then, Pai and Yakumo become involved in a struggle to prevent the Wu Benares from freeing his own master, Kaiyanwang, who was responsible for the destruction of the Sanjiyan race.
Artwork: This OAV is from the early 90's, so the artwork looks a little rough. Even taking its age into account, it's not too bad. The action sequences are where the show shines, with good close-up shots of magic spells and demons tearing things apart. Though the animation is by far obsolete, it's not at all harsh to the eye, even by today's standards.
Music: Hmmmm... It's really hard to say anything about the soundtrack, because it is neither good nor bad, and is fairly generic. It is easily overshadowed by the visuals, and doesn't work too well on its own. But at the same time it is not grating to the ear, and is fairly successful in supplementing the ambience. It just stays in the background and does what it's supposed to do, and nothing more.
Characters: At only seven episodes, it's understandable that most of the characters aren't developed that much. The one we learn the most about is Pai, as her past is indelibly connected to the plan to free Kaiyanwang. In reality, Pai is two characters; one is an innocent and energetic young girl, and the other is her cold and unsympathetic Sanjiyan personality. The Sanjiyan prefers to lay dormant most of the time, and only makes itself apparent when Pai is threatened or Yakumo can't handle the situation. Yakumo begins his servitude as a Wu by being completely inept, and only useful because he can't be killed. He regretfully accepts his place by Pai's side, hesitant to leave his life behind. However, he soon comes to have feelings for Pai, and during a four year span in which they are separated, he works diligently to strengthen and hone his powers so that he can better protect her. Throughout the course of the show many supporting characters lend their help to Pai and Yakumo, but only for an episode or two each.
Plot: The problem with the plot is that it has a tendency to lose focus. For example, it starts out with Yakumo helping to make Pai human, but as the series progresses that goal goes up in smoke without an official sendoff. As a result, it can feel muddled at times. However, twists are thrown in liberally, and those alone are enough to keep things interesting. And those with an appetite for blood and gore will not be disappointed, as both humans and demons alike spill untold gallons of blood and vital organs onto the ground. However, for my taste, sometimes things got a little too gory, as was the case when one of Yakumo's friends gets ripped apart by a monster from the inside out in front of the whole school. Unless you are undaunted by such displays of demonic violence, I must warn you that your capacity to stomach the grotesque may be exceeded.
CHICKS!: Depending on how you look at it, there could be either one or two main chicks. There's only one body to be had, but there are two personalities inside it. And it's not in that creepy schizophrenia kind of way, either. Pai is innocence wrapped in a shell of youthful exuberance. In stark contrast, Sanjiyan is uncaring and almost contemptuous of the lives of others. As for the body they share, it's got a nice girlish figure. And with the spells of eternal youth wielded by the Sanjiyan race, it's a safe bet that it will stay that way for a long time. Oh, and she's got that third eye, but some might just consider that a bit of exotic flavor. Hey, if I go head-over-heels for cat ears and a tail, then I can certainly give a third eye a chance. Some of the supporting characters are nice to look at as well, but no one struck me as either inhumanly cute or babealicious, so the eye candy as a whole is rather mediocre.
Overall: With all the advances being made in anime production, it's good to get back to the roots of the medium once in a while. Also, seeing one of Megumi Hayashibara's earliest performances is also worth checking out. Watching a totally cel-animated show that relies on nothing but the plot and characters to move it along is a radical and welcome departure from a lot of today's CG animation and fanservice filler. Not to say that I don't like the direction anime is going in these days, but it�s good to know that the standards that make a successful anime haven't changed.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Great action scenes
+ Very plot-oriented
+/- Very graphic
- Shaky plot progression
- Some unresolved issues
Rating: 7.5/10
Return to Index