MAGIC SCHOOL LUNAR
These magic students must ride the magic short bus
Review by: Craig "Flunked Out Of Hogwarts" Norris
Length: 10 Minute OAV
Genre: Comedy, parody
Watched: All, subbed
With some time to kill before my frozen pizza finished cooking, I decided to check out this short OAV. It's a good thing I didn't wait for my pizza to finish cooking, because if I had watched this while eating it, I would have likely snorted mozzarella out my nose.
Plot synopsis: The students of the magic school have been kidnapped by Barua and Memphis of the Vile Tribe. Their demands are simple: hand over the power of the Blue Dragon or the students perish. Unfortunately, the dean has no idea what they're talking about. So he sends the best students he has left to rescue the others. Will Lena's wind magic, Senia's lightning magic, and Ellie's allergy to cats be enough to rescue their friends?
Artwork: This is one of those anime where the subpar artwork actually helps. From the chibi-style of the main protagonist, to the wild gesticulations of the narrator, to the main villain whose head is even more disproportional to his body than this guy's, every visual element serves as a reminder that this is a parody anime all the way. From a technical standpoint it is bordering on atrocious, but it works for the genre.
Music: The score fits in with the parody aspect of the anime, using typical music (cheesed up slightly) that would accompany similar scenes in productions that take themselves more seriously. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the soundtrack was ripped directly from other shows, since I swear I've heard them all somewhere before. That being said, there is one fairly impressive track in the closing number, which is surprisingly full-bodied j-pop. However, as a whole the score is fitting, but unremarkable.
Characters: The characters in this anime probably have the combined IQ of a loaf of pumpernickel. Predictably, it is their stupidity that is the source of the entertainment. Ellie, Lena, and Senia are three fairly inept magic school students who are sent to rescue their classmates because they are the only ones left. Cue the typical jokes about their ineptness and high propensity for losing focus. The villains are even more inept, especially Memphis, the leader of the Vile Tribe. It's amazing how a head that big can't have a speck of brains in it. I wonder what's in there? Is it where David Copperfield hid the Statue of Liberty? Does it house the lost city of Atlantis? Is it where Terrel Owens keeps his ego? Regardless, there is clearly no room left for logic. Barua is his whip-wielding henchwoman who seems to be the most capable of anyone (although that's not saying much). Assisting Barua is Minotaurus, a minotaur (natch) who attempts to shield Barua from harm, but usually ends up hurting her more. Then there's the narrator, who shows up everywhere just to ask rhetorical questions and explain events. Other characters seem to get annoyed at his presence, but he holds what little story there is together.
Plot: A plot line that could have been dragged out over two hours for a serious, dramatic movie was successfully condensed to ten minutes of slapstick. And I have a feeling that those ten minutes are much more entertaining than any dramatic movie could be. Exposure of cliches and fourth-wall breaching run rampant in this OAV, so those who actually try to follow the plot obviously have no grasp of the obvious. The plot is not important, so don't think about it too much. Just embrace the madness.
CHICKS!: Elle, Lena and Senia are A) too young, B) drawn as chibis,) and C) really, really stupid. That leaves Barua, who is only appealing if you don't mind sacrificing some dignity and a few pints of blood, as I doubt she will engage in much of anything without assistance form her whip. There are those who would jump at that chance, and if Belldandy and Aoi Sakuraba continue to block my phone calls, I may glance in her direction myself.
Overall: This OAV is really irrelevant to just about everything, but it is undeniably amusing. And, at ten minutes long, what have you got to lose? In fact, instead of reading this review, you could have spent the same amount of time watching it for yourself and formulating your own opinion. I just waster precious minutes of your life that you'll never get back! Now *that's* evil!
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Ten entertaining minutes
+ Revels in its own stupidity
- Absolutely nothing under the parody
- Too short to be all that memorable
- My pizza had way too much oregano on it
Rating: 6/10
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