Devil Hunter Yohko
Proof that powerful demons and cute girls can interact WITHOUT tentacle rape being involved!
Review by: Craig "Real girls are *not* that cute" Norris
Length: 6 episode OAV, 30-50 min. each
Genre: Action, comedy, magical girl
Watched: 1-6, subbed
I picked up this series on a whim, having heard mixed reviews of it previously. I heard there was a cute girl involved, and I�m sure you know by now that, where there are cute girls, I�ll be there! Normally I�m not a big fan of the magical girl genre, but this particular example impressed me. The plots were good, the characters were entertaining, and the action was involved. And yes, Yohko is very cute.
Plot synopsis: Sixteen year-old Yohko Mano�s life is turned upside down when she finds out that she is to become the 108th Devil Hunter, a title passed down through the generations within the Mano family. Now, under the tutelage of her grandmother, she must learn how to wield the powers of a Devil Hunter and rid the world of demons, while still facing the everyday struggles of high school.
Artwork: Not bad at all. The human characters look good, but the show really shines with the demons. Their designs are innovative and well-rendered. The action scenes are very well done also, giving a good mix of close-up shots and wide-angle views. There�s no real innovative or groundbreaking features to speak of, but it is an example of solid traditional animation.
Music: Good, but it falls just short of great. The music is mostly j-pop, and does get very snappy at times, especially during action sequences. OAV 4 deals solely with music, as it is a collection of music videos, ranging from live-action videos featuring some of the voice actresses, all the way to a disturbingly catchy tune set to SD animation. It�s not among the greatest soundtracks ever, but it is entertaining and is used very well.
Characters: Often the characters are given a back seat in favor of plot, but enough information is given about them to piece together fairly comprehensive profiles of their personalities. One cannot watch this OAV without drawing parallels between Yohko and Usagi Tsukino of Sailor Moon. They are very similar, being that they are both reluctant heroines who try to balance school with saving the world. Of course, Yohko is a brunette, is slightly more intelligent, and doesn�t have the same cavernous appetite as Usagi, so copyright infringement was clearly avoided. Azusa, Yohko�s �assistant� who appears in the second episode, is much more enthusiastic of being a Devil Hunter than Yohko, but quickly realizes that it is not the glamorous life she envisioned. She offers support wherever she can, but she is often grossly outmatched by the enemy. Chikago, Yohko�s long-time friend and classmate, promotes herself to the position of �Devil Hunter Manager,� and takes to making the business decisions regarding the Devil Hunters, often without consulting Yohko. In fact, there seems to be a general lack of communication between Chikago and Yohko, which is puzzling for two people who are supposed 
to be best of friends. Yohko�s mother, Sayoko, has, shall we say, a healthy sexual appetite. Often, she will attempt to persuade Yohko to have a tryst or two to avoid wasting her youth. Yohko�s grandmother, Madoka, is a bit more protective of her granddaughter�s virginity. Incidentally, she is by far the most entertaining character and should get more screen time than she does. Though she is showing her years, she still overflows with youthful vigor and enthusiasm; she�ll need it all to keep Yohko focused on her training.
Plot: Each episode is self-contained, presenting a different situation that invariably ends with Yohko fighting a demon to restore peace. Each scenario is different enough from the last, so the episodes don�t get redundant. Then again, it is awfully hard to get redundant with only six episodes. Aside from Yohko�s continued training (and her desperate search for a boyfriend) there is nothing that connects any of the episodes, so they can be watched in whatever order; a degree of freedom that would be appreciated more if there were more than six episodes. In fact, more than six episodes were obviously required, as the show comes to no real conclusion.
CHICKS!: Well, it is a magical girl anime, so there�s gotta be chicks, right? Indeed there are, the most notable being Yohko. Why she can�t get a boyfriend is beyond me; with a body like hers, she should be fighting them off with a stick. Any aficionado of anime chicks will agree with me on that, especially during her VERY revealing transformation sequence. Chikago doesn�t have quite the looks that Yohko does, but she is a bit more open when it comes to the opposite sex. For instance, at one point she lifts up Yohko�s skirt as a favor for a classmate who has a crush on her. Sayoko is a refreshing change of pace; there�s finally a mother in anime that doesn�t look less than five years older than her offspring! It�s clear that she�s older, but she still looks shy of middle age. And, with no mention of Yohko�s father throughout the course of the OAV, I�ll bet she�s more than ready and MUCH more than willing. Even Madoka gets in on the eye candy parade, as an incident involving a demon leaves her with a youthful body once more. Far removed from her inhibitions, she gleefully parades herself around basking in her own sexiness. However, Yohko provides the vast majority of the eye candy, which is only fair, seeing as how she is the most qualified to administer it.
Overall: This OAV has a good mix between comedy and action, with just a hint of teen angst thrown in. However, the emotions and the plot never get too overbearing, leaving one free to enjoy the series on a superficial level. Any fan of the magical girl genre should definitely give this series a chance. Any fan of high school girls in tight battle outfits should do the same. Regardless of your motivation, I feel confident that this series will entertain you just as much as it entertained me.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Solid artwork
+ Respectable soundtrack
- No resolution
- Some characters too one-dimensional
Rating: 7.5/10
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