IKKI TOUSEN
It’s a blackboard jungle out there
Review by: Craig “Never Won a Fight” Norris
Length: 13 episodes
Genre: Fighting, ecchi
Watched: 1-13, subbed
Normally I avoid fighting anime because 1) DBZ/DBGT sucked ass, 2) they’re not as entertaining as playing fighting video games, and 3) DBZ/DBGT sucked ass. However, should that fighting anime include hot girls who kick really, really high, well then, I just have to go against tradition and check it out. I had had my fill of panty shots in Agent Aika, so I was hoping that this title had a more diverse array of fanservice to offer. As it turns out, the pervert in me was quite pleased, but the anime critic in me kept rolling his eyes.
Plot synopsis: In modern day Japan, seven schools wage war with one another on a daily basis. The participants in this war are called Fighters, and are distinguished by a bead they wear at all times. The beads impart great strength on their owners, but also contain the soul of a warrior from centuries past. Those who wear the bead are destined to live (and die) the same way as the warrior whose soul resides within their bead. The soul within the bead belonging to Hakufu Sonsaku, the new transfer student at Hanyo Academy, is destined to unite the seven schools and end the conflict.
Artwork: Since the main portions of the story take place in high schools, where the requisite uniforms are required, not much room for creativity was left for the character designers. As a result they come off as largely unremarkable. The major exception being the sadistic Ryomou, whose left eye is obscured by an eye patch, and whose battle uniform looks remarkably akin to a maid outfit. Gakushu is also quite distinctive, only because he’s about ten feet tall and more muscular than Jose Canseco during his MVP season. As for everyone else, expect pretty boys and lithe sirens to be the norm in this incarnation of high school society.
Music: The opening song is a catchy mix of pop and hip-hop that sets the high-energy tone for the series. The ending song is much more mellow and sentimental, and doesn’t seem to be a great match for an anime where the main premise is beating people to a bloody pulp. Due to the schizophrenic nature of the plot, the music tries its best to follow suit, running the gamut from wacky to dramatic. It tries its best to keep pace and does a serviceable job, but by and large the tracks aren’t anything all that exciting.
Characters: Though the souls within the beads possessed by the characters are of supposedly noble warriors, the personalities of their carriers are decidedly more modern, and in most cases, far less gallant. The main character, Hakufu, should be the strongest indication of this. Though destined to following the footsteps of a great and powerful conqueror, she has the personality and intelligence of a valley girl, and really has no clue what to do with her enormous fighting spirit, so she just fights anyone she thinks would provide a decent challenge. Despite being enormously powerful, she is deathly afraid of her mother, Goei. Goei indeed is a strict disciplinarian, but for the most part comes across as rather air-headed, and a bit loose. Kokin Shuyu, a fighter and Hakufu’s cousin, has sworn to protect her even at the cost of his own life. Though not as powerful as Hakufu, he has a hidden talent as a fighter, but it has not yet manifested itself. Saji is a member of the “Big Four” at Hanyo Academy, and as such acts as a sort of ruler. He is very suave and sly, and is always convinced that he is in perfect control of any situation. Gakushu is another member of the Big Four, and despite his imposing bulk, is the friendliest and most honorable member of the Big Four. He becomes quickly allied with Hakufu and Kokin, as he is disenchanted with how the other members of the Big Four are running their school’s affairs. Another member of the Big Four is Ryomou, a girl with a mysterious past who seems to alternate between being shy and antisocial, and bat-shit psycho. She utilizes wrestling-style moves and seems to relish causing her opponents as much pain as possible. The most dangerous of Hakufu’s rivals is Toutaku Chuuei, an underclassman for another school who has immense fighting power. Knowing Hakufu’s destiny is to unite the seven schools, he sees her as a threat to the empire he has built through fear and treachery. Granted, these character descriptions may make the main players sound primed to spark an epic conflict, but the fact remains that they’re all fighting for a bunch of high schools. This raises the question: Why should I care?
Plot: The series couldn’t seem to decide whether it wanted to pander to the viewer’s visceral attraction to violence, or the viewer’s visceral attraction to half-naked bodies. Regardless, it is apparent that the plot has the lowest common denominator in mind for the majority of the time. The concept was interesting, but the way the plot was executed was really farfetched. For one thing, where the hell are the teachers in all this? Aren’t they supposed to stop fights? Instead, I can’t recall seeing a single teacher anywhere as all these kids beat each other senseless. You’d think at least one or two teachers would voice their concerns when half their class calls out sick because of massive internal bleeding. Second, these students all know what historical figures they take after, and have access to records showing what happened to their former selves. And even when they know their destiny will lead them to a horrible end, most of them just go right along with it. Is it just me, or is that whacked? Hell, if I read in a book that I was supposed to fight a bunch of people and get killed, or even so much as get a broken nose, I’d erase my identity, hop on the next flight to Switzerland and start a new life as a shoemaker. Making students fight one another and risk serious injury or death just because they feel they’re supposed to leaves too much disbelief to suspend. After all, when I was in school I avoided fights like the plague; I like my face, and I wanted it to remain symmetrical.
CHICKS!: It’s hard to tell what was supposed to be the main attraction of this anime; the fighting or the fanservice. Regardless of what was supposed to take center stage, there’s no question as to which I found myself paying attention to most frequently. There are a couple of scrumptious ladies to be had here. In my opinion, the leading lady is one of the lesser chicks available, despite her bodacious bosom. Unless breast size is all you consider in choosing which anime girls to worship (and I certainly can’t blame you if it is), Hakufu leaves much to be desired. She’s clearly stupid and high-maintenance, which are two huge strikes in my book. Although she’s certainly nice and friendly, except for the times when her subconscious fighting spirit takes over and she turns into a ballistic berserker that makes Vegeta seem timid and hesitant by comparison. So, if she asks you to take out the garbage, you best do it! Ryomou is another chick whose got a sadistic streak a mile long, which she lets show more often than not. There are times when she seems almost approachable, but something tells me she wouldn’t take too kindly to a corny pick-up line. As killer a body as she has, I wouldn’t risk it. After all, as sweet as honey is, you don’t reach your bare hand into a beehive to get it. Probably the safest bet is the MILF-ish Goei, who despite being the mother of a seventeen year-old is still a knockout. She likes to drink, has a very gentle an uninhibited personality, and apparently has a taste for younger men. Count me among those who would like to be tasted. The real jewel of the group, though, is the fabulously behootered and bisexual Ryofu. She has it in her to be just as sadistic as Ryomou, but doesn’t resort to sadism nearly as often. In fact, she is very gentle with her regular female partner. However, because of her power, I seriously doubt she would settle for anything less than being the dominant one in any relationship. Being dominated by her, though, would definitely have rewards that far outweigh the sting of swallowing my pride. Though the chicks served up in Ikki Tousen have unbelievable bodies, some of the personalities are a tad unstable, so approaching with caution, restraint, and a first-aid kit would be the wisest course of action.
Overall: Watching hot animated chicks wale on each other is one of the great pleasures I derive from life, so that alone was enough to hold my attention throughout the course of this anime. However, overall I thought the whole premise was farfetched and poorly executed, and left me wondering how 13 episodes could be made about something so trivial, while having the audacity to base itself (mostly its characters) on “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” that involved entire kingdoms in China. Still, it’s better than talking bread.
In a Nutshell
+ Sex and violence
+ Premise interesting, if not farfetched
- Ineffective mix of wackiness and drama
- High school is no place for epic territorial struggles
- Cheap and trivial
Rating: 5.5/10
Return to Index